Connection

What it is

Connection is what makes a guard a guard: a foot on the hip, a hook behind the knee, a grip on the sleeve, a knee shield. The moment every connection is gone, the pass has started. Guard retention is really the habit of replacing one connection with another.

Where it shows up

• Open guard: at least two points of connection at all times, feet or hands, so the passer cannot move freely.
• Guard retention: when they clear one foot, the other foot or a hand replaces it straight away.
• Half guard and knee shield: the trapped leg and the shield are the connections; lose both and you are passed.
• Passing: the top player wins by removing the connections one by one, legs first, then grips.

Key details

• Two points, always. One connection can be cleared in one move; two take a sequence.
• Connect to the parts that move: hips, knees, sleeves and ankles, not the chest or the head.
• Replace, do not hold. When a connection is cleared, the next one goes in before the passer takes the space.
• Feet are the first line, hands are the second. A foot on the hip does what two hands cannot.
• Keep your hips facing them. Connections only work while you can see the passer in front of you.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: holding one grip with everything you have. They clear it and walk around your legs.
• Mistake: letting your feet float with no target. Legs in the air are legs that can be pushed aside.
• Mistake: turning away to keep a connection. You keep the grip and lose your back.

What they will try

• The passer removes connections one at a time: stripping grips, pushing feet off the hips, and pinning the legs.