No Gi Over/Under Pass

The over/under pass is a favorite among many of the world’s greatest competitors, and for good reason. It’s a fundamental pass, and, when done correctly, can be almost impossible to stop. Like any pass, new variations are surfacing almost daily. The grip sets and slight variances in positioning are constantly being experimented with, but there always seems to be some consistent principles fueling the success of the pass.

In no gi, the over/under is still a solid choice when we’re looking to execute a nice guard pass, but you’ll need a different set of grips and a reliable way to anchor yourself to your opponent when the luxury of the gi is absent. In this video Bernardo Faria shows a no gi version of the over/under pass. There are a few key ideas here that make the transition of the pass from gi to no gi a success. Look it over and see if you can spot some alterations.

 

At the onset of the technique, Bernardo places his body into passing position quite forcefully. He describes it as jumping onto his opponent. Without the gi, the slow climb into position is not as readily available. We don’t have the cloth to rely on. So, don’t be shy about entering the position. If the opportunity is there, get moving.

Where grips are concerned, he chooses to hug the leg on the underside where we might be searching for the belt in the gi. The over side arm is turned with the palm up and the fingers wrapping the shin like a hook. In the gi, you may recognize practitioners commonly elect to control the pants here to pin the leg. This adapted grip set provides a solid method of stapling your partner to the ground without the gi. Now the famous pressure that’s so characteristic of the pass can be applied. Bernardo then walks his partners legs to the middle, (which is a critical concept of the over/under in gi or no gi) makes a pit stop to mention the kneebar, and then kicks the leg over to finish the pass.

At the finish of the pass Bernardo makes another quick movement, this time getting his chest to his partners chest, again with haste. This detail is no doubt an important piece of the puzzle in no gi when trying to battle the guard retention you’ll certainly encounter and working to make your pass stick.

Over/under will always be a classic go to pass. Learn its ins and outs and apply it to both your gi and no gi game to increase the odds of breaking through a tough guard!

For more No Gi techniques from 5 time world champion Bernardo Faria, check out his No Gi Half Guard instructional from BJJ Fanatics.  Long touted as the Michael Jordan of Half Guard, Bernardo Faria shares all of his secrets to his No Gi game in this series.

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