Rubber Guard (part 1)
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Rubber Guard·Energia Martial Arts
Rubber Guard (part 1) So I got a lot of messages asking for a video on the rubber guard and we finally got to filming it…
Rubber Guard
Familyラバーガード(Rabā Gādo)
TransliterationTranslation: rubber guard
Overview
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]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The rubber guard provides powerful posture control in no-gi situations by using the guard player's own leg to control the opponent's head and shoulder, eliminating the need for gi grips. [1] Its effectiveness is debated — it requires significant hip flexibility and is vulnerable to guard passes if the leg control is broken, but provides excellent posture control and submission setups when properly applied. [1]
Lineage
Competition Record
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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 closed guard — Break the opponent's posture, secure mission control (overhook the head with the leg), establish rubber guard configuration
From high guard — Climb the legs high, flex the hip to bring the foot to the shoulder, lock the rubber guard position
Videos
Rubber Guard (part 2)
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Rubber Guard·Energia Martial Arts
Rubber Guard (part 2) In part 1 we covered a basic set-up into the different rubber guard positions and some fundamental…
2 videos
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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
✓Rubber guard is a closed guard system that uses extreme flexibility to control the opponent's posture by placing the shin across the back of their neck — developed by Eddie Bravo for no-gi grappling (Eddie Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard, 2006)
✓Rubber guard was designed specifically for MMA: it controls posture without grips, preventing ground-and-pound while setting up submissions
✓The rubber guard system uses named positions (mission control, chill dog, new york) as progressive stages toward the submission
✓Rubber guard requires significant hip flexibility: the guard player must be able to bring their foot to their own face to apply the position
✓The primary submissions from rubber guard are: gogoplata (shin choke), omoplata, and triangle — all available from the system's positions
✓Rubber guard solves the no-gi posture control problem: without collar grips, the shin across the neck maintains the break
✓Rubber guard is controversial: critics argue the flexibility requirement makes it impractical for most practitioners, but its MMA applications are proven
Common Mistakes
!Attempting rubber guard without adequate hip flexibility — the position requires significant flexibility; develop it gradually
!Forcing the position when the opponent is postured — break their posture first with standard guard tools, then apply rubber guard
!Staying in rubber guard without progressing through the stages — move from mission control to submissions
!Using rubber guard in the gi when standard closed guard grips are available — rubber guard was designed for no-gi
!Holding rubber guard too long — the hip and knee strain is significant; complete the technique efficiently
!Not protecting the knee — rubber guard puts stress on the medial knee; release if pain occurs
!Only training rubber guard without developing standard closed guard — rubber guard is supplemental, not a replacement
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
Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques (Marcelo Garcia, 2011)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006) [2] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006)
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] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006) [2] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006)
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
Advanced Rubber Guard
SubFamilyThe Advanced Rubber Guard covers the deeper positional sequences beyond Mission Control in Eddie Bravo's Rubber Guard system — including the Chill Dog, New York, Meathook, Zombie, and Dead Orchid positions that create pathways to omoplata, gogoplata, and triangle submissions. [1] These advanced positions require greater hip flexibility than the basic Rubber Guard and create offensive angles that are inaccessible from traditional closed guard. [1,2]
3 genera·3 techniquesExplore
Chill Dog
SubFamilyThe Chill Dog subfamily covers the rubber guard position where the guard player has advanced past Mission Control by threading the arm through and securing a deeper leg position, creating set-ups for the gogoplata and other submissions. [1] Chill Dog is an intermediate position in the rubber guard pathway, providing more control and closer proximity to submissions than Mission Control. [1,2] The position requires significant flexibility and is part of the progressive rubber guard sequence. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Mission Control
SubFamilyThe Mission Control subfamily covers the fundamental rubber guard position where the guard player pulls the shin over the opponent's shoulder and holds it in place with the opposite hand, controlling the opponent's posture while keeping one hand free for grip fighting and set-ups. [1] Mission Control is the entry-level rubber guard position — the first position in the rubber guard sequence that establishes the leg-over-shoulder control. [1,2] From Mission Control, the guard player can progress to Chill Dog, New York, and other advanced positions in the rubber guard pathway. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
New York
SubFamilyThe New York subfamily covers the advanced rubber guard position where the guard player has progressed past Chill Dog to establish a deeper, more controlling configuration that directly threatens submissions. [1] New York is one of the more advanced positions in the rubber guard sequence, providing very tight control and direct access to the gogoplata, omoplata, and triangle choke. [1,2] The position requires significant flexibility and technical proficiency in the rubber guard system. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Notes
Eddie Bravo's rubber guard system uses extreme hip flexibility to control the opponent's posture from bottom guard using the legs. Developed for MMA where holding closed guard is dangerous due to ground-and-pound. (Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard, 2006)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the rubber guard bad for your knees?
It can be if done incorrectly. Throwing your leg up carelessly to catch your leg can be dangerous for your knees and may cause injury, so proper technique is essential.
Should I use just leg strength to get my leg into rubber guard?
No—instead of relying solely on leg strength to lift your leg, use your arms to assist yourself by grabbing your shin or leg to help establish the position more safely and effectively.
What happens if I burst up suddenly from rubber guard with tight leg control?
If you burst upward suddenly while maintaining tight control on your opponent's leg, you risk giving yourself an ankle lock, so controlled movements are important.
What should I do before finishing an omoplata from rubber guard?
First stretch your opponent out before going for the finish—you can butt scoot forward or stretch them out to make it harder for them to roll or escape the submission.
How does the Rubber Guard work?
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. 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.
Where does the Rubber Guard come from?
The rubber guard was created by Eddie Bravo and is the centrepiece of his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. Bravo developed the system for no-gi competition and MMA, where traditional gi grips are unavailable and posture control is essential for attacking from the guard.
Is the Rubber 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 Rubber 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 Rubber Guard?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Rubber 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 Rubber Guard?
Common variants: Standard guard (primary leg and grip configuration for control and attack…); Offensive guard (configured for sweeps and submissions); Defensive guard (prioritising distance management and preventing passes); Transition guard (moving between guard types to adjust to the opponent's pa…).
How effective is the Rubber Guard in competition?
Eddie Bravo defeated Royler Gracie at ADCC 2003, one of the most famous upsets in grappling history, using a triangle choke from a rubber guard-style position. 10th Planet competitors such as Ben Saunders have used rubber guard techniques in UFC competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Rubber Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Attempting rubber guard without adequate hip flexibility — the position requires significant flexibility; develop it … / Forcing the position when the opponent is postured — break their posture first with standard guard tools, then apply … / Staying in rubber guard without progressing through the stages — move from mission control to submissions / Using rubber guard in the gi when standard closed guard grips are available — rubber guard was designed for no-gi.
What are other names for the Rubber Guard?
The Rubber Guard is also known as Rabā Gādo, 10th Planet Guard, Mission Control System.