Core Combat Shooto (MMA) Drilling Guard Tactics
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A Damn Good Guard·Sakan Lam
Drilling guard tactics in our Shooto (MMA) class at Core Combat Chiang Mai every Friday night from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Some…
A Damn Good Guard
SubFamilyA・Damn・Good・ガード(A Damn Good Guard)
Translation: a damn good guard
Overview
A Damn Good Guard is BJ Penn's term for an active closed guard that immediately threatens with submissions while preventing the top player from posturing up or passing. [1] The guard player maintains constant offensive pressure through grip fighting, angle creation, and submission attempts. [1]
BJ Penn GuardHigh-Level Closed Guard
History & Origin
A Damn Good Guard is a technique documented in BJ Penn's comprehensive MMA system. [1]
Effectiveness
Proven in UFC-level competition by BJ Penn and training partners. [1]
Lineage
Modern MMA methodology; BJ Penn / Greg Jackson lineage. [1]
Competition Record
Used in UFC and professional MMA competition
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — MMA-specific positional mechanics for A Damn Good Guard
Joints Involved — Full body — hips, shoulders, legs
Force Vector — Position-specific
Position & Entry
From MMA context — Execute a damn good guard
Variants
Standard A Damn Good Guard
Modified A Damn Good Guard
Videos
Damn Good Guard Triangle
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A Damn Good Guard·Mood Swing
Using an overhook from full guard to set up a triangle, plus a backup plan. Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe f…
Move of the Day: Damn good guard to oma plata and Triangle
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A Damn Good Guard·JitzLive
Reviewing a few attacks from the #damngood #guard - a great way to setup the oma plata and triangle from guard! Please l…
Move of the Day: Damn good guard
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A Damn Good Guard·JitzLive
Triangle, arm bar, kimura, straight arm bar. Please like and subscribe!
Move of The Day: "Damn Good Guard" to Triangle
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A Damn Good Guard·JitzLive
What do you do when your opponent is in your guard raining down punches? Control your opponent with "Damn good guard" se…
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5 videosWhat Instructors Say
A Damn Good Guard is a closed-guard control position and offensive system taught primarily by JitzLive, emphasizing arm trapping and hip displacement to set up submissions. The core mechanic involves securing an overhook on one side of the opponent's body while using leg positioning to stretch and control their posture. According to JitzLive's detailed breakdown, the position is entered by popping the opponent's hands down (either from a posting attempt or when their head is buried in the chest), then shooting an underhook or overhook depending on their arm placement—using either a c-cup grip or monkey paw to control the shoulder. Once established, the guard prioritizes keeping hips elevated and feet away from the opponent's body to maximize stretch and prevent their escape. The position serves as a staging point for multiple submissions: JitzLive demonstrates transitions to omaplata and triangle choke, with particular emphasis on the triangle finish. The triangle setup requires pulling the knee to the face and shooting the leg around the neck while maintaining hip pressure and proper angle, ultimately locking high on the ankle to create a secure finish. JitzLive stresses that power matters less than correct spacing and angle—a properly angled triangle can be finished through pure mechanics without strength.
Synthesized from 4 instructors
- JitzLive — Move of the Day: Damn good guard: Initial introduction of the position concept
- JitzLive — Move of the Day: Damn good guard to oma plata and Triangle: Technical details on hip positioning, foot placement, hamstring control, and omaplata setup
- JitzLive — Move of The Day: "Damn Good Guard" to Triangle: Comprehensive breakdown of entry methods (overhook mechanics, hand-popping techniques), grip options (c-cup vs. monkey paw), hip shrimping, and detailed triangle finish with emphasis on angle and ankle positioning
- Sakan Lam — Core Combat Shooto (MMA) Drilling Guard Tactics: No usable audio content provided
Learn This Technique
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Positional technique
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
✓Practise in MMA-specific sparring with strikes (Penn et al., 2007)
Common Mistakes
!Losing base
!Not maintaining control
!Poor transitions
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Engagement → A Damn Good Guard → Advance position
Sources & References
Primary Source
Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge (Penn, Cordoza & Krauss, 2007)
1Book[1] Penn, B.J., Cordoza, G. and Krauss, E. (2007). Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. Victory Belt Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9777315-6-5.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Penn, B
2Citation[1] Penn, B.J., Cordoza, G. and Krauss, E. (2007). Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. Victory Belt Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9777315-6-5.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Penn, B
Community
Athletics
MMA-specific body control and pressure
Notes
A Damn Good Guard is a 10th Planet guard position — part of Eddie Bravo's named position system. The naming reflects Bravo's unconventional approach to making BJJ positions memorable. (Bravo, 10th Planet system)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the overhook to enter the damn good guard?
Pop your opponent's hand or wrist, then shoot over the top while pushing their other arm away at the elbow. You can use a c-cup or monkey paw grip to stretch them out while you shrimp your hips out from underneath them.
What should I do with my hips and legs once I have the overhook?
Keep your hips out by constantly pushing to prevent them from getting under you, and shrimp the leg on the side where you have the overhook up nice and high while pulling the arm tight.
How do I finish the triangle from the damn good guard?
Get a good angle by wrapping around them and looking toward their ear, lock it up nice and high on your ankle, then pull the leg tight and cave your heel down to squeeze—you should be able to finish smoothly without struggling.
What's the difference between popping and swimming versus popping and shooting?
When you pop and swim inside, you can move directly into the position, but if you pop and shoot down, you have to go up to get their arm since their hands will be on the ground, and you can wrap around the head to get a tight lock.
How does the A Damn Good Guard work?
A Damn Good Guard is BJ Penn's term for an active closed guard that immediately threatens with submissions while preventing the top player from posturing up or passing. The guard player maintains constant offensive pressure through grip fighting, angle creation, and submission attempts.
Where does the A Damn Good Guard come from?
A Damn Good Guard is a technique documented in BJ Penn's comprehensive MMA system.
Is the A Damn Good 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 A Damn Good Guard?
Danger rating 3/10. Positional technique
How do I set up the A Damn Good Guard?
The standard setup chain: Engagement → A Damn Good Guard → Advance position.
How do I defend against the A Damn Good Guard?
Standard counters include: Guard retention / Frame and escape / Submission counter.
What are the variants of the A Damn Good Guard?
Common variants: Standard A Damn Good Guard; Modified A Damn Good Guard.
How effective is the A Damn Good Guard in competition?
Used in UFC and professional MMA competition
What are common mistakes when doing the A Damn Good Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Losing base / Not maintaining control / Poor transitions.
What are other names for the A Damn Good Guard?
The A Damn Good Guard is also known as A Damn Good Guard, BJ Penn Guard, High-Level Closed Guard.