The Cartwheel pass is a must-know if you want to call yourself a grappler. Some might fear this pass because it looks relatively athletic to the naked eye. However, it isn’t difficult to learn. Rather, it’s a technique you can master quickly. But, first, you must know the small details (which we’ll discuss in this article.)
The Cartwheel pass utilizes upward motion and leverages to go over the opponent and gain back-control. To perform it correctly, you must start standing up and step forward. Then, you plant your back foot and use it to jump high above your opponent. Of course, you want to then land in the other direction.
Finishing this pass is uncomplicated as well. The rear naked choke (RNC) and the Cartwheel pass are the perfect combinations. Once you’re past the opponent’s guard, his chances of evading the RNC—are slim.
If you want to learn to perform the rear naked choke, follow the link to a guide I wrote on the topic.
Anyway, this article is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn to perform the perfect Cartwheel pass. It combines many lessons to ensure you don’t miss out on this excellent pass.
You can use it against advanced and novice grapplers, so don’t think that it’s not effective in the darker belts. Instead, it can be what gives you the win if you perform it correctly.
There are many mistakes everyone will make when they learn this pass. But you can fix them right away by reading this article. So, stay tuned for that.
So, let’s dive in!
How to perform the Cartwheel pass
This section will be all about performing the Cartwheel pass. It will examine each step individually and ensure you better grasp this entire concept.
Indeed, it’s not the easiest guard pass you can learn, as it will require some athleticism and a lot of practice.
However, the most valuable things always require more work. Therefore, please let go of all your doubts before entering this section.
Now, let’s go over each step of the execution.
- Grab the opponent’s wrist
- Plant your front foot in between his legs
- Lean forward in one quick motion
- Use your back foot to jump behind the opponent
- Finish the move
Step #1 – Grab the opponent’s wrist
The first step is to grab the opponent’s wrist. It really isn’t as difficult, so I’ll keep it short and simple to understand.
You want to start the move standing up. If the opponent has a closed guard on you, or you’re in the mount and want to go for the Cartwheel, you must first break the guard. There are numerous ways to go about it; the best one will be to stand up and use your hips as leverage.
However, that’s not what this article is about. Back to our topic.
You want to grab the opponent’s wrist with a firm grip. Maintain a balanced posture without leaning forward or backward intensely.
This was the first step, easy enough.
Step #2 – Plant your front foot in between the opponent’s legs
The second step of the Cartwheel pass is to plant your front foot in between the opponent’s legs.
You want to maintain your grip over the opponent’s wrist while going for this step.
Some grappling coaches teach this guard pass without any grip on the opponent. I wouldn’t say I like this variation because it ignores the opponent’s ability to maneuver himself. Unless you’re extremely fast, you won’t be able to get into a proper position.
Place your front foot in between his legs without leaning forward or backward. You want your heads to be somewhat aligned (as much as possible) without waiting too long before going for the 3rd step. Let’s see what it is.
Before we move on, if you want to learn to perform the Stack pass in BJJ, follow the link.
Step #3 – Lean forward in one quick motion
The next step will be to lean forward quickly. But, again, you don’t want to hesitate; if you’re about to commit, then commit fully.
The worst thing you can do is lean forward and not go for the pass. However, there’s one step left before you’re through, so trust yourself and lean forward.
You’ll be vulnerable if you hesitate and lean forward without committing to the pass. Now, the final step is here.
Step #4 – Use your back foot to jump behind the opponent
The last step will be to use your back foot for leverage. Your front foot should balance you before jumping.
You want to use as much force as possible as quickly as possible to ensure the movement is swift. If you hesitate or do not commit, you’ll end up in a worse position, possibly giving away back or side control.
The primary guideline is to jump as high as possible. Some BJJ coaches teach jumping from the side. But, it’s much less effective, as the opponent can maneuver himself back to his guard, possibly leaving you vulnerable.
Not only will the movement be quicker if you jump above the opponent and not to his side, but you’ll also be capable of surprising the opponent and finishing the move much more quickly.
Before moving on, follow the link to learn how to perform the Leg Drag pass, one of BJJ’s most effective and simple guard passes.
Step #5 – Finish the move
The last step will be to finish the Cartwheel pass. You’re past his guard at this point. Now, you want to submit the opponent.
I’m a fan of the Cartwheel to the rear naked choke. However, others prefer going for the side control. To do so, you must always maintain a solid grip on the opponent before landing.
Although I prefer the rear naked choke finish, I encourage you to try both. Who knows? You might dislike my favorite finish and choose another one that fits your style.
So, you now know how to perform the entire Cartwheel guard pass.
Follow the link to learn to flawlessly perform the Knee Slice pass in BJJ.
Best finishing submission after the Cartwheel pass
After the Cartwheel pass, you can finish the move and the fight by going for one submission. Let’s see what it is and how you can perform it today.
The best submission to perform after the Cartwheel pass in BJJ is the rear naked choke. That’s because you now have back-control, which is extremely valuable. You can go for almost any submission, but you’ll need to go for the side control first. Therefore, finishing the move with the RNC is your best bet.
But, you can choose to go for side control and maneuver yourself to the many submissions BJJ offers. If you want to learn about the most effective BJJ finishing submissions, follow the link.
Variations of the Cartwheel pass
This section will discuss two variations of the Cartwheel pass in BJJ. The first will be with a grip and the second without. Let’s see how they differ and their pros and cons:
Cartwheel pass with grip
This variation is harder to learn and perform, as it requires you to be more technical. Although I’m jumping forward to the next section, you’ll see how the second variation is much simpler since it doesn’t involve any grip. Again, you jump forward and hope for the best.
However, the gripped Cartwheel involves more techniques you’ll need to learn in order to understand and master it fully.
You want to maintain wrist control over your opponent to perform this variation. Likewise, you want to keep this grip, even when you’re jumping. Of course, you won’t maintain the wrist control, but you’ll have more control points, such as your head on his shoulder.
The previous video I mentioned perfectly demonstrates how to perform the gripped Cartwheel. Watch it again to see how much more technical it is compared to the following variation.
No-grip Cartwheel pass
The no-grip Cartwheel is a much simpler variation. Likewise, it’s less effective than the first one, as it doesn’t require you to be as technical.
To perform the no-grip Cartwheel pass, you want to step and lean forward in one quick motion. Then, you want to use your back foot for leverage and jump above your opponent, landing in the other direction. Then, you want to get a hold of the opponent as quickly as possible.
Here’s a perfect demonstration of the no-grip Cartwheel:
When to use the Cartwheel pass?
You can use the Cartwheel pass whenever you’re standing and see the opponent doesn’t expect you to go above him and gain back-control. That’s the optimal scenario you want to go for the Cartwheel in. And still, you can use it even when you think the opponent expects it, as it’s a quick motion.
And, of course, if you perform it correctly and maintain a firm grip on the opponent throughout the guard pass, you’ll notice that he won’t be able to maneuver to maintain his guard.
By the moment he twists at you, you’ll already be in your finishing submission.
Is the Cartwheel pass effective?
The Cartwheel pass is a highly effective guard pass in BJJ. It’s amongst the most effective ones, including the Stack, X, and Knee Slide passes. Eventually, learning it isn’t as complicated, especially the easier variation, which doesn’t require you to grip your opponent.
Should I learn the Cartwheel pass?
Learning the Cartwheel pass is a must for any grappler. It’ll help you win more fights and surprise your opponent more often. After all, most people don’t expect you to go above them. And most of them won’t know how to react when they see you jump above them and perform the rear naked choke.
It’s one of the fundamental guard passes you want to learn first, especially as someone with little knowledge in this realm.
Final words
I want to ensure you understand the value guard passes can bring to your grappling game. Not only will they help you be more offensive and intimidating, but they’ll also help you gain control of many rolls and competitions.
Passing the opponent’s guard isn’t as easy as it sounds. You can’t just step above the opponent and expect something good to happen. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Instead, you’ll need to work extra hours in the BJJ gym to become capable of passing guard effectively. After that, there really isn’t much to say other than go out to train and practice the Cartwheel pass. So, good luck with your training!
However, the Cartwheel pass isn’t BJJ’s most effective guard pass. Heck, it’s not even close to the top 5. If you want to learn which are the most effective guard passes in BJJ, follow the link to an article of mine revealing the list.