I had the pleasure of teaching a guard passing class at Rising Tide Jiu Jitsu in my hometown of Gainesville. The class was structured around task-based games and conceptual understanding, blending fundamental movements with overarching ideas. This hybrid approach—which combined exploration, structure, and adaptability—resonated well with the students, and I’d love to share it with you.
Here’s a breakdown of the class, the games we practiced, and the lessons learned along the way.
The Footprint Game 👣
We started with a concept I call "the footprint." Just as a building’s foundation provides stability, your body’s footprint—the points of contact providing support—plays a critical role in maintaining balance.
Game Instructions:
The top player focuses on maintaining a triangular footprint—a stable, three-point base. These points could include hands, feet, head, elbows or knees on the mat or your partner.
The bottom player’s goal is to disrupt the top player’s balance using sweeps from any direction (side-to-side, front-to-back, etc.).
During the last 10 seconds of each round, the bottom player intensifies their efforts, going all out to sweep their partner.
During round one no sweeping or passing is allowed
During round two passing and sweeping are the the win conditions for the top and bottom players
No finishing of submissions or back takes allowed for either person
This game challenges both players. The top player hones their ability to maintain stability under pressure, while the bottom player broadens their understanding of potential sweeps. I borrowed this idea from my friend and Damian Maia black belt Daniel Perez, who calls it the "Penrose Passing System."
Chest-Over-Chest Passing
After building a solid foundation with the footprint game, we added complexity.
New Rules
The bottom player was now allowed to introduce new threats: chokes and leg entanglements.
The top player’s mission evolved to maintaining their chest over their partner’s chest while avoiding submissions and sweeps.
Submissions should still not be finished reset if you are swept, or stuck in an entanglement for more than a few seconds.
Why Chest-Over-Chest Matters:
This detail came from blending two ideas:
Historically, I’ve taught, “Keep your chest facing the floor to avoid sweeps.”
Midwest black belt and podcaster Josh McKinney added a powerful refinement: not just facing the floor but aligning your chest over your partner’s chest.
This adjustment prevents two common pitfalls:
Letting your chest drop too low, exposing you to chokes.
Allowing your partner to elevate you, creating opportunities for leg entanglements.
These games reinforced the importance of engagement and adaptability, even in the face of multiple threats.
The Stand-Up Threat
To make things even more dynamic, we introduced a new layer: the bottom player could now "just stand up." If they succeeded, we would reset. All the previous layers were still present and I would even occasionally yell "stand up" to force the focus on incorporating this element.
Why This Matters:
In Jiu Jitsu, it’s common for guard passers to disengage to avoid attacks. However, this can lead to complacency. If your opponent can stand up, you’ve lost control. Forcing the top player to keep their partner down requires constant engagement and forward pressure.
The added risk? Driving forward to prevent a stand-up often exposes you to sweeps or submissions. This game created opportunities for the top player to practice shifting between attack (passing) and defense (maintaining balance or avoiding submissions).
Group Feedback & Insights
After playing these games, I paused to check in with the class. The students had just completed an hour of specific guard passing practice in the session before, so they had a clear point of comparison.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They appreciated having a general framework to lean on instead of focusing solely on specific techniques. This allowed them to adapt to the unpredictable nature of live rolls while staying grounded in fundamental concepts.
Closing & Reflection
We wrapped up the class with some solo movement drills , including the back step heist—a technical stand-up to the knee—my favorite way to avoid a last-second guard pass. Afterward, we transitioned into regular rolling sessions.
Reflecting on the class, I felt immense gratitude. Even after years of teaching, I still love crafting and executing classes that challenge students while reinforcing core principles. Jiu Jitsu has given me a life filled with purpose, learning, and connection, and I’m always thankful for opportunities to share it.
Takeaways for Your Training
If you’re a coach or practitioner, consider incorporating these games into your own training:
Use the footprint game to improve balance and explore sweeps.
Add layers like chest-over-chest passing to handle multiple threats.
Introduce the stand-up threat to stay engaged and avoid complacency.
These exercises not only develop technical skills but also teach adaptability—a crucial aspect of Jiu Jitsu.
If you’ve tried similar games or drills or have your own favorite guard-passing techniques, I’d love to hear about them. Drop your insights in the comments or reach out to me directly!
Thank you for reading, and I hope this inspires your next session on the mats.
This was a wonderful class structure, thanks for sharing it! I love when we can start with a simple concept and add complexity to keep the class engaged and evolving. Solid fundamentals of base in here. I will try this class out soon!