The Inverted closed guard is also commonly referred to as the upside-down closed guard and reverse closed guard, as well as donkey guard which was popularised by BJJ maverick Jeff Glover. In short, it relies on wrapping your legs around the opponent’s hip, similar to how you would in regular closed guard. The difference is that you do this whilst inverted, so your head is looking at the opponent’s feet to begin with, instead of looking at their head. This position is rare in Jiu Jitsu but if learned then it is an effective guard, especially with footlocks involved.
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Entries into the Inverted closed guard
The easiest way into the Inverted closed guard is by beginning with an inversion whilst facing your opponent. It is best to control their arms whilst doing this to drag yourself into your opponent. By controlling the arms, it makes it tough for them to defend the entry as well. Whilst inverted, you should then shoot your legs over their body and lock the feet like you would in a regular closed guard.
From here you can roll under the opponent’s body which is advised to alleviate pressure on your neck. Remember, hanging out inverted under someone may be technically sound, but if they drop their weight onto your neck then it may result in injuries. Because of this, protecting yourself should always be the first priority.
Submissions from the Inverted closed guard
This guard is mostly for submitting the opponent. Whilst it does have sweeps, these will be mentioned later. The first submission is an inverted Triangle choke which has been done in competition by Ryan Hall. Whilst in the Inverted closed guard, you should then grab your opponent’s arms and spin back into your original position, almost like a reverse inversion.
However, instead of regaining an open guard – half way through the inversion, you should shoot into a Triangle. This requires good inverting skills and it’s crucial to control the opponent’s wrists to stop any form of defense. In theory, if you can invert into the original guard position, you should be able to invert into the Triangle.
Elsewhere, the position mostly favors leg attacks. The first option is the kneebar. As kneebars involve facing downwards onto your opponent, then the setup is already there. As the Inverted closed guard is already in this position then it is available. The idea here is to get one leg under the opponent to create the kneebar, so you must open the guard to enable this.
The best route to this is by putting the opponent on their side on the floor. To do this you should grab an arm whilst under them and hip to that side, so they have no base. Whilst on the floor, it’s easier to get your leg into the kneebar position. If it fails, you’re also less vulnerable to getting passed. In isolating the knee, you can now start to finish the kneebar as you usually would.
Another leglock attack is the toehold. Again, it’s preferable to get the opponent on their side to enhance this attack, but it isn’t necessary. Here, you should grab the opponent’s foot which is freely available and connect the figure four grip and then twist as per usual. The benefit of being in the Inverted closed guard for this attack is that your legs are around the opponent’s back. This means you can attack their feet whilst they physically can’t touch yours which gives you a great advantage.
The problem with this attack is that it can be countered by the opponent kicking at your elbow. In doing this it releases the tension of the toehold and stops the attack. Ideally, you need to straighten their leg to finish the submission which means it’s harder for them to defend with the other leg. Alternatively, you can also opt for a heel hook from here if it’s legal.
Instead of using the figure four grip, you instead get a heel hook grip and pin the foot to your body. This move is an unusual adaptation of the heel hook and is taught by Braulio Estima. Generally speaking, it’s harder to defend than the toehold and more painful, but it depends on the ruleset on whether or not it’s available.
Sweeping from the Inverted closed guard
Often, the Inverted closed guard is a good route for sweeping the opponent. Although it only has one main sweep, this is quite effective and hard to defend. Here, you want to grab an arm and pull it inwards to prevent the opponent from basing. You then want to put your hips and bodyweight to this side which will put the opponent to the side. Then you can release their arm and use both arms to push up onto the mat and come on top.
Here, you end in the reverse mount position, which is like mount but instead you’re facing their legs and not upper body. To finish this position, you need to lean back and get an underhook on your opponent, and then slide off their body towards the other side. It’s important to get the underhook as otherwise, you could get your back taken. An alternative option is to grab a leg and attack the kneebar as their legs are isolated and open to attacks.
Using the Inverted closed guard in competition
One of the benefits of the Inverted closed guard is in competition. Although this may not sit well with BJJ purists, it’s a good spot to stall if you’re winning a tight match on points. For instance, if you’re 2 points up and manage to hold the position, then it’s tough for them to escape and pass. Alternatively, if you sweep them into reverse mount you can also collect points for the sweep and hold the position. In short, the Inverted closed guard is useful when point fighting and thinking about the tactics of BJJ. Whilst this may not win you many fans, it may be a good way of closing out matches against tough opponents.
What is Donkey Guard?
If you want to get technical, then Donkey Guard is actually different to Inverted closed guard. Although they are the same, Donkey Guard is actually an entry from standing. This involves facing away from your opponent and doing a handstand. With your back feet in the air, you then want to jump onto the opponent and enter the Inverted closed guard.
With regular, Inverted closed guard you can get there whilst inverted on the floor, however Donkey Guard is an entry from standing. The entry from Donkey Guard mimics the legs of a donkey kicking upward, hence the name.
Is Donkey Guard illegal?
The legal status of Donkey Guard depends on the competition set. Some banned it as it was seen as mocking towards BJJ for not being ‘realistic’. However, in most rulesets such as ADCC, it is completely legal. Basically, it is similar to jumping guard but is considered to be safer as your weight isn’t crashing down on the opponent.
Having said this, Donkey Guard isn’t that common to see as many people don’t learn it. Once Jeff Glover retired from competition, its use shrunk significantly.
Summary
The Inverted closed guard is a good option for fans of inversions and leg locks. Whilst it’s entries are only situational, it’s still a dominant position to land in. Whether used for point fighting or sweeps in the Gi, or attacking heel hooks in Nogi, it has its advantages and is a lesser known guard which is somewhat underappreciated. Overall the Inverted closed guard also offers a surprise element to your Jiu Jitsu game which may throw opponents off guard and catch them out.
