Positional Foundation: Controlling Posture and Balance

The instructor maintains a low, defensive posture while protecting the legs and staying balanced. Movement side-to-side is intentional, designed to rotate the opponent's body sideways rather than allowing them to remain flat on their back. A flat-backed opponent can more easily open their legs and defend against passes, while a sideways-oriented opponent becomes vulnerable to multiple passing angles including leg drag, cross step, and knee-to-leg passes.

Creating the Trap: The Shin Scoop and Leg Control

As the opponent frames and follows the instructor's lateral movement, the passer scoops their knee underneath the opponent's leg to establish the trap. Continuous adjustment with the back leg maintains balance against the opponent's defensive pressure. The instructor drives their knee against the opponent's shin, creating discomfort that forces the opponent to push hard—a reactive response that the passer uses to their advantage.

Option One: Pressure and Drag to Knee-on-Belly

The passer maintains upright posture and applies pressure through the hands and knees while the back leg stays mobile for balance. When the opponent pushes hard against the discomfort, the passer extends their leg backward and uses the opponent's own momentum to drag the leg across their body. If the opponent defends by bringing their knee back to replace the guard, the passer's knee blocks this movement and completes the pass to knee-on-belly or side control.

Option Two: Stretching the Opponent Before the Pass

The passer traps the leg and then pulls the opponent's knee backward to stretch them out and prevent them from balling up into a defensive position. A stretched opponent cannot easily turtle, invert, or scramble away. The passer creates maximum space by walking backward with controlled leg movement, then steps in, places their hand on the opponent, and uses a backstep to drive into solid side control.

Establishing Control Post-Pass

Once the passer establishes side control, they fix their posture by shifting their hips back and staying wide to prevent the opponent from regaining guard position. The weight distribution is critical—once the passer's leg is across the opponent's body, it becomes immobilized and all the passer's weight pins the opponent down. Simple, controlled movements eliminate the need for athletic flourishes and ensure stable positional dominance.

Option Three: Leg Jacking Against Active Defense

When the opponent steps on the passer's chest or attempts to kick away, a leg jack is the appropriate counter-technique rather than smashing down. Smashing down actually assists the opponent by providing momentum to invert, recover guard, or create space. The passer can execute the leg jack using an outside hand to push the leg away, or by going underneath the leg to catch and drag it—both redirect the opponent's force rather than opposing it directly.

Leg Jack Variations: Outside Grip and Underhook

When the opponent's leg comes forward, the passer can push it away with an outside-hand leg jack and immediately pass. Alternatively, the passer goes underneath the opponent's leg, catches it, and drags it across their body to complete the pass. Both variations redirect the opponent's momentum instead of creating resistance, making the pass more efficient and preventing the opponent from using their own pressure against themselves.

Advanced Passing Options: Cross Step and Windshield Wiper

When the opponent steps on the passer's chest, the passer can execute a cross step by dropping low, going under the leg, and performing a fast step to side control. Alternatively, the windshield wiper pass—where the passer drops their chest and drags the opponent's leg side-to-side—closes the gap faster and keeps the opponent's legs light and immobilized. The choice between these variations depends on the passer's style and timing.

Summary: Three Core Responses to the Shin Trap

The shin trap creates three primary passing lanes depending on the opponent's reaction. Option one uses pressure and reactive pushing to drag the leg into knee-on-belly. Option two stretches the opponent and steps into a controlled side control position. Option three addresses active kicking defense through leg jacking techniques that redirect force rather than oppose it directly. Practitioners should experiment with all variations to develop comfort with the entire passing system.

Rafael Mendes | Guard Passing Options Using the Shin Trap

ART OF JIU JITSU

Open Guard Stack Pass

4 min read·9 key moments·PT8M42S video

Key Takeaways

•Positional Foundation: Controlling Posture and Balance
•Creating the Trap: The Shin Scoop and Leg Control
•Option One: Pressure and Drag to Knee-on-Belly
•Option Two: Stretching the Opponent Before the Pass

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does this video teach about open guard stack pass?

This video covers positional foundation: controlling posture and balance, creating the trap: the shin scoop and leg control, option one: pressure and drag to knee-on-belly. It provides detailed instruction from ART OF JIU JITSU.

How long does it take to learn open guard stack pass?

The basic mechanics can be understood in a single session, but developing reliable execution requires consistent drilling over weeks of practice. This 9-part breakdown helps structure your training by isolating each phase of the technique.