
The No Hands Guard Drill is one of the very best ways to develop leg dexterity and guard retention in jiu-jitsu. It’s also a great way to continue training and making progress if you have an elbow or shoulder injury that makes regular sparring difficult.
Here’s a video from BJJ Games breaking down the No Hands Guard Drill for you: live footage of the drill in action begins at 5:01…
Here are the rules of the No Hands Guard game…
Typically, you’ll do 1 to 2 minutes on the bottom, then switch positions with your training partner and let him go to the bottom while you rep your guard passing movements.
If there is a big skill discrepancy between partners then when the more advanced player is on top they should modulate their intensity and allow the other person into the game.
BOTTOM PLAYER
- Tucks both hands into belt or clasps them across belly
- Can defend with leg hooks, clamps, leg pummelling and guard retention movements
- You can attempt sweeps and submissions
TOP PLAYER
- Use any guard pass except stacking (stacking passes are dangerous when you can’t use hands to defend yourself)
- Wins by passing the guard
- Immediately reset after passing the guard
Try this drill and you’ll see immediate benefits with your guard!
OTHER GUARD DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
BJJ Games
The brand new BJJ Games instructional answers the most exasperating problem in jiu-jitsu: how to train so that you can actually apply techniques against resistance in sparring and competition.
This four-volume instructional uses a system of ground-breaking games and live drills to make your techniques smooth and instinctive. With this play-based method you’ll get more out of each training session, waste less time, and get better at jiu-jitsu much faster.
Click here for more info about BJJ Games
How to Train BJJ, even with an Injured Arm
Many of us are obsessive-compulsive about training. And if we’re injured then sometimes it’s hard to say what hurts worse: the pain from the injury itself, or not being able to train and watching all your friends get better while you fall further and further behind…
Here’s a short video about how to train BJJ even when you’ve got an injured arm. Most of the time when your wrist, elbow or shoulder is injured, you’ll still be able to do this drill…
Click here to see this drill in action.
The Ranges of Guard
If you want to use the guard well you HAVE to understand concept of range. The perfect style of guard at one range might be entirely wrong option at another.
Check out this article in which Rory Van Vliet and I show you how everything about the guard changes as your opponent gets closer or further away…
Click here to find out more about the ranges of guard.
How to Counter the Toreando Guard Pass
Your opponent grips both your pant legs and pins your legs to the floor; this is an open guard emergency because you’re about a half second away from getting your guard passed.
The Toreando is often one of the first guard passes that starts to work for beginners, AND is also seen frequenctly at the world championship level. You absolutely need answers for it!
Click here to learn how to counter the Toreando Pass.
How to Stop the Knee Cut Guard Pass
The Knee Cut Pass is one of the most powerful and most commonly used guard passes in all of grappling.
This pass uses the knee to pin the opponent’s leg, opening the opportunity to slide across to the other side of his body. It’s used in BJJ with the gi, submission grappling with spandex and shorts, and even in MMA. If you’re a grappler thenn you absolutely, positively, need some good defenses against it!
Click here to learn 3 great knee cut guard pass counters.