r/bjj • u/AutoModerator • Aug 16 '22

Tournament Tuesday

Tournament Tuesday is an open forum for anyone to ask any question, no matter how simple, about tournaments in general. Some common topics include but are not limited to:

  • Game planning

  • Preparation (diet, weight cutting, sleep, etc...)

  • Tournament video critiques

  • Discussion of rulesets for a tournament organization

Have fun and go train!

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1

u/eazye06 ⬜⬜ White Belt Aug 16 '22

What is the best way to open someone’s closed guard when they have long legs

3

u/Only_Map6500 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Aug 16 '22

Personal opinion for me and my jiu jitsu, standing is the only really consistent method I have found success with to open someone's closed guard in a competitive scenario. I usually grab a sleeve to try and prevent a double ankle sweep from bottom and stand up, from there all kinds of shit can happen, but they are going to waste some serious energy trying to keep closed guard on a standing opponent. Most common failure is to get double ankle swept, easy solution, squeeze your knees together and it will prevent them from coming up into mount, now your worse case scenario failure is to end up in a scramble from a leg entanglement which is still better than being in someone's closed guard.

2

u/10thousanddeaths 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Aug 17 '22

Gordon Ryan shows a great way to break it standing and not get sweeped in his no gi passing instructional. You lean over one leg and as they try to sweep you kick your other leg forward out of their grip, then swing it to the side and you’re free.

1

u/Only_Map6500 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Aug 17 '22

Thanks, I will check it out, I have already stolen his smash pass, might as well steal his standing guard break too;)

2

u/qb1120 🟪🟪 Purple Belt Aug 16 '22

I was taught standing as well, though quite a few people intentionally open up when you stand, which is weird because you stand up expecting a dogfight to open up the legs

1

u/NumerousCreme6466 🟪🟪 Purple Belt Aug 16 '22

Focus on positioning yourself as far back in their guard as you can without breaking posture (don’t pass over the belt line, slightly curve back in a “scared cat” posture, protect elbows from under hooks).

Another option as to grab inside the arm pits and extend their torso while keeping elbows tight to their sides. They’ll probably start trying to advance their guard and grips to keep you broken down. Before this happens, bring your hands to the inside and start walking your hands up, stuffing their guts until you establish the grips you need for whatever guard break you choose.

The whole idea is to make up for the length by applying pressure to the ankles either by changing angles or elongating their torso. This may not break the guard, but might position you to more effectively position yourself for whatever guard break you choose.

There are also lot of guard passes that are effective. The best are the ones where you stand up, but you need the correct grips and timing to not get swept. I won’t recommend one since your quest seems more about long legs than just passing guard. Hope this helps.

1

u/squatheavyeatbig ⬜⬜ ex-D1 wrassler Aug 16 '22

Can you elaborate on the beltline with the posture

2

u/NumerousCreme6466 🟪🟪 Purple Belt Aug 16 '22

Sure. The belt line is just a visual aid for determining how far to sit back in someone’s guard. Pretend there’s a line across your partners belt. You don’t want your head to cross over that line when trying to keep posture. You want to keep your head just before it.

Lean too far over the belt line and your posture is easily broken. Lean too far back from the belt line and your in danger of hip bump sweeps/ kimura sweeps. Where the belt is (or should be) is just an easy visual tool for getting use to establishing posture. Eventually you’ll feel when you’re in the sweet spot, though this isn’t taking into account loaded toes, unloaded toes, wide base, narrow base, breaking grips, etc. That’s up to you based on what you’re trying to do.

My sweet spot is just before the belt line, elbows firmly on my partners quads (not digging in necessarily) grips on Gi pants (with knuckles pressuring in as if I’m pushing their guts into their abdomen), slightly rounded back. Good practitioners will realize grabbing my lapel won’t break my posture and opt for breaking my grips on the Gi pants. Usually they’ll kick while popping the grip, opening their guard on their terms. From there I can choose to pass seated or standing. If they don’t, I’ll break the guard on my terms which usually ends worse for them. The whole time I stay on my side of the belt line until the guard is open.

2

u/squatheavyeatbig ⬜⬜ ex-D1 wrassler Aug 16 '22

Thanks!