robsom mouras cross guard

**lucozade** · Posted On: 11/05/2008 5:21am

Hi
I have been trying to play this type of guard with mixed results.
The trickest part for me is opening the space to get my foot in the armpit as the top person usually closes the elblow tight to his ribs.
I have also look at aeospians thread on the cross guard and his friend trogg plays his foot lower on the hip.
I also get into problems when the guy runs to north south position.

Does anyone else here play robsons cross guard?

**M-Tri** · Posted On: 11/06/2008 5:28pm

Originally Posted by lucozade

Hi
I have been trying to play this type of guard with mixed results.
The trickest part for me is opening the space to get my foot in the armpit as the top person usually closes the elblow tight to his ribs.
I have also look at aeospians thread on the cross guard and his friend trogg plays his foot lower on the hip.
I also get into problems when the guy runs to north south position.

Does anyone else here play robsons cross guard?

I think you're problem is so obvious you looked right through it. You can't force a position; you have to take what's there. Obviously if he see's you going for cross-guard he's going to fight it, so you go to spider, or butterfly, or something else.

If you check out Robson's DVD he goes over several ways to open the position up with lots of set-ups and transitions.

**jrschwob** · Posted On: 12/04/2008 2:21am

yeah i've been playing this guard for a couple months after reading about it in aesopian's thread.

obviously as with any position you must take what is there. M-tri's advice is perhaps vague and all encompassing, but not incorrect.

I have had mixed results with it and for me it is too loose of a position to chill in waiting for an opening. I'm talking when you have both your legs around one of their arms .

Starting from guard you have a cross grip on their left sleeve, leave your right leg where it is (hopefully if you have good guard position this will already be separating their bicep and elbow from their ribcage) and swing your left leg onto your opponents left shoulder so that both your feet are on one side of your opponent's body. As for what to do with your right hand I find hooking the inside of their left leg is the best option, though others suffice at gripping the outside of the knee.

This position can leave a lot of room for triangle or omoplata or that crazy armbar where your shin is against their neck .

The main problem for me and for others it seems is keeping the attacking grip and creating the seperation between their elbow and ribcage to go for the omoplata.

One thing I have found that helps is preemptively rolling right to the knees, effectively exposing your own back. But since you still have the cross grip between your legs once your opponent tries to get your back you may roll back to the cross guard and hopefully right into one of the submissions because when people move for a position they can sometimes open their arms.

anyways thats my two cents. Sometimes I can bait them into rolling me over and then I add momentum to the roll end up on my knees and with the motion of rising up and making my back perpendicular to the ground I can use the hook on the inside of their leg to carry them off of their knees.

I suck at this type of guard. But it really intrigues me. I should get the DVDs and I will but in the mean time I'd like to hear what the Bullshido gurus have to say about this unorthodox and seemingly easy to smash guard? I barely ever post as I'm just a lurker who likes to read but this topic is of great interest to me and I want to spark conversation. Please! Help us out!

**Bustardo** · Posted On: 12/04/2008 9:47am

We've been drilling this a lot in class. I'm absolutely awful at it. The smaller more flexible guys have a lot of success with it, but I don't think, even with a lot of practice this could ever be my game. Fun to know and play around with though.

**M-Tri** · Posted On: 12/04/2008 5:41pm

sorry if my post seemed vague, but it's a great set and rather than answer one question that's going to lead to 8 million more I thought I'd do him a favor and recomend purchasing the set... you know teach a man to fish and all that. getting the dvd should definitely be a priority for anyone that wants to get good at this position.

anyway the easiest way to "get into the posischion" is the secure the cross sleeve grip (right arm grabs), and then secure the inside pants grip (same side; left arm grabs). once you have the grips secured open your closed guard and bring your right knee in front of your opponents chest to push him back and hip out as you put your left foot under his arm securing the position.

**jrschwob** · Posted On: 12/04/2008 10:18pm

ok I think we're talking about different cross guards I think. I'm speaking of the one Pe De Pano uses.

**M-Tri** · Posted On: 12/05/2008 2:42pm

Originally Posted by jrschwob

ok I think we're talking about different cross guards I think. I'm speaking of the one Pe De Pano uses.

here's a video that actually answer's all the threads questions:

YouTube - Robson Moura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Series One Volume Two

**jrschwob** · Posted On: 12/15/2008 6:11pm

sweet baby jesus these techniques are jawesome.

Sorry to ever have doubted you M-Tri, I think that with some practice on my part this could really elevate my game.

Do you think the foot in the bicep could be applied from a regular armbar from guard position and have it work as effectively to block the stack?

**M-Tri** · Posted On: 12/20/2008 9:32pm

Originally Posted by jrschwob

Do you think the foot in the bicep could be applied from a regular armbar from guard position and have it work as effectively to block the stack?

I've been trying to figure out ways to do that myself, but it's difficult. I'll let you know if I hit a breakthrough. getting stacked in armbars has always been a problem for me. That was one of the main reasons Robinho's Cross Guard interested me so much in the first place.