Guard Monster: Breaking Posture in Closed Guard

Guard Monster is a fun and descriptive way to teach the concept of breaking an opponent’s posture while in closed guard. The closed guard is a fundamental position in jujitsu, where you are on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent’s waist. Breaking your opponent’s posture is crucial for controlling them, setting up submissions, or sweeping them to gain a more dominant position. Here’s how to effectively become a “Guard Monster” and break your opponent’s posture:

How to Break Posture in Closed Guard:

1. Establish a Strong Guard: Begin in the closed guard position, with your legs securely wrapped around your opponent’s waist. Your feet should be crossed behind their back, and your knees should be slightly squeezed to maintain control.
2. Control the Upper Body:
• Grip the Collar: Use one or both hands to grip your opponent’s collar, just below their neck. This grip helps pull their upper body forward and destabilise their posture.
• Grip the Head or Arms: Alternatively, you can use one hand to control the back of their head or grip behind one of their arms at the triceps. These grips also aid in breaking their posture and pulling them into you.
3. Engage the Core and Legs: To break your opponent’s posture, engage your core muscles and use your legs to pull them towards you. As you pull, simultaneously use your grips to bring their head and upper body down. Think of yourself as a “Guard Monster,” pulling them into your lair, making it difficult for them to maintain an upright posture.
4. Use Your Hips: As you pull them forward, lift your hips slightly off the mat and tilt your pelvis towards your chest. This action further destabilises their base and prevents them from easily regaining their posture.
5. Break the Grips: If your opponent is gripping your gi or trying to maintain their posture by holding your hips or trousers, use your hands to break these grips. Push their hands away or use a quick yank to free yourself from their control, making it easier to pull them down.
6. Head Control: Once their posture is broken, use one hand to control the back of their head, pulling it down towards your chest. This control makes it difficult for them to lift their head and regain posture, allowing you to maintain dominance in the position.
7. Constant Pressure: As a “Guard Monster,” your goal is to keep constant pressure on your opponent. Don’t give them space to sit up or regain their posture. Keep them low and controlled, making it difficult for them to mount an effective attack or escape.
8. Transitioning: With their posture broken, you can now transition to various attacks such as arm drags, collar chokes, or set up sweeps like the scissor sweep or hip bump sweep. The broken posture is your key to advancing your game from the guard.

Key Points for Guard Monster - Breaking Posture in Closed Guard:

• Use strong grips on the collar, head, or arms to pull your opponent down.
• Engage your core and legs to pull your opponent towards you while lifting your hips.
• Control the head to keep them from regaining posture.
• Break any grips they have on your gi to maintain control.
• Maintain constant pressure to keep them low and off-balance.
• Transition to submissions or sweeps once their posture is broken.

The Guard Monster concept is a playful and effective way to teach the importance of breaking posture in the closed guard. By imagining yourself as a powerful creature pulling your opponent into your control, you can better understand the mechanics and effectiveness of maintaining a dominant position from the guard.