In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are two ways to get to the floor. The first is by a takedown, which comes from Judo or wrestling. This involves forcing your opponent to the ground against their will. The second way is when someone intentionally sits to the floor themselves.
This is called ‘pulling guard’. Sometimes, people that do this are called ‘guard pullers’ which can even be used as a derogatory term within the BJJ community. Read on for more information.
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Why do people choose to pull guard?
As Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teaches self defense, isn’t this the wrong thing to do? Historically, sitting against a standing opponent sounds like an awful idea. That’s because when strikes are involved, it usually is. However, in competition BJJ where it’s trained as a sport, it’s more of a tactical strategy rather than a foolish mistake.
For instance, if you’re in a competition against a bigger opponent who is better at takedowns, you would lose 3 points if they took you down. As a result, some opt to sit instead, and play guard from the bottom. This means the opponent cannot score any takedown points on you.
The reason someone would do this is to play to their advantage and because they trust their guard. In other words, in pulling guard, they believe they have a greater chance of sweeping or submitting, than getting passed or submitted themselves.
Usually, guard pulling takes place in the gi more when a bottom game is easier to play due to the grips that lapels offer. Of course, some people also pull guard in no gi if they’re confident enough in their guard playing style.
Do people pull guard in MMA?
Although being a guard puller sounds awful in MMA, it’s actually more common than you think. If someone is considerably better on the ground than standing against a dangerous boxer, then they may opt to pull guard in MMA. Sometimes, MMA commentators refer to this as ‘playing possum’, which means pulling a guard to lure the opponent into a false sense of security.
At times, UFC Champion Fabricio Werdum would do this and pretend to fall, often resulting in submitting his opponents off his back. Whilst this strategy is risky, it did win him a UFC belt which shows how effective his strategy was.
In more recent times, BJJ bad boy Dillon Danis also pulled guard in a Bellator fight and used this to submit his opponent via toehold. Similarly, Ryan Hall would do similar and try to enter leg locks from the bottom. This won Hall various fights in the UFC, but as seen in his fight against Ilia Topuria – this strategy ended badly for Hall.
With this said, guard pulling does happen in MMA but is rare and should only be done when there’s a significant gap in skill where BJJ is concerned between either fighter.
It should also be noted that BJJ is different to a street fight. In the streets, you could get soccer kicked or jumped by other attackers, which makes guard pulling even more dangerous. Similarly, it’s easier to pull guard on a mat than it is a concrete floor.
Is being a guard puller taboo in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
In some cases, people may say “Oh, he’s a guard puller” which means they’re not into takedowns. However, sometimes people get frustrated by guard pulling. Whilst it’s perfectly legal, it does take away from the self defense aspect to an extent.
In some circles, the notoriety of guard pulling has become something of an inside joke within the BJJ community. Some people make memes that say translate as guard pulling being feminine or weak. Of course, this is purely humorous but there is an element of truth behind this. In some cases, they are referred to as ‘filthy guard pullers’
By a similar token, if you are willing to compete in BJJ, you should also have faith that your passing and top game is good enough to beat a guard puller. It’s all well and good moaning about pulling guard, but if that person goes on to beat you in a sport setting, then you should also look at your own game and realize that it’s also not perfect.
Summary
Being a guard puller is nothing to be ashamed of and against dangerous sparring partners, it can often be a sensible option to use. However, in terms of self defense, it’s also best to develop at least a couple of solid takedowns that you can rely on.
Whilst it’s nice being able to pull guard and compete, ideally against an attacker you would also be able to take them down which would allow your BJJ skills to be used with ease, compared to sitting and working from your back. This means that in an ideal scenario, you would get good at training Judo and wrestling too.
Having said this, playing guard is also important for self defense. Even if you want to train wrestling from the bottom, it’s worth pursuing as you could slip or get taken down yourself. From this perspective, having a good guard is just as useful as having a good top game which can get you out of trouble.
If you want to improve your takedowns for BJJ, then feel free to check out this DVD which is all about throws and trips within a BJJ setting.
