Toreando Pass
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The toreando pass, also spelled torreando and called the bullfighter pass, is a standing pass where you grip the bottom player's knees or pants, push both legs to one side, and circle around them the other way to land in side control or knee on belly. It's a speed pass. You get around before the legs can reconnect.
The pass, step by step
The speed comes from your grips and footwork.
- Grip the legs
- In the gi, grip the pants at the knees. In no-gi, grip the shins or push the knees. Keep your elbows in and your posture up.
- Redirect the legs
- Push both knees to one side and down toward the mat so their hips turn away from you.
- Step around
- Circle the other way with a long step past their hip, keeping their legs pinned until your body is past them.
- Land on top
- Drop your knee to their belly or your chest to theirs before they turn back in. Knee on belly is the most common landing.
When they defend
You'll rarely finish it on the first try. When they react, switch.
- If they turn back in
- Switch direction and toreando the other way, or step in and knee cut while their legs are still to one side.
- If they pummel a foot to your hip
- Pull that leg across your body and you are in the leg drag.
- If they hold your sleeves or collar
- Break the grips first. A toreando started while they control your arms ends in a sweep.
- If they come up to a single leg
- Sprawl, keep the head position, and pass as they come up, or go to the front headlock.
How to defend the toreando
Keep your knees in front of the passer and turn with them rather than letting your hips get pinned to one side. A foot on the hip or biceps and a grip on their sleeve stops the push before it starts; if they get around, frame on the hip and recover guard before the knee lands.
Frequently asked questions
Is it toreando or torreando?
Both spellings are common. The name comes from the bullfighter (toreador) stepping aside as the bull goes past, hence the other name, the bullfighter pass.
Does the toreando work in no-gi?
Yes, with grips on the shins or knees instead of the pants. It is harder to hold, so no-gi toreando relies more on speed and chaining into the leg drag and knee cut.
What is the difference between the toreando and the leg drag?
The toreando pushes both legs away and circles around them. The leg drag pulls one leg across your body and pins it with your hips. A toreando that the bottom player stops with a foot on your hip often turns into a leg drag.
How many points is the toreando pass?
3 points under IBJJF rules once you hold side control or another position past the legs for 3 seconds.
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