aliases:
  - Guard Bottom
  - Guard (Bottom)
  - Guard Game

Guard

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Guard is a fundamental position where one practitioner is on their back or seated, and their opponent is in front of them. The Guard player uses their legs, hips, and grips to control their opponent and defend against attacks while setting up their own sweeps, submissions, or transitions.

Key Aspects of Guard

Distance Management

The legs and grips act as barriers to control distance management and prevent the opponent from advancing or passing the Guard.

Frames and Leverage

Proper frames (arms, legs, and hips) create leverage to control the opponent's movements and maintain the Guard position.

Offensive and Defensive Tools

From the Guard, you can attack with Submissions (e.g., Triangle Choke, Armbar, Omoplata) or sweep the opponent to gain a dominant position (e.g., Scissor Sweep, Butterfly Sweep).

Positional Variations

The Guard position has many subtypes, such as:

Closed Guard

Legs locked around the opponent's waist.

Open Guard

Legs are not locked but used to maintain control with hooks or grips.

Half Guard

One leg traps the opponent's leg while the other defends or attacks.
- Specialized guards like Butterfly Guard, De La Riva, X Guard, and others, each with unique strategies and mechanics.

Purpose of Guard

Prevent the opponent from advancing to dominant positions like Side Control, Mount, or Knee on Belly.
Create opportunities to disrupt the opponent's base and center of gravity to execute attacks or reversals.

Principles to Remember

Use hip movement and connections to adjust and retain your Guard.
Maintain posture and pressure even when playing from your back.
Always focus on advancing your position or creating threats to avoid becoming stagnant.

Guard is one of the most versatile positions in BJJ and is a cornerstone of positional hierarchy and strategy.

Advancing Guard

Transitions from Guard

Closed Guard to Open Guard

Unlock your legs, create space with hip movement, and establish grips on sleeves, collars, or pants to shift to an Open Guard variation like De La Riva or Butterfly Guard.

Guard to Back Control

Break the opponent's posture, establish a deep Over-the-Back Lapel Grip, and use angles to spin around to Back Control.

Guard to Half Guard Underhook an arm or leg, shift your hips, and trap one of your opponent's legs to move into Half Guard.

Guard to Butterfly Guard

Scoot your hips forward, establish Hooks with your feet on the inner thighs, and maintain control with grips on the opponent's arms or collar.

Guard to X Guard

Underhook one of the opponent's legs, elevate them with a hook, and weave your legs into the X Guard configuration for control and sweeps.

Guard to Rubber Guard

Break the opponent’s posture, pull your leg high over their back, and secure it with a grip like the "meathook" to create control for submissions or sweeps.

Guard to Technical Stand-Up

Create distance by framing against your opponent, post one hand and one foot, and stand up using a Technical Stand-Up.

Granby Roll

Use a Granby Roll to create space and disengage from Closed Guard or entanglements.

Elbow Post Escape

Post your elbow against the opponent’s thigh to break their Closed Guard and retreat to a safe position.

Standing Guard Break

Stand up with strong posture, press your hips forward, and use your hands to pry open the opponent’s legs.

Backdoor Escape

When caught in Rubber Guard or X Guard, backstep and circle around the opponent’s legs to free yourself.

Submissions from Guard

Triangle Choke

Trap one arm and the head between your legs, lock the legs in a triangular shape, and apply pressure by pulling the head down while squeezing your legs.

Armbar

Control the opponent's arm, pivot your hips to isolate it, and extend your hips while pulling down on the arm.

Guillotine

Wrap your arm around the opponent's neck, secure a tight Butterfly Grip, and apply pressure upward with your hips.

Omoplata

Trap the opponent's arm with your leg, pivot your hips, and roll forward to apply a shoulder lock.

Kimura

Control the opponent’s wrist, loop your other hand under their arm, and apply a Figure-Four Grip to crank the arm.

Ezekiel

Use a deep grip with your own sleeve, wrap it around the opponent’s neck, and apply pressure to choke.

Gogoplata

Use a high leg over the opponent’s shoulder, secure the foot under their neck, and press down with your shin.

Darce Choke

When the opponent attempts to pass low, thread your arm under their neck and opposite armpit, lock a Figure-Four Grip, and squeeze.

Cross Collar Choke

Secure deep grips inside the opponent’s collar with both hands and use your arms to apply choking pressure.

Buggy Choke

When the opponent pressures forward, trap their head and arm with your legs and apply the choke by extending.

Sweeps from Guard

Scissor Sweep

Control the collar and sleeve, position one leg across the opponent's torso, and chop the other leg at their base while pulling with your grips.

Butterfly Sweep

Elevate the opponent with your hooks while controlling their upper body to flip them over.

**Hip Bump Sweep Use a sudden forward motion with your hips while controlling the opponent’s arm to off-balance them and sweep.

Flower Sweep

Control an arm and the opposite leg while using a pendulum motion with your legs to sweep.

De la Riva Sweep

Hook the opponent's leg with your De La Riva guard and off-balance them using collar and ankle grips.

Balloon Sweep

Secure grips on the collar and pants, use your legs to elevate the opponent, and sweep them over your head.

**Lumberjack Sweep Hook behind the opponent's ankles while controlling their collar, bridge your hips upward, and topple them backward.

**Overhead Sweep Load the opponent’s weight onto your legs, elevate them straight up, and guide them over your head while controlling grips.

**Reverse Butterfly Sweep Underhook one of the opponent's arms, kick with your Butterfly Guard hook in reverse, and rotate to sweep.

**Tripod Sweep Hook one leg at the ankle, control the other leg with a grip, and off-balance the opponent by pushing with your hook and pulling with your grips.

Guard Passes

Guard Passes/Knee Cut

Establish a grip on the opponent's legs, pin one leg to the mat, and slice your knee across their hip to pass.

Toreando

Use grips on the ankles to lift and control the legs, then sidestep around the guard to establish control.

Over-Under Pass

Secure underhooks on one leg and overhooks on the other, apply pressure forward, and stack the opponent to pass.

Floating Guard Pass

Use light pressure on the opponent's legs and hips while staying mobile to weave around their defense.

Windmill Pass

Elevate the opponent’s legs, spin around to one side while controlling their hips, and drop into Side Control.

Single Stack Pass

Stack the opponent’s hips over their shoulders, pin their legs, and pass around to establish control.

Knee Shield Passing

Smash the opponent’s Knee Shield by driving your weight forward, control their hips, and slide your knee over their leg.

Half Guard Passing

Secure an underhook and flatten the opponent before working your hips free to transition to dominant positions.

Escapes from Guard

Posture and Break Grips

Create frames and posture up while breaking grips on your collar or sleeves to disengage.

Back Step from Open Guard

Step back and retract your legs while keeping a strong base to escape Open Guard entanglements.

Underhook Escape from Half Guard

Establish an underhook on the opponent's arm, shift your hips, and drive your weight forward to escape.

Takedowns from Guard

Guard Pull to Sweep

Pull the opponent into your Guard while controlling grips, then immediately execute a sweep like the Hip Bump Sweep.

Trip from Guard Pull

Pull your opponent into a controlled seated guard and use a leg trip to destabilize and take them down.