Stack Pass
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The stack pass folds the bottom player onto their own shoulders, taking away their hips and legs so you can walk around to a pin. It is a high-percentage answer to closed guard and many open guards, especially against flexible players who like to off-balance you.
Fold the hips, kill the guard
By lifting and stacking the legs over the bottom player's head, you stand their hips up and take away the angle they need to attack. From the stack you walk your hips to side control or split the legs to come through the middle.
Pressure that beats off-balancing
Because the stack drives the bottom player's weight onto their shoulders, it is hard for them to sweep or invert, since there is nothing to off-balance. It pairs naturally with other pressure passes when the stack alone does not finish.
Community flows for Stack Pass
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- Smash and Pass Fundamentals — Top pressure with a smash-and-pass mentality. Breaking through defensive guards and controlling the back. Every movement applies crushing weight to create…
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- Fernando Paiva (@fernandopaiva_bjj): OC Fall Open 2026 — Fernando Paiva (@fernandopaiva_bjj, AOJ - BR) at the IBJJF Orange County Fall International Open 2026: Brown Feather gold. Two matches. Scored first in both…
- Alex Dovsek (@alexdovsek): OC Fall Open 2026 — Alex Dovsek (@alexdovsek, AOJ) at the IBJJF Orange County Fall International Open 2026: Purple Feather gold. Three matches. 44 points to 2. Every position of…
- Caleb Nascimento (@calebnascimento): OC Fall Open 2026 — Caleb Nascimento (@calebnascimento, Marcio Andre Jiu-Jitsu) at the IBJJF Orange County Fall International Open 2026: Brown Middle Heavy silver, Brown Open…
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- Nattie Boss: Half Guard Pass to Knee Cut or Armbar — Nattie Boss (@nattiebossrd), BJJ black belt and sports dietitian, shows a top half guard pass: pants grip and hip frame, dive under the bottom arm to the…
- Gustavo Gasperin: Knee Cut Finishes vs the Ankle Pinch — Gustavo Gasperin (@mmaleech), 4th degree BJJ black belt, maps the knee cut pass and the gi and no-gi grips used to flatten the bottom player and free a trapped…
Frequently asked questions
What is a stack pass?
A pass where you fold the bottom player onto their shoulders by stacking their legs over their head, removing their hips so you can move to a pin.
What is the stack pass good against?
Closed guard and flexible, off-balancing open guards. Stacking takes away the angle those guards rely on.
How do I finish the stack pass?
Once the hips are stacked, walk your weight to one side into side control or split the legs and drive through the center, keeping the stack pressure until you have a pin.
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