Ricardo Cavalcanti teaches to pass, mount and finish. (Photo by Carlos Ozório/GRACIEMAG.com.)
When the opponent closes his guard around you, your best option is often to get to your feet to pass.
The problem is that, if you’re not too experienced, it’s pretty likely the guard player will unbalance you. But there’s hope, as our GMA Ricardo Cavalcanti of Carlson Gracie Las Vegas shows us.
For example, if the guy grabs your foot, what do you do? You can switch grips on the arm you’re grabbing and improve your posture (minute 1:30).
Another tip for avoiding the sweep is to turn your knee inwards.
Note that the hand you used to grab the sleeve as you were standing up is the hand that will pressure the opponent’s knee downwards to open the guard. That out of the way, stick in your elbow and rotate it, and land in the mount with the opponent’s arm prey to an armbar.
There you have it: the previously dreaded guard player is tapping out. How’d you like that one?
