The Galvão Pass is a dynamic open guard pass that transitions directly from a knee-on-belly position to mount, popularized by Andre Galvão. It emphasizes strong grips, explosive hip movement, and precise knee placement to bypass frames and establish dominant control.
Start
Top open guard
End
Knee-on-belly to mount
Prerequisites: Toreando pass mechanics · Knee-on-belly balance · Cross-face control · Posting for base · Mount entry basics
Steps
1
Establish strong grips
From top open guard, secure a cross-collar grip (gi) or cross-face C-grip (no-gi) with your right hand, and a pant grip (gi) or post on their knee/shin (no-gi) with your left hand to control their hips.
2
Angle your hips and step laterally
Step your left foot to the outside of their hip while pulling their upper body toward you with your cross grip, creating a 45° angle to their torso.
3
Clear their knee/shin frame
Using your left hand, push their knee downward and outward while simultaneously lifting your hips and threading your right knee across their abdomen, aiming for the belt line.
4
Drop into knee-on-belly
Drive your right knee onto their stomach with your toes posted and your left foot wide for base; keep your chest heavy and maintain the cross-face grip to prevent them from turning in.
5
Control their near-side arm
With your left hand, switch from their knee/pant to an underhook or control their near-side triceps, pinning their arm to the mat to block frames.
6
Float and threaten mount
Shift your weight forward, keeping your hips low and chest heavy, then slide your left knee up beside their far-side ribs while maintaining upper body control.
7
Transition to mount
With your grips tight, windshield-wiper your left foot under their far-side arm and bring your left knee across their body, settling into a stable mount with both knees wide and toes engaged.
8
Stabilize and secure position
Release the cross-face grip as needed to establish an underhook or grapevine hooks, flattening their hips and controlling their head for maximum mount stability.
Key details most people miss
The initial cross-face grip must be deep enough to control their head and prevent them from turning into you during the knee-on-belly entry.
Your posted foot (left) should be wide and active, allowing you to adjust base and counter bridging attempts.
The knee-on-belly should be placed diagonally across the belt line, not directly on the sternum, to maximize control and minimize escapes.
The transition to mount is most effective when timed as the opponent bridges or pushes on your knee, using their momentum against them.
Common mistakes
If you place your knee too high on their chest, they can shrimp and recover guard underneath.
Failing to control their near-side arm allows them to frame and create space, stalling your mount transition.
Letting go of the cross-face grip too early enables them to turn toward you and recover half guard.
Not posting your outside foot wide enough makes you vulnerable to being rolled over during the knee-on-belly stage.
Counters & responses
They try: Opponent frames hard on your knee and hip to block mount entry.
You do: Switch to a windshield-wiper motion with your knee, circling around their frames and re-establishing knee-on-belly with a deeper angle.
They try: Opponent bridges explosively as you transition to mount.
You do: Float your hips and base out with your posted foot, letting their energy pass underneath before settling into mount.
They try: Opponent turns toward you to recover half guard as you slide across.
You do: Maintain a tight cross-face and drop your hip low, blocking their knee with your shin to prevent the guard recovery.
They try: Opponent grabs your ankle to trap and roll you from knee-on-belly.
You do: Immediately widen your base and shift your weight forward, freeing your ankle before proceeding to mount.
Drill prescription
6 rounds × 2 minutes per partner; start from top open guard with 40% resistance, goal is to achieve knee-on-belly and transition to mount 4 times per round with stable control for 3 seconds each time.
How the masters teach it
Leandro Lo
Utilizes a similar passing sequence with heavy hip pressure and dynamic knee switching to nullify frames.