Break the Base
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomBottom breaks the top player's base until a hand or butt touches the mat.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · coach notes
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Combat base or standing, starting in open guard.
OBJECTIVE
Clear every foot and hook and pass to side control.
CONSTRAINTS
No sweep finishes. The game stops the moment a hand or butt hits the mat. No submissions. Both players stay with the balance problem. Keep one connection. The bottom always keeps at least one foot or hook attached. Reset when the top player's hand or butt touches the mat, or when the top player clears every foot and hook and passes to side control. 3-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
Clear every foot and hook and pass to side control.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
On their back with feet or hooks connected to the hips, biceps, or inside knee line.
OBJECTIVE
Break the top player's base until a hand or butt touches the mat. The off-balance is the score — there are no sweep finishes.
CONSTRAINTS
Same no-sweep-finish, no-submission, keep-one-connection, and named reset rules. 3-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
The top player's hand or butt touches the mat.
Grapplers Collective, Break the Base. 3-5 min rounds.
Problem
Off-balancing instincts and weight-reading sensitivity from guard.
Tell the room
Bottom breaks the top player's base until a hand or butt touches the mat. Top clears the feet and hooks and passes to side control. The off-balance is the score — there are no sweep finishes.
Setup
Start in open guard. Top in combat base or standing. Bottom on their back with feet or hooks connected to the hips, biceps, or inside knee line.
Score
Hand or butt to the mat.
- Bottom — the top player's hand or butt touches the mat
- Top — clears every foot and hook and passes to side control
Rules
- No sweep finishes. The game stops the moment a hand or butt hits the mat.
- No submissions. Both players stay with the balance problem.
- Keep one connection. The bottom always keeps at least one foot or hook attached.
Adjust
Easier
Keep the top player on the knees, which slows the game and makes weight shifts easier to read.
Harder
Let the bottom finish sweeps after destabilizing, and drop the one-connection rule for both players.
If it stalls
If the bottom pushes and pulls with the arms, cue them to relax the arms and work with legs and hips.
guard