Side Smash Pass: Complete BJJ Technique Guide

# Side Smash Pass: Complete BJJ Technique Guide

## What is the Side Smash Pass?

The Side Smash Pass is a fundamental Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique that every practitioner should master. Whether you're a white belt just starting out or an experienced grappler refining your game, understanding the mechanics and timing of this technique will elevate your BJJ.

## How to Perform the Side Smash Pass

Here's a detailed breakdown based on expert instruction:

# Side Smash Pass / Folding Pass

All right, guys, let's learn a bit about the side smash pass or the folding pass.

So that is many ways we can arrive into side smash pass or folding pass. Let's

start in a basic way. Let's imagine I start here with a knee cut, and Sab is

doing like a reverse de la riva with knee shield. And I realize it's quite hard to

pass from here. Okay. So what's I going to Na minha esquerda m‹o, eu vou abaixo da

sua neve. Agora, eu vou mover a minha right knee para essa dire‹o.

Ent‹o, eu estrangei e depois eu foro a sua neve para a outra forma.

Vamos comear? N‹o, n‹o, n‹o. Vamos mover mais aqui. Ok,

ent‹o, esta forma, eu lendo abaixo da sua lega e ele est‡ folding pass or side

smashing pass. So basically, I should keep my head always on the inside.

Okay? One basic way to pass the guard from here, what are going to do? I put my

forearm above his leg, and since my left leg is already behind him,

I will cover his legs with my left leg. You guys see the hook, my left hook,

E agora eu tenho um f‡cil caminho para s— ir atr‡s dele, ok?

Ent‹o, isso Ž um jeito b‡sico. TambŽm, quando eu estou nessa situa‹o,

ˆs vezes meu oponente continua usando esse "hook" atr‡s da minha lega e depois cria

essa grande gata aqui entre suas leis. Ent‹o, o que eu posso fazer? Eu posso trazer

a minha lefta entre os seus pedaos e eu coloquei na explos‹o. Agora eu coloquei um

underhook, um underhook no outro lado e agora eu tenho um acesso f‡cil para o

montar, ent‹o eu posso trazer o meu pedao na sua armadilha e depois eu montarei

ele, ok? Ent‹o isso Ž uma boa coisa sobre a passada do smash pass or the folding

pass that I can either go to his back or I can go to the mount. You're always

going to have these two options according with his movement, of course. So imagine

here I'm doing a knee cut. Okay. And it's being hard to pass this way.

So I hold behind his knee and then I move chain side and I run to the other

side. Ent‹o, assim, os meus rios e os meus rios est‹o aborre da sua lega,

no pŽs ou no pŽs. Ok, basicamente, bloquear a sua lega com o seu ovo esquerdo,

ent‹o voc pode ver o meu ovo esquerdo bloqueando, e depois voc justamente rota

para o seu dedo, isso seria o 1.

Ou, se ele continue usando o ovo, eu justamente coloquei a minha left knee between

his legs. Now I have his legs shuffle, my knee between the legs,

and then I have a very easy access to the mount. So get another hook,

get an underhook on the other side, and then you can mount on your opponent,

okay? So basically, that is the side smash pass or folding pass.

See you next lesson, guys.

## Key Points to Remember

When drilling the Side Smash Pass, focus on these essential details:

1. **Positioning** — Your body position determines your success rate

2. **Timing** — Wait for the right moment, don't force it

3. **Grip** — Secure proper grips before committing to the technique

4. **Finish** — Follow through completely once you initiate

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many practitioners struggle with the Side Smash Pass because they:

- Rush the technique without proper setup

- Neglect the importance of base and balance

- Forget to control their opponent's reactions

- Don't drill both sides equally

## When to Use the Side Smash Pass

The Side Smash Pass works best when:

- Your opponent's weight distribution creates an opening

- You've set up the technique with proper grips

- You can commit fully to the movement

- You have a follow-up ready if the initial attempt fails

## Track Your Side Smash Pass Progress

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**Stop guessing. Start tracking.**

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*This technique guide is based on instruction from Professor Henrique, covering the Side Smash Pass as part of the JitsAI Fundamentals Course.*