A friend recently complained that his training partners were forever just "running around" his guard. We got onto the mat and figured out that this wasn't the whole story. It turned out that his opponents were first pinning both his feet to the floor and then running around his guard, essentially a variation of the toreando pass. There are late stage defenses to the toreando, but - as … [Read more...]
Toreando
The 5 Main Variations of the Toreando Guard Pass
The Toreando guard pass (aka the Matador pass) is a very powerful way to pass the guard in gi jiu-jitsu and no gi submission grappling. (You even see it used in MMA where it combines very well with powerful overhand punches. The fact that you're controlling his feet or his shins makes it much harder for him to upkick you!) This pass is used in every high level tournament in the world, but … [Read more...]
The Jiu-Jitsu Drills of of Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro
When Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro started talking about the drills he uses I paid attention! Shaolin has won the World BJJ Championships 4 times, held the 140 to 155 lb belt in Shooto, and has a long list of other titles. He is an outstanding competitor in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts, so he knows how to train effectively and efficiently! Shaolin uses a variety … [Read more...]
A Simple Counter When Your Opponent Controls Your Pant Legs
Nothing good happens if you let your opponent control your pant legs in jiu-jitsu. Once he has those grips he can start his guard passing sequences with torreando passes, leg drags, stack passes and more. Here's how to use the cross lapel grip to shut that nonsense down before it begins! There's a cheat code that allows most people to jump up a full belt level almost overnight. You … [Read more...]
How to Counter the Toreando Guard Pass
So there you are, on your back and fighting your opponent with your legs. Maybe you're using the Spider Guard, the Butterfly Guard, or any other variation of Open Guard, but regardless, both you and he are jockeying for grips and position. You’re trying to set up your guard sweeps and submissions, and he’s trying to pass your guard. Then - disaster! Your opponent grips both your pant … [Read more...]
9 BJJ Solo Drills You Can Do With a Heavy Bag
There are some essential BJJ gross motor movements that need to be trained over and over until they're smooth and instinctive. Most of the time we train these transitions on our training partners, either in drilling or as part of sparring. But some of the most important movements can actually be trained on your own - before class, after class, or at home - using a heavy punching bag. Here … [Read more...]
Last Ditch Matador Guard Pass Defense
The use of frames is key when you're defending against the Matador Pass, commonly known as Toreando or Bullfighter pass. If you engage in a battle of strength versus strength, then whoever is stronger will win. But if you can use frames to negate your opponent's strength then you can defeat much bigger and stronger opponents. Here's a video I filmed with Rory Van Vliet on defending the … [Read more...]
How to Counter the Bullfighter / Matador Pass
In the 'Bullfighter' (aka 'Matador' aka 'Toreando') guard pass, you grab your opponent's legs, push them to the ground, and then run around to the side. (There are some refinements to this technique, of course, but even the super basic version I just described can be super-difficult to stop if you're facing someone who is explosive, athletic, and determined.) If you're on the bottom using … [Read more...]