Closed Guard Barnacle: Stand and Disconnect or Pass to Chest vs Butt or Back
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomGet out. Push their elbow off your head, pin their arms, stand up, and pry the legs open.
Reference video
Open video · Jiu-Jitsu Outlet
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win
Notes (this phone)
SETUP
Murdock builds it in three steps with the same partner. Level 1: only the top player can win, by standing up and getting rid of the legs. He runs at least two rounds (about 10 minutes) of that, and partners switch top and bottom every time the top player wins. Level 2 (6:43): the top player can also win by passing. Level 3 (8:26): the bottom player gets their own ways to win. The write-up below is level 3. Murdock adds the bottom wins on top of the earlier rules and doesn't restate the top wins, so the top wins here are the level 1 and 2 wins.
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
In your partner's closed guard.
OBJECTIVE
Get out. Push their elbow off your head, pin their arms, stand up, and pry the legs open.
CONSTRAINTS
None.
WIN CONDITION
Stand up and get fully disconnected from their legs. Or pass the legs and touch your chest to their chest, or your chest to their back.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
On your back with your partner in your closed guard.
OBJECTIVE
Be the barnacle. Hold them in your guard with any grips you want (hands, head and arm, legs) and make it a pain for them to get out.
CONSTRAINTS
None.
WIN CONDITION
Stay connected and put them on their butt or their back, for example by bumping them over with your hips as they stand. Or come up and around and touch your chest to their back.
Josh Murdock, Jiu Jitsu Games for Kids with Josh Murdock (free video on the Jiu-Jitsu Outlet YouTube channel, 11 Jul 2026).
Problem
In your partner's closed guard.
Setup
In your partner's closed guard. On your back with your partner in your closed guard.
Score
Stand up and get fully disconnected from their legs. Or pass the legs and touch your chest to their chest, or your chest to their back. Stay connected and put them on their butt or their back, for example by bumping them over with your hips as they stand. Or come up and around and touch your chest to their back.
Rules
- None.
guard
Wall card
Closed Guard Barnacle: Stand and Disconnect or Pass to Chest vs Butt or Back
Foundations
TOP PLAYER
Position
In your partner's closed guard.
Win condition
Stand up and get fully disconnected from their legs. Or pass the legs and touch your chest to their chest, or your chest to their back.
Constraints
None.
BOTTOM PLAYER
Position
On your back with your partner in your closed guard.
Win condition
Stay connected and put them on their butt or their back, for example by bumping them over with your hips as they stand. Or come up and around and touch your chest to their back.
Constraints
None.