Introduction To High Step Passing In BJJ

Working across the opponent’s guard could seem tough, particularly when attempting to cross standing. As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu evolves, coping with totally different leg entanglements, enabling sweeps, and resulting in submissions could be irritating. Whereas getting previous the opponent’s line of protection is difficult, understanding when to remain tight or free is vital when passing the guard. This text will introduce you to high-step passing in BJJ.

The Excessive Step Move

The excessive step cross is a guard passing approach used to step across the opponent’s guard whereas successfully controlling their hips and limbs to attenuate the danger of counterattacks. It permits you to safely get previous the opponent’s legs, lessening your susceptibility to leg assaults and totally different assaults from the guard.

First, let’s talk about the assorted high-step variants you are able to do. Usually, the high-step motion can be utilized to get out of the opponent’s preliminary guard set-ups, out of leg entanglements, and to disengage from hooks.

The essential high-step motion is just like the hip opener we carry out throughout warm-ups, the place you progress your toes and knees up and out. This motion could be successfully used to get out of guards just like the reverse De La Riva and shin to shin. Nevertheless, whereas doing this motion, keep in mind that when your leg is up doing a excessive step, your different leg is weak to assaults.

If the opponent decides to wrestle up and goes to your leg, you may look away, kick out, and excessive step whereas posting on their face. When doing this disengagement, actively transfer out from the one leg as timidly doing so exposes you to a takedown if the opponent decides to chase you and your again, which the opponent can capitalize on to get a superior place. Keep in mind to put up on the opponent’s head earlier than high-stepping and searching away.

One other manner the excessive step can be utilized is to excessive step by the guard and land on the knee on the stomach place, particularly when the opponent has De La Riva hooks established. Additionally, it may be used to get previous the DLR and land to the north-south as an alternative of stepping laterally. If the opponent has a reverse DLR, as an alternative of placing strain and doing a knee minimize on their reverse DLR leg, you may put up your hand on the mat and step over their prime leg. The identical may also be utilized if the opponent makes use of a butterfly hook.

Excessive Step To Counter The Wrestle-Up

A standard response from opponents when you excessive step by is that they attempt to wrestle up. Begin grabbing the opponent’s ankle and knee from the supinated open guard going to their left. Take a shallow step in the direction of their heart line and step up along with your left leg, thereby hitting a entrance pummel, and push the opponent’s close to knee away, stepping close to their hip pocket.

From this place, opponents often grip your far ankle and use their outdoors leg like a pendulum in order that they will begin wrestling up. Because the opponent wrestles up, look to start out stuffing their head in between your legs. From right here, begin taking pictures your left elbow throughout their hips, and as they attempt to proceed and wrestle up, begin sprawling your proper leg again. After sprawling, slide your proper shin behind the opponent and start taking their again.

Excessive Step Move Towards Reverse De La Riva

Assuming you’re passing the guard in the direction of your left aspect, and the opponent establishes a reverse De La Riva whereas grabbing your ankle. Usually, the opponent will attempt to set up a connection. Doing so will more than likely open up an area between their elbow and knee. The area above the hipline is what Gordon Ryan refers to because the J-Level (Jeopardy Level), as it’s the level the place the opponent should handle your passing actions as they are going to be in jeopardy of getting their guard handed.

Capitalize the area between the opponent’s elbow and knee and get right into a high-step place. Straighten your trapped leg (proper leg) whereas controlling the opponent’s knee utilizing your left hand and their far leg utilizing your proper hand. Step to the left aspect previous the opponent’s knee whereas sustaining a C-grip on their far leg. Pinch your knees collectively and put up your left arm on their far shoulder for stability and to stop the opponent from wrestling up.

You deny the opponent’s potential to step their leg over your shoulder from this place, that means they can’t retain the guard or enter leg locks. Your left hand that’s posted on their shoulder prevents the opponent from slowly turning to their knees to wrestle up, and pinching your knees limits the opponent’s area to provoke leg assaults.

Slowly carry your proper foot up into the opponent’s close to hip pocket. When you’ve pummeled your proper foot out, you may safe a knee on the stomach pin by bringing your legs collectively whereas sustaining the grip on the opponent’s far leg or posting to the far hip. You may as well transfer to the north-south place and safe the cross.

If the opponent has a free grip in your ankle, you may straight go for a excessive step cross and pummel your leg as much as their hip pocket. A key element when passing with the excessive step is the management over the opponent’s far leg utilizing a C-grip, as with out it, the opponent can rapidly enter into leg entanglements and assault with leg locks. Likewise, if the opponent turns whereas pinned with the knee on the stomach, you are able to do a prime spin and take their again as they turtle.

Conclusion

The high-step cross is a scientific and fashionable method to cross the opponent’s guard, because the legs are extra weak to leg assaults when passing the guard standing. It successfully neutralizes guards that result in leg entanglements and leg locks, that are a must-learn to defend, particularly within the present meta of No-Gi BJJ. Research the high-step cross and see the way it suits your passing recreation.

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