In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, breaking closed guard is essential for advancing your position and gaining control over your opponent. While there are numerous techniques for breaking the closed guard, standing up while executing your technique will help put pressure to open the guard. Let’s explore why standing up can be a powerful strategy for breaking closed guard and gaining the upper hand in a match.
The Importance of Posture and Control
Before delving into the technique of standing up, it’s crucial to understand the importance of posture and control when in your opponent’s closed guard. Maintaining a strong posture with your back straight, head up, and knees wide provides a solid foundation for executing your technique. Additionally, controlling your opponent’s hips and upper body prevents them from effectively attacking or transitioning to other positions. No one enjoys being in a closed guard then getting swept onto your back. Make sure you maintain posture and your balance.
Creating Space and Disrupting Balance
Standing up in your opponent’s closed guard creates immediate separation and disrupts their balance. By elevating your body, you effectively create space between you and your opponent, making it more challenging for them to control your movements or execute submissions. This space also provides you with the opportunity to assess the situation and plan your next move strategically.
Opening Opportunities for Passes
Standing up serves as a precursor to opening your opponent’s guard and initiating a passing sequence. As you rise to your feet, you can use your hands to grip your opponent’s hips, pants, or knees, applying pressure to open their guard. This opening creates opportunities for various passing techniques, such as the leg drag, stack pass, or Torreando pass, allowing you to transition to a dominant position and secure control.
Exploiting Gravity and Leverage
Standing up utilizes the force of gravity and leverage to your advantage. By standing, you apply downward pressure on your opponent, forcing them to carry your weight and potentially compromising their guard. Additionally, you can use your legs to drive into your opponent’s hips or thighs, further destabilizing their position and creating openings for passes or sweeps.
Adaptability and Versatility
One of the key advantages of standing up when breaking closed guard is its adaptability and versatility. Whether you’re looking to pass, engage in standing grappling, or disengage from your opponent’s guard entirely, standing up provides you with multiple options and avenues of attack. This versatility allows you to adapt your strategy based on the specific dynamics of the match and capitalize on openings as they arise.
Conclusion
In the realm of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, standing up when breaking closed guard offers a multitude of benefits, from creating space and disrupting balance to opening opportunities for passes and exploiting gravity and leverage. By mastering this fundamental technique and incorporating it into your arsenal, you can elevate your game, gain control over your opponents, and set the pace of your match. Come drill escapes this week at Southern Soul Academy!
