Guard Retention
Guard retention is the skill of keeping your guard when someone is trying to pass it: the framing, hip movement, and leg recovery that put your legs back between you and the passer. It is the foundation every guard is built on.
Browse Guard Retention flowcharts in ExploreFrames and the hip escape
Retention starts with frames against the passer's pressure and the hip mobility to keep your hips facing them. The basic units, shrimping, inverting, and recovering your legs, let you reset your guard before the passer can consolidate a pin.
Retention over any single guard
Strong retention is what lets you play a risky open guard at all, because you can attack knowing you can recover when it fails. That is why most coaches treat retention as a prerequisite to a sweeping or submission game, not a separate topic.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop getting my guard passed?
Win the framing battle so the passer cannot flatten your hips, keep moving your hips to face them, and recover your legs early rather than waiting until you are pinned. Retention is a skill you drill, not a single technique.
What is the most important guard retention skill?
Hip movement. The ability to shrimp, turn, and re-insert your legs keeps you connected to the passer and resets the position before a pass completes.
Should beginners drill guard retention?
Yes. It underpins every other guard, and being hard to pass makes the rest of your bottom game far more effective.
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