Use The Cocoon To Protect Your Guard!
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Cocoon·The Grappling Academy
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Cocoon
SubFamilyコクーン(Kokūn)
Translation: Cocoon
Overview
The Cocoon is a transitional rubber guard position where both legs wrap the opponent's torso while arm control is maintained, serving as a launching pad for X-guard sweeps and leg attacks. [1]
Cocoon GuardWrapped Guard
History & Origin
Cocoon is part of Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, developed for no-gi and MMA competition. [1]
Effectiveness
Proven in professional MMA and no-gi grappling competition by 10th Planet practitioners. [1]
Lineage
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu; Eddie Bravo lineage. [1]
Competition Record
Used in professional MMA and EBI competition
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — 10th Planet guard mechanics for Cocoon
Position & Entry
From closed guard — Transition to Cocoon
Variants
Not yet documented
Videos
Cocoon Guard - Trouble Shooting Part I
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Cocoon·Joe Cheavens
Hedgehogey and Munacra demonstrate some trouble shooting tips in cocoon guard at the April ATX SparBQ.
The Cocoon Guard
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Cocoon·Joe Cheavens
Hedgehogey demonstrates the cocoon guard with Munacra at the April ATX SparBQ.
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The cocoon is a defensive guard principle focused on protecting critical "real estate" from guard pass attempts and mounted positions. According to The Grappling Academy, the technique involves connecting the elbow to the knee on one or both sides to create a barrier that prevents opponents from accessing the torso, rib cage, and thigh area. By maintaining this elbow-to-knee connection, the defender can frustrate side control transitions, prevent mount positioning, and avoid common injuries to the serratus anterior and intercostal muscles. The Grappling Academy emphasizes drilling this principle by having a partner attempt side control while the defender focuses solely on maintaining the elbow-knee connection. Joe Cheavens approaches the cocoon as part of a broader half-guard and guard-retention system, incorporating wrist grips and bicep control to trap the opponent's arm while threading knees through to create space and transition to spider guard or other attacking positions. Cheavens also addresses troubleshooting scenarios where opponents attempt to pin the defender to the stomach, offering underhook reversals, foot control, and knee-on-stomach escape mechanics as counters. While The Grappling Academy stresses the cocoon's defensive utility for white belts, Cheavens demonstrates how it integrates into more complex offensive guard retention chains from 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- The Grappling Academy — Use The Cocoon To Protect Your Guard!: Defines cocoon as elbow-to-knee connection to protect torso and thigh real estate; emphasizes injury prevention and fundamental defensive principle for all belt levels; provides drilling methodology with partner resistance.
- Joe Cheavens — The Cocoon Guard: Presents cocoon as part of half-guard retention system with wrist grip control; demonstrates integration with knee threading, spider guard transitions, and arm trap mechanics.
- Joe Cheavens — Cocoon Guard - Trouble Shooting Part I: Addresses defensive scenarios when opponent pins to stomach; provides underhook reversals, foot control techniques, and knee-on-stomach escape combinations to maintain cocoon position.
Learn This Technique
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Guard control position
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Advanced
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
✓Requires flexibility for rubber guard positions (Bravo, 2006)
✓Drill no-gi specific grips
Common Mistakes
!Insufficient hip flexibility
!Losing head control
!Not maintaining posture break
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Closed guard → Break posture → Cocoon → Submission or sweep
Sources & References
Primary Source
Mastering the Rubber Guard (Bravo, 2006)
1Book[1] Bravo, E. with Krauss, E. and Cordoza, G. (2006). Mastering the Rubber Guard: Jiu-Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts Competition. Victory Belt Publishing.
2Citation[1] Bravo, E. with Krauss, E. and Cordoza, G. (2006). Mastering the Rubber Guard: Jiu-Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts Competition. Victory Belt Publishing.
[1] Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard (2006) — technique description and application
Community
Athletics
Requires above-average hip flexibility
Good grip endurance
Notes
The cocoon is a 10th Planet half guard position documented in Mastering the Rubber Guard. Part of the half guard progression leading to sweeps and back takes from the lockdown system. (Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard, 2006)
Frequently Asked Questions
What area of my body am I trying to protect with the cocoon?
According to The Grappling Academy, the cocoon protects the 'real estate' from the top of your knee, down your thigh, up your torso, and up to your elbow—the area you never want an opponent to occupy, whether they're in a low mount on your thighs or under your armpits.
What should I do if I can't turn toward my opponent in the cocoon?
Joe Cheavens recommends playing half guard and shrimping the wrong way while pushing your opponent's arm out and bringing your knee inside as an alternative when you cannot turn toward them.
How does the cocoon help me escape knee on stomach pressure?
Joe Cheavens demonstrates that by hooking your opponent's foot and knee with your leg while escaping knee on stomach, you can get them off balance and create an opening.
What are some troubleshooting options if my initial cocoon escape isn't working?
Joe Cheavens suggests trying to underhook one of your opponent's legs to reverse them, or if that fails, grabbing their foot on the other side and working their hips over using old school techniques.
How does the Cocoon work?
The Cocoon is a transitional rubber guard position where both legs wrap the opponent's torso while arm control is maintained, serving as a launching pad for X-guard sweeps and leg attacks.
Where does the Cocoon come from?
Cocoon is part of Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, developed for no-gi and MMA competition.
Is the Cocoon 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 Cocoon?
Danger rating 3/10. Guard control position
How do I set up the Cocoon?
The standard setup chain: Closed guard → Break posture → Cocoon → Submission or sweep.
How do I defend against the Cocoon?
Standard counters include: Posture up / Stack / Strip the leg control.
How effective is the Cocoon in competition?
Used in professional MMA and EBI competition
What are common mistakes when doing the Cocoon?
Top errors to watch for: Insufficient hip flexibility / Losing head control / Not maintaining posture break.
What are other names for the Cocoon?
The Cocoon is also known as Kokūn, Cocoon Guard, Wrapped Guard.