Observe all of the different divisions at a bjj tournament and it doesn’t take long to see just how many matches come down to passing and defending the guard. The majority of the matches will be decided by whether the passer can get past the legs of the guard player.

Gracie Barra black belts share 5 different passes for the most common tournament passing situations.

1) Basic open guard pass
This might be the most basic but effective pass to an open guard. You pin one of your opponent’s knees and decide which way to pass depending on their defensive reaction.
https://youtu.be/sFMyQJ_yAX0

2) Double under stack pass
This pass is especially effective to control your opponent’s hip movement.
https://youtu.be/RM3dij5X6f4

3) X guard Pass
When your opponent gets you entangled in their X guard, it is difficult to move and retain your balance against the sweep. The best jiu-jitsu is simple and this technique is basic but effective.
https://youtu.be/n9EiKWktsEY

4) Leg Drag guard pass against De la Riva
Maybe the #1 guard pass technique against the annoying DLR guard. Prof. Phillip Della Monica shows the details.
https://youtu.be/x5AsEhq3bio

5) Knee slice pass
Prof. Romulo Barral is most well known for his spider guard and his knee slice pass. To milk shares some advanced details to make the pass work for you.
https://youtu.be/wyGYstD1qLY

What is your “go to” pass in a tournament match?

See also on Gracie Barra : Arm Bar From The Guard
https://graciebarra.com/2017/06/arm-bar-from-the-guard/

Credits: Mark Mullen
Gracie Barra Black belt based in Saigon, Vietnam
Facebook facebook.com/markmullenbjj