TORREANDO PASS

The torreando, or bullfighter pass, is the speed-and-angle answer to open guard. Named for the matador's pass-and-step around the bull's horns, the technique uses pant-cuff or ankle grips to pin the bottom player's legs to the mat while the passer steps around to side control or knee on belly. It is the natural counterpart to the knee cut: where the knee cut grinds through pressure, the torreando passes on speed and angle. Together they form the two-pillar foundation of modern competitive passing.

The technique starts with double-pant-cuff or double-ankle grips. The passer stands or postures to a high base, drives the bottom player's feet toward the mat to flatten the hips, and steps in a wide arc to one side while shoving both knees toward the floor and away from the passing direction. As the passer steps around, one hand releases the pant cuff to underhook the near-side armpit or grip the lapel, and the other hand maintains pin pressure on the leg until the body has cleared the legs entirely. The pass finishes in side control or knee on belly with the cross-face established.

The technique's effectiveness rests on three principles. First, the passer must remove the bottom player's hooks before stepping — any retained hook converts the torreando into a sweep. Second, the passer must control the bottom player's hips by driving the feet wide and toward the floor, not toward the chest, since hips-to-chest gives the bottom player elevation back into a guard. Third, the step must travel laterally rather than forward; passing forward into the legs invites a leg-lock entry or a re-guard. With these three principles in place the torreando works against nearly every open guard, including spider, lasso, De La Riva, and reverse De La Riva.

The modern game has elevated the torreando from a basic pass into a series of variations. Rafael Mendes built his competitive style around a hopping torreando that bounces the bottom player's feet repeatedly to prevent grip recovery. Marcus Buchecha used a heavier, slower torreando that emphasized the cross-face on landing. Tainan Dalpra and Mica Galvao have integrated the torreando into a flow that switches mid-pass to a knee cut if the bottom player squares back up. At every level it remains a high-percentage option, particularly against a fatigued bottom player.