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Options when you're inside an opponent's guard

3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  -Jesus- 
#1 ·
Sometimes I roll with stronger guys who have extremely tight guards and passing seems either a) nearly impossible, or b) like a waste of energy.

So what I'm looking for are other things that I can do before I attempt the guard pass; things that can distract or grief my opponent so he/she might do something that I can exploit.

And just a final note: please don't give me anything too dirty like nut shots or eye-gouges, because I'm the smallest guy in my gym and I'm not trying to get my ass kicked. :thumb02:
 
#5 ·
I do both, but I'm in a gi more often than not.

I have the same problem sometimes. I've had some success with a move called a canopener. Basically you put both hands on the back/crown of their head and your elbows as close as possible together on their chest, and pull. In order to relieve the pressure on their neck muscles they need to sit up. This causes them to open their guard. From there I begin to work my pass.

This doesn't work all the time but it does give you an option to try when you get stuck or serve as a distraction. Good luck.
That's actually a really good one. I remember watching a Bas Rutten video on Youtube where he used it to escape from a triangle. I definitely gotta use it more often. Thanks man!

Anyone else got some good stuff for me?
 
#4 ·
I have the same problem sometimes. I've had some success with a move called a canopener. Basically you put both hands on the back/crown of their head and your elbows as close as possible together on their chest, and pull. In order to relieve the pressure on their neck muscles they need to sit up. This causes them to open their guard. From there I begin to work my pass.

This doesn't work all the time but it does give you an option to try when you get stuck or serve as a distraction. Good luck.
 
#6 ·
Being a small guy, watch when you go for that can opener. If you get yourself to one side too much, you'll get your back taken.
I myself am the smallest in my class and have had someone try that to me. I locked arm (pressed my head to the floor initially) and waited for them to pull. I then grabbed and pulled their arm across me which set me up with for an arm bar or to take their back. I chose the latter.
I always tell people that the only thing you can effectively do from the guard is pass it. Anything else sets you up to be submitted.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, the can opener is a really good move! sometimes (if your opponent is'nt very good) you can even make the guy submit.

Otherwise, the weakest spot in the guard is when they're doing a transmission to a submission/choke. for instance:

1.when he's tucking your arm under his leg for a triangle, just continue to push his leg over your head (if he's holding your hand, use your elbow/arm)and dodge the leg until your out, and then go for side mount.

2. do "the telephone" when he's going for an armbar
 
#8 ·
Can opener is fine if you are not rolling with a guy with a really good guard who's well aware of the can opener. If you are rolling with a pretty good grappler you're likely going to end up in a lot of trouble trying a can opener.

Not to mention most lower belt rank classes in competition do not allow neck cranks. The can opener is a neck crank. You can use it to pass the guard, but there is a fine line in most competitions. I have seen guys tap because someone was using the can opener to pass and the guy using the can opener was DQ'd for using it and the other guy tapping.
 
#9 ·
Can opener is good to use sparingly and breifly. It can get you arm barred or arm triangled if you hold on too long. As soon as the legs loosen up go for a pass.
Also there is a good pass where you trap an arm down at his side. Then put your weight on his chest by standing in a tripod w/ butt high. When you do that you will either lift his hips up off of the mat or he will loosen his guard. If he isn't a tool and doesn't loosen his guard then you pass his arm that you trapped under his hips and grab it with the other hand. Then you extend your body way out flat on your tip toes and start walking in a circular motion towards his trapped arm. If done correctly he will have no choice but to open his guard as you pass to side control w/ his arm trapped under him. :thumb02:
 
#10 ·
IMO there's no shortcut out of a strong guard,just apply the basics.
Keep your posture upright dont look at him look past him keep your spine straight.
Be patient if your posture is right he will struggle to do anything to you with a closed guard and when he opens his guard be ready and work your pass.
Simple in principle but Patience and posture will give you a n opening you just have to be ready to take it.

As for the can opener i wouldnt use it rolling i think its just nasty and is just using pain in the place of technique.
 
#11 ·
It's gotta be about posture first, then opening the legs.

Firstly, make sure you get the posture, then start looking for ways to open the guard. There are a lot of ways to pop the guard but none of them work without good posture.

Now to actually opening the guard:

The first way to open the guard is to use your palm on the inside of the knee to open it up, forcing it open. When you watch people do it, this looks like a complicated pass. It's really not. There are a lot of ways to position your legs to make this pop more effective (and you'll need them for guys with the tight guard) but I really like to focus on opening the knee up, keeping both elbows in and working to pop the guard.

The second is the stand up pass. This is pretty common. If you don't know it, I'm happy to get into detail.

The third, which I really like, is just to keep the hands on the belt, keep the elbows in and move back until you pop the guard open or create enough space in front of you to pop a knee in and really force the guard open. This is incredibly effective and ends in a pass much more often than the other two, because driving the knee through and over one leg makes it really easy for me to control the legs and secure side control.

There are a few other really good passes once you open the guard (double underhooks pass, sumo step pass, etc.), but these are the three basic ways to open a guard, from my experience.

Are you rolling with a gi on or no-gi?
Jeff, you got any good passes I missed for the gi? You're the blackbelt, so I figured I'd ask.
 
#12 ·
I forgot about this thread for a while, but I really appreciate the comments everyone left. :thumbsup:

It's been a month since I made this thread and I've gotten a little better at passing, but I still have some problems. Here's the one that annoys me the most:

Getting thrown off balance when I stick my knee in.

Let's say I stick my right knee in between my opponent in order to pop his guard. I widen my left leg in order to try and compensate for my right side, but I still feel like my balance is teetering. The better opponents realize this and can sometimes buck hard to the right and throw me over. I don't see this happening very often to other people, so it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.
 
#16 ·
What is likely happening is you aren't getting low enough. When you get to combat base you need to have a low center of gravity. Lots of people sit up a bit and that doesn't give you a good base and it's easy to sweep.

When you make combat base, let's just say for example your right knee is going up...your right knee should be up, through the guard, and your right foot should be flat footed almost under your opponents butt...real tight to limit how they can move their hips. Your left leg should be making an "L" with the right leg. It should be on a 90 degree angle. You should be sitting on the left leg...all the way down. If you are up off that left leg at all your base is going to be weaker and it will be possible to sweep you.
 
#14 ·
^ Yeah but as some posters mentioned on the previous page and as I learned the hard way because I didn't read this thread until today, doing the can opener puts you at risk for getting submitted. If you use it too often people will begin to catch on and all the sudden you're gonna find yourself balls deep in an armbar.
 
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