A couple of stray thoughts on passing the guard.
There are three ways of attacking the legs from within the guard. All require staying tight and having upright posture. These are passes against guys who want to aggressively fight from the guard (like the guy I fought from Marcelo Alonso at Copa NW 5!) Guys who like to pull guard fall into this category, also.
Here are the three ways:
(1) Scoop leg. Grab the underside of the opposite thigh. Work to pass on the side of the grabbed leg.
(2) Stack leg. Reach across the thigh to grab the sleeve of the opposite arm. Reach across with the other arm and grab the opposite sleeve or lapel. Stack and pass on either side.
(3) Split leg. With your opposite hand hold down the bicep or, if the guy is too long, grip the sleeve. Drive your arm between your body and his tightly. Get your sholder deep under his thight. That is your pass side. Use your pass side hand to reach across his body and grab his lapel. Pull yourself around as you pass.
All three of these also work if the guy tries to control you by gripping your sleeves (see my Copa NW 6 match!) These are effective passes in any event, but especially helpful against attacks on your arm.
Other pass techniques include the Saulo Ribeiro, Rodrigo's standing pass, and the elbow-inside-knee break (which isn't a pass in and of itself, just a way of opening the guard) ...
