BJJ Guard Passers: In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, guard passing is a skill. It’s not easy to go beyond your opponent’s protection and take a dominant stance when they actively try to oppose you with their arms and legs. One of the main objectives in BJJ is guard passing and being the grappler on top; this is a skill that every grappler should be able to do. We’ll discuss some of our sport’s top guard passers in this post.
The Top 8 BJJ Guard Passers
BJJ has always developed on an upward trajectory. Wrestlers get more proficient at certain tactics with time, especially guard play. Guard passing has to level up and adjust to the current meta as a result. The continuous tugging and pushing is what propels Jiu-Jitsu technique improvement. You can’t just force your way to the guard pass in today’s grappling. To be effective, you have to get rid of any possible sweeps, back takes, and submission attempts (particularly leg locks).
Guard passing is a skill that is always developing. Superstars of the past and present are masters at changing the guard. We advise you to look at the athletes listed below if you want to guard passing technique.
1) Gordon Ryan
Regarded as the best no-gi grappler of all time, Gordon Ryan is renowned for his flawless open-guard technique and comprehensive skill set. The greatest strategy to pass an opponent’s guard, according to Gordon’s coach John Danaher, is to force them to half-guard you by placing their back flat on the mat, having at least one underhook, and establishing a hip-to-hip position. See how Gordon exhausts his opponents’ energy while imposing his guard pass from half-guard in the video above.
You might also be interested in reading this: The Z Lock Leg Attack: What Is It?
2) Roger Gracie
Roger Gracie is regarded as the all-time best BJJ competitor. He is renowned for his straightforward yet extremely clever grappling style, demonstrating that principles can be effective even in the most competitive settings. Roger frequently gets past the defences of his opponents, which he takes advantage of to mount the fight and apply his renowned cross choke.
3) Marcus Almeida
Currently competing as a heavyweight under ONE Championship, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is among the most decorated Jiu-Jitsu athletes in history. The “folding pass,” a variation of the leg weaving pass that Buchecha is well-known for, enables him to apply intense pressure to opponents, compelling them to give up side control, mount, or even the back. Check out Buchecha’s folding pass in the video above if you enjoy pressure passing.
4) Marcelo Garcia
One of the all-time great competitors is Marcelo Garcia. Marcelo, who is well-known for his dynamic and distinctive style of grappling, is an expert at breaking down the most frequent defences individuals use. Marcelo prevents his opponent from setting anything up with his aggressive guard passing style. Marcelo passes in a low passing posture and utilises a knee cut and back step from half guard to establish side control with a heavy hip. It’s an easy-to-understand yet powerful passing technique.
5) Rafael Mendes
Known by his stage name “Rafa,” Rafael Mendes is among the most accomplished athletes in contemporary Jiu-Jitsu. His dynamic passing style is well-known, as he energetically moves from side to side while linking several guard passing methods such the long stride, torenado, leg drag and windscreen wipers. Rafa is an expert at managing distance, so if you’re into fast passing, you shouldn’t pass on him.
6) Paulo Miyao
Since they were teenagers, Paulo and his brother Joao have been regarded as BJJ phenomenon. Paulo, who is well-known for possessing unbreakable defences that few grapplers could get past, is also well-known for his body lock and knee cut pressure passes, which he employs to get to the side. In contemporary BJJ, the majority of guards may be overcome using pressure passes; hence, you might want to study Paulo Miyao’s body lock pass.
7) Leandro Lo
Leandro has the record for the most IBJJF World titles across several weight classes, making him one of the all-time greats in BJJ. He is well-known for his unrelenting passing technique, especially when using the toreando guard pass. Lo is known for his intense passing technique. He frequently combines the leg drag pass with his toreando while applying consistent pressure to advance and land in side control.
8) Bernardo Faria
As a multiple IBJJF World Champion, Bernardo is recognised as one of the key players in shaping the contemporary grappling landscape. At the top levels of play, he is renowned for employing the over-under pass, which may be executed with little to no agility or energy.
Using the over-under pass for pressure passing can work well for you if you are a bigger grappler.
These are the top 8 BJJ guard passers. Let us know your thoguhts in the comment section below.
