Gi Open Guard: Stay on the Collar vs Strip It for 3 Seconds or Pass
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomUse the collar to break posture, off-balance, or entangle.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · video
Notes (this phone)
BOTTOM (GI OPEN GUARD)
POSITION
Gi. On your back in open guard; your partner is the passer.
OBJECTIVE
Use the collar to break posture, off-balance, or entangle. The grip is a tool, not the goal.
CONSTRAINTS
You must be gripping the collar at all times. Grip high to break posture (or for a wrist-to-neck connection if your room allows strangles), or grip low on the collar to entangle a leg. You're held to the collar area, not to one grip: switch hands, switch sides, or add a second grip such as a sleeve or the pants. Locking the triangle is the win; don't squeeze for the finish, and release on a tap.
WIN CONDITION
You off-balance them so their hips or hands touch the floor, you come up on top, or you lock a triangle.
TOP (PASSER)
POSITION
Gi. Passing your partner's open guard.
OBJECTIVE
Pass, or strip the collar grip.
CONSTRAINTS
Breaking the collar grip is an artificial win: it wouldn't score in a match, but it does here. Passing still wins. The coach plays this over several weeks and changes the top player's pass win to shape the guard: chest to chest only to build upper-body connections like lasso and spider, or a win that forces a vertical pass to build connections around the knees.
WIN CONDITION
You strip every grip on your collar and keep it free for 3 seconds, or you pass to chest to chest or knee on belly.
Reference video
Open video · The Brinkmanship Lab
The Brinkmanship Lab (Jiu-Jitsu Saguenay), One Constraint to Build the Gi Open Guard (free YouTube video). The coach credits the seed of the game to Andris Brunovskis, Full CLA class in the gi.
Problem
Gi.
Tell the room
Use the collar to break posture, off-balance, or entangle. The grip is a tool, not the goal.
Setup
Gi. On your back in open guard; your partner is the passer. Gi. Passing your partner's open guard.
Score
You off-balance them so their hips or hands touch the floor, you come up on top, or you lock a triangle. You strip every grip on your collar and keep it free for 3 seconds, or you pass to chest to chest or knee on belly.
Rules
- You must be gripping the collar at all times.
- Grip high to break posture (or for a wrist-to-neck connection if your room allows strangles), or grip low on the collar to entangle a leg.
- You're held to the collar area, not to one grip: switch hands, switch sides, or add a second grip such as a sleeve or the pants.
- Locking the triangle is the win; don't squeeze for the finish, and release on a tap.
- Breaking the collar grip is an artificial win: it wouldn't score in a match, but it does here.
- Passing still wins.
- The coach plays this over several weeks and changes the top player's pass win to shape the guard: chest to chest only to build upper-body connections like lasso and spider, or a win that forces a vertical pass to build connections around the knees.
guard