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Posture

• No active toes unless self-defense situation
• Knees tight to uke’s hips (vs splayed)
• Hips back with posterior pelvic tilt
• Strip collar grips via using uke’s lapel to trap the arm and connecting with your chest making it into a dead lift while preventing uke from posturing up
• Shoulders should not cross uke’s belt line
• Straight back favoring kyphotic lumbar spine
  • No hyper-lordotic curve
• Eyes straight forward or looking up
• Wait for uke to pull their shoulders off the mat
• WHEN OPENING, pivot and block to the side you’re not passing to rather than staying straight forward
  • Windshield wiper out similar to when going to mount to prevent leg from getting captured

Sources

• Henry Akins - "Hidden JiuJitsu" Posture - YouTube
• Henry Akins Closed Guard Posture - YouTube
• The Closed Guard Passing Video That Will Keep On Giving - YouTube
• Posture to break closed guard regardless of what you're wearing - YouTube

Passing

Kneeling-Split

Lecture on opening the guard (Machado Brothers Camp 2022) - YouTube
Breaking the closed guard from the knees the RIGHT WAY - YouTube

• Keep eyes forward
• Hips turn but shoulders do not
• Move hips backwards, framing on legs to open, not pushing with arms

Kneeling Shin-Splitter

IG - Shin Splitter

Royler Split | Log Splitter | Violator (Standing)

Order of Operations

• Armpits with slack pulled out of Gi at shoulders almost pulling down to create tightness all the way around and not just the bottom for full control
  • If you have short arms or they are long, do it on the seam of their gi alongside ther ribs as best you can
• Keep elbows tight on hips and sides to control and not allow them inside position
• Sprawl low and encourage uke to climb legs into high mount while pressuring their ankles
• Pick a knee for splitting
• The non-splitting knee will be used in conjunction with your elbow to pinch and guide/keep their hip onto the splitting knee
  • THIS PREVENTS YOU FROM HAVING TO NARROW YOUR BASE compared to all of the videos online

From https://www.reddit.com/r/DramaFreeBJJ/comments/1fllpdm/the_legend/

• Rotate knee to the floor
• Trap the opposite arm by rotating the body to prevent them from bridging while sweeping their arm to create a scramble
• Controlling that arm KILLS THAT

NO-GI Standing Split

Marcelo Garcia on Breaking the Closed Guard - YouTube

Troubleshooting

Problem: uke has overhook
Solution:wrist-lock when
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P172IXrJAEk

Problem: Uke grabs leg
Solution: Switch the sleeve grip and cut hip in

Submission Counters

Kimura Counter

Escaping the Kimura from closed guard - YouTube

• Do not let uke get their back to the floor
• Throw weight into uke to get your elbow to the floor
• Keep pushing attacked arm deeper and deeper to put pressure on uke’s grips/shoulder
• Maintain good base

Bottom

Retention

• When uke is attempting to standup, cut the diamond in half by back heeling and hipping up and into them
• When uke pushes on a single knee, move your head to the same side in a side-crunch to strengthen the closed guard
  • Simplest detail to strengthen your closed guard - YouTube
• Elbows in knees
  • If they open your guard, just push them away with your foot/kick
  • Pull on the back of their elbow/tricep and then grab their head to break them down
  • Grab your own leg as a sort of overhook to help control posture
• Never move your hip away but instead keep pressure
  • Rickson shows common mistake made by guard players - YouTube

Breaking Posture

• Angles and indirection
• Avoid letting uke have lapel grip on solar plexus
• Lapel grip over uke’s lapel grip enables collapsing of chest frame elbow
• Collar grips should be as deep as possible behind their head to act as a collar tie
• Legs are more powerful than arms
• If uke is controlling your arms/wrists, then the energy goes into connecting your elbows to your body so they are having to pull your entire body and not just your arms
  • Rickson Gracie’s tips to become comfortable inside the closed guard - YouTube
• Posture to break closed guard regardless of what you're wearing - YouTube
• Breaking your opponent's posture down - Closed Guard (timestamped) - YouTube
• Keeping your Opponent Grounded in BJJ with Pedro Sauer Download - YouTube
• Also consider controlling uke but creating a sort of overhook by grabbing your own leg in high guard while pulling on their head
• Closed Guard Is Easy Once You Understand This - YouTube

Self Defense

BJJ Fundamentals | Chris Haueter and the The Closed Guard: less grips, more hips - YouTube

• Focus is on actual self defense and controlling punches and head butts
• Interesting in helping create angles to break posture while also avoiding punches
• BJJ Fundamentals | Chris Haueter and the Evolution of Closed Guard - YouTube
  • With striking, being punched and head-butt changes the dynamics and teaches off-angling
  • Also a precursor to spider guard
• Chris Haueter BJJ Seminar (Full Video) - YouTube
  • Head - Can uke headbutt you?
  • Hands - Can uke punch you?
    • Double wrist grip allows angle changing
    • Label grip over arms to prevent punches
    • OPEN the lapel by casting it
      • You can’t pull them down and choke at the same time
      • Hips are what break them down and elbow to sternum is what keeps them there

Back-Take

• Use pistol grip with tricep Closed guard grip details - YouTube
• Goal is to get to side-closed-guard with uke’s arm connected to your hip
  • Lat grip
  • Build height by opening, stepping and shrimping higher into (matrix - xande term)
    • Thigh should be flat on the floor
    • If hips are low after crossing the arm, then uke can pull the arm back
    • Try to hit this on the actual posture break to avoid having to re-open
  • Re-close
• If straight arm lock is unavailable, open guard to do a modified Flower sweep using inside of thought/knee to sweep while hugging both arms
  • Double-trouble arm bar open if sweep fails or wanting submission
• If they respond too quickly, use that momentum of them trying to recenter to sweep
  • ping-pong back and forth (double trouble)

Understanding Offense in Closed Guard - YouTube[

• #bjj #watch Closed Guard Attack & Basic Mount Escape Details by BJJ world champion Andre Galvao - YouTube [created:: 2025-05-07]
• #bjj #watch What your go to closed guard technique? : r/bjj [created:: 2025-05-07]

Cow-Hoof Wrist-Lock

https://youtu.be/zLBDYMyBN0E?t=175
To counter when uke tries to recenter after pulling their arm across the center-line

• Keeping pistol grip, hug arm with tricep grip
• Pistol grip grabs wrist to bend it

Kneeling Sweeps

Mermaid-Sweep

3 Mermaid Sweep Variations Every BJJ Practitioner Must Know (All Levels) - YouTube

• Counter to double-knee standing pass
• A great variation of the squeezy-poo

Lapel Arm-Drag

Closed guard lapel arm drag
Great for scissor sweep or back take
Better angle
Debugging to retain and prevent uke from pulling out

• Possibility to block elbow and kimura with a single hand

Magic-Sweep

Magic sweep

• Off of a failed [[#Scissor Sweep]]
• Rocking back in a circular motion with some kind of bottom grip
• If uke holds their base well then just hip out the other way

V-of-Gi Control

https://youtu.be/ZWsERSUJEJU?t=4949

Under-Arm Back Take

Closed Guard Sequence by Chris Haueter - YouTube

• Instead of going for overhook
• Weave arm and head under uke’s arm to secure the back
• Good for [[#Scissor Sweep]]

Scissor Sweep

Sources
Xande - scissor choke dilemma
Chris Haueter, demonstrates a simple, yet effective, scissor sweep from closed guard
The Scissor Sweep and The Concepts you’re Missing." - YouTube
Jay Zeballos - JJM - Scissor Sweep When Uke Has Posture

Entry

• Needs kuzushi just like a turn throw to pull uke off balance
• Scissor motion is a single movement, not a 2-3 step movement
• If you miss on the first try and uke adjusts their base, pull yourself up and shoot again also downloaded
• Non-sweeping leg is a knee shield with ankle in the hip pocket and knee under chin
• If uke has strong posture, consider opening up to create movement from their attempting to pass
  • Use this sweep when uke has good posture and is framing on chest while pushing on leg to open
  • Let uke move out instead of you moving yourself (how this sweep is traditionally taught)

Control

• Use collar grip to keep uke’s face turned away from the sweep
  • Cross-choke if they pommel their face over the arm
• Ensure their shoulder stays in line with your hip via collar-sleeve control
• When opening legs, keep legs straight and pinch knees against uke’s hips to prevent pass
• Key detail is to monitor when their pushing side shoulder goes back
• This lets you know it’s time to sweep
• Do not let foot touch mat but hug hip with your leg

Finish

Re-attack

• Cross-choke
  • Loop chokes do not have enough leverage

Reverse Bump Sweep

• Roger setup
• But use collar hand to reach under for their leg and attempt to sweep by lifting with the rotation
• If they manage to counter it then go for a triangle or arm bar

Flower Sweep

Foot is planted on ground, grabbing pants and opposing sleeve or shoulder
Flower Sweep Options | BJJ and MMA Techniques | CVBJJ Online - YouTube

Setup

• Mid forearm grip
• Palm up hand on pant grip

Sweep

• Unweight the leg and work to extend it by bicep curling to your head

Options

• From Crosspost (hand on mat)
  • Straight Arm Bar entry
  • Triangle
  • Omoplata
  • Corkscrew armlock (belly down arm bar)
  • Take the back
    • Reverse the sweep if they heavily resist

Flower sweep and reverse flower sweep (z-guard)...nice back to back attack

Back-Take - Flower Sweep Combination

Powerful and Effective Closed Guard Sweep Combo - YouTube

• Defense to Flower Sweep opens up
  • Triangle
  • Omoplata
  • Belly-down Arm Bar
  • Take the back
  • Push into mount

Xande Sweep

Exploring the Xande Sweep and Resulting Positions/Submissions by Rafael Lovato Jr. - YouTube

• Deep arm-pit grip, opposite knee grip
• If failure and the non-sweep side arm leaves you, consider rolling into belly down arm-bar
• See side-closed guard instructional

Pendulum Sweep

…

Standing Sweeps

Reverse-Muscle Sweep

Dubious Dom - Reverse Muscle Sweep

• Interesting idea although requires rotational mobility
• Also possible to hit similar submission chain when uke is on their knees but reaching under and hooking their opposite leg with your arm to sweep

Omoplata Setup

Omoplata-Lumberjack Counter

• Key here is to break their posture with both sleeve grip behind leg, collar grip, and hips
• Similar to k-guard entry
• Great detail on how to handle when they posture hard in your omoplata
  • Triangle legs and hook under far arm
  • Extend legs while sitting up
  • Extend legs until tap occurs

Climbing to High-Guard

If uke stands block knees and begin shoulder walking into high guard
Controlling someone who stands up inside your closed guard - YouTube
Drop to Mermaid When Uke Attempts to Stand

• Avoid wasting energy on strength and rely upon uke’s reactions
• Either sweep or when they attempt to get up again, jump to [[#High-Guard]]

Lumberjack Sweep

Omoplata-Lumberjack Counter

Star Sweep

…

Kiss-of-the-Dragon

…

Escape & Submission Counters

White Belt Mistakes Inside Closed Guard and How to Easily Counter Them - YouTube

Submission Chains

The First Submission Chain You Should Learn! || Closed guard submission drill - YouTube

• Kimura
• Arm-drag to arm-bar
• Shrimp out to Triangle
• Shrimp out again to Omoplata

A barrage of attacks from closed guard - YouTube

Closed Guard Chain - YouTube

• Collar-tie
• Cross-collar choke
• Exchange collar grip to secure arm
• Options
  • arm-bar
  • Triangle
  • [[#Flower Sweep]]

Chokes

Double-Under/Hanging Cross-Choke

• Head goes to top grip side
• Increasing the final percentage of cross collar choke - YouTube
  • Uke hand positioning affects choking mechanics
    • Posture broken - Pull in with legs
    • Hands on mat - sit up to pull uke close
    • Hands on stomach - Raise hips (opposite of posture breaking)
      Roger Gracie, Cross Collar Choke: Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, Issue #27. - YouTube
• Use wrists/hands as they can fight against your arms
• Same concept Closed Guard Cross Collar Choke Secrets I learned from Rickson Gracie - YouTube
• Learn The Perfect Cross Collar Choke From Closed Guard by Henry Akins - YouTube
  • Thumbs behind ears
  • Get connection with wrists to neck
  • Turn wrists
  • This avoids having to use tons of arm strength or to pull uke into you

Mechanics of cross collar choke from closed guard - YouTube

• After breaking posture and securing second hand
• SHOOT your hands up shoving uke away to deepen both grips
  • and pull back down
• To choke, do a sit-up and use legs/hips to control while flexing wrists
  • The choking mechanics in this video are mid

Overhand Cross-Choke

The grip is not as important as the connection of the arms to the neck
All in the wrist

• Closed Guard Cross Collar Choke Secrets I learned from Rickson Gracie - YouTube
• Very Simple Closed Guard Cross Choke Set Up - YouTube
  • This has a nice detailed 2-on-1 lapel break down setup
  • Also includes details about getting angles to avoid having to rely purely on strength when flat on the back

Overhand grip achieved by

• slapping against their neck to ensure arm to neck connection, taking whatever grip you get
• grab cloth
• Old school variation to avoid being punched or headbutt
  • CONTROL THE HEAD
  • Massage their face with your forearm to guide hand into choke
  • Places to grab: shoulder, trap, using forearm to push their face into the choke
  • pull both elbows into sternum
  • bring yourself back midline
  • CHOKE WITH HIPS, NOT GRIPS

TURN elbow down going from blade to wide part of arm (AGAIN using wrist/turning) versus strength

Arm-in-Cross-Choke

Jiu-Jitsu - Cross Choke from Closed Guard. - YouTube

Joint Locks

Double-Arm Bar

5 EASY Submissions from the Roger Gracie Armlock - Crossed Feet Armbar or Not? - YouTube
Roger Gracie Explains the Best Closed Guard in BJJ - YouTube
Roger Gracie Teaches The Best Closed Guard In The World! - YouTube
Roger Gracie - Closed Guard Arm Lock Finish Details - YouTube

Overhook

Entries

• Lapel break to overhead swim by stretching uke out
• Open the guard to cut an angle while swimming under and over uke’s lapel grip
  • Right hand is holding uke’s lapel
  • Use angle to feed the overhook

Monkey-Arm Counter

The only way for uke to “monkey-arm” out is via a push-pull mechanic.

Options

• Pull uke’s free arm at the tricep to remove their ability to push
• Hip out to an angle to reinforce posture break while maintaining hook pressure on non-overhook hip

Overhook Triangle

1. Posture Break

   • Cut uke’s lapel grip and cut to the wrong side to avoid the stack and reinforce the posture break

2. Push-Pull Triangle Entry

• Key detail here is how to get the knee free once uke’s posture is broken
• Pull uke’s elbow to slip your knee in so they’re hugging your knee
• Push uke’s hand/forearm to their chest while simultaneously straightening your leg to come around the outside to set the triangle

3. Transfer the Trapped Arm Across

• Extend legs out to “credit-card” under uke’s trapped arm into a shoulder-crunch
• Encourage them with an arm lock

4. Set the Triangle

• Defend uke’s free arm the entire time

• Flex the toes
• Grab your own shin with your left hand
• Shift the angle by simultaneously
  • Pivoting to be more perpendicular
  • Pivoting to ensure hamstring is on uke’s neck
• Extend the top leg to further posture break and ensure connection with uke’s neck
• Close the triangle and tighten

JJM - Mix-up options from the overhook control - YouTube

Misc

Shoulder Pin Inverted Compression Cradle by David Petrone - YouTube

Ideas

• Gift wrap from bottom
• Go to back
• Feed gift wrap to straight jacket/blade grip
• Flatten uke out onto their own hands
• Pull bladed grip out the side for Kimura
• Release other grip to grab the neck while pressuring down on kimura side to allow choke option if shoulder lock fails
• Or Head & Arm Choke From The Back - Jason South - YouTube
• Perfect the Head and Arm Choke from the Back - Precision Finishing Details - YouTube (this is great…shoulder back then down towards wrist)
• Guard: Closed • IG