Guard Retention
No-GiGi
This drill focuses on three fundamental guard retention principles: maintaining proper hip angle, keeping your shoulders off the mat for mobility, and using your feet strategically based on your opponent's posture to maintain control.
Drill Steps
1
Maintain a proper hip angle in open guard.
- Avoid being dead center on your back.
- Angle your hips towards the direction of your opponent's pass.
2
Drill the hip jump movement to recover angle.
- When off-angle, lift your feet and hop to your other hip.
- Use your elbows on the mat for support during the turn.
3
Never have both shoulder blades on the mat.
- Keep at least one shoulder blade elevated at all times.
- Maintain a side-tilt for increased mobility.
- Crunch slightly if you are centered to lift a shoulder.
4
Adapt your foot placement to the opponent's posture.
- Place feet on their legs or hips when they stand tall.
- Move feet to their biceps when they grab your pants.
- Transition feet to their wrists if they grab your ankles.
5
Sit up when your opponent backs out of range.
- Actively engage in grip fighting from a seated position.
- Control the distance and set up your attacks.
Detailed Breakdown
Get step-by-step instructions and video tutorials in the app.