# A closed guard strategy...



## Andrew Green (Aug 7, 2004)

I posted this somewhere else, but I'll post it here again in response to comments on another thread. Another one coming on general guard stuff...

Closed guard, going to talk about top, and bottom. One way of holding it from the bottom that Ive found effective for setting up a variety of things, as well as avoiding punches.

All of this works on both sides, but Ill stick to just one for clarity well as much clarity as can be achieved in discussing such things in text 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Lets get the bottom guy in position first.

First assume a basic closed guard position, feet crossed behind him.

Ok, now the right hand is going to take a deep underhook, keeping your head up, and in tight. This is very important, get your head in TIGHT or he will be able to clear it easily. The left hand is going to take a neck tie, and keep his head down.

Now the part everyone likes to forget about. Unhook your feet, scoot out to your right and re-hook your feet. You should be out from under him, on your side, not forgetting to keep your head in tight. That is bottom mans basic positions

Ok, now lets get the bottom guy where he wants to be.

Start in a basic position again, feet hooked behind your back. Now get your knees out wide, and forward, outside his hips. Head down, pushing into his body. Your arms go on his biceps, keep his arms up at 90 degrees, on the floor and away from his body. That is top mans basic positions.

Now to the drills.

First lets fight for that position.

Say we start in top mans position, bottom man wants to clear the arms off of the biceps and secure his basic position. 

Tips 

- Dont forget about your legs, a knee can clear a arm and tie it up long enough to establish the position you want.
- Dont stay flat on your back, and underneath him. There he has all the leverage and you have none.
- Once you get one, keep it. Dont forget about it and start working on the other, hell take it back right away.
- Once you do have that underhook, keep your head up, and tight against him.
- Get out from under him as soon as you can do so safely.

Now the top guy

- Dont fight him, if he starts trying to dig, release, slip your elbow back inside and push his arm back out. Muscle against muscle is just tiring.
- Elbows on the inside, that is the first step.
- If he has a underhook, bring your hand over his face and make space, bring your elbow through the hole.
- Keep your head down, do it by feel, not by sight.
- Stay on top of him, if he moves, you move with him.

Now for some attacks, starting with the top man.

Getting your hands on the inside and controlling the underhooks (Top mans basic position) is the first step to doing just about anything, be it strikes, passing, standing up, or leg locks. There are 4 more, which are pretty much the same no matter what you are trying to do.

1) Secure the inside and control the underhooks, that should be done.

2) Put your base where you need it. 

We are going to stick to a fairly basic and general purpose one. Take your right knee and line it up with his spine, stick your knee to his tail bone. Left knee comes up and the foot goes out to the side, out of his reach but forward enough to keep good balance.

3) Put your hands where you need them.

Again there are a few options, but well stick to a simple, general purpose one.

Place your hands on his hips and keep pressure down on them.

4) Posture up

Until now your head should have been pushing down into him, keeping his body on the floor, now your hands are in place to do this. Straighten up.

5) Break the legs

Pushing down on his hips and sitting back on your right heal, use your knee as a wedge to open space and break his grip.
Now, you should have his hips pinned to the floor, be up on one knee, and have his legs broken. From here you got many options, pass guard, stand up, go for a leg lock, or just strike at him.

Follow those steps, in that order and you should stay fairly safe. If he recovers a step, you have to go back to that step otherwise you are in danger of being swept or submitted. So if you get to step 4 and he gets a underhook, start over at step 1.

Ok, now back to the bottom guy.

Once you achieve this basic position you have a number of different submissions available from there.

1) Take the back

Fairly simple, youre already half way there, you got a underhook and you are out to the side, keep working out to that side and bring your head under his arm / his arm over your head.

2) Arm triangle

Similar to taking the back, you have to get that arm over your head. Once its over, keep your head up tight (as always). Your left arm is going around the back of his neck, bicep tight to the side of his neck. Left hand on right bicep, right hand on the back of your head. Squeeze elbows together and keep him in place with your legs.

3) Underhook side elbow lock

To do this your left knee has to come underneath him. His right arm is already in position, on your shoulder, you just have to position yourself. Keep tight, and get the knee under him, you should be lieing on your side with your knees pinching together on his arm, squeeze in on his elbow with your hands and keep bent at the waiste, like you are doing a crunch. It is important to squeeze with your knees, and not pull your feet past him, just your knees, otherwise he will be able to pull out.

4) Chicken Wing

If you are unable to finish the elbow lock, you can transition to a chicken wing from this position. Grab his wrist with your left hand, keep your right arm across his elbow, and pull it upwards. (also can make a wrist lock out of it)

5) Triangle choke

This one involves some movement of the body 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Start off by using your left elbow to make some space and pull your left knee under his arm. Once the knee is clear, clear the rest of the leg by pointing your knee up and spinning your upper body to your right. Once it is cleared, spin back to your left and hook the left leg over his neck. Figure four your legs and finish the choke. Remembering to stay angled off to your left, pull down on his head, squeeze your knees together, hips up and preferably underhook his right leg with your left arm.

6) Arm bar

Post your left foot on his hip, your left knee should be slightly pinning his right arm. Your left hand is going to move to the other side of his head (your right) and push it away, to your left. As you do this you spin to your left and slip your left knee over his head. Secure the arm for a arm bar. (Unfortunately the trapping of the arm with the knee is kinda hard to explain)


7) Another arm bar

This time your left hand is going to move from the neck tie to a overhook. Usually you do this if he is trying to push off the ground. Works fairly similar, post the left foot on the hip, spin and bring the leg over the head, release the overhook and take the arm bar.

There are a few other but that should keep you busy.

Other things to do involve sweeping him if he messes up his steps when trying to break away.

Closed guard is not my favorite guard position, but this is a fairly simple, but very effective way to use it offensively, as well as how to break it. It does however seem to be where beginners are most comfortable, however usually without much idea as to how to be offensive with it As you get familiar with the different techniques, isolate them in sparring. Top guy has to break away following those steps, bottom guy keep him in and try to finish. Then add sweeps when he is trying to break.

Another thing to keep in mind is your feet dont have to stay crossed. If he is trying to go over your left leg, post your foot on his hip. You might find this more comfortable even if he isnt.

So there it is, one basic closed guard strategy and how to use it. Any mistakes are to be attributed to the fact that it is rather late as I write this, and editing is just not for me


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