In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, being inside the Closed Guard is one of the worst top positions a passer can find themselves in. As the aim of passing is to get around the legs of the opponent, being stuck inside closed legs can provide a massive problem. Some even go as far to claim the Closed Guard is the best guard in the entirety of BJJ, as it is effectively the mount but upside down.
By having closed legs around the opponent, it allows a number of high percentage attacks and sweeps to be attacked simultaneously. Not only this, but the opponent has to unlock the legs before they can even begin to think about passing. Below we shall give a definitive list of opening the Closed Guard.
It should be added, that we will not be discussing how to pass once the guard is opened. Instead, this is a list about opening the legs which is a skill in itself, rather than passing after the initial leg break is completed. Remember, elbowing the opponent in their thighs does not work!
The log splitter – This is when you get to your knees and squat. At this point, you should stick one knee into the tailbone and buttocks to force open the legs due to the pressure used. It is important to control the hands of the opponent whilst doing this to avoid mermaid sweeps due to having a narrow base.
The cat – The cat is done whilst on your knees. One hand should push on the opponent’s hip and pin it. Your other hand should push down on the knee whilst your body is at an angle with your knee into their tailbone with a wide base. As the hip of the opponent is pinned, this should stop any attempts of triangles or sweeps due to hip control. Due to hip control, the legs will eventually open.
The oldschool stand up break – This is done by standing on the same side as wrist control, if standing on the wrong side you may get pendulum swept due to the opponent having a free arm to attack with. Once stood up, you want to hip into the opponent with a wide base and push down on their other knee whilst bringing your knee into their other hip which will open the legs.
The Sao Paulo pass – In Closed Guard, you should get a deep underhook on one side and push the shin or knee of the other side. You should also twist to your side, almost giving the opponent your back which is defended by the underhook. Remember to keep the other leg pinned otherwise you can easily get triangled. After switching your legs, you can push the leg down on the opposite side of the underhook and break the legs.
Double unders / stacking – One way to stand in the Closed Guard is to put both hands in the opponent’s armpits whilst having stiff arms. Then, you can jump to both feet. You need to time this correctly, but if done correctly you twist the opponent whilst standing and get double underhooks on the opponent’s hips. With this done, you can remove the opponent’s legs from yours and begin to pass.
Spinal Pressure – Whilst getting a crossface from inside the closed guard, you then stand up on the other side by controlling the opponent’s arm. At this point, you start walking to the side of the crossface whilst pinning the opponent’s far hip. This separates their lower and upper body which puts pressure on their spine and neck. If done correctly their body should be severely twisted which eventually opens their legs. Roger Gracie often favored this pass.
The Can Opener – This is not legal in IBJJF rules and can also submit the opponent. Whilst placing both hands over the back of the opponent’s head, you then pull their head towards their knees with both hands. This puts massive pressure on their neck and is a nasty crank. As a result, some people will resort to opening their legs to relieve the pressure.
The Boston Crab – Again, this is not IBJJF legal as it can be considered a spinal lock. When standing, the idea is to step one leg completely across the opponent’s body, as if doing a massive step. This will turn their body down and result in opening their legs. The issue with this is if it’s done too quickly, it can damage the spine of the opponent.
Standing and shaking – One method is to stand inside the opponent’s guard. As mentioned previously, there’s various ways to do this that involve wrist control. From here, if the opponent does a sit up and hugs you, you can counter by pushing their knees down whilst shaking to lessen friction. If they insist, you will eventually have their legs around your feet and not your legs. Be careful to avoid a mermaid sweep or double leg, so make sure you step over a leg to start passing.
The difference between passing on the knees and whilst standing
Above displays 9 ways to open a Closed Guard. Please note, this is a brief guide and some of these guard breaks take years to perfect and master properly. In brief, nothing beats physical training and testing things yourself in depth. You may have noticed by now that there are fundamentally two types to open the Closed Guard.
The first method is done whilst on your knees and the other is by standing. Generally, staying on your knees can be riskier to due the higher possibility of triangle chokes and armbars whilst standing also has problems. These are ankle picks and similar sweeps based on hacking away at your base. This means there is a constant dilemma with how to open the closed guard and it depends on the situation as well as your preferences and strengths.
However, generally most people will attempt to break the guard whilst standing. There’s nothing wrong with staying on your knees, but many find it easier when standing and controlling grips. It should also be added that some people are so fearful of Closed Guard that they actively avoid it at all costs.
