When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are lots of passes available. Some enjoy going outside of the guard and using techniques like the Torreando pass or Leg drags. Some enjoy speed passing such as quick knee slices, and some like threatening submissions to pass by attacked guillotines and kimuras to get past the legs.
However, Pressure Passing is quite unique and is certainly deserving of its own category. To summarize briefly, Pressure Passing is typically a slow, grinding style that advances the passer inch by inch. Usually, this involves lots of physical pressure which tires the opponent and can be physically uncomfortable. There are lots of nuances to these methods such as head and wrist positions, but ultimately they have the same goal – to pass the guard. So, why is this style almost impossible to learn from drilling?
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Why Pressure Passing is best to learn through sparring
Arguably, every BJJ move and technique is best learned through sparring. In other words, whilst drilling will improve your muscle memory – pulling off a move in sparring proves that it’s legitimate as it’s much harder to do. This is where Pressure Passing is truly tested.
Often when drilling, Pressure Passing just isn’t the same. Your opponent will typically be more relaxed and compliant meaning everything feels much easier. Whilst this goes for everything in BJJ, it’s especially the case for Pressure Passing.
For example, imagine pulling off a leg weave pass in drilling. Although your opponent will not be resisting, it’s something that you’re more likely to use in sparring. This is different from a Pressure Pass which involves everything being perfect to work. So, you may feel amazing doing it in drilling, but one small mistake can allow your opponent to recover and undo your hard work.
Another example could be doing a Torreando pass. You could potentially finish this pass with certain elements of it being sloppy. Although not encouraged, this is possible whereas a Pressure Pass needs to be tight throughout from start to finish. Obviously, it’s good to have high standards in all areas, but some passes take more precision than others.
Can you teach pressure in BJJ?
A similar case of pressure improving could be with sparring. When put in mount during drilling, you can escape as your opponent goes light. You may not have the same success in sparring as they’re now dropping their weight and cross-facing you.
Even if you know exactly how to escape, this may not be enough against someone with great pressure. If someone with good pressure traps you and shuts down your space, then escaping suddenly becomes way harder. This is why pressure is a bit wasted in drilling, whereas you truly know if it works in sparring.
That’s not to say that you should avoid drilling pressure-based techniques either. However, it is to say that compared to other concepts, it’s probably a waste of time.
So, how do you improve pressure in BJJ?
For most people, Pressure Passing is developed overtime and isn’t really something you can consciously improve upon. For newcomers, this isn’t always the case as the fundamentals of passes should be learned and taken seriously. However, after training for years – you’ll probably know the basics of Pressure Passing. From there, it’s on you and a lot of it is subconscious.
This means stuff like weight distribution and putting your upper body on the opponents. It also means using your toes to enhance your pressure. Another big concept is slowly taking away your opponent’s space and removing their mobility, without undoing previous hard work.
In short, most of this is conceptual and is almost impossible to teach quickly. Often beginners in BJJ want quick answers and there are certain moves that can give quick results. For instance, many people know how to roughly do a rear naked choke.
The rear naked choke also has concepts in place to make using it easier. However, it’s also something that can be taught with certain steps and movements. This differs from Pressure Passing which is less of a step-by-step guide and instead you need to do it by feeling and timing. Again, these two concepts can’t really be taught and it’s something that will naturally happen with time.
Why choose Pressure Passing?
Interestingly, when you look at new BJJ players, they will often try and run around the guard which may work at beginner level, but it slowly diminishes. In fact, many new BJJ practitioners simply won’t Pressure Pass. However, if you look at many brown and black belts, they love to Pressure Pass.
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, Pressure Passing is great for older practitioners. Put another way, if you’re in your 40s then you may not have the athleticism or body to pull off speed passing anymore. This is why the cartwheel pass isn’t for everyone. Generally, black belts are older too, so this theory makes sense.
However, going on the previous ideas in this article, it also has to do with naturally feeling the rhythm of your own body and going with it. As mentioned, Pressure Passing is something that develops naturally over time and is based highly on trial and error. Whilst this goes for lots of BJJ – it’s especially the case here for reasons that have been mentioned.
Therefore, you could argue that investing in Pressure Passing early on is a great way to nail down a long-term passing plan. Instead of trying shortcuts that aren’t fundamentally sound such as physically running behind your opponent (which new white belts love), Pressure Passing works against all body types and is better for your body.
Lastly, Pressure Passing is a great way to cook your opponent and tire them out. By the time you’ve finished the pass, they’ll be physically and mentally defeated. This will result in you dominating the top positions even more so. In short, it makes sense to Pressure Pass for a variety of reasons. Of course, it’s best to mix this style with all sorts of outside and speed passing too, when appropriate.
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