Easy to Use Entire Closed Guard System
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Low Closed Guard·JonThomasBJJ
This video I go through in my opinion the most simple and effective closed guard system you can use. Often in BJJ new s…
Low Closed Guard
Genusロークローズドガード(Rō Kurōzudo Gādo)
TransliterationTranslation: low closed guard
Overview
The Low Closed Guard positions the guard player's legs around the opponent's waist at hip level, with ankles crossed below the small of the back. [1] The low guard is the standard, neutral closed guard position that provides a balance of control, sweep ability, and submission options. [1],[2] While the low guard provides less posture-breaking capability than the high guard, it is more secure against guard-opening attempts and provides a stable base for sweep attacks. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Low closed guard positions the legs around the opponent's waist, providing control of distance and hip movement. [1]
Lineage
Low guard is the default closed guard position and the first guard taught in BJJ. [1]
Competition Record
Low closed guard is the most common closed guard variant in competition. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Using the legs and hips to control the opponent from the bottom — maintaining distance management and attack angles
Joints Involved — Hips (primary engine for sweeps and attacks), knees (framing and hooking), ankles (secondary hooks)
Force Vector — Pulling, framing, and hip-escaping — creating angles for attacks while preventing passing
Positional Mechanic — The guard is an active offensive position — leg control compensates for bottom positioning by threatening sweeps and submissions
Position & Entry
From pulling guard — Jump or sit to guard, wrap legs around the opponent's waist, lock ankles behind their back
From being taken down — When taken down into the opponent's guard pass, secure closed guard by wrapping the legs and locking ankles
Variants
High closed guard — legs high on the back for tighter control and more submission options
Low closed guard — ankles locked at the waist, controlling posture with grips
Body-lock closed guard — wrapping with both overhooks for tight breaking mechanics
Videos
Kimura From Closed Guard For White Belts (Small Details To Improve Success)
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Low Closed Guard·Chewjitsu
www.Chewjitsu.net In this video I show a kimura from closed guard. The kimura from closed guard is one of the essenti…
Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi Closed Guard Guide
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Low Closed Guard·IsakIvanovicjj
🔺 Welcome to IsakIvanovicjj - Your Gateway to BJJ Mastery! 🔺 📚 Today's Lesson: "Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi …
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The low closed guard represents a foundational grappling position where the top player's posture is broken down and compressed toward the guard player's body. JonThomasBJJ emphasizes the critical importance of breaking the opponent's posture by pulling the knees to the chest and creating an off-balance crunch motion, then systematizing responses to four primary framing positions (both hands low, both hands high, one high/one low, and hands on chest). IsakIvanovicjj stresses that closed guard derives its power from leg strength rather than hand pulling, advocating for control of inside hand position and emphasizing the top lock—an elevated position where the legs wrap above the shoulder—as a fundamental offensive staging ground for armbars, triangles, and sweeps. Both instructors agree that isolating the opponent's elbow to the guard player's centerline is essential for technical execution. Chewjitsu focuses specifically on the Kimura setup from low closed guard, detailing the mechanics of breaking posture, targeting the wrist (not forearm) during the grip, maintaining an extended arm to prevent escape, and executing a hip escape shift before sitting up to the side to lock the figure-four. All three instructors converge on the principle that closed guard offense flows from posture disruption and systematic arm trapping, with transitions between submissions based on opponent resistance patterns.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- JonThomasBJJ — Easy to Use Entire Closed Guard System: Provided comprehensive breakdown of posture-breaking mechanics and four primary framing responses, detailing arm isolation sequences leading to triangle and armbar finishes, plus collar choke setups and sweep mechanics from various hand positions.
- IsakIvanovicjj — Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi Closed Guard Guide: Established the conceptual framework emphasizing leg-driven control, inside hand position dominance, and the top lock as a fundamental transitional position, with detailed sequences for armbars, triangles, Kimura attacks, high cross sweep, and back takes via shoulder crunch.
- Chewjitsu — Kimura From Closed Guard For White Belts (Small Details To Improve Success): Provided detailed technical refinements for Kimura execution from low closed guard, including posture-breaking mechanics, wrist grip specificity, arm extension principles, hip escape shifting, and elbow positioning for figure-four lock security.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
2
Low2/10
Guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — ground...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points por...
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — no penalty for playing guard
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The low closed guard locks the legs around the opponent's waist or hips — it is the standard closed guard position that emphasizes sweep threats and posture control (Renzo Gracie & Royler Gracie, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique, 2001)
✓Low closed guard is the natural position when first closing the guard — the legs naturally lock at waist level
✓From low guard, the primary sweeps are: scissor sweep (angle the hips and use the knee as a lever), hip bump sweep (sit up explosively), and flower sweep (control the sleeve and underhook the leg)
✓Low guard posture breaking: pull with the legs, control the head with collar or collar tie, and use the hips to drag the opponent forward
✓The low guard provides the strongest base and control: the lower lock point gives maximum leverage for sweeps
✓Low closed guard is the position for patient, methodical guard play — break posture, establish grips, then attack
✓Transition from low to high guard: use hip escapes to climb the legs up, creating a positional progression from sweeps (low) to submissions (high)
Common Mistakes
!Staying exclusively in low guard without climbing to high guard when submissions are available — low guard is for sweeps, high guard is for submissions
!Not using the hip bump sweep from low guard — the hip bump is the most effective sweep from the low lock position
!Playing low guard without active grips — the grips create the attack opportunities
!Keeping the legs locked loosely at the hips — maintain strong adductor squeeze
!Not breaking posture from low guard — posture control is the foundation of all attacks
!Attempting armbars from low guard — climb to high guard first for better armbar angles
!Using low guard as a resting position — constant grip fighting and attack threats are necessary
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Achieve Guard Contact — establish leg control around or against the opponent
2Control Grips — secure sleeve, collar, or wrist control for manipulation
3Manage Distance — use legs and grips to control the range and prevent passing
4Threaten Submissions/Sweeps — create offensive threats to keep the opponent reactive
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] IBJJF Rules (2024) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [3] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] IBJJF Rules (2024) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [3] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexibility, active legs, grip management
Favours
long legs for distance control and guard retention
Key muscles
hip flexors, adductors, quadriceps, core, grip
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a triangle from closed guard?
Isolate your opponent's arm by trapping it, then shrimp out to your side while blocking their bicep. This positioning makes it easier to bring your leg out for the triangle. Once you have the triangle locked, bridge your hips and push their arm across their body to prevent them from posturing, then adjust your leg position so their neck cuts in tightly like a nutcracker for maximum finishing power.
What should I focus on to make closed guard stronger?
Use your knees and legs to pull your opponent in rather than relying only on your hands pulling—your legs and core are much stronger and what actually makes closed guard really strong. Isak Ivanovic emphasizes that closed guard is a battle for inside hand position, so work to keep your hands in the middle where you can control their head and set up submissions.
How do I control my opponent's posture when they have both hands high in closed guard?
Pummel your arm underneath theirs and drop their elbows down, then quickly switch to grab a collar grip while pinning your elbow to their chest. Once you repummel underneath and pin the elbow, they cannot repummel back, giving you solid control for collar choke attacks.
Why is understanding systems more important than individual techniques in closed guard?
Jon Thomas explains that no matter how good you are at one technique like an armbar, if your opponent is defending it and exposing a collar choke, you need to switch to the collar choke—it's how techniques connect together that matters most, not just the individual techniques themselves.
How does the Low Closed Guard work?
The Low Closed Guard positions the guard player's legs around the opponent's waist at hip level, with ankles crossed below the small of the back. The low guard is the standard, neutral closed guard position that provides a balance of control, sweep ability, and submission options.
Where does the Low Closed Guard come from?
The low closed guard is the default closed guard position taught to beginners, representing the most natural and intuitive way to lock the legs around an opponent. It has been the standard starting position for closed guard instruction since BJJ's earliest curriculum development.
Is the Low Closed Guard legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from guard score 2 points; IJF: restricted — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — groundwork from guard permitted …; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points portion; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — no penalty for playing guard; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Low Closed Guard?
Danger rating 2/10. Low — guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
How do I set up the Low Closed Guard?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Low Closed Guard?
Standard counters include: Guard Pass — systematically work to clear the legs and establish a dominant position / Leg Pin — control one or both legs to neutralize guard retention / Pressure Passing — use heavy chest pressure to flatten and immobilize the guard player.
What are the variants of the Low Closed Guard?
Common variants: High closed guard (legs high on the back for tighter control and more submis…); Low closed guard (ankles locked at the waist, controlling posture with grips); Body-lock closed guard (wrapping with both overhooks for tight breaking mechanics).
How effective is the Low Closed Guard in competition?
Low closed guard is the most common closed guard variant in competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Low Closed Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Staying exclusively in low guard without climbing to high guard when submissions are available — low guard is for swe… / Not using the hip bump sweep from low guard — the hip bump is the most effective sweep from the low lock position / Playing low guard without active grips — the grips create the attack opportunities / Keeping the legs locked loosely at the hips — maintain strong adductor squeeze.
What are other names for the Low Closed Guard?
The Low Closed Guard is also known as Rō Kurōzudo Gādo, Low Guard, Hip Guard, Low Full Guard.