#000452
Passing the Guard, Vol. 1: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Details and Techniques
Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell
*Passing the Guard* was, when it appeared, the first instructional book devoted entirely to one of Brazilian jiu-jitsu's central problems: how to get past an opponent's guard, the position from which a grappler on their back controls and attacks. Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell treat the subject with unusual thoroughness, laying out more than fifty passing techniques along with the submissions, counters, and follow-ups that surround them, plus solo and partner drills to build the strength and flexibility passing demands. What set the book apart was its clarity: over 1,400 photographs, carefully sequenced, showing not just the moves but the small details that make them work. Both authors are seasoned competitors, and it shows in the practical, detail-obsessed presentation. For anyone serious about BJJ, it remains a landmark reference—one of the books that raised the standard for how grappling could be taught on the page.
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The authors
Ed Beneville is a longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and competitor who trained under the respected black belt Joe Moreira; Tim Cartmell is an Asian full-contact champion and BJJ competitor who has also trained extensively in Chinese internal martial arts and runs the Shen Wu school in California. Their combined mat experience underpins the book's practical, detail-first approach.
The book
Published by Grappling Arts Publications, Passing the Guard: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Details and Techniques was the first instructional guide devoted exclusively to guard passing—arguably the pivotal skill in ground fighting. It presents over fifty (in later editions sixty-plus) passing techniques, submissions available while passing, counters, and follow-ups, along with solo and partner drills, all illustrated by more than 1,400 photographs.
How to use it
Its reputation rests on comprehensiveness and clear photo sequencing; it is a book to study and drill rather than skim. By isolating a single phase of the game and covering it exhaustively, it became a model for later technical grappling books and a staple reference for serious practitioners.
For more context
It pairs naturally with its companion volumes on the guard and with the wider BJJ instructional literature.
Sources - Amazon listing - Book review — slideyfoot.com
- Type
- Book
- Author / Maker
- Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell
- Publisher
- Grappling Arts Publications
- Year
- 2004
- ISBN
- None
- Shelf
- Craft & How-to
- Location
- Colorado