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6 Mat Tips to Improve Your Closed Guard Defense! - Part 1

Author: Paul Greenhill
Date Posted: November 06, 2008

Here's the magic question: If I said that I could provide you with 6 simple tips that could make your closed guard defense more threatening to your opponents, would you be interested?

If you're a grappling nut like I am (and at this stage in your grappling journey, you need to accept the fact that you are), the answer is yes and these tips were made just for you!

Be advised that the simplicity of these tips is the reason that they are so effective, easily applicable to anyone's grappling game, and should not be underestimated because they seem "too basic." They could mean the difference between you surviving long enough to pass your opponent's guard or being revived and informed that you were just put to sleep and the match is over!

Here are the Tips 1-3 for improving your closed guard:

Tip #1: Always maintain good posture every minute you're in the guard - This may sound like a "no-brainer" comment, but the reason most (if not all) grapplers get triangled, swept or armbarred is because of bad posture. Good posture is established when you are sitting back on your heels with your hips in front of your head while staring at the wall in front of you. The minute your head moves in front of your hips (e.g. when you look down at your opponent), it's easier for your opponent to pull you forward and break your posture. When you look at your opponent, move your eyes only to focus on him as if you would get into trouble if someone saw you move your head. This will allow you to see what your opponent's doing while maintaining your position and making them work harder to pull off their closed guard attacks.

Tip #2: Don't ignore or keep fighting thru your opponent's grip when they grab your gi or wrist, deal with the problem - All too often, I see grapplers inside their opponent's guard ignore it when their opponent grabs their lapel or another control point while they're passing the guard. What they don't realize is the fact that their decision to ignore a grip has created a problem which will make passing the guard more difficult, even if it's not apparent to them at the moment. This is what usually happens when a guard pass fails and the grappler gets snatched back into the guard position or into a triangle. Fighting through a grip may work early in a match when you're not fatigued. But as the match goes on and your energy declines, it gets harder to fight through control grips. So, stop fighting through them and remove them when they occur.

Tip #3: Use your hands to control your opponent's body on the mat and to break their attacking rhythm - When you're sitting back in good posture, your hands (which also includes elbows and forearms) are responsible for keeping your opponent's back on the mat, monitoring your opponent's hip movement, and grabbing your opponent's hands, wrists, and forearms (not the biceps because it requires you to lean forward and takes you out of posture. It's not wrong, just something I don't recommend unless someone is punching you in the face or you're an advanced grappler), which will force them to stop their attack so they can free themselves of your grips. If you control their body movement while tying up their hands during an attack, you will stifle their attack while frustrating them at the same time.

Apply these three tips and you should notice that your opponents will find your guard more difficult to pass as well as providing you more opportunities to set them up for your favorite attacks.

In the next article, I will reveal Tips 4-6 for improving your closed guard defense.

About The Author

Paul M. Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System, OG Shadow Grappling http://www.OGShadowGrappling.com and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides grappling and mental mindset training tips and products for the older (over 30) and non-traditional/non-competitive martial artists of all ages. To learn more about "The Wise Grappler" and to sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.thewisegrappler.com

(c) 2008 Paul M. Greenhill

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu articles.

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