Closed guard (top)

You are inside their closed guard. Stay safe, posture up and open the legs.

PassingFundamental
Lesson video · 1 of 8

Opening the Closed Guard (BJJ Lab Fundamentals)

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Essentials

Closed guard (top): Closed guard: legs locked around the waist of the kneeling opponent
MartialArtsNomad.com · CC BY 2.0 Source ↗

You’re kneeling or standing inside their closed guard. Your first job is not to pass but to stay safe: good posture stops their attacks, then you open their legs and pass.

Your goals
  • Posture up: head up, back straight
  • Control their hips or biceps
  • Open their legs, then pass
What they want
  • Break your posture
  • Attack your arms: armbars, triangles, kimuras
Key principles
  • Posture before everything
  • Elbows in, hands on their hips
Common mistakes
  • Putting one hand inside and one outside (triangle bait)
  • Reaching for their collar with bent posture

Techniques to learn

Each one opens its own page and video.

Passes & back takes
Over-under passPressure pass · FundamentalStack passPressure pass · FundamentalStanding guard breakStanding pass · Fundamental
Escapes
Armbar escape (hitchhiker)Submission escape · FundamentalTriangle escapeSubmission escape · FundamentalGuillotine escapeSubmission escape · Fundamental
Escapes when caught here
Escape the guillotineSubmission escapeEscape the triangleSubmission escapeEscape the armbarSubmission escapeEscape the omoplataSubmission escape

Where it leads

Other side
Closed guard
Moves from here
Side control (Yoko Shiho Gatame)Half guard (top)StandingPassing open guardHeadquarters (HQ)
Escapes
Escape the guillotineEscape the triangleEscape the armbarEscape the omoplata
In courses
Foundations II: Closed guard
Seminars

If this happens…

  1. they pull your head downBring your hands back to their hips and re-posture
  2. their ankles stay crossedUse a knee wedge or stand to open the guard

Seminars

All seminars →

Longer seminars, classes and masterclasses that teach this. Free on YouTube.

Advanced detailsTransitions, threats, reactions, troubleshooting and a sparring drill

1. Overview

You are inside their closed guard. Stay safe, posture up and open the legs.

Key controls

  • Straight spine, head up
  • Elbows tight, hands on hips or biceps
  • Wide base, one knee up

In this position

5 transitions · 0 sweeps · 0 submissions · 3 reactions · 2 troubleshooting fixes · 1 sparring exercise · 6 techniques

Read about itGrapplearts articlesBJJ Heroes

Finish this lesson

0% of this lesson0/8 videos completed · 0/6 techniques practiced
Test yourselfClosed guard (top) lesson quiz5 questions · pass with 4