Closed Guard
Closed guard is the bottom position where you wrap your legs around your opponent's hips and lock your ankles behind their back. It is the first guard most people learn and still one of the most reliable places to control, sweep, and submit from.
Why closed guard matters
From closed guard you control the distance and the posture of the person on top of you. Break their posture down and the position opens up into armbars, triangles, and kimuras. Keep them postured up and you stall the action, which is why breaking and keeping posture is the first thing worth drilling.
Building a closed guard game
A complete closed guard links grips to reactions: a collar-and-sleeve control feeds the triangle and the flower sweep, while an overhook feeds the kimura and the back take. Mapping those if-they-react-this-way branches is exactly what a flowchart is for: one control, several finishes, each tied to how the top player defends.
Community flows for Closed Guard
- Armbars: Deep Dive Study Guide — Armbars are the second most common submission in high-level competition. The main idea: closed guard and mount are the same position flipped. The chart covers…
- Bodylock Pass, Vol 5: Sao Paulo Open to Body Lock — Lachlan Giles' closed-guard opener that hands off directly into the body lock entry. Four-stage sequence: posture and ankle grip, trap both feet, isolate one…
- Modern Triangle, Vol 2: Threatening & Entries — The Threaten-Lock-Angle-Finish sequence with all four standard entries to the diamond: tap through, thread through, loop around, capitalize on post: plus the…
- Modern Triangle, Vol 1: Foundations & Core Concepts — Ryan Hall's four operating principles behind every triangle attack: control over submission, the one-arm-in/one-arm-out rule, full four-limb resource use, and…
- K-Guard from Closed Guard: Entries and Upper Body Submissions — A system for entering K-Guard from closed guard, establishing control, and transitioning to triangles, armbars, and leg entries based on opponent reactions.
- Closed guard attacks — Closed guard offense. Sweeps, submissions, and back takes. Based on posture breaks and grips. Timing beats strength
- Lazy Guard to Back Takes — Low-energy approach to BJJ built around back takes from various guard positions. What if your entire game is oriented toward getting behind your opponent from…
- NO-GI CLOSED GUARD — Closed guard attacks & sweeps w/o the gi. Head control & posture battles.
- Closed Guard Mastery — Modern sport BJJ from closed guard. Fundamental sweeps and submissions into inverted transitions, leg entanglements, and back takes. Chaining attacks when…
- Closed Guard Underhooks — Attacking from closed guard using underhook principles. Countering common posts & creating sweeps, submissions, & positional transitions through offensive…
- Patient Counter — Capitalizing on opponent mistakes from closed guard. Waiting for posts, postures, & defensive movements, then exploiting them w/ precise sweeps & submissions.
- GUARD SWEEP FLOWCHART — Sweeps from various guard positions. Closed guard, half guard, & open guard, each w/ specific options based on what your opponent gives you.
Frequently asked questions
Is closed guard good for beginners?
Yes. Closed guard is usually taught first because it gives the bottom player the most control with the least timing. You can hold someone in place while you learn to break posture, off-balance them, and attack.
What are the best submissions from closed guard?
The armbar, triangle, and kimura are the classic three, and they chain together off the same posture breaks. In the gi, the cross-collar choke is one of the highest-percentage finishes.
How do I stop my closed guard from being passed?
Most passes start with the top player standing or posturing to open your legs. Control their posture and their sleeves or collar so they cannot set a base, and start your sweep or submission before they open the guard on their own terms.
From the blog
Map your own Closed Guard game
Turn your notes, videos, and rolls into a visual flowchart of techniques, transitions, and reactions you can study and share. Free to start, no account needed.
Build a flowchart