When should I use the cartwheel pass?

Use this technique against bottom players who have established strong leg-based control like De La Riva, lasso, or spider guard. It is most effective when conventional walking passes are not viable because the bottom player's grips and hooks prevent lateral motion.

How do you enter the cartwheel pass?

The entry begins by planting one hand firmly on the bottom player's thigh or hip to serve as a rotational pivot. Next, kick one leg into the air and rotate your body sideways and over the bottom player's legs in a half-cartwheel motion.

What are common mistakes to avoid?

Common errors include attempting the pass without establishing the hand-plant pivot, rotating too slowly, or failing to commit to the rotation. Other mistakes involve trying the technique against a player without leg-based control or landing flat instead of immediately securing side control.

How can the cartwheel pass be countered defensively?

Defensively, the pass can be countered by maintaining grips throughout the rotation to disrupt the passer's landing angle. Other counters include quickly inverting to follow the passer or attacking a leg lock if the passer's leg becomes exposed during the movement.

advancedpurple beltguard passes

CARTWHEEL PASS

Passagem Cambalhota

In Short

The cartwheel pass is a dynamic guard-pass technique where the passer rotates their body through a half-cartwheel motion over the bottom player's legs to land in side control. It is primarily used against bottom players who have established strong leg-based control, such as De La Riva or spider guard, when conventional walking passes are blocked.

Also known as: Cartwheel, Inverted Pass

The cartwheel pass is the dynamic guard-pass technique in which the passer rotates their body through a half-cartwheel motion over the bottom player's legs, landing in side control on the opposite side. The technique is used against bottom players who have established strong leg-based control (De La Riva, lasso, spider) and where conventional walking passes are not viable because the bottom player's grips and hooks prevent lateral motion.

The entry begins when the bottom player has established a leg-control configuration the passer cannot walk through or around. The passer plants one hand on the bottom player's thigh or hip, kicks one leg into the air, and rotates their body sideways and over the bottom player's legs in a half-cartwheel motion. As the body completes the rotation, the passer lands on the opposite side in a side-control configuration, with the bottom player's leg-based control disrupted by the unexpected rotational pass direction.

The cartwheel pass requires substantial athleticism and is one of the harder modern passes to execute reliably under live resistance. It is most often seen at the IBJJF black-belt and brown-belt level in matches where the passer has been stalemated by an elite open-guard player and needs an unconventional answer. Yuri Simoes, Lucas Hulk Barbosa, and Mica Galvao have used variations in modern competition. Defensively the cartwheel is countered by maintaining grips throughout the rotation (which often disrupts the passer's landing angle), by quickly inverting to follow the passer, or by attacking a leg lock if the passer's leg becomes exposed during the cartwheel.

KEY POINTS

01Use against established leg-based control where lateral walking is blocked.
02Plant one hand firmly on the bottom player's thigh or hip for the rotational pivot.
03Kick one leg into the air to initiate the cartwheel.
04Rotate sideways and over the bottom player's legs in a half-cartwheel.
05Land in side control with the bottom player's leg control disrupted.

COMMON MISTAKES

✕Attempting the cartwheel without first establishing the hand-plant pivot.
✕Rotating too slowly, allowing the bottom player to maintain grips and follow.
✕Failing to commit to the rotation, ending up in a vulnerable mid-cartwheel position.
✕Trying the technique against a bottom player without leg-based control (better to walk).
✕Landing flat rather than in an immediate side-control configuration.

TRAINING DRILLS

→Hand-plant cartwheel reps: 20 reps per side practicing the rotational pivot on a compliant partner.
→Cartwheel landing drill: focus on landing directly in side-control configuration.
→Cartwheel-vs-leg-control drill: bottom partner establishes lasso or spider; you cartwheel over.
→Grip-disruption drill: as the cartwheel completes, immediately strip any remaining bottom-player grips.
→Live open-guard rolling with cartwheel as one of three allowed pass options.

NOTABLE PRACTITIONERS

Yuri Simoes · Lucas Hulk Barbosa · Mica Galvao

Frequently Asked

When should I use the cartwheel pass?: Use this technique against bottom players who have established strong leg-based control like De La Riva, lasso, or spider guard. It is most effective when conventional walking passes are not viable because the bottom player's grips and hooks prevent lateral motion.
How do you enter the cartwheel pass?: The entry begins by planting one hand firmly on the bottom player's thigh or hip to serve as a rotational pivot. Next, kick one leg into the air and rotate your body sideways and over the bottom player's legs in a half-cartwheel motion.
What are common mistakes to avoid?: Common errors include attempting the pass without establishing the hand-plant pivot, rotating too slowly, or failing to commit to the rotation. Other mistakes involve trying the technique against a player without leg-based control or landing flat instead of immediately securing side control.
How can the cartwheel pass be countered defensively?: Defensively, the pass can be countered by maintaining grips throughout the rotation to disrupt the passer's landing angle. Other counters include quickly inverting to follow the passer or attacking a leg lock if the passer's leg becomes exposed during the movement.