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Closed guard

Brazilian jiu-jitsu / Popular

Control, break posture and attack from closed guard.

What coaches agree on

  • Break your opponent's posture down and keep it broken — a bent-over opponent can't attack you, so this comes before anything else.
  • Pull your opponent's elbow across your centerline — that arm position is what unlocks nearly every submission from closed guard.
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  • Escape your hips to angle your body across your opponent when you commit to a submission — that angle is what gives triangles, armbars and kimuras their leverage to finish.

Common mistakes

  • Sitting straight up like a sit-up when you open the guard to attack lets your opponent shove you right back down — roll up onto your elbow and hand to the side instead.