Half Guard
Half guard is the bottom position where you trap one of the top player's legs between your own. Modern half guard is an offensive, sweep-heavy position built around the knee shield and the underhook, not the defensive hold it used to be.
Browse Half Guard flowcharts in ExploreFrom defense to offense
The knee shield manages distance and keeps the top player off your chest, buying time to find an underhook. Once you win the underhook you can come up into a dogfight, sweep, or take the back. The whole position turns on that underhook-versus-crossface battle.
The half guard sweep game
Old school, the come-up off the underhook, and the lockdown for no-gi are the staple sweeps, and each branches off how the top player tries to flatten you. Because the reactions are so consistent, half guard maps cleanly into a flowchart of sweep, counter, and re-sweep.
Frequently asked questions
Is half guard a defensive or offensive position?
Modern half guard is offensive. With a knee shield and an underhook it is one of the best sweeping positions in BJJ. It is only defensive when you are flattened out and have lost the underhook.
What is a knee shield in half guard?
A knee shield is when you place the shin of your top leg across the opponent's hip or torso to keep them at distance. It is the frame that makes half guard hard to pass and easy to attack from.
Why do bigger and older grapplers like half guard?
Half guard rewards frames, timing, and the underhook over flexibility and explosive movement, so it holds up well for larger, older, or less mobile grapplers.
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