Grapple Smart Q&A: Help Passing 1/2 Guard!
Jared Asks: “I need some advice on passing half guard. Any would be appreciated!”
>GS Answer: Hi Jared, great question! Here are a few tips that you can implement immediately and hopefully immediately improve you’re ½ guard passing.
1. GET THEM FLAT ON THEIR BACK. Just imagine you’re in half guard the worst place u want to be is flat on your back. You will minimize their mobility and hip movement. How to get them on ur back? See #2
2. MAKE THEIR HEAD TURN AWAY. If you can effectively make their head turn away from you then there is no way they can shrimp their hips out (unless ur grappling gumby)!
GI: grab the lapel behind their head and straighten your wrist and arm (imagine the way your arm looks at the end of swinging a hatchet) and presto they look the other way (or at least make it extremely uncomfortable for them ).
NOGI: Utilize shoulder pressure on their chin to turn their head. HOW? Connect your hands in the typical way you would hold someone down in ½ guard roll ur shoulder across their face to make them “Look Away”.
CAUTION: Consider you’re training partners face when implementing this technique… in a completion, this pressure can be so great on their jaw and chin that they simply concede the pass to relieve the pressure on their face.
3. KEEP UR HIPS LOW KEEP UR BASE: If you’re too aggressive at pressuring up high obviously the pressure against their hips will reduce. If you keep a balanced base it will be difficult for them to sweep you or replace full guard.
4. FEIGN ATTACKS & KEEP EM GUESSING: If you just attempt to pass and they know it then they have the highest chance to defend. If you feign attacks (submissions) then they will often forget about defending the pass and more about the sub.
NOTE: You can get Americana’s, chokes, leg locks etc. from the ½ guard it’s just a bit harder. So fake an Americana, pull the material on their gi pants… for this example you’re only try’n to lead their mind away from the pass long enough for you to execute it.
There are many more things to think about but if you overload your mind with too many things then you’ll remember nothing.
Let me know if this helps you out!
Jeff
Grapple Hard, Grapple Smart
Categories: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Philosophy, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Technique, Q & A, Twitter Posts
2 Comments »
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August 15th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Good post! Keep em flat for sure! Work two passes at the same time, one that goes one direction and one that goes the other…. i.e. a knee slide and a backstep.
August 16th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Hey thanks for your comment!
Great point! Having multiple attacks and passes always keeps em’ guessing.
BTW, I’m gravitating my website to GrappleSmart.com I’m going to try to migrate your comment to the other site.
Thanks,
Jeff