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In the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), guard passing is one of the most essential tasks every practitioner needs to learn. It’s so important that it would be incredibly difficult for you to progress in BJJ without learning how to pass an opponent's guard. Guard passing is commonly referred to as the most difficult task in BJJ, primarily because it’s a multistage process. You don’t just have to master different guard passing techniques. You also need to exploit your opponent’s weakness and present them with difficulties, allowing you to gain control of the match and pass your opponent’s guard. Common Principles for BJJ Guard Passing To help improve your BJJ guard passing skills, you need to keep yourself familiar with different principles that will help you progress in this combat sport and compete with opponents with advanced guard retention capabilities. Here are some of the best tips to help you improve your BJJ guard passing: Hone Fundamental Basic Positions As you progress in BJJ guard passing or the sport as a whole, you may forget about mastering basic positions. This is because you become too focused on honing more advanced guard passing and other BJJ techniques. However, in order to truly excel in BJJ, you must have a good grasp of all the fundamental basic positions. This helps you maintain a dominant position during matches. In proper BJJ guard passing, you should not give your opponent an opportunity to reacquire his guard immediately. You will only be able to prevent this by implementing basic positions such as mount, side-control, rear-mount, and several others. Once you master this, it will be easier for you to maintain a dominant position and put yourself in control of the match. To learn and maintain basic positions, the best thing you can do is to spend more time practicing positional spars. This allows you to hold basic positions even if you don’t exert too much energy, enabling you to improve your BJJ guard passing skills. Have at Least Two Go-To Methods When it comes to BJJ guard passing, there are different techniques you can try and be an expert on. Each player will have their own go-to methods that help them dominate their matches. But in order to maintain the dominant position, having a single method is not enough. Have at least two or more go-to methods to help you effectively open the closed guard. The thing about BJJ is that your opponent will try to assess what technique you are using. They will try their best to handle your techniques and render your moves useless. By having two or more guard passing techniques, you can surprise your opponent with what your next move will be. Proper Distance Management Proper distance management is critical in BJJ guard passing. In fact, it is a concept relevant to all combat sports. Depending on what technique you are planning to use, there is a recommended distance you should follow. This allows you to execute the technique properly, making it more likely that you’ll finish a pass. However, keep in mind that your opponent is trying their best to predict what you will do. This allows them to counter your attacks and prevent you from breaking down their defense. To avoid this, you will need to change your distance and do another tactic. There are two common ways on how to pass guard BJJ. One is by trying pressure passing, while the other is passing at a distance with speed. If pressure passing is not working, you can opt to surprise your opponent by passing at a distance. This could force them to defend themselves differently and change their guard style, allowing you to achieve side control and maintain a dominant position. Let Gravity Work on Your Side Remain in the dominant position by constantly applying pressure from beginning to end. Let gravity work for you and against your opponent.  With constant pressure, your opponent will be restricted from moving around and changing the terms of the match. To do this, you need to know how to apply pressure properly. Basically, it is about concentrating on a single point while restricting your opponent’s movement with your arms and legs. Make sure to do it at the correct timing as well, allowing you to get the kind of reaction you want from your opponent. The 3 Best BJJ Guard Pass Positions There are many guard passing positions in BJJ. You need to learn all about these positions in order for you to progress in this combat sport. Here are 3 of the most reliable guard passes everyone practicing BJJ should learn about: Leg Drag One of the most reliable BJJ guard positions is the leg drag. What’s good about this position is that aside from giving you a good opportunity to pass the side control of your opponent, it can also allow you to transition straight to the back. To achieve this position, you need to drag your opponent’s legs across your hips. You must make sure that your opponent’s knee will be in front of your hips, while their bottom legs are beneath your shin. Maintain the leg drag position by applying downward pressure on your opponent’s top leg. Make sure that you utilize this powerful grappling position properly. Avoid rushing this position so it will be effective. You must take your time to lock yourself into the leg drag position. You only need to advance to your guard pass technique once you secure your opponent’s leg. Knee Cut Knee cut is an easy BJJ guard pass position to master. However, in order to implement this properly, you need to keep your balance, which requires practice. Once you develop a sense of balance needed for the knee cut position, it will be easy for you to pass your opponent’s guard. When it comes to the knee cut position, your goal is to put your leg in between the legs of your opponent. You then need to use your leg to staple one of your opponent’s legs to the floor. Make sure that your opponent won’t be able to turn by keeping their shoulder pinned to the mat using the underhook technique. Double Under The double under position is highly uncomfortable for your opponent, allowing you to easily maintain a dominant position. The goal is to have the back of your opponent’s knees on your shoulders, while their hips are clasped by your hands. To do this, you need to place both forearms underneath your opponent’s leg. Afterwards, do the same thing using your shoulders. Once you do this, your opponent will be stacked on their shoulders and neck, allowing you to easily gain control. Where Can I Find Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Near Me? Want to learn more about Brazilian jiu-jitsu? Take our BJJ classes here at Granite Bay jiu-jitsu. Our instructors are jiu-jitsu black belts with over 15 years of teaching experience. We implement cutting-edge curriculums developed by one of the most respected organizations in BJJ, the Charles Gracie Association. Granite Bag jiu-jitsu is offering a 100% free 7-day free trial pass. Sign up with us today to get your free trial.

Many pursue BJJ as a way to become fitter, happier, and healthier. Indeed, improved fitness and mental health are among the many benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Nevertheless, there are still some people who are unsure when it comes to taking the first few steps (or rolls) on the Tatami. For these individuals, one question emerges: “How much does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu near me cost?” "How much does Jiu Jitsu cost?" is a valid question to ask. It’s one that our team at Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu is more than eager to answer. Read on to learn more about the costs of training and tuition. Also, read on to learn about other costs one needs to prepare for when training for the long haul. Classes ($140 to $200 Depending on the Type of Class and Contract) Right off the bat, your first expense will be for class fees or tuition. Across BJJ schools, the tuition fees will differ. The type of class can account for the wide variation in fees even within the same school. For example, at Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu, we offer more than general BJJ classes. We also offer classes in Judo, wrestling, and self-defense. Here are the fees for our different Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class offerings: BJJ Self-defense Foundations Class ($200 Monthly for Six Months) For the self-defense classes, the fee is $200. It’s a six-month recurrent monthly membership plan tailored specifically for students with an interest in learning BJJ for self-defense. The self-defense class is in a small group format. In other words, there are limited slots for the self-defense classes. The small group format is conducive to maximum learning and supervision. Hence, for $200, our self-defense course is a steal. One-year Contract BJJ Classes ($140/ $160 Monthly for 12 Months) There are two payment plans available for students who wish to learn BJJ. The first one is the 12-month plan that costs $140 monthly. Under this plan, the student will be able to attend two classes every week. We’ve also got unlimited recurrent one-year plans for youth learners. The unlimited 12-month plan costs $160. As the name of the plan implies, students can show up to class and even for open mat as often as they please.  Six-month Contract BJJ Classes ($160/ $180 Monthly for Half a Year) For students who are hesitant about committing for a year, there are also six-month plans available. Students who intend on attending classes twice a week can take advantage of the first plan which costs $160. Of course, there’s also an unlimited six-month plan that costs $180 monthly. Under this plan, students can attend classes to their heart’s content every week. This also includes open mat.  Monthly Contracts ($180/ $200 for the Month) There are shorter-term plans available as well. In a month, $180 can get students two classes each week for thirty days. This amounts to eight classes for a whole month. On the other hand, for students who can only commit to a month but want to attend more classes, there’s the $200 one-month contract.  BJJ Gi ($69 to $150 Depending on the Brand) Unlike most sports, BJJ is a sport where footwear doesn’t matter. In fact, students and practitioners are barefoot all the time — unless they’d like to wear wrestling shoes. At times, academies rent out apparel. When we talk about rental apparel, we’re referring to one thing — the gi. These are a godsend for those who are new to the sport but haven’t purchased a gi. Gi rental fees vary from one academy to another. Some rental fees (like ours) are pretty affordable. For the most part, the rentals can add up over the long term. For this reason, we advise investing in a quality gi. We call them investments because they do hold up for a long time. For students coming from Judo, there’s no immediate need to buy a gi tailored specifically for BJJ. However for those who are looking for quality gis, our gi review might help. Other BJJ Apparel (Anywhere from $90 to $120) Not every class requires students to wear a gi. No-gi classes allow more leeway as regards clothing options. For a no-gi class, a t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts or pocketless board shorts may suffice. However, it’s always a good idea to buy BJJ apparel like rash guards, shorts, and even compression leggings.  Clothing oneself from head to toe for the mats can cost anywhere from $80 to $170. The total cost can depend on what is lacking in an individual’s gear, as well as the brand. For example, if a person were to purchase a pair of Hexagon BJJ Shorts from Hayabusa and the Fusion Rashguard from the same company, the total cost can be about $109. By comparison, purchasing a rashguard from Raven and shorts by Fuji can cost less at roughly $91. As with a gi, BJJ apparel is durable enough to last a long time. Any student should be able to get at least a year’s worth of mat work in these articles of clothing. Mouthguard ($8 to $20) BJJ can get intense. While nobody throws punches or kicks, mouth injuries do occur. Hence, while not a necessity, a good mouthguard is always a great investment for one’s health and longevity on the mats. The market abounds with BJJ mouthguards. Luckily, anyone can get a mouthguard for about $8. There are other BJJ mouthguards designed by reputable companies like Shock Doctor and SafeJawz. Of course, these can cost almost $20 — still cheaper than a dental appointment, in our opinion. Wrestling Headgear ($38 to $60) Anyone who has trained BJJ or wrestled for a long time will complain of one inevitability — cauliflower ears. While cauliflower ears can be a badge of honor earned from time on the mats and competing, it isn’t something everyone wants. To prevent the formation of cauliflower ears, one piece of equipment can help — wrestling headgear. Headgear can be a pretty expensive piece of equipment. Some models of wrestling headgear cost about $38, like this one from Adidas. On the higher end are models from companies like Cliff Keen that cost $61.   Try Out BJJ for a Whole Week — Free and Priceless! Whatever the costs of BJJ, one thing is certain — they will be worth it. Besides reaping the benefits of this beautiful sport, students can broaden their social circles and take steps towards being better and fitter athletes and individuals. If you’re curious about BJJ, you don’t need to bring out your wallet or checkbook just yet. Try a week on us and see how BJJ can be an investment you make on yourself.