Half Guard (Bottom) Flashcards
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Back take from half guard using lapel grip
- From half guard, ‘frame’ and place your forearm in your opponent’s throat grabbing their shoulder for support while using your other hand to press against their bicep just above their elbow.
- Shrimp out a bit so you are not flat on your back (very important)
- Use frame to create enough space to shoot part of your knee into the space in front of their hips to stop them from crushing you.
- Using the hand pressed against their bicep, free their lapel from their belt on that side.
- Use your knee to create more space between your torsos.
- In the same motion, (1) remove your knee (2) drop the forearm pressing against your opponent’s throat and go for the underhook (3) shoot your body into the open space under your opponent’s torso while passing their lapel over their back to your underhooking hand.
- Get a TIGHT grip on their lapel just under their armpit to stop them from doing the cross face on you. Thread your opposite hand through the space between your torsos and grab the same lapel.
- Now that your bottom hand has a grip on the lapel, use your top hand to grab the back of your opponent’s collar (or whatever you can grab) and shove your opponent forward while retracting your head and body back so your head pops out from under them and you are almost behind them.
- Grab their lapel with both hands and both (a) pull and (b) and hip escape so you ‘climb’ upward to create an angle where you can place a hook in or climb to their back.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Back take using knee shoot > grip-break / sleeve-switch > arm drag
- If you are on your side in partial half guard with one knee shoot set up, grab for a cross-collar grip on your opponent.
- When your opponent goes to break your grip, sneak your other hand under your gripping wrist and get cross-sleeve grip on your opponent.
- Once they break your grip, immediately pull their arm across their body while removing your knee shoot and using your leg as a pendulum to pull yourself up and take their back.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Back take if your opponent is using a knee slicer on you
- If you are on your side in partial half guard and your opponent goes to do a knee slicer to pass your guard, immediately lock up your legs to trap your opponent’s foot and delay the guard pass.
- Use your outstretched hand to brace your opponent’s hips back (on their knee slicing side) while getting a grip on their knee on their extended leg.
- Using your locked legs, bump your opponent’s butt up toward your head while switching your grip so instead of bracing against the front of their hips, you go for an underhook around their back and grab their belt.
- Once your belt grip is established, unhook your legs and use your upper knee to bump your opponent’s butt HARD toward your head while pulling their belt up and pulling on their knee so that you come out the ‘escape hole.
- From there, immediately transition to the back (drop the knee grip if you have to and scramble, or use the knee grip to drag their legs down and climb their body from there).
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Back take using knee shoot (opponent has grip) > cross collar / sleeve grips > belt grip
- If you are on your side in partial half guard with one knee shoot set up and your opponent has a grip on your knee shoot leg, reach up and grab a cross-collar grip as well as reaching your free hand under your own arm and grabbing a cross-sleeve grip on your opponent’s hand that is gripping your knee shoot.
- Break your opponent’s grip on your knee shoot by yanking your opponent’s sleeve across your body and kicking out your leg. Do not let your opponent escape by keeping your cross collar grip to pull. Do not let your opponent smash you by using your cross collar grip to push (your fist should be in front of their shoulder).
- Release your cross collar grip and reach over your opponent’s shoulder to grab their belt or the back of their gi near their hips.
- Use your knee shoot leg that is now free as a pendulum to swing yourself up while pulling on your opponent’s belt to transition to their back.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[SUBMISSION]
Omoplata from sitting/half guard (if collar-drag-to-back-take fails and you end up with opponent in your half guard)
- If you are attempting a collar-drag-to-back-take from sitting while your opponent is on their knees in front of you, they may defend by looping an arm around your body as you attempt to pull them down and to the side so they end up in your half guard instead. If that is the case, you can no longer take their back easily so instead, you may transition to an omoplata.
- Grip their arm around your torso tight while keeping your back off the floor and hips to the side. Frame your upper shin against their torso and use this to press their shoulder down towards the ground. As you press their shoulder down, pull your trapped leg out from under them.
- Push their face away with your free hand to make space for your upper leg to come over their shoulder and plant your foot next to their face.
- Sit up and extend your leg to force their shoulder to the ground. Switch your grips to have one hand on their back stopping them from posturing up and your other hand trapping their arm in position between your legs.
- Hook your leg closest to them under yourself to further trap their arm and use your hips and upper body to force their ‘chicken-wing’ arm upward to try and place their hand on the back of their head.
- Continue to apply pressure until you get the tap.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[SUBMISSION]
Armbar from sitting/half guard (if collar-drag-to-back-take fails)
- If you are attempting a collar-drag-to-back-take from sitting while your opponent is on their knees in front of you, they may defend by looping an arm around your body as you attempt to pull them down and to the side so they end up in your half guard instead. If that is the case, you can no longer take their back easily so instead, you may transition to an arm bar.
- Grip their arm around your torso tight while keeping your back off the floor and hips to the side. Their hand should be behind your back with your arm lassoed through and pressed against your belly. Frame your upper shin against their torso and use this to press their shoulder down towards the ground.
- As you press their shoulder down, keep twisting your body so your upper knee ends up on the floor and you end up pulling your trapped leg out from under them
- Keep their arm tight to your body and fully extended. Keep their shoulder touching the floor. Apply pressure until you get the tap.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Lapel sweep from half guard into side control
- From half guard, ‘frame’ and place your forearm in your opponent’s throat grabbing their shoulder for support while using your other hand to press against their bicep just above their elbow.
- Shrimp out a bit so you are not flat on your back (very important)
- Use frame to create enough space to shoot part of your knee into the space in front of their hips to stop them from crushing you.
- Using the hand pressed against their bicep, free their lapel from their belt on that side.
- Use your knee to create more space between your torsos.
- In the same motion, (1) remove your knee (2) drop the forearm pressing against your opponent’s throat and go for the underhook (3) shoot your body into the open space under your opponent’s torso while passing their lapel over their back to your underhooking hand.
- Get a TIGHT grip on their lapel just under their armpit to stop them from doing the cross face on you. Meanwhile push their free knee away from your body and grab the fabric on the inside of their knee.
- Switch your hooks to place both of your feet between their feet and use your feet to ‘walk’ yourself towards the side you have a knee grip on. This should put you back onto your back and shift your hips under their body so you can easily roll them over into side control
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep from half guard to transition to side control (if attempting to do a back-take via lapel and your opponent blocks your underhook)
Part 1: attempting back take
1. From half guard, ‘frame’ and place your forearm in your opponent’s throat grabbing their shoulder for support while using your other hand to press against their bicep just above their elbow.
2. Shrimp out a bit so you are not flat on your back (very important)
3. Use frame to create enough space to shoot part of your knee into the space in front of their hips to stop them from crushing you.
4. Using the hand pressed against their bicep, free their lapel from their belt on that side.
5. Use your knee to create more space between your torsos.
6. In the same motion, (1) remove your knee (2) drop the forearm pressing against your opponent’s throat and go for the underhook (3) shoot your body into the open space under your opponent’s torso while passing their lapel over their back to your underhooking hand.
Part 2: transition to sweep
7. If your opponent defends by lassoing your underhooking arm, immediately clamp your bicep against your ribs to trap their arm while grabbing whatever grip you can from their back (gi or belt)
8. With your other hand, let go of the lapel and push your opponent’s far-side knee away from you. Shoot your hand under their same leg to underhook it and grab whatever you can (pants, back of gi, whatever - just get a grip)
9. Do not switch your base, simply roll your opponent over. While rolling, pull your bottom leg out so you do not land in your opponent’s half guard. You should land in side control.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep into side control or mount when using partial half guard by establishing a cross sleeve grip (if your opponent is using cross face to defend you from taking the back)
- If attempting to take your opponent’s back by using sneaky a cross-sleeve grip and your opponent defends by putting a cross-face grip on your, continue to pull your opponent’s hand down towards your hips so they cannot grab your gi.
- Reach over your opponent to get a grip on their back (belt or whatever part of their gi you can grab).
- Step your outer foot onto your inner foot so you have your legs in a diamond or frog-like shape. In one jerk movement, twist your hips towards the side your opponent’s back is facing and use your hands to push/pull so you sweep them. Pull your leg out as you roll to land in side control. Push your leg forward as you roll to land in mount. If you do not move your leg, you will land in your opponent’s half guard.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep from half guard into side control using your opponent’s belt if your opponent has an underhook
- If your opponent is in your half guard and has a ‘front seatbelt’ on you with an underhook, first get a grip on their free knee.
- Wrap your free bicep around your opponent’s head and push your opponent’s knee away while bridging upward and to the same side as the knee. This should create some space so you can shrimp away and slide your upper leg in to get a hook under your opponent’s thigh.
- Reach down your opponent’s back to grab their belt. Once this grip is secured, slide your body back under them so your back is on the ground.
- Plant your non-hooking foot on the ground and in the same motion (a) push your opponent’s knee away, (b) push upward with your hook, (c) pull with your grip on your opponent’s belt, and (d) bridge over your shoulder to sweep your opponent and move your legs so you land in side control rather than in your opponent’s half guard.
Option: If your opponent defends the sweep by planting their hand on the mat, abandon the sweep and instead get them in your closed guard.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep from half guard into side control using your opponent’s belt and your hook if your opponent steps up on the ‘outer’ side
- If your opponent is in your half guard and you have a high knee shoot in which your opponent has a grip on, first establish your own grips. Get a cross collar grip and reach under your own arm with your free hand to get a cross-sleeve grip on your opponent’s hand which is gripping your knee shoot leg.
- Break your opponent’s grip by yanking your opponent’s sleeve across your body while kicking your knee shoot leg free.
- Establish your hook by inserting your now free leg between you and your opponent and hooking your foot under their thigh near the groin.
- While continuing to keep your cross-sleeve grip and pull your opponent’s sleeve across your body so they can’t smash you, release your cross-collar grip and reach over your opponent to grab their belt. This is a very solid position as your opponent cannot easily escape and cannot easily smash you.
- If your opponent tries to escape by stepping up with the leg that is outside your half guard, transition to the sweep by (a) bringing your body back under your opponent so your back is on the floor and your hook is even deeper (try to get it under their opposite side leg if you can), (b) kicking upward with your hooking leg, (c) pulling your opponent’s belt upward toward your head and the side their knee is touching the floor, and (d) twisting your upper body and bridging to toss your opponent over on the side their base is weak (where their knee is touching the floor). You should land in side control.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep from half guard into mount using your opponent’s belt and your hook if your opponent steps up on the ‘inner’ side
- If your opponent is in your half guard and you have a high knee shoot in which your opponent has a grip on, first establish your own grips. Get a cross collar grip and reach under your own arm with your free hand to get a cross-sleeve grip on your opponent’s hand which is gripping your knee shoot leg.
- Break your opponent’s grip by yanking your opponent’s sleeve across your body while kicking your knee shoot leg free.
- Establish your hook by inserting your now free leg between you and your opponent and hooking your foot under their thigh near the groin.
- While continuing to keep your cross-sleeve grip and pull your opponent’s sleeve across your body so they can’t smash you, release your cross-collar grip and reach over your opponent to grab their belt. This is a very solid position as your opponent cannot easily escape and cannot easily smash you.
- If your opponent tries to escape by stepping up with the leg that is inside your half guard, transition to the sweep by (a) releasing your cross-sleeve grip and grabbing your opponent’s tricep (on the arm planted on the ground) and scooping it in to you to take away their base, (b) kicking upward with your hooking leg, and (c) pushing off the ground with your leg still on the mat and throwing your opponent to the side their knee is touching the floor so that you land in mount. Pull your leg on the mat up and inward right away so you don’t get caught in your opponent’s half guard.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Regain full guard from half guard
- From half guard, ‘frame’ and place your forearm in your opponent’s throat grabbing their shoulder for support while using your other hand to press against their bicep just above their elbow.
- Shrimp out a bit so you are not flat on your back (very important)
- Use frame to create enough space to shoot part of your knee into the space in front of their hips to stop them from crushing you.
- Using your knee as a base, extend your body to create more space and pull your leg free from your opponent’s half guard. Spin onto your back and pull them back into your closed guard. DO NOT go onto your back until your leg is free from their half guard.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Use lapel grip to gain control/escape if your opponent is going for the knee slicer into side control
- If your opponent is in your half guard and is going for a knee slicer to pass your guard into side control, tuck your body into a tight fetal position while wrapping one arm around their back and under their slicing leg.
- With your other hand, free their lapel (whichever side gives you more fabric, but most likely same-side grip) and thread it under their leg to your waiting hand.
- Once you’ve secured the lapel grip it will be very difficult for your opponent to sprawl or pass guard. Keep the grip tight and use it to pull yourself out to escape to their back or get into your own side control position.
[HALF GUARD - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Sweep from deep half guard into side control(if you block your opponent’s knee slicer and they pivot their knee into your belly)
- If your opponent is attempting to do a knee-slice pass on you and you’ve caught them in your half guard, you may try to pass their lapel under their crotch to gain control. If your opponent notices, they will defend by pivoting their slicing knee into your belly to stop you from being able to reach the lapel. In this case, switch to deep half guard.
- In the same motion: a) use your arm (on the opposite side to your opponent’s slicing knee) to scoop your arm up under your opponent’s raised leg and clamp it tight, and b) swiftly pivot your body in the opposite direction so you force your opponent’s slicing knee across your body (they should be essentially straddling you now). Tuck your body down tight so they cannot use cross face and flatten your back down to the ground.
- Once in deep half guard, use your arm hooked under your opponent’s leg to reach up their back to their belt. If possible try and grasp their belt with your palm facing outward (back of your palm pressed against their back) for maximum strength for the sweep manoeuvre.
- Use your belt grip to strong arm your opponent upward (think about raising a kettle bell while doing a technical stand up) to take them off base, while you use your free arm to post your elbow on the ground and work your way up.
- Your sweep will end with you on top in your opponent’s open guard. Maintain your grip on the belt while using your free hand to press your opponent’s free leg down and out of the way so you can pass into side control.
Option: If your opponent is too heavy to strong arm during the sweep, they are likely too high up on your chest. Use your bottom arm to shove their knee back towards your hips to give you a better lifting angle.
