Why did you choose the guard you currently use?

[beat...people...up?]

Haha yeah it really does.
You go to deep half in nogi. You like this guard? I have started to notice some mma guys try deep half for sweeps also, it might be a position I should look into.

"In lieu of" means "instead of." I don't use deep half in nogi a whole lot. It's too easy to get my arm taken, or for the other person to scramble--I prefer gi for deep half.

The other guard I know I should like but that I struggle with is butterfly guard. I find it so hard not to get my legs stuffed. I prefer at least one foot on the hip for leverage.

 

[zeli_papa]

Closed guard all the way. Sound silly, but watching the UFC is what got me into BJJ and seeing the success of submissions from closed guard always intrigued me. Especially guys like Paul Sass

Good choice to be fair, I'm not a great closed guard player and absolutely hate to be inside of one with some good players.

 

[JinKazama]

i love half guard and butterfly but tend to play with whatever guard the situation demands

been trying to incorporate more spider and DLR but my off balancing is not great,

 

[Gandhi]

I have a love hate relationship with half and butterfly but love slx and x. So I do a lot of seated guard. I def put my half work in and will get it sorted eventually.

If opponent is standing shin guard is my first go to for the same reasons.

I have been improving my SM defense so I am also playing more traditional open guard.

At 6 3 I need to learn more spider but my hands tho........

 

[Gandhi]

There's a literally nothing wrong with closed guard. The biggest weakness is that you can be to defensive. An active closed guard can be big trouble.

Yeah I really neglect this. Some of my biggest improvements came in spending time here. I need to refocus on it.

 

[thugpoet]

Yeah I really neglect this. Some of my biggest improvements came in spending time here. I need to refocus on it.

Really just have to find "you"

If you are like me then you've probably jumped around guards trying to find that click moment.

For me it always comes down protecting my injuries (bad knees) and the target I want to get to.

As a tiny guy I need to attack limbs/neck with my full body not just my arms. For me that means back attacks, leg locks, armbars, and front headlocks.

Butterfly has direct paths to those positions. So it's the "central hub" to my guard game.

 

[barca2012]

Closed guard really was the first and only guard I know. Its not fully developed either. Never really messed with anything else .
I wanted to do MMA so closed guard was taught to me and I spent most of my time on it. Im like mid blue belt debating about training bjj again.

 

[Osculater]

I use all different types of guards depending where I end up but lately I have been working on the sleeve & collar to set-up triangles

 

[JagRoss]

I started with closed guard.
For a long time the only move I could really hit was the overhook triangle. I've also developed the armdrag closed guard to some extent.
I would say closed guard is one of my stronger guards.

I also started to develop a half-guard game because I was ending up there a lot (14/15 year old in the adult class).
Would use deep half as an escape a lot.
A lot of my passing is over/under type passing because I used to play that game.

For a long time it was my A game, but now I only really play it in no-gi or if they are trying to pass on both knees.
I'm starting to look at the Z-guard again because of Craig Jones, but haven't really implemented anything.
I also avoid deep half now, and prefer the Lucas Liete type half.

In the gi I play a cross grip looking to invert/drag/triangle if they are trying to pass on both knees.

I started to get into SLX/X and shin to shin (Marcelo's influence), to deal with people who were standing.
I think naturally I started to play a lot of sit up, with the hand in the collar, which led to me playing a lot of collar and sleeve.

I use Collar and Sleeve and transition to DLR (if I can't catch a triangle/omoplata), then look to: sit up to a single/ball and chain, go to X/SLX, and shoot Omoplatas/Triangles.
I haven't developed the whole berimbolo style, but I feel that if I did I'd be able to catch a lot more people...

I think it boils down to:
Standing: Collar-Sleeve/Shin to Shin -> going to SLX or Singles, and Triangles
Both Knees Down: Cross grip/Roleta style guard looking for Triangles/Arm drag or Z-guard looking to get the underhook

 

[thugpoet]

I use all different types of guards depending where I end up but lately I have been working on the sleeve & collar to set-up triangles

I need to jump in a gi class ive been itching to try collar and sleeve

 

[thugpoet]

I started with closed guard.
For a long time the only move I could really hit was the overhook triangle. I've also developed the armdrag closed guard to some extent.
I would say closed guard is one of my stronger guards.

I also started to develop a half-guard game because I was ending up there a lot (14/15 year old in the adult class).
Would use deep half as an escape a lot.
A lot of my passing is over/under type passing because I used to play that game.

For a long time it was my A game, but now I only really play it in no-gi or if they are trying to pass on both knees.
I'm starting to look at the Z-guard again because of Craig Jones, but haven't really implemented anything.
I also avoid deep half now, and prefer the Lucas Liete type half.

In the gi I play a cross grip looking to invert/drag/triangle if they are trying to pass on both knees.

I started to get into SLX/X and shin to shin (Marcelo's influence), to deal with people who were standing.
I think naturally I started to play a lot of sit up, with the hand in the collar, which led to me playing a lot of collar and sleeve.

I use Collar and Sleeve and transition to DLR (if I can't catch a triangle/omoplata), then look to: sit up to a single/ball and chain, go to X/SLX, and shoot Omoplatas/Triangles.
I haven't developed the whole berimbolo style, but I feel that if I did I'd be able to catch a lot more people...

I think it boils down to:
Standing: Collar-Sleeve/Shin to Shin -> going to SLX or Singles, and Triangles
Both Knees Down: Cross grip/Roleta style guard looking for Triangles/Arm drag or Z-guard looking to get the underhook

What are you currently working on?

 

[Osculater]

I need to jump in a gi class ive been itching to try collar and sleeve

Yeah bro do it the gi is so fun to roll with than with out

 

[thugpoet]

Yeah bro do it the gi is so fun to roll with than with out

I prefer no gi overall but gi has a ton of gripping options that no gi simply can't replicate

 

[JagRoss]

What are you currently working on?

Collar and sleeve mainly. I went to a Rafa seminar and he described it as his guard "hub".
I'm looking at just getting into the position and just hanging out.

I very recently got promoted to purple and I feel like my guard retention is not at the level it should be at.
I have some attacks from guard, and if I get them off, then it's fine. But I'm not comfortable hanging out in guard for extended periods of time against people who are my level.

 

[thugpoet]

Collar and sleeve mainly. I went to a Rafa seminar and he described it his guard "hub".
I'm looking at just getting into the position and just hanging out.

I very recently got promoted to purple and I feel like my guard retention is not at the level it should be at.
I have some attacks from guard, and if I get them off, then it's fine. But I'm not comfortable hanging out in guard for extended periods of time against people who are my level.

You know a friend of mine has been working on retention as well.

I've never focused on it much until recently. However Ive been thinking a ton on why my guard gets passed and it almost always has to do with lack of aggressive gripping. If I don't chase an aggressive grip to force my opponent to react to whatever I am doing that's when I get passed.

Good offense beats good defense.

 

[JagRoss]

You know a friend of mine has been working on retention as well.

I've never focused on it much until recently. However Ive been thinking a ton on why my guard gets passed and it almost always has to do with lack of aggressive gripping. If I don't chase an aggressive grip to force my opponent to react to whatever I am doing that's when I get passed.

Good offense beats good defense.

I mean I'm the same. If I can get strong offensive grips I have some attacks that I am confident in.

The problem is when I don't have my preferred grips.
I feel that I should still be confident that my guard won't get passed. That's really going to be my focus until I feel I reach a level where that's true.

 

[RemyR]

Digging X guard a lot lately because it helps keep those fat asses and their weight off of me. I’m not exactly a small guy at 185 but we got a couple big boys at my gym

 

[thugpoet]

Digging X guard a lot lately because it helps keep those fat asses and their weight off of me. I’m not exactly a small guy at 185 but we got a couple big boys at my gym

Anything that keeps weight off of you is a good a thing.

What's your plan? You get X guard whats your next move

 

[ArtemV]

I loved full guard and rubber guard when I was more flexible. But now I just use butterfly/half-butterfly, full guard (just for sweeps) and half-guard. I don't really go for submissions from the bottom, I just look for sweeps/scrambles to get to the legs with.

 

[thugpoet]

I loved full guard and rubber guard when I was more flexible. But now I just use butterfly/half-butterfly, full guard (just for sweeps) and half-guard. I don't really go for submissions from the bottom, I just look for sweeps/scrambles to get to the legs with.

Same. I've been keeping diving into leg lock lore