In order to save my fingers a bit, I'm swapping at least one of my gi sessions for a no-gi class. Up until now I've been almost entirely gi. My best passing strategy to date in the gi has been to grab the gi trousers (pants, if you will), make fists and drive my weight down into their hips. Like 2 nails nailing their hips to the mat. From there I can move my hips to loosen their guard and start to work a pass. Making a fist is more effective for me compared to hands flat on the hips. Of course with no-gi you aren't really allowed to grab the shorts/gi trousers your partner is wearing. And besides, I really should try and expand my horizons a bit lol! Anyone have any good strategies for passing guard from no-gi? I know there is some cross over from what I am doing right now (such as taking my hips off centre line) but any more ideas welcome.
Hear ya go [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxLHBaDgyu0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxLHBaDgyu0[/ame]
My no gi passing pretty much boils down to guillotining him if sits up and knee slicing him if he lies down.
The basic pass I was taught is to drive your elbow into their thigh, pin their leg to the ground and step your leg across into half guard.
Train all 3 types of passes. Under - double under etc Through, knee cut, under/over etc Around - bull fighter etc From all 3 types of open guards 1) hips and feet on the floor (butterfly) 2) hips and shoulders on the floor (prison butterfly) 3) shoulders on the floor (inverted) From 1) combat base kneeling 2) combat base standing 3) square L shaped pike from outside distance standing. Initially I try and put them flat and pass around them, when they throw up legs to block, i go through or under, or set up a leg ride. Hanibals hand control video is a good principle to look at too. Even more so In gi.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y85_ypQaRhQ[/ame] This is really nice, just the initial posture standing helps a lot.
It depends on what the etiquette is for roughness and riding at your club, but I've had reasonable success using this opening but pressing their iliac crest and under their short ribs instead of grabbing their pants.
I've just realised you meant opening the closed guard, not passing. Make good posture, back straight, hands on the inside, and often they'll open it for you. If the classic staggard hand position isn't working, try c hands into the armpits, you will be in the danger zone, but if your backs straight its not too bad.
From one of the best in the game [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNyb-nmELaU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNyb-nmELaU[/ame] I also teach a no-gi version of this pass that works very well [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZHOYWZTqNY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZHOYWZTqNY[/ame]
Jason Scully will have a video on umpteen no-gi passes in x minutes. Look him up. They're not incredibly detailed but worth it.
I use the same openings as in Gi: staggered hands, use one side as a brace to open ankles with hips OR standing in base controlling stepping side arm (harder without Gi but doable) OR I bait a sub to get them to open. Any reason you are struggling with the standard (daulo style) opening? Might be worth working on as it encourages good posture and habits?
I don't like standing straight up in the closed guard whether you control a sleeve or not, too much risk of a leg entanglement or a scramble. I also don't think it's generally practical to open from your knees, especially if you're a featherweight like me. This is the only closed guard break I like at the moment: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjmsns6rIzg"]Ostap Closed Guard Breaking Tips - YouTube[/ame] Though I tend to control the armpit seam of the gi rather than the collar, less slack to move my grips around. For the no-gi version I just v-grip like this guy [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxf7KJ_mPCo"]Log Splitter Guard Pass - YouTube[/ame], though the rest of his execution is inferior to Ostap's.
