Here are the 2 techniques to open the closed guard from class this week. The first one, the “Lunge” does not require the player inside the closed guard to stand up. the second on, the “Sleeve ‘n Stand”, does.

“The Lunge”:

Grab the gi above belt and hold. you don’t need to apply pressure. (Keep your elbow on the inside of your opponents leg to avoid an oma plata.)

With your other hand, grab your opponents waist above their hip, and place your elbow inside their thigh. (This hand will be opening the guard and checking their hip.)

Nest, put your knee, on the gi grip side, next to their tailbone.

Open the guard by kicking the other leg back, like a “lunge”, posting on your toes on that leg, and then rotating your heel down as you twist your hips and push with the tailbone knee to pop the guard open.

“The Sleeve ‘n Stand”:

Start this pass by securing the lapels grip, but this time turn your palm so that your knuckle face your opponent and your palm is down. You will be using this hand to keep them down, should they try to pop up as you stand.

With your free hand, grab one of their sleeves by rolling your fingers under the outside of their sleeve and turning your palm up as you close your fist.

Pull this sleeve grip up to your hip, keeping your elbow inside their thigh.

Stand by rocking laterally and planting your sleeve-grip side foot and then stepping up with the other one. (Always step with the sleeve-grip side foot first to avoid the sweep.)

Once you are standing, release the lapels and grab the inside of their knee with that hand.

To open the guard, lean away from the knee as you straighten that arm. Once the arm is locked, lean down on that knee to pop the guard open.

*You must maintain posture or neither of these will work.