Guard

What it is

A guard is any position where the bottom person uses one or more legs, and usually a grip, to stop the top person getting past the legs to a pin: side control, north-south, knee on belly or mount. Being on your back inside a guard is not losing. From guard you can sweep for 2 points and attack submissions, and the top person cannot score until they pass.

Where it shows up

• Closed guard: your ankles are locked behind their back. You control their posture and they cannot walk away.
• Open guard: your ankles are not locked. Feet, knees, hooks and grips manage the distance. They can stand and move, so you need a connection with them at all times.
• Half guard: one of their legs is trapped between yours. They are halfway past, and the fight is over the other leg.
• After pulling guard or being taken down: the first thing the bottom person does is get the legs back between you and them.

Key details

• Legs between you and them. If a leg is in the way, you are in guard; if nothing is, the pass has started.
• Connection: a locked ankle, a foot on the hip, a hook or a grip. Without one, open guard is just lying down.
• On your back is not under them. Inside a guard the bottom person has attacks and the top person has work to do.
• The guard player wants to sweep or submit; the top person wants to pass. Everything in the position is one of those two races.
• Keep your hips free. A guard is lost when they control both hips.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: lying flat with the legs straight and no grip. They walk around your legs to side control.
• Mistake: opening a closed guard for no reason. You give away the posture control that was keeping you safe.
• Mistake: chasing with the arms instead of moving the hips. Your legs stay behind and they pass.
• Mistake: turning away as they pass. You give the back instead of recovering guard.

What they will try

• The top person will stand or control your hips, then pass around or through the legs.
• In closed guard they posture up and work to open the lock; in open guard they strip grips and pin the legs.

Gi and no-gi

In no-gi there are no collar or sleeve grips, so open guard runs on hooks, wrist control, the collar tie and the underhook. The legs matter even more.