How To Do the Cartwheel Guard Pass
0
Standard Cartwheel Pass·Stephan Kesting
Stephan Kesting teaches the Cartwheel Guard Pass for BJJ and Submission Grappling. Free Newsletter and Book: http://www.…
Standard Cartwheel Pass
Genus側転パス(Sokuten Pasu)
HybridTranslation: cartwheel pass
Overview
The cartwheel pass bypasses the opponent's guard vertically by executing a lateral cartwheel motion over the guard player's legs, inverting and landing in a dominant position behind or beside them. [1] Drawing from capoeira movement patterns adapted to BJJ by Brazilian practitioners with dual backgrounds, the technique was notably used by Rubens Charles 'Cobrinha' (4x IBJJF World Champion) as part of his butterfly guard passing system. Nick Rodriguez (ADCC 2022 silver medalist) brought renewed attention by using it repeatedly at ADCC. [2]
Cartwheel PassCapoeira PassCartwheel Guard Pass
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Effective surprise pass that catches opponents who are defending lateral passes. Nick Rodriguez demonstrated its viability at ADCC 2022 silver medal level. [1]
Lineage
Capoeira movement adapted to BJJ. Cobrinha (4x World Champion) and Nick Rodriguez (ADCC 2022) as key practitioners.
Competition Record
Cobrinha: 4x IBJJF World Champion. Nick Rodriguez: ADCC 2022 silver medalist — used cartwheel pass repeatedly in competition.
Images
No images yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest an image.
Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — From standing, post one hand on the mat between or beside opponent's legs, execute lateral cartwheel inverting over the guard entirely
Force Vector — Vertical bypass — goes over the guard rather than around it laterally
Landing — Passer lands in dominant position (behind opponent or in side control) after the inversion
Position & Entry
From standing vs seated guard — Post hand between opponent's legs and cartwheel over
From butterfly guard counter — When opponent sits up for butterfly sweep, cartwheel over their extending legs
From guard pull counter — As opponent pulls guard, cartwheel over their rising legs
Variants
Cartwheel to back take — continue the rotation to establish back control
Cartwheel over butterfly guard — Cobrinha's version
Cartwheel with wrist control — Nick Rodriguez's variation
Cartwheel from standing vs guard pull counter
Videos
The BEST BJJ Passes For Beginners + COMMON MISTAKES | Gi & Nogi
0
Standard Cartwheel Pass·Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu
Every time I roll with a blue belt, I already know they're going to make these mistakes... haha ✅ BJJ Beginner Course: …
Cartwheel Pass by Andressa Cintra
0
Standard Cartwheel Pass·BJJ Fanatics
CARTWHEEL PASS https://www.bjjfanatics.com This video demonstrates how to do the Cartwheel Pass in BJJ or Jiu Jitsu. …
1 / 2
3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The standard cartwheel pass is a guard-pass technique that uses a cartwheel-like movement to overcome the guard player's positioning and establish top control. Stephan Kesting emphasizes that the technique requires only basic cartwheel ability and gained prominence through high-level competitors like Sakuraba and Henzo Gracie. Kesting recommends practicing progressive variations—beginning with uneven-height cartwheels on medicine balls to develop stability before attempting the pass on training partners. He advocates starting against butterfly guard, where the guard player's legs are grounded and less entangling, allowing the passer to place one hand on the ground between the opponent's legs while the other hand contacts the shoulder. Upon completing the cartwheel and achieving top position, Kesting highlights two follow-up options: securing a seatbelt grip to work hooks and back control, or applying a rear-naked choke without hooks. BJJ Fanatics instructor Andressa Cintra demonstrates the technique against lapel guard, emphasizing that perfect cartwheel form is unnecessary—speed, timing, and pressure suffice. Cintra stresses creating distance by lifting the legs during the cartwheel motion to break the opponent's grips, then driving pressure downward on both legs using a V-shaped arm position before stepping to complete the pass. Both instructors agree the technique is learnable, effective for catching opponents initially, and best practiced progressively before applying it in live rolling.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Stephan Kesting — How To Do the Cartwheel Guard Pass: Provided foundational progression methodology (uneven-height drill progressions), historical context (Sakuraba/PRIDE origins), guard position selection rationale (butterfly guard advantages), and post-pass chaining options (seatbelt to hooks or rear-naked choke without hooks).
- Andressa Cintra (BJJ Fanatics) — Cartwheel Pass by Andressa Cintra: Demonstrated the technique against lapel guard, emphasized that perfect cartwheel form is not required, highlighted the importance of speed/timing/pressure combination, detailed the leg-driving mechanics using V-shaped arm position, and clarified the mechanics of breaking grips through distance creation.
- Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu — The BEST BJJ Passes For Beginners + COMMON MISTAKES | Gi & Nogi: While focused on other passes (Toriano, Sidesmash, knee slide), provided relevant contextual instruction on guard-pass principles including weight distribution, grip control, and preventing opponent re-engagement during pass execution.
Learn This Technique
No instructional courses yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest a course.
Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Moderate risk of the passer landing awkwardly on their own neck/shoulder; low risk to the opponent
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— IBJJF — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal — transitioning past opponent's legs is part ...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The cartwheel pass draws from capoeira movement adapted to grappling. Cobrinha (4x IBJJF World Champion, capoeira practitioner) teaches it as part of his butterfly guard passing. Nick Rodriguez used it repeatedly at ADCC 2022, confusing opponents by jumping over their guards. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza also demonstrated it. Requires athleticism, balance, and comfort with inversion.
Common Mistakes
!Landing on the neck/shoulder — must maintain control throughout the cartwheel
!Telegraphing the movement — the cartwheel must be sudden
!Not securing a grip after landing — must immediately establish control
!Attempting against an opponent who is tracking your hips — works best when opponent is focused on defending lateral passes
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Stand vs seated guard → Identify opening → Post hand on mat → Execute lateral cartwheel over guard → Land in dominant position → Secure control immediately
Sources & References
Primary Source
Evolve MMA — How to Perform the Cartwheel Pass in BJJ
1BookGrapplearts — Cartwheels in BJJ (Kesting)
[2] Grapplearts — Kesting cartwheel analysis
2BookCobrinha BJJ Online — Cartwheel Pass Counter vs Butterfly Guard
3OtherJapanese Martial Arts Community Terminology
Evolve MMA — Cartwheel Pass (evolve-mma.com) || Grapplearts — Cartwheels in BJJ (Kesting) || Cobrinha BJJ Online — Cartwheel Pass Counter vs Butterfly Guard
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Hybrid Terminology
Mixed Japanese-Western terminology — combines traditional Japanese terms with katakana loanwords
5CitationEvolve MMA — Cartwheel Pass (evolve-mma.com)
[1] Evolve MMA — Nick Rodriguez variations
6CitationGrapplearts — Cartwheels in BJJ (Kesting)
[2] Grapplearts — Kesting cartwheel analysis
7CitationCobrinha BJJ Online — Cartwheel Pass Counter vs Butterfly Guard
Community
Athletics
Requires
athleticism, balance, coordination, comfort with inversion
Key muscles
shoulders, core, hip flexors
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be flexible or athletic to learn the cartwheel pass?
No. Stephan Kesting emphasizes that you only need to be able to do a basic cartwheel—he notes that even at 215 pounds with an older body, he can cartwheel, so the pass is accessible to most people.
What's the most important thing to control when attempting the cartwheel pass?
According to Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu, you must prioritize keeping your opponent's feet off of you—feet function like hand grips for the legs, so controlling them is critical to successfully hitting guard passes.
Should I break all of my opponent's grips before passing?
Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu explains that you only need to remove grips that actively stop you from executing the pass; you can chain passes together if they defend with remaining grips, so breaking every grip isn't always necessary.
How does the Standard Cartwheel Pass work?
The cartwheel pass bypasses the opponent's guard vertically by executing a lateral cartwheel motion over the guard player's legs, inverting and landing in a dominant position behind or beside them. Drawing from capoeira movement patterns adapted to BJJ by Brazilian practitioners with dual backgrounds, the technique was notably used by Rubens Charles 'Cobrinha' (4x IBJJF World Champion) as part of his butterfly guard passing system.
Where does the Standard Cartwheel Pass come from?
Adapted from capoeira movement patterns by Brazilian practitioners with dual martial arts backgrounds. Notably used by Cobrinha and Nick Rodriguez at world championship level.
Is the Standard Cartwheel Pass legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points; IJF: legal — Legal — transitioning past opponent's legs is part of newaza; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points; Unified MMA: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate risk of the passer landing awkwardly on their own neck/shoulder; low risk to the opponent
How do I set up the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
The standard setup chain: Stand vs seated guard → Identify opening → Post hand on mat → Execute lateral cartwheel over guard → Land in dominant position → Secure control immediately.
How do I defend against the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
Standard counters include: Track passer's hips and follow the rotation / Leg lasso to catch the passer mid-cartwheel / Invert underneath / Post frames upward to block the landing.
What are the variants of the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
Common variants: Cartwheel to back take (continue the rotation to establish back control); Cartwheel over butterfly guard (Cobrinha's version); Cartwheel with wrist control (Nick Rodriguez's variation); Cartwheel from standing vs guard pull counter.
How effective is the Standard Cartwheel Pass in competition?
Cobrinha: 4x IBJJF World Champion. Nick Rodriguez: ADCC 2022 silver medalist — used cartwheel pass repeatedly in competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
Top errors to watch for: Landing on the neck/shoulder — must maintain control throughout the cartwheel / Telegraphing the movement — the cartwheel must be sudden / Not securing a grip after landing — must immediately establish control / Attempting against an opponent who is tracking your hips — works best when opponent is focused on defending lateral p….
What are other names for the Standard Cartwheel Pass?
The Standard Cartwheel Pass is also known as Sokuten Pasu, Cartwheel Pass, Capoeira Pass, Cartwheel Guard Pass.