Jiu-Jitsu Submissions | Lots of Closed Guard Submissions
0
From Guard·Knight Jiu-Jitsu
So much more at Patreon.com/KnightJiuJitsu Here are quite a lot of submissions from closed guard. These go from pretty …
From Guard
SubFamilyガードから(Gādo kara)
TransliterationTranslation: from guard
Overview
Calf slicers from guard are applied when the bottom player catches the opponent's leg during guard passing attempts, threading a shin behind the knee and folding the calf. [1],[2] Common entries include catching the leg during toreando passes, long-step passes, or when the top player stands in guard. [3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Guard submissions exploit the bottom position's hip mobility and leg control to attack with triangles, armlocks, and chokes. [1]
Lineage
Guard-based submissions are a defining feature of BJJ, refined from judo's ne-waza and greatly expanded by Brazilian practitioners. [1]
Competition Record
Guard submissions are the most common finishing position in BJJ competition at all levels. [1]
Images
No images yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest an image.
Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Compression of the calf muscle against the shin bone — traps soft tissue between the attacker's shin and the defender's thigh
Joints Involved — Knee (hyperflexion), gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (compression)
Force Vector — Wedge-like pressure — the attacker's shin acts as a fulcrum compressing the calf while controlling the foot
Pain Mechanism — Crushing compression of the calf muscle fibres generates intense pain and threatens muscle or tendon damage
Position & Entry
From top half guard — Thread the shin behind opponent's knee, triangle the legs to trap the calf, extend to compress
From truck position — Control from the truck, thread the leg across the calf and lock the compression
From ashi garami — During leg entanglement, reposition the shin across the calf and apply the slicer
Videos
Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi Closed Guard Guide
0
From Guard·IsakIvanovicjj
🔺 Welcome to IsakIvanovicjj - Your Gateway to BJJ Mastery! 🔺 📚 Today's Lesson: "Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi …
How to NEVER Get Stuck in the Closed Guard Again! | Jiu Jitsu Tutorial
0
From Guard·Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu
Join My Online Academy to Improve Your Jiu Jitsu FAST!!! https://academy.mattarroyo.com/ -----------------------------…
1 / 2
3 videosWhat Instructors Say
From guard, the calf-slicer choke is accessed as part of a broader submission progression within closed guard, though direct instruction on this specific technique varies across the three sources. Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu emphasizes foundational guard control—maintaining posture, breaking grips, and opening the closed guard itself as prerequisites to any submission attempt, stressing that submissions like the calf-slicer cannot be effectively executed from a collapsed or improperly positioned guard. IsakIvanovicjj presents the closed guard as a positional framework enabling submissions through the top lock position (achieved by controlling the opponent's elbow and hip positioning), from which armbars, triangles, and kimura attacks become available; this systematic approach establishes positional dominance before submission attempts. Knight Jiu-Jitsu catalogs numerous closed guard submissions including chokes, armbars, triangles, and omoplata sequences, demonstrating linear submission progressions where one failed defense naturally transitions into the next attack. While none of the three instructors explicitly isolate the calf-slicer choke from guard in their transcripts, they collectively establish that submissions from closed guard depend on: (1) proper posture and grip control (Arroyo), (2) positional anchoring via elbow and hip control (Isak), and (3) chaining multiple submission angles to exploit defensive responses (Knight). All three emphasize that guard position must be secured and opponent positioning controlled before attempting any compression or neck-targeting submissions.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu — How to NEVER Get Stuck in the Closed Guard Again! | Jiu Jitsu Tutorial: Establishes posture, grip-breaking, and guard management as foundational prerequisites; emphasizes that submissions cannot be safely or effectively pursued without first securing proper positioning and preventing opponent counter-attacks.
- IsakIvanovicjj — Elevated Basics: The Ultimate No-Gi Closed Guard Guide: Describes the top lock position (elbow and hip control) as the optimal positional setup for accessing submissions from closed guard; demonstrates how controlling the opponent's elbow and framing on the hip creates the structural basis for armbars, triangles, and shoulder lock attacks.
- Knight Jiu-Jitsu — Jiu-Jitsu Submissions | Lots of Closed Guard Submissions: Catalogs submission combinations and progressions from closed guard (cross chokes, armbars, triangles, omoplata), demonstrating how defensive responses to one submission naturally transition to the next, establishing a systematic chaining approach to submission hunting.
Learn This Technique
No instructional courses yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest a course.
Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
6
High6/10
Joint locks from guard require control but carry significant injury risk
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
— IJF — Only elbow joint locks permitted in judo — compress...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFRestricted
— IBJJF — Brown and black belt only
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDFLegal
— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Pain compliance from guard uses the bottom player's legs and arms to create pressure on the opponent's face, neck, and ribs — discouraging posture and creating openings for submissions and sweeps (Danaher, New Wave Jiu Jitsu, 2020)
✓The cross-face from guard pulls the opponent's head across their centre line using forearm pressure on the jaw — breaking their posture and opening choke and armbar opportunities
✓Rib compression from closed guard squeezes the opponent's torso with the legs — creating discomfort that forces them to address the squeeze rather than their passing game
✓The chin strap from guard pulls the opponent's chin to their chest — creating cervical flexion discomfort while setting up chokes and armbars
✓Guard-based pressure is a tool for controlling posture: the opponent cannot pass guard effectively when their head, ribs, and breathing are compromised
✓Elbow pressure from guard drives the point of the elbow into the opponent's thigh or ribs during guard recovery — creating space through pain
✓Bottom-player pressure is often underestimated: effective guard players use continuous low-level pressure to frustrate and exhaust the top player
Common Mistakes
!Relying on guard pressure instead of technique — pressure enhances guard work but doesn't replace sweeps, submissions, and retention
!Squeezing with the legs at full power constantly — constant maximum squeeze exhausts your legs; pulse the pressure for effect
!Using the cross-face without setting up a follow-up — the cross-face creates head movement; exploit it with a choke or transition
!Applying rib pressure without foot position — the feet must be hooked and positioned correctly for the leg squeeze to be effective
!Using pain compliance as a substitute for escaping bad positions — if you're in someone's guard, the goal is to pass, not to inflict pain
!Not combining pressure with submissions — guard pressure should flow directly into submission attempts
!Training guard pressure at maximum intensity — in practice, demonstrate the technique; partners don't benefit from being hurt
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Establish Position — achieve the controlling position needed for this submission
2Create the Threat — begin the submission setup to force a defensive reaction
3Secure the Hold — lock the submission grip with proper body mechanics
4Finish — apply increasing pressure until the opponent taps or the joint/choke takes effect
Sources & References
Primary Source
Wikipedia ja; JBJJF competition rules; Japanese BJJ sources
Japanese Wikipedia — martial arts technique articles
Official Japanese BJJ federation — competition rules and terminology
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationWikipedia ja; JBJJF competition rules; Japanese BJJ sources
Japanese terminology sourced from Wikipedia ja; JBJJF competition rules; Japanese BJJ sources
Community
Athletics
Requires
shin pressure, leg triangling ability
Favours
bony, angular shins for sharper compression
Key muscles
quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles (for leg triangle lock)
Sub-techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I get exhausted trying to open the closed guard?
Most people waste energy with inefficient technique. Matt Arroyo explains that you should use your core and body weight to drive the guard open, not tricep strength—think of it like a bench press. When you use proper mechanics, the guard opens with minimal effort regardless of how hard your opponent is squeezing.
What's the key step-by-step method to open the closed guard?
Matt Arroyo teaches: (1) Posture up with your head clear and pop off their chest, (2) Grab their wrist on the side you're lifting the leg, (3) Turn your knee into their hip to misalign their spine, (4) Keep your leg completely vertical and lock your elbow out, then drive straight down using your core. This works in both gi and no-gi.
How do I prevent my opponent from closing their guard in the first place?
Matt Arroyo recommends adopting a combat stance—one knee up, one knee down with your hips raised—before they can wrap their legs around you. This makes it very difficult for them to establish a closed guard.
What's a simple way to make the guard open automatically?
Matt Arroyo notes that if you stand up with your head free and clear, your opponent will usually open their guard on their own 90% of the time because they'll try to sweep or go for leg locks. Just be ready for those two attacks when you stand.
In closed guard, what should I control to set up submissions?
Isak Ivanovic emphasizes that closed guard is a battle for inside position—you want your hands in the middle where you can grab the head, use overhooks, and set up shoulder crunches and other attacks. Pull your opponent's elbow to your belly button to maintain control for arm bars and triangles.
How does the From Guard work?
Calf slicers from guard are applied when the bottom player catches the opponent's leg during guard passing attempts, threading a shin behind the knee and folding the calf. Common entries include catching the leg during toreando passes, long-step passes, or when the top player stands in guard.
Where does the From Guard come from?
Guard-based calf slicers became popular in BJJ competition as leg lock systems expanded, particularly in IBJJF no-gi at advanced belt levels.
Is the From Guard legal in competition?
IBJJF: restricted — Brown and black belt only; IJF: banned — Only elbow joint locks permitted in judo — compression locks prohibited; ADCC: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the From Guard?
Danger rating 6/10. High — joint locks from guard require control but carry significant injury risk
How do I set up the From Guard?
The standard setup chain: Establish Position → Create the Threat → Secure the Hold → Finish.
How do I defend against the From Guard?
Standard counters include: Early Recognition — identify the submission attempt early and begin defence immediately / Posture and Base — maintain strong posture and base to prevent submission setups / Grip Fight — deny the attacker their preferred gripping configuration.
What are the variants of the From Guard?
Common variants: Standard calf slicer (shin across the calf with triangle leg lock compressing t…); Truck calf slicer (applied from truck position after a back-take attempt); Standing calf slicer (trapping the calf during a scramble or guard exchange).
How effective is the From Guard in competition?
Guard submissions are the most common finishing position in BJJ competition at all levels.
What are common mistakes when doing the From Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Relying on guard pressure instead of technique — pressure enhances guard work but doesn't replace sweeps, submissions… / Squeezing with the legs at full power constantly — constant maximum squeeze exhausts your legs; pulse the pressure fo… / Using the cross-face without setting up a follow-up — the cross-face creates head movement; exploit it with a choke o… / Applying rib pressure without foot position — the feet must be hooked and positioned correctly for the leg squeeze to….
What are other names for the From Guard?
The From Guard is also known as Gādo kara, Guard Position Lock, Bottom Guard Submission.