X-Pass

What it is

The X-pass is a fast standing pass of open guard where you push one knee down and across their body and cross-step around that leg, so your legs briefly make an X as you go past. You land beside them in side control or knee on belly before their hooks can reconnect. It is a speed pass, not a pressure pass.

When to use it

• They play butterfly or seated guard and their knees are close to you.
• Their weight is forward and their hooks are reaching for your legs.
• You are standing and want to beat the legs before they can grip you.

How to do it

1. Stand with good posture and grip their knee or the trouser leg near the knee.
2. Push that knee down toward the mat and across their body, turning their hips away.
3. Step your near foot in beside their hip, then cross your other leg behind it as you move around the pushed leg.
4. Keep moving past their legs, staying low, with your hips beyond their knees.
5. Drop to knee on belly or side control and pin them before they turn back toward you.

Key details

• Push the knee across, not just down. Their hips must turn away from your path.
• Step fast and stay low. A slow X-pass is just standing next to their guard.
• Put your weight down as soon as you are past, so they cannot follow you.
• Keep your posture upright while you push, so they cannot grab your collar or arm.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: crossing your legs while standing still. You are off balance and easy to sweep.
• Mistake: passing but landing light. They turn in and recover the guard.
• Mistake: leaning over their legs to push. They catch your arm or collar and pull you into the guard.

What they will try

• They turn to face you again and put a hook back in.
• They grab your ankle as you cross-step and sweep you.

Gi and no-gi

Grip the knee or shin directly instead of the trousers. The grip slips, so the speed of the step matters even more.