Top BJJ Guard Passes: Master the 2025 Competition Meta!

40%+ Success Rate (ADCC 2024) Meta Dominant in No-Gi

1. Body Lock Pass – The Modern Meta King

Why It Dominates 2024-2025 Competition:

• Highest percentage pass against modern leg lock attacks
• 40%+ finish rate in ADCC 2024 high-level matches
• Neutralizes K-Guard, Reverse De La Riva, and heel hook entries
• Works in gi and no-gi equally
• Particularly effective against athletic, long-limbed opponents

If you watch recent ADCC or high-level No-Gi matches, you will see the Body Lock Pass everywhere. It has become the “cheat code” for neutralizing dangerous modern guards like the K-Guard, Reverse De La Riva, and leg entanglements.

By locking your hands around your opponent’s waist and sprawling your hips low, you kill their ability to elevate you or attack your legs. It turns the match into a slow, crushing battle of inches that the passer usually wins.

Pro Tip: The Sprawl is Everything

Do not rush. The Body Lock is a “slow-cooker” pass. Secure the grip, sprawl your hips into the mat to kill their frames, and inch your knees past their guard line. The more you pressure with your hips, the less they can defend.

45% Success Rate The Classic All-Purpose Pass

2. Knee Cut Pass – The Timeless Classic

Why It Never Goes Out of Style:

• Works effectively in Gi, No-Gi, and MMA
• 45% success rate across all skill levels
• Available from open and half guards
• Simple mechanics make it learnable at white belt
• Elite-level refinement allows 70%+ success at black belt

The Knee Cut (or Knee Slice) remains the most versatile pass in BJJ. It works effectively in Gi, No-Gi, and MMA. It relies on a sharp, explosive movement to slice your knee across the opponent’s thigh while pinning their upper body.

Common Mistake: The Fatal Gap

Leaving space between your elbow and your knee. If you don’t close this “window,” your opponent will insert a Knee Shield and stop your pass cold. Keep your elbow glued to your hip until you clear their leg.

The Technical Progression

1. Create Distance: Control opponent’s hips and create space
2. Pin the Upper Body: Head control or collar grip
3. Slice the Knee: Drive knee across thigh explosively
4. Establish Control: Move to side control or mount

Balance-Based Passing Modern No-Gi Standard

3. Float Passing (Headquarters) – The Balance Solution

When to Use Float Passing:

• Against sticky leg defense
• When pressure passes get stalled
• Against opponents with strong leg lock knowledge
• When you need less strength and more technique

Popularized by Gordon Ryan and the Danaher Death Squad, Float Passing is the answer to opponents who are too sticky to pressure pass. Instead of smashing, you enter a “Headquarters” position (squatting over one of their legs) and use balance to float on top of them.

This style forces the opponent to carry your weight while you pummel your legs to step over into Mount or Side Control. It requires less strength and more balance than traditional passing.

Key Positions in Float Passing

• Headquarters Setup: Hips low, one leg inside their guard
• Balance Point: Weight distributed on balls of feet
• Leg Pummeling: Move legs in and out to create passing angles
• Transition to Mount: As they defend, step over to dominant position

35% Direct Success Rate Best Used as Setup

4. Toreando Pass – The Speed Attack

Strategic Application:

• Outside passing philosophy (staying away from legs)
• 35% success when used as pure pass
• 85% success when used to force reaction into other passes
• Forces opponent to react in predictable ways

The Toreando (Bullfighter) pass is a staple of outside passing. In the current meta, it is rarely used as a single finishing move but is an incredible setup. High-level passers use the Toreando to force a reaction—when the opponent opens their legs to defend the speed pass, they expose themselves to the Knee Cut or Body Lock.

The word toreando refers to “bullfighter” because it resembles the well-known Spanish bullfighting sport. You circle their legs like a bullfighter avoiding the bull’s horns.

Toreando as a Chaining Tool

Modern passers chain techniques: Toreando → Opponent Reacts → Knee Cut → Opponent Defends → Long Step or Side Control. Keep them guessing about what you’re actually trying to do.

38% Success Rate Heavy Player Favorite

5. Over-Under Pass – The Pressure Specialist

Best For:

• Heavier grapplers (175+ lbs)
• Smashing/pressure-based games
• Open and half guard positions
• Minimizing submission risk

The over-under pass is one of the best BJJ guard passes available. It’s a fantastic guard passing technique used mainly in Gi and No-Gi. However, this kind of guard passing can be more suitable for heavy players since it requires tremendous pressure to do it properly.

The technique requires inserting your arm over your opponent’s legs and your other arm under their legs. Then, move to one side to finish the guard pass move.

Key Concept: Pin the Knees

This pass works best when you force the opponent’s knees together. If their legs are wide, you cannot generate the necessary pressure. Control their knees with your arms before applying hip pressure.

Advanced Technique Finishing Position

6. Leg Drag Pass – The Connector Move

When Leg Drag Appears:

• Finishing phase of Toreando
• Transition from Float Pass
• Quarter guard and De La Riva entries
• When you need to rotate the hips

The Leg Drag is less of a “move” and more of a “position.” It is the ultimate connector between outside passing and pressure passing. By dragging the opponent’s leg across your hip, you expose their back and pin their hips simultaneously.

This is often the finishing phase of a Toreando or a Float Pass. Advanced passers seamlessly transition between these techniques based on opponent reaction.

The Leg Drag Position as a Control System

Once you achieve leg drag position, multiple options open: side control, back control, mounted position, or even armbar attacks. The position itself is often more valuable than rushing to finish any single pass.