Guard Position

The Back Position Transition family covers techniques for transitioning to and maintaining back control — the second-most dominant position in grappling (after mount in some hierarchies, or the most dominant by many modern accounts) where the attacker controls the opponent from behind with hooks (legs around the waist) and a seatbelt grip (over-under arm control). [1] Back control is unique because the defender cannot see the attacker, limiting their defensive options and creating the primary platform for the rear naked choke — the most commonly finished submission in combat sports history. [1,2] This family covers the transitions that achieve back control: from guard (berimbolo, kiss-of-the-dragon, back take from closed guard), from top position (mount-to-back transition when the opponent turns), from scrambles, and from the standing position (back clinch from takedowns and throws). [2,3] The modern back attack system — combining hooks, body triangle, and systematic choking — has been developed most comprehensively by Marcelo Garcia (back take from butterfly guard) and John Danaher's 'Back Attack' system. [3]

The Butterfly Guard family covers the guard position where the bottom fighter sits with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs, using the hooks as levers for sweeping, off-balancing, and transitioning. [1] The butterfly guard is one of the most dynamic and effective guard positions in grappling because the hooks provide powerful lifting leverage and the seated posture allows rapid transitions in multiple directions. [1,2] This family includes the standard seated butterfly guard, the reclined butterfly guard (leaning back for different leverage), and single butterfly hook positions. [2,3]

The Closed Guard family covers the guard position where the bottom fighter wraps the legs around the opponent's waist with ankles crossed behind the back, creating a locked-leg control that keeps the opponent close. [1] The closed guard is the foundational guard position in BJJ and the first guard most students learn, providing a secure platform for sweeps, submissions, and positional control. [1,2] The closed guard's locked legs prevent the top fighter from standing up, backing away, or creating distance, forcing the fight to occur at close range where the bottom fighter's attacks are effective. [2,3]

The Half Guard family covers the guard position where the bottom fighter controls one of the opponent's legs between theirs while the opponent has passed the other leg to achieve a partial guard pass. [1] The half guard was transformed from a stalling, defensive position into one of the most dynamic and attack-rich guard positions in BJJ through the innovations of Roberto 'Gordo' Correa, Lucas Leite, and Bernardo Faria. [1,2] This family covers the standard half guard, deep half guard, Z-guard (knee shield half guard), and the lockdown variation, each offering distinct tactical options. [2,3]

The Leg Entanglement (Ashi Garami) family covers the system of leg-on-leg control positions that serve as the platform for all modern leg lock attacks — the positional hierarchy that revolutionised submission grappling in the 2010s. [1] Ashi garami (足絡み, 'leg entanglement') positions control the opponent's leg by entangling it with both of the attacker's legs, isolating the target leg and preventing escape while creating the specific angles needed for heel hooks, kneebars, toe holds, and ankle locks. [1,2] The four primary ashi garami positions — inside sankaku (inside triangle, the most dominant), outside ashi (standard ashi garami), 50/50 (symmetrical entanglement), and cross ashi (cross body leg entanglement) — each provide different control levels and submission options, forming a positional hierarchy parallel to the traditional mount/side control/back control hierarchy. [2,3] John Danaher's systematisation of ashi garami positions as a coherent positional system is considered one of the most important technical innovations in modern grappling history. [3]

The Open Guard family covers all guard positions where the guard player's legs are not closed around the opponent, instead using feet on hips, hooks, or grip-and-foot combinations to maintain guard control. [1] Open guard is the most diverse and technically sophisticated guard category in grappling, encompassing dozens of distinct positions including De La Riva, spider, collar-sleeve, lasso, sit-up, and shin-on-shin guards. [1,2] Open guards require superior grip fighting and distance management because they lack the closed guard's inherent security of locked legs. [2,3]

The Rubber Guard family covers the guard system developed by Eddie Bravo that uses extreme leg flexibility to control the opponent's posture from the guard by pulling the shin over the opponent's shoulder and controlling it with the hand. [1] The rubber guard eliminates the need for traditional gi grips by using the guard player's own leg as a controlling mechanism, making it specifically designed for no-gi grappling. [1,2] The rubber guard system includes a series of named positions — Mission Control, Chill Dog, New York — that form a progressive pathway to submissions. [2,3]

Silat Stances (kuda-kuda and sikap pasang) are the foundational fighting positions of Pencak Silat, the martial art of the Malay Archipelago. [1] Unlike the upright guards of boxing or karate, Silat stances are characterized by low centers of gravity, wide or asymmetric bases, and constant transitional movement between levels — from standing to deep crouch to ground. [1] The stances serve as the launching platform for Silat's distinctive combination of strikes, sweeps, locks, and throws, and they are designed for the uneven terrain and close-quarters combat environments of Southeast Asia. [2] Each Silat aliran (style) maintains its own set of named stances, but common principles include: weight distribution for rapid direction change, a bladed body angle to minimize the target area, and hands positioned to both guard and redirect incoming attacks. [2] The family includes animal-inspired stances such as Harimau (tiger), which fights from ground level, as well as more conventional standing guards. [1,2]

The Worm Guard family covers the guard position that uses the opponent's own gi lapel as a controlling tool, threading it around the leg and using it as a grip to control distance and set up sweeps. [1] The worm guard was a revolutionary innovation in gi BJJ because it introduced lapel-based guards that created entirely new control mechanics not possible with traditional grips. [1,2] The lapel wrap provides a persistent, difficult-to-break connection that gives the guard player exceptional control over the opponent's movement and base. [2,3]

The X-Guard family covers the guard position where the guard player places both legs between the opponent's legs in an X-configuration, with one hook behind the knee and one on the hip, creating a powerful sweeping platform under the opponent's base. [1] The X-guard provides extraordinary off-balancing leverage because the dual leg positioning completely controls the opponent's base on one side, making them extremely vulnerable to sweeps. [1,2] The X-guard includes the full X-guard (both hooks between the legs) and the single leg X-guard (hooks on one leg from the outside). [2,3]