Lesson 2 Guard posture

Lesson 2 in basic program has 5 techniques, but I am focusing on guard posture. I did get good instruction and common guidelines for Polar JJ guard posture during my belt test.



Both arms are relatively straight and elbows tight. There is no pressure on opponents upperbody before he tries to posture up. You can use your arm to post and get some support when standing. Goal is not to leave any handles for opponent to work their technique. (Pedro Sauer teaches very much similar posture.)

Jason Scully teaches a fairly upright or back straight posture. One interesting concept was "L:ing" his knees.

Postures are many ways similar as SBGi has, but biggest difference is in tailbone. Matt does not want his back to be straight, but tailbone tucked in to prevent opponent pulling with his knees and making him post with his hands to get balance. Image is not the best one as it's during hand fight and there is space under elbow.


In no gi idea is to hover hands over opponent, but not to post on him.

There is also a guestion of toes pointing down or tucked under putt.








Martin Aedma has his toes up and more bent over - holding opponents armpits tlo control his hands. He does not like arm drags when one of his hands is on opponents sternum.






THIS IS just preparing for my roll. I will test different options and how they feel. It's essential to know what you are trying to do when you are in opponents guard. You try to keep your balance, check opponents upper body and control his hips and fight could be about grips - controlling opponents hand - arm to make your escape possible or more likely. You don't have to control opponents hand, if you break his legs open - like pushing from his belt and stepping backwards. So all depends on your game and opponents game. It's not like some technique fits all situations. (And all Jits are not the same - like competition, street, no gi, mma)

What am I waiting for when I am in opponents guard?

 Opponent will try to break my posture:
- unbalancing me with his legs
- trying to pull me down behind my head, underhook or over hook
- tries to catch my hand, pull it cross the center line or catch it above his sternum for armlock
- tries to climb his legs higher to get better control
- tries to angle his hips for more options
- choke my
- hip bump ( and continue with other sequences)
- scissor sweep
- open his guard for other options

Drilled posture in positional sparring

I tested all postures, but Jason's "L:ing". I was very pleased with SBG concept of tilting tailbone to keep sitting upright. It almost made opponent open his guard and let me pass. Polar JJ posture with relatively straight arms worked, but I had to switch hands when opponent gripped my hand on label.

Also my tools for breaking posture worked. I used undulating pulls on label, pulling elbows outward, gripping sleeves and always pulling with my legs. I got into side guard quite easy, but then I had some trouble. (Need to check my side guard follow ups from GG2.)

So keeping posture was good and breaking opponents was technical -> good. 

I also used a posture from PSBBJA blue belt techniques. It's same as Pedro Duarte taught on his seminar here in Jyvaskyla. (On your balls of your feet.)