Guard passing is undeniably one of the most important things in BJJ. You won’t improve your jiu-jitsu game without this crucial element. Unfortunately, it is also one of the hardest things to learn. However, difficult does not mean impossible, there are ways of how to become a great guard passer. And one such way is to learn from instructional videos with the participation of the best jiu-jitsu coaches and competitors. So if you want to improve your BJJ game, check below and see what are the best guard passing videos.
Guard passing
As already mentioned, guard passing is crucial for improving your jiu jitsu. We just spend so much time fighting from this position, it makes sense to emphasize improving our ability from it. Therefore it is worth knowing its basic methods, concepts, and mechanics.
Important things to keep in mind if you want to become a good guard passer
Remember about good posture
Building a proper posture is one of the most important things if you want to be good at guard passing. You will not pass any guard if it is easy for your opponents to sweep you first. To be comfortable while passing, you must be able to defend sweeps, and have good balance. And balance will be easier to develop if you incorporate good posture while you pass. There are so many guards out there that it is virtually impossible to believe you got a good guard passing game from any position. However, it is possible to develop good posture from all positions. Thanks to this, it will be much harder for your opponents to perform sweeps or submissions from any guard.
Have a low center of gravity
Every successful sweep requires lifting the center of gravity of the top player. And the higher your center of gravity is, the more likely you are to get swiped. The distance of your center of gravity to the mat is just directly proportionate to how easily you are to be swept. Many sweeps can be completely nullified simply by dropping your hips (and hence your center of gravity) to the mat. In general, it is better to have your hips as close to the mat as possible as soon as possible.
Know the importance of timing and speed
If you want to successfully do sweeps and submissions you need good timing and a quick reaction time. And if you want to be good at guard passing you also need that. You must be able to hit the pass at the perfect moment. It is very action-reaction based. When your opponent reacts, you need to seize the moment quickly.
Use pressure passing
Pressure passing is a very versatile and powerful method of guard passing, it will work for both Gi and No-Gi. By using it, you can save energy and slow down the pace of a fight. Moreover, pressure passing does not require any crazy athleticism or flexibility. It is mistakenly associated with the use of force. Many people also mistakenly believe that this is a technique for heavy people only. When it is actually a very technical form of guard passing. It is about using your weight distribution appropriately to exert pressure. How much strength you have or how much you weigh doesn’t matter that much. In order to develop dominant and technical pressure passing, you need good weight distribution and precision in applying pressure.
Best BJJ Guard Passing Instructionals and DVDs
When you already know the theoretical basics of guard passing, the next step is practice. However, in order not to implement the theory into life thoughtlessly, but meaningful, it is worth supporting yourself with instructional videos first. Thanks to them you will see exactly what it should look like and you will be able to repeat it yourself. And to make sure that what you watch will really help in practicing your guard passing, it is worth focusing on quality instructionals, not the first better YouTube videos. Therefore, below you will find materials from the best supplier of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructionals – BJJ Fanatics.
Passing the Guard: BJJ Fundamentals – Go Further Faster by John Danaher
It’s best to learn from the best. So Danaher’s instructionals just had to be here. Among the grappling community, John Danaher is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, trainers of his generation. He is especially appreciated for his extraordinary knowledge and teaching skills. Danaher is mostly recognized for his work with competitors such as George Saint Pierre, Garry Tonon, and Gordon Ryan – known among BJJ fans as the Danaher Death Squad (DDS).
He is an amazing trainer, so no wonder that the videos with his participation are also amazing. In the material, he literally walks you through each move with different views and explains everything in detail. Even though guard passing is not an easy thing to do, Danaher’s explanation makes it easy to absorb and replicate in real life sparring. What he says and shows is easy to follow. Thanks to this everything is clear. He is very detailed oriented but also simplifies the concepts for anyone to understand. His ability to simplify difficult concepts and demystify BJJ is just second to none. And this all makes this series great for anyone, both beginners and higher belts.
Systematically Attacking The Guard by Gordon Ryan
Again, it’s best to learn from the best. And if so, Gordon Ryan could not be missing here. He is a member of the well-known group – Danaher Death Squad (DDS). Ryan is especially famous for his skills in no-gi and winning by submitting against famous athletes such as Alexandre Ribeiro or Keenan Cornelius. He is one of the leading jiu jitsu figures of his generation, by many even considered to be the best of all time.
Material with his participation is expensive but really worth the money. In this video, you can see why Gordon is so good. And thanks to this instructional you can become at least a little bit like him. No matter if you are big or small after watching this you will be unstoppable. You will be able to virtually pass any guard. Ryan is easy to understand and explains the concepts of this training clearly. His explanations of how to attack the guard are very detailed. The instructions and techniques from this material will greatly improve your jiu jitsu game no matter what color your belt is.
Pressure Passing by Bernardo Faria
Faria is not only the co-founder of BJJ Fanatics but also is widely regarded as one of the most important super-heavyweights competitors of his generation. He can also boast numerous championship titles. Bernardo Faria is i.a. 6-time IBJJF World Champion. Moreover, aside from his abilities as a grappler he also truly understands the art of teaching. All this and his warm personality make him a great trainer. And his instructionals are a pleasure to watch.
In this video, the amount of content is just a great value. The camera angles are good, and the detailed explanations of techniques are exceptional. In the material, Faria not only explains how to do stuff but also why and when. He also gives a lot of tips and excellent invisible details that can perfect anyone’s game. Thanks to this, it is the perfect instructional for anybody of any age, rank, athletic level, and fitness level. It will work great as a starter if you are a beginner, but will also serve as a refreshment and way of polishing your skills.
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