Half Guard: Sit Up, Get to Your Knees, or Lock Your Legs vs Lock Your Hands Around Them
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomPin them and keep them on the ground.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · video
Notes (this phone)
TOP (PINNING)
POSITION
On top of your partner's half guard: one of their legs is between yours and the other is outside.
OBJECTIVE
Pin them and keep them on the ground.
CONSTRAINTS
Work on removing their connections: their hands, their knees, and their feet.
WIN CONDITION
You lock your hands around them.
BOTTOM (HALF GUARD)
POSITION
On bottom in half guard, one leg between your partner's legs and one outside.
OBJECTIVE
Get out of half guard. Never accept it.
CONSTRAINTS
Half guard is a weak spot for lifting and rotating, so keep moving to two legs inside or two legs outside: take the inside leg out, or bring the outside leg in. From there, build back up.
WIN CONDITION
You sit up, get onto your knees, or lock your legs around them.
Reference video
Open video · The Brinkmanship Lab
The Brinkmanship Lab (Jiu-Jitsu Saguenay), Becoming a Less Hesitant Ground Fighter (free YouTube video). The coach credits Greg Souders for the half guard idea and for tactically non-optimized games, and John Danaher for the three ground states.
Problem
On top of your partner's half guard: one of their legs is between yours and the other is outside.
Tell the room
Pin them and keep them on the ground. Get out of half guard.
Setup
On top of your partner's half guard: one of their legs is between yours and the other is outside. On bottom in half guard, one leg between your partner's legs and one outside.
Score
You lock your hands around them. You sit up, get onto your knees, or lock your legs around them.
Rules
- Work on removing their connections: their hands, their knees, and their feet.
- Half guard is a weak spot for lifting and rotating, so keep moving to two legs inside or two legs outside: take the inside leg out, or bring the outside leg in.
- From there, build back up.
guard