Rubber Guard

Rubber Guard is a specialized and highly flexible variation of Closed Guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It emphasizes control and attack by using the legs to isolate the opponent’s posture and arms while creating opportunities for submissions and sweeps. This guard is popular in no-gi grappling and mixed martial arts (MMA) because it minimizes space, limits the opponent's mobility, and neutralizes striking threats.

Key Features of Rubber Guard

Leg Control

  • One leg is brought over the opponent’s back, often hooked behind their neck or shoulder, creating a strong connection and breaking their posture.
  • The other leg remains active in controlling their hips or framing against their body.

Upper Body Isolation

  • The arm on the side of the leg over their shoulder is typically isolated, making it harder for the opponent to defend against submissions.

Grip and Frame Control

  • Your hands control your own leg or the opponent’s posture to maintain tight control.
  • Common grips include cupping your own shin or foot to keep the leg in place.

Posture Disruption

  • Rubber Guard focuses on breaking the opponent’s posture and frames to limit their ability to pass or strike.

Objectives of Rubber Guard

Control the Opponent

  • Neutralize their posture and prevent strikes in MMA or guard passes in grappling.

Set Up Submissions

Create Opportunities

  • Open pathways for sweeps or transitions to other dominant positions.

Common Positions Within Rubber Guard

Mission Control

  • The basic setup of Rubber Guard where one leg is pulled over the opponent’s shoulder, and the hand holds the shin or ankle for control.

New York

  • Transition from Mission Control where you grip the opponent’s head with the free hand to maintain control.

Zombie

  • Transition where you isolate the opponent’s arm, freeing space for submissions.

Invisible Collar

  • A tight configuration where the leg and hand combine to restrict the opponent’s neck and posture.

Common Submissions from Rubber Guard

Triangle Choke

  • Use your legs to isolate one arm and transition into the triangle configuration.

Armbar

  • Pivot your hips and trap their arm while maintaining leg control.

Omoplata

  • Rotate your hips outward and use your leg to attack their shoulder joint.

Gogoplata

  • Slide your shin across their throat and use your hands to finish the choke.

Buggy Choke

  • Utilize the tight control of Rubber Guard to create a choking configuration.

Common Sweeps from Rubber Guard

Hip Bump Sweep

  • If they posture up too far, use your hips and arms to bump them over.

Flower Sweep

  • Control their posture and use your legs to flip them.

Zombie to Sweep

  • After isolating their arm with the "Zombie," use your hips to destabilize and sweep.

Defending Against Rubber Guard (for the top player)

Posture Up

  • Prevent the opponent from pulling you down into Mission Control.

Grip Breaking

  • Break their grips on your head, arm, or leg to regain mobility.

Guard Pass

Tips for Effective Rubber Guard

  • Maintain strong flexibility in your hips and legs to avoid injury and maximize control.
  • Constantly work to disrupt their posture and isolate their arms.
  • Focus on transitioning smoothly between positions within Rubber Guard to set up attacks.

Rubber Guard is a creative and aggressive guard system that relies on flexibility, precision, and tight control to dominate the opponent. It is particularly effective for practitioners looking to attack from bottom positions in no-gi or MMA contexts.

Advancing Rubber Guard

Transitions from Rubber Guard

To Triangle Choke

  • From Mission Control, isolate one arm, shift your hips, and lock your legs around their neck and shoulder.

To Omoplata

  • From Mission Control or New York, rotate your hips outward, isolating their arm, and bring your leg over their shoulder to attack the shoulder lock.

To Gogoplata

  • In Invisible Collar, slide your shin across their throat while maintaining control of your leg and their posture to secure the choke.

To Full Guard

  • If you lose control of their posture or grip, return to Closed Guard by retracting your leg and reestablishing full control.

To Sweep Positions

  • Use the “Zombie” to isolate their arm, then elevate your hips to create space for sweeps like the Hip Bump Sweep.

Submissions from Rubber Guard

Triangle Choke

  • Break their posture with Mission Control, isolate one arm, and shift your hips to lock the triangle configuration.

Armbar

  • Trap their arm with your legs, pivot your hips, and use your leverage to hyperextend the arm.

Omoplata

  • Rotate outward from Mission Control to isolate their arm and shoulder, then apply pressure to finish.

Gogoplata

  • Slide your shin across their throat while holding the back of their head or neck, creating a choke using your shin.

Buggy Choke

  • Use your leg and grip combination to create a tight choke around their neck.

Sweeps from Rubber Guard

Hip Bump Sweep

  • If they posture too far forward, use your hips and arm control to bump them to the side.

Zombie to Sweep

  • After isolating their arm with the Zombie, roll your hips and use their lack of base to sweep.

Flower Sweep

  • Break their balance by using your legs to elevate and rotate their hips while maintaining grips.

Elevator Sweep

  • Control their arm and leg, elevate with your hips, and flip them to a dominant position.

Passes to Counter Rubber Guard

Posture Break Pass

  • Maintain upright posture, break their grips, and use your frames to push their leg off your neck or shoulder.

Smash Pass

  • Drop heavy pressure onto their hips and thigh to flatten them, then circle around their legs.

Knee Cut Pass

  • Use the trapped leg as leverage, slice your knee through their Guard, and transition to Side Control.

Over-Under Pass

  • Pin their bottom leg while elevating their top leg, driving forward to pass.

Escapes from Rubber Guard

Posture Escape

  • Stay upright, using your core to prevent them from pulling you into Mission Control, and break grips on your head or shoulders.

Stack Escape

  • Drive your weight forward, stacking their hips to release pressure and free your head from their leg.

Leg Pummeling Escape

  • Pummel your arm under their hooking leg, clearing the leg to disengage their control.

Shoulder Turn Escape

  • Turn your shoulders away from their controlling leg to break the grip and create space.

Takedowns from Rubber Guard

Guard Pull to Trip

  • Engage grips while transitioning to Rubber Guard, then destabilize their base and trip them to the ground.

Ankle Pick Takedown

  • Break their posture in Rubber Guard, then grab their ankle while pushing forward to take them down.

Sweep to Stand-Up

  • Use a sweep from Rubber Guard to unbalance them, then transition to a standing position for follow-up control or takedowns.

Rubber Guard offers a dynamic combination of submissions, sweeps, and transitions while providing a secure method to neutralize the opponent's posture and movement. Mastering its flow requires hip movement, flexibility, and strong control over grips and positioning.

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