Guard Pass BJJ: White Belt Biomechanical Guide
☰Contents
Master BJJ Guard Passing with this biomechanically precise guide for white belts. Learn grips, weight distribution, and avoid injuries.
White
Guard passing aims to move from a position where your opponent controls your legs (guard) to a dominant position like side-control or Mount.
White belts often struggle by being too rigid, attempting to force passes without understanding leverage, leading to them getting swept or submitted.
The core principle is to use your body's weight and structure to break their grips and control their hips, creating an angle to pass their legs.
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Grips & Mechanics
- Grip: Grab opponent's right pant leg at the ankle with your left hand, and their left pant leg at the ankle with your right hand. Maintain a strong, neutral grip, not pulling excessively.
- Base and Posture: Establish a wide, stable base with your knees wide and hips low. Keep your posture upright, preventing them from easily pulling you down.
- Initial Pressure: Drive your chest towards their hips, creating a slight forward pressure. Your hips should be slightly lower than their hips.
- Weight Transfer: Shift your weight onto your right foot, lifting their left leg slightly. Simultaneously, step your left foot towards their left hip.
- Hip Angle: As you step, rotate your hips 45 degrees to your left, creating an angle to pass their legs. Your right knee should track towards their left hip.
- Clearing the Leg: Use your right hand to push their left leg outwards, away from your body. Your left hand maintains control of their right ankle.
- Forward Drive: Drive forward through their legs with your chest and hips, maintaining pressure. Your right foot will step past their hips.
- Secure Position: Once past their legs, establish side-control by pinning their hip and shoulder with your chest and head, maintaining a strong base.
⚠️ White Belt Warnings
- Jerking Knees: Attempting to pull opponent's legs apart with excessive knee flexion and extension can strain the ACL and MCL ligaments in your own knees.
- Over-Extending Elbows: Pushing too hard against their hips or legs with fully extended elbows can lead to hyperextension injuries in the elbow joint, damaging the ligaments.
- Arching Back Excessively: Trying to maintain posture by arching your lower back instead of using your core and leg base puts immense strain on the lumbar spine, risking disc compression or muscle strains.
Drill Progressions
- Solo Grip and Footwork Drill: Practice gripping pant legs and stepping into the passing angle without a partner. (50 reps each side)
- Partnered Static Pass: Your partner lies on their back, you practice the grips, posture, and hip angle without resistance. (20 reps each side)
- Controlled Pass with Light Resistance: Partner offers minimal resistance to hip movement. Focus on clearing one leg. (30 reps each side, 25% resistance)
- Controlled Pass with Hip Control: Partner tries to hip escape slightly. Focus on driving pressure and maintaining your base. (30 reps each side, 50% resistance)
- Pass with Guard Retention Defense: Partner actively attempts to recompose guard. Focus on maintaining pressure and breaking grips. (20 reps each side, 75% resistance)
- Live Rolling - Focus on Passing: Execute the pass during live rolling, prioritizing technique over submission. (5 minutes, 90-100% resistance)
When to Use & Counters
- WHEN TO ATTEMPT:
- When opponent is in your guard (closed, open, half) and you have established grips on their pants/ankles.
- When opponent attempts to pass your guard and you can establish defensive grips.
- When opponent is postured up and you have an opportunity to break their posture and grip their legs.
- PRIMARY COUNTERS:
- Guard Recomposition: If the passer's hips are too far away, quickly bring your knees back to your chest and feet to their hips to re-establish guard.
- Hip Escape and Angle Creation: If the passer is driving forward too much, hip escape to create space and attempt to bring your knees back in.
- Leg Pummeling: Actively pummel your legs to prevent the passer from isolating and clearing them. Use your feet to push away their chest and hips.
Related Video
Watch step-by-step breakdowns from black belt instructors:
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📋 Competition Rules
⚙️ Recommended Gear
Common BJJ Problems & FAQ
Knee pain during guard passing often occurs when you try to force the pass by twisting your knees or pushing off your opponent's hips with locked knees. This can strain your knee ligaments. Instead, maintain a slight bend in your knees, use your hips and core for power, and ensure your knee tracks in line with your foot when stepping.
Against a larger opponent, focus on leverage and structure rather than brute strength. Maintain a low base and upright posture to prevent them from using their weight effectively. Use precise grips on their ankles and pants to control their legs, and drive your hips forward to break their base. Angle your body to create space and pass, rather than trying to push straight through them.
You should consider disengaging from a pass attempt and returning to guard when you lose your base and posture, or if the opponent successfully isolates one of your legs and threatens a sweep or submission. If their hips are too close and they are effectively controlling your upper body, it's safer to reset your guard rather than forcing a pass that could lead to a worse position.
🥋 Related Techniques
🥋 Landed your first Guard Pass? Log every tap.
Track submissions, sessions & streaks — free forever.