Chill Dog

SubFamily

チルドッグ(Chiru Doggu)

Transliteration

Translation: chill dog

Overview

The 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]

Also known as

Chill Dog^[1]Chill Dog Position^[2]

Used in

BJJ MMA Submission Grappling

History & Origin

Chill Dog was named and developed by Eddie Bravo as part of the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu rubber guard system, following his practice of giving distinctive names to each position in the sequence. ^[1] It represents an intermediate step in the rubber guard pathway to submissions. ^[2],[3]

Effectiveness

Chill dog is a rubber guard control position that traps the opponent's arm while maintaining high guard control. ^[1]

Lineage

Chill dog was developed by Eddie Bravo as part of the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu rubber guard system. ^[1]

Competition Record

Chill dog is used in no-gi competition by 10th Planet practitioners. ^[1]

Images

No images yet for this technique.

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

Tony Pacenski

WWW.BJJONLINE.NET- No-Gi- Dog Fight Position Counter - The Leash

Chill Dog·Tony Pacenski

http://www.bjjonline.net - go here for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Online Education! . "little" Tony PacenskI BJJ Revolution …

1 video

Learn This Technique

No instructional courses yet for this technique.

Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Low2/10

Guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Intermediate

Competition Legality

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 27PDF

Legal

— 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 RulesPDF

Training Notes

✓Chill dog is a rubber guard position where the guard player controls the opponent's posture with the shin across the neck while using the free hand to isolate the opponent's far arm — it is the setup position for the gogoplata and omoplata (Eddie Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard, 2006)

✓Chill dog is reached from mission control: after establishing mission control, the free hand reaches across to grab the opponent's far wrist, pulling the arm across

✓The name comes from the relaxed posture: once the arm is isolated and the shin controls the neck, the position is relatively comfortable

✓From chill dog, the primary attacks are: gogoplata (release the hand, feed the shin under the chin), omoplata (spin under the isolated arm), and triangle (release the leg and lock)

✓Chill dog is the decision point in the rubber guard system: from here, the guard player chooses which submission path to take

✓The arm isolation in chill dog removes the opponent's ability to posture or defend effectively — one arm is trapped, the neck is controlled

✓Drill: from mission control, establish chill dog by isolating the far arm — 5 reps per side

Common Mistakes

!Reaching for the arm without maintaining mission control — the shin on the neck must stay in place while reaching

!Isolating the arm without controlling the wrist — wrist control is necessary to maintain the arm isolation

!Staying in chill dog without attacking — chill dog is a transition point; move to the submission immediately

!Not maintaining hip position while reaching for the arm — the hips must stay angled to keep the rubber guard active

!Forcing the arm isolation when it's not available — transition to a different rubber guard attack if the arm can't be reached

!Applying chill dog without sufficient flexibility — the position requires hip mobility; don't strain the knee

!Not training the transition from chill dog to gogoplata — this is the primary submission path

Related Techniques

Guard Pass — the primary attacking objective against this guard position Transition — movement between this position and adjacent positions in the hierarchy

Counter Techniques

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

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] Advanced Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006) [2] Advanced 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] Advanced Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006) [2] Advanced 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

Standard Chill Dog

Genus

The Standard Chill Dog establishes the intermediate rubber guard position with the shin pulled over the opponent's shoulder, the arm threaded through the leg triangle, and the guard player controlling the position while setting up gogoplata, omoplata, or triangle transitions. [1] The standard chill dog builds on Mission Control by adding arm threading that creates a tighter control and more direct submission pathways. [1,2] It requires the guard player to maintain the flexible leg position while executing the arm thread. [2,3]

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I tape my fingers when training Chill Dog to avoid injury?

Tony Pacenski recommends taping around the knuckle in an X pattern rather than locking up the joint, so your fingers maintain some play and mobility. He suggests using thin tape if possible, though thicker tape works too—the key is allowing finger movement to prevent jamming.

What's the basic setup for the leash counter from Chill Dog position?

From the Chill Dog position, hook your opponent's neck and get the leash control right there while pulling them in, then place your leg in the middle to cut their centerline and establish control.

How does the Chill Dog work?

The 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. Chill Dog is an intermediate position in the rubber guard pathway, providing more control and closer proximity to submissions than Mission Control.

Where does the Chill Dog come from?

Chill Dog was named and developed by Eddie Bravo as part of the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu rubber guard system, following his practice of giving distinctive names to each position in the sequence. It represents an intermediate step in the rubber guard pathway to submissions.

Is the Chill Dog 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 Chill Dog?

Danger rating 2/10. Low — guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself

How do I set up the Chill Dog?

The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.

How do I defend against the Chill Dog?

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 Chill Dog?

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 Chill Dog in competition?

Chill dog is used in no-gi competition by 10th Planet practitioners.

What are common mistakes when doing the Chill Dog?

Top errors to watch for: Reaching for the arm without maintaining mission control — the shin on the neck must stay in place while reaching / Isolating the arm without controlling the wrist — wrist control is necessary to maintain the arm isolation / Staying in chill dog without attacking — chill dog is a transition point; move to the submission immediately / Not maintaining hip position while reaching for the arm — the hips must stay angled to keep the rubber guard active.

What are other names for the Chill Dog?

The Chill Dog is also known as Chiru Doggu, Chill Dog, Chill Dog Position.

chill dog chiru doggu position guard position rubber guard bjj mma submission grappling chill dog position