Tag Archives: Open Guard
What is the Spider Guard?
by Stephan KestingWhat is the Spider Guard?
The Spider Guard is a form of Open Guard where you grip your opponent’s wrists or sleeves and have at least one foot controlling at least one of his arms. Typically the sole of your foot will be placed against his biceps, or your leg will spiral around his elbow with your toes hiding underneath his upper arm.
(more…)
What is the Open Guard?
by Stephan KestingAre you confused about the definition of the Open Guard? You are NOT alone. In fact, when I started BJJ someone tried to explain the different variations of the Open Guard to me and I think his explanation left me more confused than I had been originally.
So, what is the Open Guard? (more…)
4 Tips to Pass ANY Guard
by Stephan KestingPassing the guard of a skilled opponent is one of the hardest things to do in BJJ.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at high level BJJ and submission grappling competition like the Mundials or ADCC. (more…)
The Jab-Cross of Open Guard Sweeps
by Stephan KestingLet’s talk about two of my favorite sweeps from the open guard. These are high percentage techniques that are used again and again at every level, by novice whitebelts and world-class blackbelts.
When learning a new position I think it’s important to learn the high percentage stuff right away. (more…)
Draculino talks about the Evolution of BJJ (Interview)
by Stephan KestingRecently I managed to catch up with Vinicius ‘Draculino’ Magalhães and pick his brain about the ongoing evolution of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Draculino started training in Rio in the 1980′s, back in the days when many of the big names in BJJ were just young kids with blue and purple belts around their waists. (more…)
What To Do When Your Guard Attacks Fail
by Stephan KestingIt’s my very favorite quote from the movie ‘The Avengers’ which I saw last night:
Captain America: We need a plan of attack!
Iron man: I have a plan… Attack!! (more…)
A Confusion of Open Guards
by Stephan KestingThe open guard can be quite confusing. Basically any time your legs are not closed around the back of your opponent you are in a type of open guard. Butterfly guard, X guard, spider guard, sitting guard etc. etc. are all open guards. (more…)
Marcus Soares - Kimura from Open Guard
by Stephan KestingMarcus Soares demonstrates the Kimura from the Open Guard (more…)
The X guard position
by Stephan KestingThe ‘X guard is a position that I’ve been using a lot recently. It is either a form of the open guard or the half guard, depending on your point of view. You end up here a lot when you use the butterfly guard, especially when your opponent posts his foot to stop your sweeps. (more…)
Single Leg Sweep, by Andreh Anderson
by Stephan KestingAndreh Anderson is a black belt under Rey Diego at (www.reydiogo.com) and loves sweeping his opponents. Andreh has this to say about the single leg sweep:
“Most of you have probably seen the sweep itself, but I started using the entry when I was a brown belt and it worked really well. (more…)
Kimura/Bicep Lock from Open Guard, by Andreh Anderson
by Stephan KestingThis painful submission, demonstrated by Andreh Anderson, combines the Kimura armlock with the bicep crush technique to tap out your opponent from the guard. (more…)
Sneaky Lapel Choke from Guard, by Andreh Anderson
by Stephan KestingAndreh Anderson demonstrates a technique where your opponent will think he’s passing your guard, but this only sets him up for a sneaky lapel choke. (more…)
The Evolution of the 'Logsplitter' From Fluke to Trusted BJJ Technique...
by Stephan KestingToday I want to tell you a story about how I stumbled across a technique by fluke at a tournament, and how it became one of my bread and butter moves from Butterly Guard, X Guard and Half Guard. (more…)
Mastering the Kimura
by Stephan KestingBy Stephan Kesting and Marcus Soares
Originally published in Grappling Magazine, May 2002
The Kimura lock is one of the most important submission holds in Jiu-jitsu. It is also found in many other grappling systems, where it might be called a hammerlock, a chickenwing, or ude-garami. (more…)
Revolutionary Omoplata
by Stephan KestingA Technique that Bridges the Gap between Sweep and Submission
By Stephan Kesting
Originally published in Grappling Magazine (more…)
The X Guard Position
by Stephan KestingThe ‘X guard’ is a position that I’ve been using a lot recently. Depending on your point of view, it’s either a form of the open guard or the half guard, but whatever you call it, it’s effective as hell! You end up in X Guard a lot when you use the Butterfly Guard, especially when your opponent posts his foot to stop your sweeps. (more…)
A Glossary of Guards Part 2: The Open Guard
by Stephan KestingBy Stephan Kesting and Elliott Bayev
Principal Photography by Keith Haist
Originally Published in Ultimate Grappling Magazine (more…)
In December, 2008, I sent out a Grappling Tip Email with a tip about not letting your opponent control your hips (see the first tip below). I asked readers to share their best tips for preventing or blocking the guard pass…
The Evolution of the 'Logsplitter' from Fluke to Trusted BJJ Technique
by Stephan KestingToday I want to tell you a story about how I stumbled across a technique by fluke at a tournament, and how it became one of my bread and butter moves from Butterly Guard, X Guard and Half Guard. (more…)
The de la Riva Guard
by Stephan KestingBy Don Whitefield and Stephan Kesting
We asked BJJ legend Ricardo de la Riva to show us the Five Most Imporant Techniques from the ‘de la Riva Guard! Here’s what he showed us, and we’ll go through each one of them! (more…)
Get Up, Stand Up!
by Stephan KestingWhy getting off the ground is a critical skills in grappling!
(originally published in Black Belt Magazine)
When mixed martial arts competition exploded in North America, martial artists quickly learned that most fights end up on the ground. And for years the prevailing wisdom was that groundfighting was inevitable, and if a fight went to the ground it would most likely stay there. (more…)
How to Defeat the Bigger Stronger Opponent NOW AVAILABLE
by Stephan KestingIt’s here! The How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent DVD set is in stock, and ready to ship right now.
Emily Kwok and I have been crafting this 5 DVD set for a long time, and it’s one of the best instructional sets I have ever seen. (more…)
Today I’m not going to talk about a technique per se. Instead I’m going to share a cool training method with you. (Training methods are the ways in which you practice, hone and internalize the techniques you’re learning. (more…)
How to Stand Up From Guard And Get Back to Your Feet
by Stephan KestingOriginally published by Stephan Kesting in Ultimate Grappling Magazine
Marc Laimon is one of the foremost grappling coaches for mixed martial arts fighters. Not only was he a coach for the hit Spike TV show “The Ultimate Fighter,” (more…)
Detailed, Advanced Omoplata
by Stephan KestingIn the past few years I’ve made some big changes to my omoplata armlock attacks. The omoplata has always been one of my bread and butter moves, but these racent changes have doubled my success rate, especially when going against bigger and/or skilled opponents. (more…)
Search Our Articles
Free BJJ Book !

To receive this free report and receive the Grappling Tips Newsletter enter your email below
Categories
- Articles (514)
- Competition (50)
- Conditioning (60)
- Female Grapplers (36)
- For Beginners (67)
- Health & Nutrition (86)
- Miscellaneous (141)
- Mixed Martial Arts (67)
- Self Defense (27)
- Training (202)
- Featured (19)
- Grappling Techniques (269)
- Instructional Videos (46)
- Interviews (29)
