Passing Butterfly Guard: Steering Wheel Pass
Posted by Corey Kuropas on
Butterfly guard is a tricky guard to pass for a competitor that knows how to use it well. It offers a healthy variety of attacks, and allows the user to adapt. But, not everyone is a butterfly guard specialist when they go to the position. Many times people make mistakes of keeping their knees down, or not making a topside connection. And the biggest mistake people make is that they are not aggressive enough with their butterfly guard. When that happens, there is no better guard pass than the steering wheel pass. This pass is my go to for passing butterfly, and will help you pass it too.
So, you are playing top game and your opponent works up to their butterfly guard. Perhaps they are busy hand fighting with you, and are not going for any particular sweep or submission. Your opponent just happens to be idly sitting in the position, but not doing anything with it. This is the time that you will use your steering wheel pass. Let’s get into the nitty gritty of the technique.
Take your dominant arm and go underneath the opponent’s knee and grab/cup him high up on the thigh. Your other arm will go around the opponent’s back, grabbing him right by the far armpit, or on the lat. Make sure your elbow is clamped tight to him. Now, here is what is going to bring you into the home stretch of completing the pass. Begin to turn him with your arms, while you do a back step with your dominant leg. It is important to note that your arms and legs have to work together. They cannot be moving as separate entities. After the back step, take out your bottom leg and bring your dominant leg back down, to the opponent’s hips. Now you will be in side control and ready to be on the offensive.
The steering wheel pass is one of those awesome passes that at first glance, you might be skeptical because it simply looks to easy. Don’t be fooled. This pass works and it works well. If you’re having people constantly go to butterfly guard, try this pass from the get-go. JT Torres, who is an absolute dismantler of guards, and a master passer uses this particular pass to great effect. In his DVD, Passing, Back Takes &Finishes he goes over this technique and many more passes. His DVD is a must for anyone trying to pass guard at a higher rate.
Click here to see Passing, Back Takes &Finishes for $97.
ARE YOU A BJJ FANATICS INSIDER? IF NOT, YOU’RE MISSING OUT!
Take a deep dive on one specific skill per month with the top instructors in the BJJ Fanatics family.
With your subscription you'll get:
- Private Lesson (Masterclass)
- Preview of our Upcoming Daily Deals to better plan your purchases
- Rolling breakdowns & more.
You'll also get At Home Drills to work on, a Preview of our Upcoming Launches & More!
FREE FOR 7 DAYS TRIAL