Toreando Pass

What it is

The toreando pass, also called the bullfighter pass, is a standing pass of open guard where you grip both legs at the knees, push them to one side and step around to side control. Like a bullfighter sidestepping the bull, you move around the legs rather than through them. It beats guards that use the feet to control distance.

When to use it

• They play open guard on their back with their feet on your hips or in the air.
• You are standing and they have no grips on your upper body.
• They turn to recover guard and you want to pass in the other direction.

How to do it

1. Stand up with good posture and grip both trouser legs just below the knee, or cup the knees.
2. Push their legs down to the mat and to one side, pinning them with straight arms.
3. Step around the legs with the foot on the free side as you push the legs the opposite way.
4. Move your hips past their knees so their feet cannot reconnect.
5. Drop your weight onto their chest with a crossface or chest pressure.
6. Release the legs and settle into side control or knee on belly.

Key details

• Push the legs to the mat, then move. Moving while the legs are free means they follow you.
• Keep your elbows straight and your head up so their feet cannot reach your hips.
• Step wide and fast. The pass is a change of angle, not a push through.
• Land with chest pressure immediately, before they turn into you.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: standing with bent arms and head low, so they put a foot on the hip or grip your collar.
• Mistake: pushing the legs across without stepping around, so they turn with you and recover guard.
• Mistake: passing but staying high, so they shrimp out and you are back to square one.

What they will try

• They frame on your shoulders and hip-escape to put the knees back between you.
• They sit up and attack a single leg as you step past.

Gi and no-gi

Without trouser grips, cup the backs of the knees or the shins. The grips slip more, so the timing of the step matters even more.