Weak Links

When passing an opponent’s guard, especially when they’ve hooked their legs around your body, it can feel like you’re dealing with a tangled chain that pulls you back every time you try to advance. The key to solving this problem, as demonstrated by Ilya, is not to fight the legs head-on but to target the weakest link in that chain—the feet.

The feet are the main anchors connecting your opponent’s legs to your body. By focusing on controlling or removing them, you disrupt the entire structure of their guard. Grabbing hold of a foot, peeling it away from your torso, or directing it to the mat gives you a much greater advantage than trying to simply power through the resistance of their legs. Once you control the foot, you can dictate distance and set up angles that make passing the guard easier and less labor-intensive.

This approach is particularly effective because while the legs are strong, the hands and feet are weaker and more maneuverable. If you isolate a foot, your opponent loses much of their ability to use that leg to control or redirect you. Not only does this strategy create an opening in their defense, but it also allows you to advance into a dominant position with greater efficiency and control. With the foot neutralized, you can move past the guard with minimal resistance, and then close the distance to secure a solid, stable pass.

Learning to attack these weaker anchor points gives you a huge advantage in BJJ. It teaches you to work smarter, not harder, by using leverage and positioning rather than brute force. This tactic applies to both the upper and lower body: gaining control over hands or feet dramatically improves your ability to move, escape, or pass, no matter the position. By understanding and using this principle, you’ll find that even challenging guards become more manageable, and your passing game gains a new level of precision and efficiency.