Guard Retention
guard
Grapplers Collective, Guard Retention. 5-6 min rounds.
Problem
Active hip movement and connection maintenance under passing pressure.
Tell the room
Top passes to side control, mount, or north-south. Bottom keeps the hips facing the passer and sweeps, submits, or stands up. The top pin must hold for 3 seconds.
Setup
Start in open guard. Top standing in combat base with hands on the knees. Bottom on their back, feet on the hips, knees bent.
Score
Hold the pass for 3 seconds.
- Top — side control, mount, or north-south
- Bottom — sweeps to top
- Bottom — finishes a submission
- Bottom — stands up to neutral
Rules
- No closed guard. Bottom may not lock the ankles. Keep connection with feet and knees.
- No leg locks. Neither player attacks the legs.
- Top starts standing. Passing begins from combat base, never from inside the guard.
Adjust
Easier
Top passes with chest and hip pressure only — no hands on the legs.
Harder
Allow closed guard and leg locks for both players, and start the top player already inside the guard.
If it stalls
If the bottom player keeps turtling, the passer is too aggressive for the pair — change partners before changing constraints.
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Top standing in combat base with hands on the knees. Bottom on their back, feet on the hips, knees bent.
OBJECTIVE
Top passes to side control, mount, or north-south. Bottom keeps the hips facing the passer and sweeps, submits, or stands up. The top pin must hold for 3 seconds.
CONSTRAINTS
No closed guard. Bottom may not lock the ankles. Keep connection with feet and knees. No leg locks. Neither player attacks the legs. Top starts standing. Passing begins from combat base, never from inside the guard.
WIN CONDITION
side control, mount, or north-south
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
Top standing in combat base with hands on the knees. Bottom on their back, feet on the hips, knees bent.
OBJECTIVE
Top passes to side control, mount, or north-south. Bottom keeps the hips facing the passer and sweeps, submits, or stands up. The top pin must hold for 3 seconds.
CONSTRAINTS
No closed guard. Bottom may not lock the ankles. Keep connection with feet and knees. No leg locks. Neither player attacks the legs. Top starts standing. Passing begins from combat base, never from inside the guard.
WIN CONDITION
sweeps to top; finishes a submission; stands up to neutral