Wally Dien is one of the black belts at Atos, coaching in San Diego (last time I checked with him during our conversation). I had the pleasure of rolling with him for a couple of rounds; he’s a cool guy—very calm, gentle, and controlled—while submitting me a couple of times. Last Saturday, he held a seminar at Team Shark Saigon about guard passing, which is arguably the hardest area in Jiu-Jitsu. Despite the rain and the long drive to District 2, I decided to go, eager to learn a thing or two.

Here are my notes from the seminar based on what I gathered and understood. Some techniques Wally talked about went over my head due to my inexperience or lack of knowledge, so I couldn’t write them down or describe them fully.

Passing Single Leg X Guard with High Stepping

Rotate and push your hip forward with the goal of removing the top leg from your hip. Use your hand to grab their foot and push it down. Make a high back step with your other leg to the side of your trapped leg while paying attention to their bottom leg, as they can sweep you. Once both your feet are on the same side, sprawl and create a chest-to-chest connection, or you can yank your trapped leg out and move to the north-south position.

Here are a couple of videos that might help you visualize the technique. I found that Lachlan Giles’ style of passing—applying pressure down on their shin and switching the hip, shooting the leg to the other side—fits my style more:

Passing X Guard by Taking the Back

As the top player, use your outside arm (on the side of your trapped leg) to get an underhook of their top leg. Grab the upper thigh of their other leg and pull them toward you; this should create enough momentum to take their back. (I feel like I’m missing something, as I’m having a hard time visualizing the technique. I need to ask Coach or Wally about this again.)

Two Ways to Pass the Sit-Up Guard

1. First Method: Start by pushing their shoulder so it touches the mat. Get into headquarters, create pressure to spread their legs apart while pinning one of their legs to the mat. Stay on your tiptoes for mobility and pressure power. Use your chest and shoulder to pin their shin down. From there, knee cut to the side of the higher leg, create an angle, and cut diagonally toward their shoulder while shooting an underhook on the other side, ending the pass in side control.
2. Second Method: While they push with their top leg and you are in headquarters, push their knee between your legs and close the path with your knees so they can’t circle back. Get an overhook on their shoulder, grab their armpit, bring your outside knee to their back, and lift them up and over for a back take. (Again, I’m having a hard time visualizing this. I need to review and try it again.)

What the Heck is a Super Seatbelt? (My Favorite from the Seminar)

Similar to a regular seatbelt from the back, get an overhook (choking arm) and hide your hand in your partner’s armpit. The underhook grabs the choking arm’s elbow, creating pressure. As your partner tries to peel the underhook arm out, it will create space for you to get your choking arm in.

Note: Remember to roll to your underhook side and not cross your feet.