One step guardpass

This is a guardpass I kind of came up with after the SBG Florida camp, where Matt talked about the definition of a guardpass (rear hip passing the line of opponents hip). Also, I know Kavanagh did something similar to me when he was here, but he never told me the secret, so I had to figure it out myself

Me and my partner Kári have been working on this a lot lately and when you get the timing and setups down, it is - for us - one of the most high percentage guardpasses we have at the moment. It is REALLY simple, actually so simple that people get frustrated every time we execute it, because they think that was too simple to get caught in

It is not a solid fundamental five pass for sure, but we catch it again and again in sparring. Especially in MMA where you can distract with strikes before you pass it works really, really well.


I am starting out standing up in Káris guard, getting ready to pass by controlling his legs. There are several setups from here, try to experiment with the leg- or armdrag :)


While keeping his legs in place I step in between them with my right foot...


...which lands right next to his left hip.


Now I need to drop to kneeride ASAP before he hooks one of his legs over my right leg. Step over with my left leg and that finishes the pass.

Here are a few things that can happen:


Block with knee

Kári blocks my pass by putting his top knee in front of my passing leg.


I step up with my left leg...


...all the way over...


...land it by his top hip...


...and drops my knee.


Top leg hook

Here, Kári blocks my pass by hooking his top leg in front of my passing leg.


With two hands, I push his knee to the mat.


Underhooks his arm.


Slides my knee past and passes.


Sit up

Kári sits up to avoid me flattening him out in the pass. I step in anyways.


Instead of dropping to kneeride, I step around his back.


Lands my foot...


And drops to take the back.



Here is a video from a turnament where one of the guys from my gym (Dracovich) is using the pass a lot. I promised him a beer for every onestep guardpass he did. It was an expensive night for me!! :-D