My 5 Favourite Guard Passes
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Guard Top·JonThomasBJJ
So I often get asked what is my favourite guard pass so I thought I would do a video about 5 of my favourite passes from…
Guard Top
Groupガードトップ(Gādo Toppu)
Translation: Guard top
Overview
The Guard Top group covers all positions, techniques, and strategies for the fighter on top when the opponent is playing guard — the offensive counterpart to the guard player's sweeps and submissions. [1] Being in someone's guard requires a specific skill set: maintaining posture to prevent being pulled into submissions, establishing base to resist sweeps, and systematically working to pass the guard to achieve a dominant position. [1],[2] In MMA, guard top includes the critical skill of ground-and-pound — delivering strikes from inside the guard while avoiding submission attempts — which is one of the most common ways fights are finished on the ground. [2],[3] The top player must balance defensive awareness (avoiding triangles, armbars, and guillotines) with offensive progression (passing the guard to side control or mount). [3]
Top PositionGuard TopDominant Ground Position
History & Origin
Guard top strategy developed as a necessary counterpart to the Gracie family's guard innovations in BJJ — once the guard became offensively viable, the top player needed systematic approaches to survive and advance from inside guard. [1] Early BJJ guard top work was primarily about posture and guard break before passing, but the skill set expanded significantly as guard systems became more sophisticated. [1],[2] In MMA, guard top strategy took on additional dimensions with the integration of ground-and-pound, which was pioneered by fighters like Mark Coleman and Tito Ortiz and later refined by Khabib Nurmagomedov's ground-and-pound system. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Guard top is a critical skill because it determines whether the top fighter can advance through the positional hierarchy or gets stuck in a neutral position. [1] In MMA, effective guard top work (ground-and-pound combined with guard passing) is one of the strongest predictors of round wins in judging. [2] In BJJ competition, the ability to break and pass guard from the top is essential for any well-rounded competitor. [3]
Lineage
Guard top strategy traces from the Gracie self-defence curriculum (where breaking and passing guard was essential for the mount-and-submit sequence) through modern sport BJJ's sophisticated passing systems. [1] MMA guard top work evolved separately through the development of ground-and-pound striking. [1],[2]
Competition Record
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Maintaining an upright, balanced position inside or above the opponent's guard while working to neutralise their legs and advance to a dominant position
Joints Involved — Spine (posture — keeping the back straight and head up prevents the guard player from breaking posture for attacks), hips (base — wide hip position resists sweeps), knees (positioning for guard breaks and passing initiation), hands (grip fighting to control the guard player's offensive grips)
Force Vector — Upward and backward (posturing up to create distance from the guard player's pulling force) and forward and downward (driving pressure to flatten the guard player and initiate passes)
Control Mechanic — The top player in guard controls the exchange through the posture-pressure cycle: posture up to prevent attacks, then drive pressure forward to initiate passes; the guard player counters by breaking posture and attacking — the battle is fundamentally about who controls the distance between their hips and heads
Position & Entry
From takedown — After a successful double leg or single leg takedown, land inside the opponent's guard rather than being swept or reversed — immediately establish posture with hands on the opponent's hips or biceps [1]
From opponent's guard pull — When the opponent pulls guard in competition, immediately posture up, secure grips on the pants or legs, and begin working to pass
From failed submission defence — After defending a submission attempt from bottom (e.g., escaping a triangle), consolidate the guard top position before attempting to pass
Videos
3 No-Gi Guard Passes That Work at All Levels
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Guard Top·Gold BJJ
Black belt athlete and competitor Juan Carlos Lopez shows a few of his favorite No-Gi guard passing techniques. Follow …
2 videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
The guard top position exposes the top player to submission attempts (triangle, armbar, guillotine, kimura from guard); in MMA, the top player risks being cut with elbows from the bottom; poor posture inside guard is dangerous
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — ground...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points por...
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — no penalty for playing guard
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Posture is survival — inside closed guard, maintain a straight back, head up, hands on the opponent's hips; broken posture = submissions and sweeps (Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University, 2008) [1]
✓Learn to stand up in closed guard — standing breaks the guard lock and initiates standing passing; it is the most fundamental guard-breaking method
✓Grip fight proactively — strip the guard player's collar and sleeve grips immediately; every grip they establish is a potential sweep or submission setup
✓In MMA, posture up for ground-and-pound — sitting too close inside guard limits striking power and exposes you to submissions; create distance, posture up, and strike downward
✓Guard breaking before passing — don't try to pass a locked closed guard; break it first (standing, knee-in, or grip-based break), then pass
✓Control the hips — the guard player's hips are their weapon; pinning, controlling, or stacking their hips neutralises sweeps and submissions
✓Develop a passing system from guard top — connect your guard break to 2-3 passing options that chain together based on the opponent's reactions [2]
✓Avoid the 'dead zone' — the middle distance inside guard where you're too close to strike effectively and too far to control posture; commit to either close pressure or far posture
Common Mistakes
!Broken posture inside closed guard — leaning forward with the head down inside closed guard is the most common beginner error; it enables cross-collar chokes, triangles, and armbars
!Hands on the mat inside guard — placing hands on the mat gives the guard player wrist control; keep hands on their body (hips, biceps, collar)
!Trying to pass from inside closed guard — the guard must be opened before passing; attempting to pass with legs locked around the waist is futile
!Ignoring the guard player's grips — allowing the guard player to establish deep collar grips and sleeve control enables their entire offensive system
!Staying flat on the guard player — lying chest-to-chest inside guard with no posture creates a position where the guard player has all the offensive options
!Not recognising submission setups — failing to identify when the guard player is setting up a triangle, armbar, or sweep leads to getting caught; learn the setups to defend proactively
!Passing too aggressively without base — rushing the pass without maintaining base results in being swept during the passing attempt
Related Techniques
Guard Pass — the primary offensive goal from guard topGuard — the opposing position that guard top must overcomeMount — the position achieved after passing from guard topGround-and-Pound — MMA-specific striking from guard top positionSubmission Defence — defending against attacks from the guard player below
Counter Techniques
Posture Break — pulling the top player's head and shoulders down to set up attacksSweep — using hooks, grips, and hip movement to reverse the positionSubmission from Guard — triangles, armbars, and guillotines that attack the top playerGuard Retention — re-establishing guard when the top player begins to passStand Up — standing up from bottom rather than accepting guard bottom position
Setup Chain
1Establish Posture — sit upright with straight back, head up, hands on opponent's body
2Grip Fight — strip the guard player's grips while establishing your own
3Break Guard — stand up or use knee-in to break the closed guard lock
4Initiate Pass — choose pressure, speed, or traction passing approach
5Navigate Legs — advance past the guard player's leg line
6Consolidate — establish side control or mount with crossface and underhook
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) on posture and base fundamentals [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003) on positional hierarchy [3] MMA ground-and-pound evolution
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
3BookSystematically Attacking the Guard (Gordon Ryan, BJJ Fanatics)
4CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) on posture and base fundamentals [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003) on positional hierarchy [3] MMA ground-and-pound evolution
5CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
6CitationSystematically Attacking the Guard (Gordon Ryan, BJJ Fanatics)
Community
Athletics
Requires
postural strength (maintaining upright posture under the guard player's pulling force), grip strength (fighting for grip dominance), base stability (resisting sweeps)
Favours
heavy bodyweight (more difficult for the guard player to sweep or submit), long arms (easier to posture and strip grips), strong core (maintaining posture)
Key muscles
erector spinae (posture), forearms (grip fighting), quadriceps (standing in guard), core (balance and base)
Sub-techniques
Fundamental Guard Top
FamilyThe Fundamental Guard Top family covers the essential skills for maintaining dominant top position when facing an opponent's guard — the basic posture, base, and grip management techniques that every grappler must master before developing advanced passing systems. [1] This includes combat base (one knee up, one knee down), standing posture inside closed guard, grip stripping fundamentals, and the basic guard-breaking sequence that initiates all passing attempts. [1,2] These fundamentals apply regardless of which specific guard the opponent plays — the principles of posture management, base stability, and grip dominance are universal top-position skills. [2,3]
1 subfamilies·1 techniquesExplore
TKD Ground Position
FamilyThe TKD Ground Position family covers ground fighting positions and techniques within Taekwondo's curriculum, which though primarily a striking and kicking art, includes ground awareness and basic positional skills for self-defence application. [1] Traditional Taekwondo (particularly ITF-style under General Choi Hong Hi's system) includes some ground fighting elements influenced by Japanese jujutsu and judo, while modern Olympic-style (WT/WTF) Taekwondo focuses almost exclusively on kicking. [1,2] TKD ground positions primarily cover getting back to standing after being taken down, basic ground control concepts, and defensive ground awareness rather than submission grappling — reflecting Taekwondo's philosophy that the fight should be conducted standing. [2,3]
2 subfamilies·2 techniquesExplore
Notes
Guard top — the position of the fighter inside the opponent's guard — requires passing to advance. In MMA, guard top allows ground-and-pound strikes but in pure grappling, the guard top player must pass or risk being swept or submitted. (Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University; MMA training manuals)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I position my opponent before passing their guard?
Jon Thomas emphasizes centering your opponent first by moving them from their side to a centered position, which allows you to get their hips down and keep them flat—the foundation for finishing guard passes effectively.
What should I do if my opponent's leg comes back to my hip during a pass?
Jon Thomas controls the leg by trapping it and pinning the hips down to the floor using your hand on the shin or pant leg, which prevents them from bringing their knee back up and allows you to progress the pass.
Why is it important to keep my opponent flat during guard pass attempts?
Jon Thomas notes that when your opponent is on their side, it's harder to drive through and finish the pass, even if you control their leg—but when you steer them flat, you can apply pressure much more effectively and complete the technique.
How does the Guard Top work?
The Guard Top group covers all positions, techniques, and strategies for the fighter on top when the opponent is playing guard — the offensive counterpart to the guard player's sweeps and submissions. Being in someone's guard requires a specific skill set: maintaining posture to prevent being pulled into submissions, establishing base to resist sweeps, and systematically working to pass the guard to achieve a dominant position.
Where does the Guard Top come from?
Guard top strategy developed as a necessary counterpart to the Gracie family's guard innovations in BJJ — once the guard became offensively viable, the top player needed systematic approaches to survive and advance from inside guard. Early BJJ guard top work was primarily about posture and guard break before passing, but the skill set expanded significantly as guard systems became more sophisticated.
Is the Guard Top legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from guard score 2 points; IJF: restricted — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — groundwork from guard permitted …; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points portion; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — no penalty for playing guard; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Guard Top?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — the guard top position exposes the top player to submission attempts (triangle, armbar, guillotine, kimura from guard); in MMA, the top player risks being cut with elbows from the bottom; poor posture inside guard is dangerous
How do I set up the Guard Top?
The standard setup chain: Establish Posture → Grip Fight → Break Guard → Initiate Pass → Navigate Legs → Consolidate.
How do I defend against the Guard Top?
Standard counters include: Posture Break — pulling the top player's head and shoulders down to set up attacks / Sweep — using hooks, grips, and hip movement to reverse the position / Submission from Guard — triangles, armbars, and guillotines that attack the top player / Guard Retention — re-establishing guard when the top player begins to pass.
What are the variants of the Guard Top?
Common variants: Closed guard top (trapped inside the opponent's locked legs; posture and gu…); Open guard top (standing) (standing up in front of the opponent's open guard; enable…); Open guard top (kneeling) (kneeling in front of open guard; headquarters position fo…); Half guard top (one leg trapped in the opponent's half guard; crossface a…); Butterfly guard top (standing or kneeling against seated butterfly hooks; must…); MMA guard top (inside guard with striking; posture management for ground…).
How effective is the Guard Top in competition?
Guard top work is scored indirectly through guard passes (3 points IBJJF/ADCC) and advantageous position advancement. In MMA, ground control time from guard top is a major judging metric.
What are common mistakes when doing the Guard Top?
Top errors to watch for: Broken posture inside closed guard — leaning forward with the head down inside closed guard is the most common beginn… / Hands on the mat inside guard — placing hands on the mat gives the guard player wrist control; keep hands on their bo… / Trying to pass from inside closed guard — the guard must be opened before passing; attempting to pass with legs locke… / Ignoring the guard player's grips — allowing the guard player to establish deep collar grips and sleeve control enabl….
What are other names for the Guard Top?
The Guard Top is also known as Gādo Toppu, Top Position, Guard Top, Dominant Ground Position.