White Belt Guard Flow Fundamentals

What to do when your opponent tries to break your closed guard. What to do when they stand, stay low, or posture back, and how to transition to spider, butterfly, or de la riva.

Flow outline

  1. Closed Guard

    • Key detail: you're on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist. is a strong defensive position where you can control their posture and set up attacks. switch if it stalls

  2. Spider Guard

    • when it happens, you have your feet on your opponent's biceps, controlling their arms. creates distance and lets you off-balance them with your legs

  3. Collar/Sleeve Guard

    • From here, You're gripping your opponent's collar with one hand and their sleeve with other. gives you good control to set up sweeps and submissions

  4. Z Guard

    • From here, from here, you have one knee across your opponent's stomach and other foot on their hip. creates a strong frame to control their upper body. don’t force it

  5. Butterfly Guard

    • If they frame, you're sitting up with your feet hooked inside your opponent's thighs. lets you lift them with your hooks and create opportunities to sweep. pay attention to posture

  6. Triangle

    • you've trapped your opponent's head and arm between your legs. is a submission where you squeeze your legs together to choke them

  7. Lasso Guard

    • When it happens, You have one leg wrapped around your opponent's arm like a lasso. controls their arm and creates opportunities to sweep or attack

  8. Mount

    • Often You're sitting on your opponent's chest with your knees by their armpits. is a dominant position where you can attack with submissions

  9. Half Guard

    • You're on your side with one of your opponent's legs trapped between yours. is a transitional position where you can work to recover full guard or sweep

  10. De La Riva

    • Most of the time You're on your side with one leg hooking behind your opponent's leg. guard is great for off-balancing and sweeping when they're standing

  11. Shin-to-Shin Guard

    • if it shows up, your shin is against your opponent's shin. is a simple guard that helps you control distance and set up sweeps or transitions. switch if it stalls

  12. Collar/Sleeve Open Guard

    • You're on your back holding your opponent's collar and sleeve while keeping your feet on their hips or biceps. gives you control and distance

  13. Spider Guard

    • From here, you have your feet on your opponent's biceps, controlling their arms. creates distance and lets you off-balance them with your legs

  14. De La Riva

    • from here, you're on your side with one leg hooking behind your opponent's leg. guard is great for off-balancing and sweeping when they're standing. pay attention to posture

  15. De La Riva

    • Once set, usually you're on your side with one leg hooking behind your opponent's leg. guard is great for off-balancing and sweeping when they're standing. don’t force it

  16. Single Leg X

    • Often You have one leg hooked behind your opponent's leg and other foot on their hip. is a strong guard for sweeping and attacking legs. Don’t force it

  17. Mount

    • If they frame, often you're sitting on your opponent's chest with your knees by their armpits. is a dominant position where you can attack with submissions. don’t force it

  18. Collar Sleeve Guard

    • If they frame, you're gripping your opponent's collar with one hand and their sleeve with other. gives you good control to set up sweeps and submissions. angle matters

Branch conditions