Become Fighter
Posture, base and opening the guard: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
Staying tall and heavy inside closed guard, then opening it without getting swept.
Passing starts before the legs are open. If your posture is broken you cannot pass, you can only survive. Inside closed guard your job is to keep your spine straight, your head over your hips and your elbows in.
To open the guard, stay on your knees first. Put one hand in the belt or the hip, push your hips forward and drive the knee into the tailbone to break the lock of the ankles. Stand only when the guard is open or you have a clear plan.
Key points
- Keep your head up and your back straight. Your head is the first thing they pull.
- Keep your elbows tight to your ribs so that they cannot be pulled apart and trapped.
- Open on your knees: hips forward, one knee wedge into the tailbone, then peel the ankles.
- Keep your hands off their chest and neck. Hands on the belt, sleeves or hips only.
- Look for the hands. A loose sleeve grip on your wrist is the start of a sweep or a lock.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Pushing the chest and neck. Keep your hands on the hips or belt. Arms extended up high give them an armbar and a collar choke.
- Standing too early. Stay on your knees until the guard is open. Standing in closed guard is a sweep waiting to happen.
- Looking down. Keep your eyes forward and your chin up. A bent head gets pulled down into a choke.
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Passing the guard module of Jiu-jitsu foundations.
Get it on Google Play. Coming soon to the App Store.
More from Passing the guard
- The knee cut pass: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- Toreando and speed passing: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- The stack pass and passing safely: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
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Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.