Troubleshooting The Over-Under Pass With Claudia Do Val

One of the best way to shut down a flexible and dynamic guard is to use focused pressure and precise grips. Claudia Do Val shows you how.

Jul 24, 2019 by Hywel Teague

Troubleshooting The Over-Under Pass With Claudia Do Val

One of the best way to shut down a flexible and dynamic guard is to use focused pressure and precise grips.

A three-time IBJJF World champion, Claudia Do Val stands out among her peers in that she eschews standing guard passes and exclusively uses pressure passes to score on her opponents. She favors the over-under pass, a soul-destroying technique when done correctly that will leave your opponents desperately struggling to fend off your unstoppable forward progress.

The following series of technique videos are exclusively available to FloGrappling members. If you've signed up to watch a live event, don't forget you also get access to our Premium Rankings, Training Library, Documentaries and more.

1. Opening Closed Guard and Over-Under Pass

Opening the closed guard is the first step, and there are many ways to do so. Claudia's preferred method involves staying down on the knees. Pay close attention to the placement of her hands and the way she avoids counterattacks such as the wristlock and armbar.

Entering the over-under position is a small step from the guard break. Claudia shows the correct grips and hand placement, but the real secret to success here is the windshield wiper motion of her lower leg that enables you to escape the half guard and the way she positions the knee underneath her opponent's legs to block guard recovery.

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2. Passing Spider and Lasso to Over-Under Pass

Whereas the first option was the simple over-under from a closed guard break, this sequence gives you tools for removing common barriers such as the spider guard and the lasso hook.

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3. Troubleshooting The Over-Under Pass

There are a lot of small make-or-break details to the over-under pass. Claudia shows everything from how to avoid counter attacks such as getting swept, triangled or rolled over, plus how to shut down your opponent's common escapes such as recovering guard or turning to expose the back. A comprehensive eight-minute mini-clinic that will give you all the tools you need to make this pass work.