Guard passing is not just about moving past your opponent’s legs—it’s about breaking down their defenses, controlling their body, and establishing the upper hand in the match. Mastering the art of guard passing is essential for any practitioner who aims to control the pace of the fight, dictate the terms of engagement, and ultimately secure victory. In this article, we’ll look at the mechanics behind one of the most effective and reliable methods of guard passing: the stack pass.
What is a Stack Pass?
The stack pass is one of the earliest passes most fighters in Jiu-Jitsu learn, and unlike more dynamic or speed-based passes, it focuses on applying relentless pressure and control. You compress your opponent’s body and limit their movement by stacking your opponent’s hips and legs over their upper body, immobilizing them and preventing them from effectively defending or countering your pass.
This neutralizes their guard so you can apply submissions or transition into a dominant position. This technique is particularly effective against flexible opponents, as it compresses their bodies so they can’t use their legs to block or counter your movements.
Performing the Stack Pass
- Secure a Strong Base
Your knees should be slightly bent, with your weight centered and your hips low, to help maintain balance and prevent your opponent from sweeping or off-balancing you. Place your hands on your opponent’s hips or at their belt line, keeping your elbows tight to your sides.
- Break the Guard
If your opponent is using a closed guard, work to open it by posturing up and pushing down on their thighs while keeping your elbows tight. Once the guard is open, work on stacking their legs. If your opponent is using an open guard, you can skip this step and proceed directly to stacking.
- Control the Legs
Secure control of your opponent’s legs by gripping their pants at the knees or thighs or grabbing their ankles and pressing them together. Pull your opponent’s legs towards you, stacking their knees over their chest, still being mindful to keep your elbows inside to prevent them from re-establishing grips.
- Create the Stack
As you pull their legs toward you, drive forward with your weight, pressing their knees into their chest and lifting their hips off the ground. Your head should stay low, close to their chest or hips. Try to angle their hips slightly to one side to make it harder for them to escape or counter.
- Control the Upper Body
Maintain heavy pressure on your opponent’s legs and hips. You can use your shoulder to drive into their legs if necessary, increasing the pressure. While one hand maintains control of their legs, reach for their collar, belt, or far shoulder with the other to keep control.
- Pass the Legs
Once you’ve stacked your opponent sufficiently, clear their legs by walking around them or shoving them to the side. Control their hips while you clear the legs and transition your hips and upper body toward a dominant position, such as side control or mount.
- Secure the Position
After passing the legs, establish a strong position by securing side control, mount, or another dominant position. Ensure your weight is distributed properly, with pressure on your opponent’s chest or hips, to prevent escape attempts. Keep pressure on your opponent to discourage any attempts at recovering guard or countering. Your goal is to control and stabilize the position before advancing further or setting up submissions.
Tips to Remember:
You have to stay tight to your opponent; give them any space, and they can use it to escape or counter. The stack pass is not about speed; it’s about control. Take your time to maintain pressure and control before clearing the legs.
Types of Stack Pass
Single Stack Pass
This traditional stack pass involves gripping your opponent’s legs, usually around the knees or thighs, and driving their knees toward their chest. This stacking motion creates immense pressure on their core, limiting their ability to move or mount any significant defense. As you stack your opponent, you simultaneously work to pass their legs, usually by stepping around them or sliding them to the side where you secure a dominant position, such as side control or mount.
Double Underhook Stack Pass
In this version, you first thread your arms underneath both their legs. From here, you lift their hips off the ground, stacking their legs over their chest and head. This variation increases control and pressure, as you can fully elevate and immobilize your opponent’s lower body.
Knee-Cut Stack Pass
While not a traditional stack pass, this pass variation incorporates elements of stacking by using your knee to create pressure on your opponent’s body. The knee-cut pass varies greatly depending on your opponent’s grips, which means you have to adapt to the different grips and situations. Loosely defined, the knee-cut pass is any pass where you trap your opponent’s leg, come through with your knee somehow, and pin their lower body facing one direction while using a mechanic to rotate their upper body in the opposite direction.
Why Use the Stack Pass
The stack pass neutralizes your opponent’s defense and puts you into a dominant position. Here’s why the stack pass should be a key part of your guard-passing arsenal:
- Control and Pressure: Stacking your opponent’s legs significantly limits their movement, making it difficult for them to escape or counter, and forces them into a defensive posture.
- Safety and Stability: Maintaining a low and tight posture reduces your risk of being swept or submitted, which is especially important against opponents with strong guards or submission skills.
- Effective Against Flexible Opponents: Some fighters really rely on their leg dexterity to defend or counter guard passes. Compressing their body and stacking their legs effectively neutralize their flexibility, making it harder for them to use their legs to create space or regain guard.
- Versatility: From the stack pass, you can transition into locks, chokes, or other submissions. Additionally, if your opponent counters or defends the initial pass, you have multiple options to switch to another passing technique or maintain pressure until they make a mistake.
Conclusion
The stack pass is a powerful tool in the arsenal of any Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. It’s a great maneuver to add to your strategy so you can remain aggressive against flexible and guard-active opponents. The more passing options you have, the better you’ll be able to dictate the pace and control of the match.
