Pressure Passing
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Pressure passing is the heavy, grinding style of getting past the guard: you flatten the bottom player with weight and crossface, pin a leg, and slowly walk into a dominant position. It trades speed for control and is brutal on the person underneath.
Make the guard miserable to hold
The goal is to take away the bottom player's space and air. A tight crossface turns their head, a staple kills a leg, and constant chest pressure makes every frame collapse. Done well, the bottom player gives up the guard just to breathe.
Slow, connected, and hard to sweep
Because pressure passing keeps your weight low and connected, it is hard to sweep, since there is no gap to off-balance. The trade-off is pace: you advance in inches, so patience and constant pressure matter more than explosiveness.
Community flows for Pressure Passing
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass: Full System Map — Map of Lachlan Giles' six-volume body lock pass: one grip, five stages, the main counters, a closed guard opener, and live rolls. Start where you stall. New to…
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass, Vol 6: Live Rolling Patterns — Narrated Lachlan Giles rolls showing the body lock patterns that repeat live: resets, smash switch, squaring up, calf grip, and the shoulder-line fight. Six…
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass, Vol 4: Finishing the Pass — Lachlan Giles' last body lock stages, free the knee and the foot, with counters to lockdown, Kimura grip, and turtle, ending in side control or mount. Covers…
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass, Vol 3: Clearing the Knee Line — Lachlan Giles' middle stage of the body lock pass: arm then leg past the knee line, the sprawl-kick rule, and counters to guillotine and Kimura frame. Flatten…
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass, Vol 2: Setups & Entries — Every entry to Lachlan Giles' body lock: forcing them to sit up, grip breaks, and entries from butterfly, headquarters, Z-guard, reverse De La Riva. Includes a…
- Lachlan Giles Body Lock Pass, Vol 1: Framework — Lachlan Giles' five-stage body lock pass: low grip, weight back past the knee line, head switching, blocking the near leg, and two common beginner errors. Also…
- Open Guard Passing Macro Mechanics — Jon Thomas' mechanical principles for entering, controlling, and passing various open guards into stable chest-to-chest pins.
- Buzzsaw Passing — Andrew Wiltse Buzzsaw Passing notes
- Half Guard Passing Concepts — Passing the half guard from the top. Pressure, leverage, & positional control to get to side control & knee on belly. Rooted in base, posture, & progressive…
- Pressure Passing Scrambles — Wrestling pressure chained with BJJ guard work. Every scramble turned into top control.
- Smash Passing — Top pressure from every angle. Smashing through guards, controlling opponents w/ heavy weight, & finishing when they break
- Smash Pass Flow — The smash pass from entry to finish. Entering from different guards, handling blocks and escapes, and getting to mount or side control.
Frequently asked questions
What is pressure passing in BJJ?
A guard passing style that uses heavy weight, crossfaces, and leg staples to flatten and smother the bottom player, grinding to a pin rather than moving around the legs quickly.
Is pressure passing better than speed passing?
It depends on the player and the guard. Pressure suits a heavier, methodical game and is hard to sweep; speed beats mobile guards. Most strong passers use both.
How do I stop being swept while pressure passing?
Keep your weight low and your base wide, clear the bottom player's grips and hooks before you advance, and stay connected so there is no space to off-balance you.
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