Is my pulling guard reasons good enough ?

**Hesperus** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 2:29am

Originally Posted by EternalRage

If you are trying to keep it standing at all costs, why would you pull guard??

You just couldn't be bothered to actually read his post, could you?

**AKRhino** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 1:04pm

Originally Posted by Omega the Merciless

IMO you should work on guard for one reason. Train yourself to work out of a bad position. In MMA jumping guard should be the last thing on your mind. If you constantly train it you will fall back on it when the going gets rough. I've seen this in real life. My friend is a Brown belt who just got into MMA. Guess what he does in competition? He drops to guard and taps people. Guess what happens in MMA? He drops to guard and gets caught with all the things you don't prep for.

My first goal that I teach my guys is stand up. Don't play the guard game. My second is keep a live guard. Lastly I tell them to jump guard when all else fails but as a last resort.

My advice: learn how to get out get reset if you're going to do MMA.

Omega, or someone else better than me:

I am a guard player. Have been ever since I started jits. In the beginning everyone was stronger than me, and would force me onto my back anyway, so I started working the guard. I know exactly what you mean. The guard is my happy place. That's where I want to be. When it comes to MMA, I agree whole heartedly with you, the bottom, in general, is not where you want to be.

However, I have no intention of ever fighting MMA. I've been training jits over 3 years now, and my guard game has gotten pretty decent.

Needless to say, my top game is not nearly as advanced as my bottom game, although I am pretty decent at passing guard, I tend to stall in side control or mount. Now, I understand the importance of having a balanced game, which is why I have worked a lot on my sweep game. Still, when the going gets rough, I want to be in guard.

My coach doesn't like it. He says in competition (jits), you don't want to play guard. I watch a lot of grappling on youtube, and I've reached a different conclusion. I see a lot of high level guys jumping guard.

My thoughts are that my coach wants me to fight MMA (it's become something of a sore spot between us), and therefore wants me to train things that are more effective from an MMA standpoint. I refuse to fight MMA. I don't want to fight MMA, I don't like training MMA, and I hate sparring MMA.

My question to you is: Is my coach right that my tendency to jump guard is bad for jits competition?

Keep in mind I live in Alaska, and we don't have jits competitions up here. And we're not likely to GET any jits competitions up here. I've competed twice, went 1-1 in a tournament (lost to one of my teammates in the second round), and then I beat another guy last year (these were all sub grappling no-gi competitions). My guard game won both my matches for me, and I lost via triangle (from his guard).

**Hedgehogey** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 1:22pm

Originally Posted by honest_truth

1) figured if i fight ammy MMA in the near future or have to use my power on T3H S7R3375, i would keep the fight standing up at all costs, my striking is my strongest point, in the clinch i think i could hold my own with knee/elbow/push-back-to-striking, so if i do end up on the ground i will probably have someone in my guard (best scenario) or have them mounted on me (worst scenario), either way, i am on the bottom, if i am on top i would GnP and stand up as soon as my opponent shows any hints he knows BJJ.

A: As Osiris famously said, BJJ is such overkill for a streetfight that it doesn't matter what you do, yo're going to win it anyway.

B: You shouldn't fight MMA until you've got a record racked up in single range sports (BJJ, Judo, MT) already.

C: Anyone who tells you "the guard's no good for MMA" is an idiot. Your guard reflects your attitude. If you train with the attitude of OH **** HE'S IN MY GUARD BRUH, GOTSTA STAND UP BECAUSE HE COULD BE RAPING MY FACE WITH HIS KNUCKLES THAT SAY HATE AND WAR HRBLRBLRBL then you will have a shitty guard. If you play an attacking guard that's what you will have. Yes, this carries over to MMA.

Take this fight here: At 25:00, my coach from Austin pounds out a decision by controlling and elbowing his opponent who's in his guard.

3) i find it easier to concentrate on getting one aspect of the game in working condition instead of trying to learn everything at once, i'm not planning on winning the mundials any time soon.

Then don't plan on fighting MMA soon either.

5) i can control people better from the guard and occasionally manage to get a triangle choke or armbar (like today), since sometimes i roll with muscle heads i prefer to stay somewhere i can control them and not have them try to crank my neck 360 or do kneebars/ankle locks they seen on youtube, again, this is a crash course and not on going training, i wont learn much anyways.

Do you have an instructor?

Tips on how to butt-flop and get better at setting up moves from the guard ?

That's a very broad question.

***Omega Supreme*** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 1:33pm

Originally Posted by AKRhino

Omega, or someone else better than me:

I am a guard player. Have been ever since I started jits. In the beginning everyone was stronger than me, and would force me onto my back anyway, so I started working the guard. I know exactly what you mean. The guard is my happy place. That's where I want to be. When it comes to MMA, I agree whole heartedly with you, the bottom, in general, is not where you want to be.

However, I have no intention of ever fighting MMA. I've been training jits over 3 years now, and my guard game has gotten pretty decent.

Needless to say, my top game is not nearly as advanced as my bottom game, although I am pretty decent at passing guard, I tend to stall in side control or mount. Now, I understand the importance of having a balanced game, which is why I have worked a lot on my sweep game. Still, when the going gets rough, I want to be in guard.

My coach doesn't like it. He says in competition (jits), you don't want to play guard. I watch a lot of grappling on youtube, and I've reached a different conclusion. I see a lot of high level guys jumping guard.

My thoughts are that my coach wants me to fight MMA (it's become something of a sore spot between us), and therefore wants me to train things that are more effective from an MMA standpoint. I refuse to fight MMA. I don't want to fight MMA, I don't like training MMA, and I hate sparring MMA.

My question to you is: Is my coach right that my tendency to jump guard is bad for jits competition?

Keep in mind I live in Alaska, and we don't have jits competitions up here. And we're not likely to GET any jits competitions up here. I've competed twice, went 1-1 in a tournament (lost to one of my teammates in the second round), and then I beat another guy last year (these were all sub grappling no-gi competitions). My guard game won both my matches for me, and I lost via triangle (from his guard).

To say you don't need to work on your guard is irresponsible of any coach or instructor, so I'm not saying that in the least. What happens a lot is that people become over dependent on their guard game which leads them into trouble.

In MMA who has the advantage in the guard? The answer is neither. Bottom guy has the submission, the top guy has the strikes. Top guy has the easier job of keeping the pressure or disengaging. So, in my experience, the top person has the advantage.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 1:35pm

Hedge I would say that you're right and wrong. Not everyone will be able to do what Phil, Dustin Hazzlette, Shinya Aoki. If you've got the body type and natural tendencies to do that go for it. If you're built like Sean Sherk and have those tendencies I'm not seeing you having a super aggressive guard.

**Hedgehogey** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 2:26pm

Not everyone will be able to do what Rampage, Randleman, Fedor do. If you've got the body type and natural tendencies to do that go for it. If you're built like Demian Maia and have those tendencies I'm not seeing you having a super aggressive takedown game.

_____________

**dethklok** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 2:27pm

Originally Posted by 3moose1

He's canadian. He's accepted he's going to fail, and wants to fail on his terms.

Which makes him fail that much harder.

Damn canadians.

I think your just jealous that they have better health care then you.:happy4:

**beardedtaco** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 2:28pm

I have gotten more comfortable with guard than the other positions. One of our instructors rolled with me last week, and I wasn't able to get guard the entire time ( I should have realised it was intentional ). I was in pretty much every position except guard. He said afterwards that he has noticed that I pull closed guard too much so he purposely avoided it while we rolled so I would be forced to work on the rest of my game.

He said that I don't have to avoid guard, but I since I'm feeling most comfortable in guard, it's the part of my game that needs the least attention right now.

I have followed his advice and have been working mainly for top position and when I'm forced into guard, I work open guard and go for sweeps to get top again or try to get the back. I have felt a big difference already and am finding myself in the top position a lot more just because I'm mentally focused on doing it rather than lacking the confidence and just pulling old faithful (guard) as usual.

**marcusdbrutus** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 2:37pm

Originally Posted by 3moose1

Everything you do will be wrong.

Because you're Canadian.

When would the next Detroit TD be again?

:D

**dethklok** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 5:39pm

My favorite two positions are side control and scarf hold. I like being in the dominant position and try not to be on the bottom at all if I can avoid it. I do not like taking mount unless it is used to transition to the other side. I do not feel dominant in the mount even though most tend to like it. Maybe if I were an MMA fighter I would like it but considering we do not strike, I do not see it as anything more than a transitional position. I also am very good at passing guard and transitioning into different dominant positions. My all time fav would have to be scarf hold though. I do not see any other position so far that is more demoralizing and defeating then the scarf hold. If you have it set up properly then there is no way for your opponent to get out unless you make a mistake. You can sit there and let your opponent tire themselves out while you use minimal amount of energy to hold them in position.