Passing
Blue
BJJ Headquarters Pass: A Comprehensive Guide to Dominating Open Guard
๐ฅ Blue Belt
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Intermediate
The Headquarters Pass is a fundamental and highly effective open Guard Pass in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, establishing a dominant posture that sets up numerous passing options. It involves controlling your opponent's hips and legs from a central, upright position, creating a strong platform to break down their guard and transition to side control. This technique is crucial for developing a versatile passing game against various open guard players.
Technique Map
graph LR
Passing["Passing"]:::catNode
Passing --> Headquarters_Pass
Headquarters_Pass["Headquarters Pass"]:::currentNode
Headquarters_Pass -.-> Guard_Pass["Guard Pass"]:::relNode
Headquarters_Pass -.-> Torreando_Pass["Torreando Pass"]:::relNode
Headquarters_Pass -.-> Knee_Slice_Pass["Knee Slice Pass"]:::relNode
Headquarters_Pass -.-> Leg_Drag_Pass["Leg Drag Pass"]:::relNode
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classDef relNode fill:#141926,stroke:#1f2840,color:#a78bfa
classDef catNode fill:#1f2840,stroke:#7c6af7,color:#7c6af7,font-style:italic
How to Execute
1
Establish Headquarters Position: Begin by standing with good posture, gripping both of your opponent's shins or pants. Place one knee on the mat between your opponent's legs, directly over their bottom leg, with your other leg bent and foot on the mat, creating a tripod base.
2
Isolate and Control: Use your knee on the mat to pin one of your opponent's legs, while your active leg's foot on the mat allows for mobility and pressure. Maintain strong grips on their pants or shins to prevent them from re-establishing hooks or creating distance.
3
Create an Angle and Pressure: Drive your weight forward, using your head and chest to apply pressure towards their hips, while simultaneously creating a slight angle to the side of the leg you intend to pass. This off-balances them and restricts their hip movement.
4
Clear the Leg: With strong pressure and an angle, begin to clear your opponent's free leg by either pushing it down and away with your hand or stepping over it with your active leg. The goal is to remove their ability to create frames or hooks with that leg.
5
Transition to Side Control: As the leg clears, quickly switch your grips if necessary and drive your knee through to achieve a dominant side control position. Ensure you maintain head and hip control throughout the transition to prevent them from recovering guard.
Key Details & Tips
1
Posture and Pressure: Always maintain a strong, upright posture with your head up, driving your weight forward and down into your opponent's hips. This constant pressure breaks their guard and prevents sweeps.
2
Hip Control is King: Your grips and knee placement are primarily about controlling your opponent's hips. If they can move their hips freely, they can retain or recover guard.
3
Beware of Sweeps: A common mistake is losing balance or posture, making you vulnerable to sweeps like tripod or pendulum sweeps. Keep your base wide and active.
4
Head Position: Use your head to drive into their chest or shoulder, adding another layer of pressure and making it harder for them to move or frame effectively.
Variations
1
Knee Slice from Headquarters: From the HQ position, instead of clearing the leg to the side, you can transition directly into a powerful knee slice pass by driving your knee across their body.
2
Leg Drag from Headquarters: By isolating one leg even further, you can quickly transition to a leg drag pass, pulling their free leg across their body and moving to their side.
3
Over-Under Pass Setup: The Headquarters position is an excellent setup for the over-under pass, allowing you to secure deep grips on their legs before driving through.
When to Use
The Headquarters Pass is most effective when your opponent is playing an Open Guard, such as De La Riva, Spider Guard, or Lasso Guard, and you are standing or in a kneeling posture above them. It excels when you can establish strong grips on their pants or shins and maintain good posture, allowing you to systematically break down their guard.
Counters & Defenses
1
Deep Half Guard Entry: Opponents can counter by diving underneath you to enter a deep half guard, threatening sweeps or back takes.
2
Guard Recovery with Hooks: Strong guard players will attempt to re-establish hooks or frames with their free leg, creating distance and preventing you from clearing their leg.
3
Off-Balancing Sweeps: Opponents can use their free leg and hip movement to initiate sweeps, such as a pendulum or tripod sweep, if you lose your balance or posture.
โ๏ธ Training Safety & Performance
Q: How do I prevent my opponent from sweeping me when I'm in Headquarters position?
To prevent sweeps, maintain strong posture with your head up and back straight, keeping your weight distributed over your opponent's hips. Actively use your base leg for balance and be ready to post a hand if you feel yourself being off-balanced. Constant forward pressure also makes sweeps harder.
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