19/07/2017 - Teaching | Closed Guard | Standing Guard Break

Teaching #689
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 19/07/2017

I began with standing in guard. Start by shoving their sleeve/wrist into their belt knot/belly button. With your other hand, push into their sternum, but be careful you aren't tempted to lean forward as a result. Keep your posture upright. If you can't get the sleeve, then simply grab their collar with your chest bracing hand (you have the option of grabbing a sleeve with that hand too, it doesn't have to be the hip hand: just make sure it's always the same side).

Raise your knee on the same side as your sleeve/wrist gripping arm, stepping forward with that foot. Basing off your hands (again, don't lean forwards), stand up into a crouch, then stand right up, thrusting your hips forward. Pull up on their sleeve/wrist (again, if you've lost it, grab their collar, if they are wearing a gi). You then want to push their knee off your hip on the other side, stepping back with your leg on the non-sleeve/wrist gripping side to help.

If you're having trouble getting that knee off, try bouncing your hips to open their ankles, like you were struggling to take off a tight pair of jeans. At the same time, splay your hand by the knee you want to shove (Roger Gracie calls this 'making his hand big') in order to help push down.

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Teaching Notes: Main things, keep your head up, the same thing people always seem to forget. Suggesting that you pull up on the same side collar if you can't get the sleeve seemed to work well. In terms of leg positioning and getting to that crouch, it's worth mentioning the sway away from the leg you want to step up can help.

Next time, I should remember to put in something about the danger of the sweep, countered by things like kicking your leg forward, grabbing their collars, thrusting your hips forward, or indeed the technique from Gret. She grabs the belts, stands up and dangles them from it. I had considered doing that, but thought that with all those beginners, it was quite possible that there would be lots of people who didn't have a gi. But meh, I think Rich said he was planning to teach it when he covers the class on Monday anyway.