Turtle to Guard
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomBottom: turn turtle into any guard.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · coach notes
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Chest-to-back with one arm around the waist and one on the far shoulder.
OBJECTIVE
Advance to side control, mount, or back control with hooks. Top scores need a continuous 3-second hold.
CONSTRAINTS
Bottom cannot stand up. Guard recovery is the only escape path in this game. No submissions. Both players work the positional transition only. Top keeps chest contact. No floating off to disengage and re-engage at will. Reset when the top holds side control or mount for 3 seconds; when the top holds back control with both hooks for 3 seconds; or when the bottom turns turtle into any guard — half, full, or open with feet actively engaged. 3-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
Side control or mount held for 3 seconds; or back control with both hooks held for 3 seconds.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
On hands and knees, elbows tight, chin tucked.
OBJECTIVE
Turn turtle into any guard.
CONSTRAINTS
Same no-standing, no-submission, keep-chest-contact, and named reset rules. 3-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
Any guard — half, full, or open with feet actively engaged.
Grapplers Collective, Turtle to Guard. 3-5 min rounds.
Problem
Recovering functional guard positions from turtle instead of staying stuck.
Tell the room
Bottom: turn turtle into any guard. Top: advance to side control, mount, or back control with hooks. Top scores need a continuous 3-second hold.
Setup
Start in turtle under a ride. Bottom on hands and knees, elbows tight, chin tucked. Top chest-to-back with one arm around the waist and one on the far shoulder.
Score
Guard recovered or position advanced.
- Bottom: any guard — half, full, or open with feet actively engaged
- Top: side control or mount held for 3 seconds
- Top: back control with both hooks held for 3 seconds
Rules
- Bottom cannot stand up. Guard recovery is the only escape path in this game.
- No submissions. Both players work the positional transition only.
- Top keeps chest contact. No floating off to disengage and re-engage at will.
Adjust
Easier
Top works at 70 percent. Start the bottom player with one hip already turned toward the top player.
Harder
Add chokes and arm attacks for the top player from the back and turtle, and allow back takes with hooks.
If it stalls
If the bottom player gets flattened instantly every round, match athletes by size or lower the top player's intensity.
transitions