Two Sit Up Guard Passes
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Sit-Up Guard·Gracie Barra HQ - California
Two sit up guard passes. Professor Philipe Della Monica GB2 Advanced Class | Gracie Barra HQ - Irvine, CA Feb 2021 …
Sit-Up Guard
SubFamilyシットアップガード(Shitto Appu Gādo)
TransliterationTranslation: sit-up guard
Overview
The Sit-Up Guard subfamily covers the open guard position where the guard player sits up with one foot on the opponent's hip and the other leg positioned for sweeps or transitions, with hands controlling grips. [1] The sit-up guard is a dynamic, upright open guard position that provides excellent transitional mobility for single leg entries, arm drags, and guard pulls. [1],[2] The upright posture allows the guard player to quickly change levels and angles, making it one of the most versatile guard entry positions. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Lineage
Sit-up guard was popularised by Marcelo Garcia and other competitors who favoured active, upright guard play. [1]
Competition Record
Sit-up guard is commonly used in no-gi and gi BJJ 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 seated or supine position — Maintain distance with feet on the opponent's hips or legs, hands controlling grips or collars
From closed guard break — When the opponent opens the closed guard, transition to open guard by establishing foot and grip controls
Videos
1 video
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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
✓Sit-up guard (also called seated guard) is an upright open guard position where the bottom player sits up facing the opponent with active grips and posting — it enables immediate offensive transitions (Marcelo Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2011)
✓Sit-up guard is the starting position for all seated guard transitions: butterfly hooks, shin-on-shin, single-leg X, and arm drags all begin from sit-up guard
✓The posture is critical: sit up tall with the chest forward, not hunched or leaning back
✓One hand posts behind for base while the other hand controls the opponent's wrist, sleeve, or collar
✓The sit-up guard is the most versatile open guard starting position: it keeps all options available
✓From sit-up guard, the arm drag is the highest-percentage technique: drag the opponent's arm across and take the back or enter butterfly guard
✓In no-gi competition, the sit-up guard is the default starting position for guard players — it provides maximum option coverage
Common Mistakes
!Sitting passively without engaging the opponent — sit-up guard requires active grip fighting and forward pressure
!Leaning back instead of sitting up — the upright posture is what makes the position effective
!Not using the posting hand — the post provides stability and enables quick transitions
!Staying in sit-up guard without transitioning — it is a starting position, not a destination
!Not threatening the arm drag — the arm drag is the primary weapon from sit-up guard
!Sitting too far from the opponent — the guard player must be close enough to engage
!Using sit-up guard without developing a transition system — butterfly, shin-on-shin, and arm drag should all be available
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) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
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) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
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
Sub-techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pass the sit-up guard before my opponent can grab me?
According to Gracie Barra HQ, you should underhook and drag your opponent to the side while closing the distance, then execute a knee-slice pass before they can establish their grip.
Should I back up when my opponent sits up in guard?
No—backing up actually helps your opponent attack with a single leg. Instead, stay close and squat down to push them back slightly, which minimizes their attacking options.
What's the timing for the sit-up guard pass?
The key is to act the moment your opponent begins to sit up, before they can grab you. Don't wait for them to establish control; bring your arm and move to the side immediately.
How does the Sit-Up Guard work?
The Sit-Up Guard subfamily covers the open guard position where the guard player sits up with one foot on the opponent's hip and the other leg positioned for sweeps or transitions, with hands controlling grips. The sit-up guard is a dynamic, upright open guard position that provides excellent transitional mobility for single leg entries, arm drags, and guard pulls.
Where does the Sit-Up Guard come from?
The sit-up guard developed in modern BJJ as a dynamic open guard position, used extensively by no-gi competitors for its transitional versatility and wrestling-style entries. It is widely used as both a primary guard and a transitional position.
Is the Sit-Up 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 Sit-Up 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 Sit-Up Guard?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Sit-Up 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 Sit-Up Guard?
Common variants: Spider guard (gripping both sleeves with feet on the biceps for distanc…); De la Riva guard (one hook behind the opponent's lead leg with opposite foo…); Lasso guard (lasso grip wrapping the leg around the opponent's arm); Collar-sleeve guard (controlling collar with one hand and sleeve with the othe…).
How effective is the Sit-Up Guard in competition?
Sit-up guard is commonly used in no-gi and gi BJJ competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Sit-Up Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Sitting passively without engaging the opponent — sit-up guard requires active grip fighting and forward pressure / Leaning back instead of sitting up — the upright posture is what makes the position effective / Not using the posting hand — the post provides stability and enables quick transitions / Staying in sit-up guard without transitioning — it is a starting position, not a destination.
What are other names for the Sit-Up Guard?
The Sit-Up Guard is also known as Shitto Appu Gādo, Sit-Up Guard, Seated Open Guard, Sitting Guard.