Is Deep Half a fad?

[WhiteShark]

It seems everyone and their brother is coming out with counters to the Deep Half Guard game. I know even in my own gym most of the purples and above don't fall for it anymore. I also feel like failing at deep half sweeps put you in a horrible position.

Is this going to be a fad that no one talks about in a couple more years or is it going to mature and have a place in your game?

[PointyShinyBurn]

It's a game that wins at the top level in MMA, sport BJJ and submission wrestling (and has been doing so for a while). Obviously it's not always going to be quite as popular as it is right now, being the 'in' thing.

[WhiteShark]

Is it still winning though? The matches I'm seeing lately make it look like it might be on the way out now that it isn't a surprise anymore. I'm looking mainly at Gi BJJ.

[PointyShinyBurn]

Is it still winning though? The matches I'm seeing lately make it look like it might be on the way out now that it isn't a surprise anymore. I'm looking mainly at Gi BJJ.

This stuff always fluctuates at the top level. Some guys, Bernardo Faria springs to mind, are still killing a lot of people with it, though. The guy who wins with it again in a couple of years after it's "over" is going to be the one who kept practising it despite the exact peculiarities of what happened at last year's Mundials.

[Uncle Skippy]

I think people are getting better at defending deep-half. As a result, I also think that the "fad" techniques ("Oh cool! Did you see that?") in deep-half are being replaced by more fundamental sweeps/submissions/etc. That should lead people to expand their games instead of "specializing" in DHG.

Jeff Glover has a very fundamentals-based DHG game with very few (if any) "flashy" moves and I think that is why he has found so much success with it.

Personal anecdote: I've noticed people at my gym starting to constantly attack my top/far-side arm which forces me to adapt as well. I've started hitting a forward sweep from DHG when they do this, but now people are starting to counter that which opens up a backwards sweep. It is always a cat and mouse game which is what I love about this art.

[Hedgehogey]

Been doing it for three years now. Like rubber guard, it's here to stay.

[jnp]

Off topic posts moved here: http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=107982

[Omega Supreme]

I think people are getting better at defending deep-half. As a result, I also think that the "fad" techniques ("Oh cool! Did you see that?") in deep-half are being replaced by more fundamental sweeps/submissions/etc. That should lead people to expand their games instead of "specializing" in DHG.

Jeff Glover has a very fundamentals-based DHG game with very few (if any) "flashy" moves and I think that is why he has found so much success with it.

What do you consider fancy moves? Jeff loves his deep half guard game. I personally use it as a support for my half guard game. I would never advise anybody to rely on deep half guard and I know he doesn't either but it is an excellent game to perfect for when the situation arises. Just like every other novel move it'll always come down to the basics.

[Omega Supreme]

Been doing it for three years now. Like rubber guard, it's here to stay.

Rubber guard is based off a basic guard (as per my previous posts) unfortunately it's not for everybody (myself included). I've grappled with several specialist of the rubber guard and never had any problem with it. I teach the fundamentals of it to very select group of guys. That being said I'm not a big fan of the rubber guard.

[265lbsfist]

Deep half is here to stay but like other innovative guards in their time it will fade into the background alongside them.
But it will always be a toll in the toolbox.