Posts Tagged White Belts
Developing a Dangerous Guard
Posted by Joe in Uncategorized on January 27th, 2009
Kosta Megas asked:
Have you ever noticed that there are two common approaches beginners take when getting their opponent in their Guard?
Either they go completely on the defensive and try to defend the position against their opponents offense or, they try to directly go to a submission like an armbar from there and most likely fail at both attempts.
If you compare this to a more experienced grappler you’ll see they take a considerably different approach and experience a better result.
So let’s take a closer look at what makes a difference here.
Why is it that although apparently both fighters are going to the same position, the intent and following outcome is different?
Most importantly how can you use and implement this in your training to be successful in making your Guard game more dangerous. If you look at the possibilities that can come from the Guard position you’ll quickly realize that although it is considered a defensive position, very little about it is actually defensive. Your main options and set-ups from the Guard are; Armlock, Triangle Choke, Kimura as well as an array of sweeps and reversals.
Now, it helps to think of the Guard as a transitioning position. Basically a position that enables you to transition to a better position or from which you can more easily set something up.
You might think this is obvious to most, and yet if you watch most beginning grapplers and white belts in Brazilian Jiujitsu, you’ll see that often they go to the Guard and immediately go into defensive mode trying to avoid their opponents offense. This is even more dangerous in Mixed Martial Arts, where the opponent will simply start distracting with one attack and keep combining with others which, in a matter of time, will lead to you getting overwhelmed with strikes.
Ultimately the Guard is a position that’s ideal for unbalancing and setting your opponent up and that’s the fundamental approach more effective practitioners take when training it. This approach is critical to developing a dangerous Guard game and not falling victim to using it strictly to defend against your opponents offense.
Instead, your ideal strategy of breaking your opponents posture, preventing him from maintaining his balance and setting him up through combinations will enable you to launch further offensive possibilities.
Have you ever noticed that there are two common approaches beginners take when getting their opponent in their Guard?
Either they go completely on the defensive and try to defend the position against their opponents offense or, they try to directly go to a submission like an armbar from there and most likely fail at both attempts.
If you compare this to a more experienced grappler you’ll see they take a considerably different approach and experience a better result.
So let’s take a closer look at what makes a difference here.
Why is it that although apparently both fighters are going to the same position, the intent and following outcome is different?
Most importantly how can you use and implement this in your training to be successful in making your Guard game more dangerous. If you look at the possibilities that can come from the Guard position you’ll quickly realize that although it is considered a defensive position, very little about it is actually defensive. Your main options and set-ups from the Guard are; Armlock, Triangle Choke, Kimura as well as an array of sweeps and reversals.
Now, it helps to think of the Guard as a transitioning position. Basically a position that enables you to transition to a better position or from which you can more easily set something up.
You might think this is obvious to most, and yet if you watch most beginning grapplers and white belts in Brazilian Jiujitsu, you’ll see that often they go to the Guard and immediately go into defensive mode trying to avoid their opponents offense. This is even more dangerous in Mixed Martial Arts, where the opponent will simply start distracting with one attack and keep combining with others which, in a matter of time, will lead to you getting overwhelmed with strikes.
Ultimately the Guard is a position that’s ideal for unbalancing and setting your opponent up and that’s the fundamental approach more effective practitioners take when training it. This approach is critical to developing a dangerous Guard game and not falling victim to using it strictly to defend against your opponents offense.
Instead, your ideal strategy of breaking your opponents posture, preventing him from maintaining his balance and setting him up through combinations will enable you to launch further offensive possibilities.