Is Pressure Passing Right For You?
Posted by Fanatics Authors on
The short answer is Yes!. The reasons as to why Pressure Passing may be an effective type of passing for you will vary, but in general EVERYONE can play some form of pressure passing. For those not in the know, Pressure Passing is a form of guard passing that involves staying tight to your opponent while creating immense pressure using your body weight to achieve the guard pass.
BJJFANATICS Own Bernardo Faria is one of the very best Pressure Passers who ever put on a Gi. Throughout his career Faria passed his opponent’s using his patented Pressuring style. Bernardo is also known for his half guard. Half guard can lead to numerous sweeps that puts you right into a pressure passing situation. So if you like Half Guard, DEFINITELY add pressure passing to your Jiu-Jitsu took kit. One of Bernardo’s BEST PASSES is the dreaded Over/under pass. Here is a quick 5 minute video defining the principles of Pressure Passing with the MAN himself!
Hopefully after spending this 5 minutes spent with Bernardo you are turning people into diamonds with all of the pressure you create! BUT if not, let's unpack some finer details. One thing to notice point where Bernardo’s body makes contact with his opponent. Let’s call this the focal point. Once the focal point is achieved, you must elevate your hips as high as you can without your feet leaving the mat. This will ensure that you are creating the type of pressure required for the pass to be successful.
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Bernardo is able to generate immense pressure on his opponent by Maximizing how much weight he is able to drive into the focal point. Placement of the focal point is also essential in the success of the pass. Bernardo places his focal point directly into the diaphragm of his opponent. Not only is this EXTREMELY uncomfortable, but it also serves as the perfect place to be able to pin your opponent to the ground with little option of escape.
Next Bernardo shows how to generate BATTLE TESTED pressure through the Stack Pass. Pressure is implied in the name of this pass, so you have to be able to bring it! Bernardo does so by first securing a strong/useable grip on his opponent’s collar. This helps pull him into his opponent’s leg creating a focal point. Faria makes special note to not stay square with your shoulders. Much like the Over/Under Pass a tilting of the shoulder is required to MAXIMIZE your pressure! Another thing to note is it isn’t simply his shoulder turning. It’s his shoulders, hips, and even feet that start to rotate to create that pressure we are looking for when we pass.
So why pressure passing? Did you notice any strong, explosive movements in this video? Nope. Pressure Passing is one of the most reliable forms of passing that ANYONE can do. By knowing how to adjust your body and where to place your Focal Point on your opponent you can OBLITERATE their guard. What’s nice is all body types can find ways to generate immense pressure, just by following Bernardo’s Principles of Pressure covered in this video.
Another great aspect to pressure passing is that sometimes an opponent will start to react in specific ways to stop the pass from happening. Since most Pressure Passes occur in intervals you will be able to develop a sensitivity to what your opponent is doing, thus allowing you time to set your attack. A perfect example of this is Bernardo’s Knee Bar he hits ALL THE TIME from the Over/Under Pass. This technique is PERFECT to supplement your Pressure Passing check it out!
As you can see Bernardo is utilizing his Principles of Pressure throughout the pass. At times though the opponent will be so concerned about getting their guard passed that they will hang on to your leg for dear life. This is when Bernardo executes his famous Kneebar. He does this by simply putting his legs into a triangle configuration, and starts to sprawl to the mat. In training be considerate of your partner because this knee bar is BRUTAL!
Pressure Passing is for EVERYONE! Take the guesswork out of passing and start to completely CONTROL your opponent. BATTLE TESTED PRESSURE PASSING By Bernardo Faria is a masterclass on Pressure! Shut-down your opponent’s guard and leave them feeling HELPLESS!
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