# Practical Guard



## Indie12 (Dec 21, 2011)

Please, Go ahead and send me a private message!! (I'm not here very often and a private message would work best!)

I'm looking to start incorporating the guard in jiu-jitsu in our training, but was wondering just how practical and realistic is it in an actual street or combat situation? (I'm not referring to any sport use!!!!)


----------



## lklawson (Dec 21, 2011)

I know three people who have pulled Guard in "t3h str33t!" with great success.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## Tony Dismukes (Dec 21, 2011)

It's quite practical *if* you understand its proper function.  That does *not* mean jumping guard when someone is trying to punch you in the face.

As a general rule, if a fight goes to the ground you want to be on top.  This gives you the advantage for striking and grappling as well as superior mobility in case you need to bail out quickly.

Unfortunately, you can't always get what you want.  If someone is attacking you, there's a good chance that they may be bigger and more agressive than you are and they may end up on top.  Imagine a 230-pound former high-school football player blindside tackling you in a parking lot.  You really, really don't want to have the big guy sitting on your chest pounding your brains out.  This is where the guard comes in.  It's an equalizer for when someone gets on top of you, either because they're bigger or because they're a better wrestler or because they just got the drop on you.  If you can establish the guard when someone takes you down, then you have a chance to neutralize their attacks, get your bearings, and then go on the attack.  In a street self-defense scenario, I would place a higher priority on sweeping or escaping then on using submissions from the guard.  (Up-kicks can also be very effective if you are using an open guard.)


----------



## Indie12 (Dec 22, 2011)

What about the guard from a defensive position?


----------



## Tony Dismukes (Dec 22, 2011)

Indie12 said:


> What about the guard from a defensive position?



Could you explain what you mean by "from a defensive position"?  The example I gave (being tackled to the ground by a bigger guy) _is_ using the guard defensively.


----------



## Tez3 (Dec 22, 2011)

I have to ask, why post on a public discussion forum asking for PM's? I'm with Tony here, what do you mean 'from a defensive position', it's not something that you want to use to 'attack'!


----------



## Gentle Fist (Jul 26, 2012)

Go to a Judo or BJJ school and learn the guard inside and out.  It is not just something you can "throw" or "add" in to your training without a full comprehension of the function.


----------



## jks9199 (Jul 26, 2012)

Tez3 said:


> I have to ask, why post on a public discussion forum asking for PM's? I'm with Tony here, what do you mean 'from a defensive position', it's not something that you want to use to 'attack'!



It's actually kind of against The Rules, since if every post went to PM, we'd soon have no posts drawing people in.  If you're worried about missing replies because you don't check in regularly...  Well, first thing is that we'd love to see you.  Second thing is to make sure your settings notify you when anyone replies to your thread...


----------



## Tez3 (Jul 27, 2012)

Also which guard..full, mount, half, spider, butterfly...


----------



## Chris Parker (Jul 27, 2012)

jks9199 said:


> It's actually kind of against The Rules, since if every post went to PM, we'd soon have no posts drawing people in.  If you're worried about missing replies because you don't check in regularly...  Well, first thing is that we'd love to see you.  Second thing is to make sure your settings notify you when anyone replies to your thread...



I'd also point out that the OP (due to a range of reasons, including such requests for PM communications instead of posts in threads) no longer has the ability to post here presently... so I'm not sure that PMs, or notifications of the thread, would get to them....


----------

