Let’s face it, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu often feels like a young man’s game. However, what older adults lack in athleticism, they can make up for in technique and cunning – and sometimes, old man strength! In this article, we shall go through the five best guards to play for older adults.
These guards are chosen due to their lack of athleticism required, as well as having the ability to slow down those pesky, quicker, younger grapplers. At the same time, the guards chosen are also easier on your body and shouldn’t enhance any lingering injuries you have.
Here, we have picked a number of versatile guard positions that can be played in gi and no-gi (apart from worm guard of course). With this said, if you put the time into learning these positions then you should improve your ground game as a result. Remember, being old may not always be ideal but it doesn’t mean you should give up.
Table of Contents
Z-Guard
Did you know that half guard was popularized by Roberto ‘Gordo’ Correa after injuring his knee? Because of his knee problems, he resorted to playing half guard which at the time was considered an inferior position where people would stall to avoid passing. Since then, it’s come a long way.
As far as playing the Z-Guard, as long as you can keep a bite on the opponent’s leg with your legs, they shouldn’t be able to explode and pass you quickly. The second part of a good Z-guard is framing to avoid a cross face or getting your body flattened. If you can do this then you should be able to remain relatively safe and keep your body intact.
Like all guards, getting to this point will require lots of time as well as trial and error. However, once you’ve learned it then it will pay dividends. Sweeps such as the dog fight and John Wayne will help you threaten either side of the opponent, whilst submissions such as the kimura and loop chokes will also have them second guessing.
De La Riva
Whilst many of the older people’s guards rely on close contact, realistically you won’t always be able to keep a hold of your opponents on your terms. In this case, you can always opt for De La Riva instead. The beauty of playing De La Riva guard is that it’s incredibly versatile and has lots of different styles within itself. For instance, more athletic players may be able to shoot a deep hook into the far leg and start attacking from there.
However, if you’re slower and less mobile or flexible, then you can still play a good game with a loose De La Riva hook. Another positive of De La Riva is that it acts as a crossroad to various other guards. In this sense, it’s very useful when going through positions and can get you out of trouble. It also offers loads of submissions, sweeps, and back takes and as far as guards go, it is incredibly broad and deep. Just remember to grip on tight to your opponent’s ankle or pants grip as without this, you’ll be in big trouble!
Deep Half Guard
The Deep Half Guard is often considered a cliched, old man’s position as you can chill out in the bottom position if desired. Getting there is commonly done from regular half guard and once you’re under your opponent then you’re in a good position. Think of it as similar to X-guard by off-balancing their base but also requiring less energy to finish sweeps.
Honestly, one of the hardest parts of learning Deep Half is probably the initial entry which can mean getting stuck and crossfaced hard at times. However, if you persist then you will learn how to get there safely. A pretty basic guard, Deep Half won’t offer much in the way of submissions. However, it has plenty of sweeps and back takes which can look effortless at times. For older people, Deep Half Guard is certainly your friend.
Closed Guard
Another classic older person’s position is the Closed Guard which is also referred to as the Full Guard at times. This is often one of the first guards you’ll learn in BJJ and for good reason too – it can be used for beginners and experts.
The idea of the Closed Guard is to wrap your opponent in between your legs and then start looking for sweeps and submissions. As an older grappler, it will be key to destroy your opponent’s posture which means constantly gripping their neck and wrists to keep your opponent down. In the gi, the brabo grip is particularly useful for controlling your opponent’s movement. From here, your best sweeps will be available.
Generally speaking, you don’t have to be incredibly mobile to have a good Closed Guard game. So long as you can set up attacks by putting your opponent in bad positions, you’ll be ok. Like the Z-Guard, kimuras and loop chokes are still your friend, however, you can also look at attacking armbars and triangles too which are equally available.
Worm Guard
Although Worm Guard is considered a modern position, it’s also pretty useful for an older person. One thing should be noted though, you shouldn’t use this position if you have arthritic hands as the lapel grip may worsen your condition. Still, compared to the likes of Spider and Lasso guard, the Worm position isn’t as bad on your hands.
Similarly, Worm Guard is also considered fairly advanced, so you may not want to look at this guard until at least a year or so into your training. In short, Worm Guard relies on wrapping your opponent’s lapel under their own leg and one of your legs.
This creates a tight connection that can lead to various attacks. Like many BJJ positions, it can also link to other guards and there are also quite a few variations of this position. For the most part, the Worm Guard is great for slowing down explosive passers which may be useful as an older grappler.
Conclusion
When it comes to training BJJ, everyone has their own style. Typically, building a game will take years to make and you shouldn’t force it, nor will it come quickly. Instead, usually people are naturally drawn to their own preferences.
With this in mind, even though the guards previously mentioned may be best for older grapplers, this isn’t always the case either. Sometimes, certain people can buck trends and go against the norm. In short, try whatever is best for you and keep an open mind. At the same time, be careful as an older grappler to protect and respect your body.
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