Worm Guard

Worm Guard is an advanced Open Guard system in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that leverages the opponent’s lapel for control, off-balancing, and attacking opportunities. It was popularized by Keenan Cornelius and is specifically tailored for gi practitioners. The guard involves wrapping one of the opponent’s lapels around your leg or body to create tension, restrict their movement, and enhance your grip fighting options.

Key Features of Worm Guard

Lapel Control

  • The opponent’s lapel is fed under one of your legs and wrapped around their leg or your thigh, creating a strong point of control.
  • The lapel acts as an anchor, allowing you to limit their mobility and posture.

Leg and Body Positioning

  • One leg is typically wrapped with the lapel, while the other leg frames or hooks their hips or legs to control distance and angles.
  • Your hips and shoulders are active in maintaining pressure and creating movement.

Grip Fighting

  • Precise grip control is essential for maintaining the lapel tension and dictating the pace of the guard battle.

Posture Control

  • Worm Guard disrupts the opponent’s posture, making it harder for them to pass or apply pressure effectively.

Objectives of Worm Guard

Control the Opponent

  • Neutralize their base and posture using lapel control and strategic hooks.

Set Up Sweeps

  • Use the lapel tension and hooks to destabilize their balance, creating opportunities to sweep them.

Defend Against Guard Passes

  • Prevent the opponent from advancing by limiting their mobility and forcing them into defensive positions.

Transition to Other Guards

Common Techniques from Worm Guard

Sweeps

Pendulum Sweep

  • Swing your body while using the lapel to off-balance and topple them.

Balloon Sweep

  • Elevate their hips with your legs while using the lapel to guide their weight overhead.

Single-Leg Sweep

  • Use the lapel to control their posture and pull their leg to sweep.

Double Leg Sweep

  • Wrap both legs with the lapel and use a bridging motion to sweep them backward.

Submissions

Triangle Choke

  • Use the lapel to control their posture, isolate an arm, and lock your legs around their neck.

Armbar

  • Secure their arm with lapel control, pivot your hips, and extend for the submission.

Bow and Arrow Choke

  • Wrap the lapel across their neck while pulling to finish the choke.

Transitions

To Reverse De La Riva

To Single-Leg X Guard

To Squid Guard

  • Switch grips and feed the lapel around your leg to transition into Squid Guard.

Defending Against Worm Guard (Top Player)

Break the Lapel Grip

  • Remove the lapel from their control to nullify their Worm Guard setup.

Posture Up

  • Maintain an upright posture to prevent being off-balanced or swept.

Smash Pass

  • Apply heavy pressure on their hips and lapel-wrapped leg to flatten and pass.

Knee Cut Pass

  • Use the tension in the lapel against them by slicing your knee through their Guard.

Tips for Effective Worm Guard

  • Maintain consistent tension in the lapel to keep control and deny the opponent space to escape.
  • Use hip movement and angles to off-balance them and create attacking opportunities.
  • Transition between lapel-based guards smoothly to keep your opponent reacting defensively.
  • Be mindful of timing and grip strength to execute sweeps and submissions effectively.

Worm Guard is a highly strategic guard system that maximizes control and attacking opportunities through innovative lapel usage. It requires precise grip fighting and dynamic movement mechanics, making it a valuable tool for gi practitioners.

Advancing Worm Guard

Transitions from Worm Guard

To Squid Guard

  • Feed the lapel around your leg and adjust your grip, transitioning into Squid Guard to enhance control and attack angles.

To Reverse De La Riva

To Single-Leg X Guard

  • Elevate their leg with the lapel and slide your hook under their thigh to establish Single-Leg X Guard.

To Butterfly Guard

  • Remove the Lapel Grip and sit up while inserting both legs as hooks under their thighs.

To X Guard

  • Adjust your grips and elevate their leg to transition into X Guard for sweeping and submission opportunities.

Submissions from Worm Guard

Triangle Choke

  • Use the lapel to control their posture and isolate an arm, then lock your legs around their neck and shoulder.

Armbar

  • Control their posture with the lapel, secure their arm, and pivot your hips to apply the lock.

Bow and Arrow Choke

  • Wrap the lapel across their neck while maintaining tension, then pull with your grips to finish the choke.

Loop Choke

  • Use the lapel to wrap around their neck and apply pressure with your grip.

Omoplata

  • Transition their arm across your body and rotate your hips to secure the shoulder lock while maintaining lapel control.

Sweeps from Worm Guard

Pendulum Sweep

  • Swing your body and use the lapel to off-balance them, sweeping to top position.

Balloon Sweep

  • Elevate their hips with your legs while guiding their weight over with lapel control.

Single-Leg Sweep

  • Use the lapel tension to pull their leg forward, disrupting their base and sweeping them.

Double Leg Sweep

  • Wrap both legs with the lapel and use a bridging motion to knock them backward.

Back Roll Sweep

  • Roll under their hips using the lapel to guide their balance, sweeping them to top control.

Passes to Counter Worm Guard (Top Player)

Lapel Grip Break Pass

  • Focus on breaking their Lapel Grip to eliminate their control and reset their guard.

Smash Pass

  • Apply heavy pressure onto their hips and lapel-wrapped leg, flattening them to bypass the guard.

Knee Cut Pass

  • Use the lapel tension to your advantage by slicing your knee across their Guard and pinning their upper body.

Backstep Pass

  • Free your leg by stepping over their body and circling into Side Control.

Leg Drag Pass

  • Drag their lapel-wrapped leg across your body, pinning it while moving into a dominant position.

Escapes from Worm Guard (Bottom Player)

Roll to Recover Guard

  • Use the lapel tension to create momentum, rolling back to reestablish Open Guard.

Invert to Escape Pressure

  • Invert under their hips to recover guard or transition to De La Riva.

Frame and Shrimp

  • Frame against their chest or hips, creating space to recover guard.

Switch to Closed Guard

  • Use the lapel to pull them forward and wrap your legs around their waist.

Takedowns from Worm Guard

Sweep to Stand-Up Takedown

  • Use a lapel sweep to off-balance them, then perform a technical stand-up to finish the takedown.

Tripod Sweep to Trip

  • Use the lapel and grips to topple their base backward, then drive forward for a standing trip.

Single-Leg Takedown

  • Transition from Single-Leg X Guard to standing while maintaining lapel control to execute a takedown.

Ankle Pick Takedown

  • Use the lapel to control their posture, grab their ankle, and push forward to bring them down.

Worm Guard is a versatile position that provides a blend of control, submissions, and sweeping options, allowing practitioners to dictate the pace of the match and create dominant positions through lapel control and precise grip fighting.

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