Marcelo Garcia Open Guard Passing Playbook
A simplified, visual overview of how Marcelo Garcia enters and passes open guard by chaining between combinations of passes.
Flow outline
Knee Cut Pass
- Able to hit this from a more open position where you have a collar tie and tricep grip
- Multiple variations in the linked video!
X Pass
- Utilize X Pass as a way to maintain inside control and pressure. Don't force and X Pass to completion, but use it to connect and chain other passes.
Folding Pass
- Kill the hips using your chest and arms to glue yourself to their knees. Point their knees away from you to prevent hip mobility.
- Stay inside and tight to prevent their hooks, they might try to frame and recover butterfly or swim under for SLX.
Leg Drag Pass
- Marcelo likes to stay tall enough that he has balance, but low to maintain heavy pressure on the hips.
Circle Pass
- Grab the opposite shoulder / back of the head while moving towards north-south to spin the opponent
Knee on Belly
- Marcelo advises to stay dynamic. Rather than playing a heavy knee on belly, he is ready to land in side control or transition to mount.
Side Control (Top)
- Marcelo likes to focus on controlling the far arm with an underhook. His chest and head apply pressure to limit movement.
- Don't overcommit your weight, as you should be balanced and ready to transition.
North South (Top)
- Considered a pressure position with strong control to burn the opponent's energy. Strong opportunities to hit north south chokes.
Mount (Top)
- Trapping the opponent's arm once you are in a high mount position opens up a lot more submission options
- Marcelo likes to move his body to the side so he can create angles for attacks
Standing Open Guard (Top)
Opponent's Leg is On Your Hip
- Possibly an early entry into a DLR from the opponent.
Opponent is in Seated Open Guard
- Push them over so that their back is on the mat and their legs are in the air.
Branch conditions
- Get opponent's back on the mat, enter their guard with one leg in and one leg out
- Engage aggressively trying to high step through the leg
- Opponent scrambles away from you
- With a collar tie grip, a strong push could spin them enoughto open for north south
- Set up your grips to enter outside passing
- Opponent tries to close the distance or close/trap your inside leg
- Opponent closes their knees and use hands to block the pass
- You have one-in-one-out with your legs in their open guard
- Pull their leg over to the other side of your hip