Go Further Faster – Half Guard (part 1)

(Note: part 1 is an overview, for more detailed descriptions of moves see parts 2-8)

Overview

The paradox of half guard
- It is one of the best passing opportunities for the top opponent and also one of the best sweeping opportunities for the bottom opponent.
- Solving the paradox
  - Head and shoulder position determine who is in control.
    - Bottom opponent needs to keep their head and shoulders free
  - Top opponent needs to control head and shoulders
The value of half guard
- Tight connections slows pace down
- Effective in gi and no gi
- Works well for all body types
The tight waist under hook series (primary series)
- A trilemma for the opponent with the roll through sweep
  - Roll through sweep
    - 3 critical steps to complete
      1. Lower leg shift
      2. Knee lift
      3. Hip shift
  - Trilemma
    1. Opponent stops roll through sweep
      - Attack the back
        
        Duck under
        
        Limp arm
        
        Cross body ride
      - When opponent stops the roll through and back attacks
        
        Leg takedown sweeps
        
        Ankle picks
        
        Single leg
        
        Reverse double
      - Tight waist position vs whizzer
        
        knee position
        
        Roll through sweep alternative
The overhook series
- Used when the underhook is denied
- Two escape responses
  1. Single elbow escape
  2. Double elbow escape
    - Enters into [[the clamp]]
      - Attacks
        
        Triangle
        
        Arm bar: juji gatame
        
        Arm bar: ude gatame
        
        Kimura
- Knee lever series available from this position:
  - 2 on 1 sweep
  - 2 on 1 to back
  - 1 on 1 scoop sweep
  - Overhook sweep
  - Knee lever as a method to gain an underhook
Dealing with reverse half guard postures
- Opponent sits through to their hip

General Introduction

Solving the paradox of half guard
- Paradox : It is one of the best passing opportunities for the top opponent and also one of the best sweeping opportunities for the bottom opponent.
- Solving the paradox requires you to understand the two problems of half guard
  1. Whoever controls the head and shoulders of the bottom opponent is winning
    - Top opponent needs to control head and shoulders
      - This is done by the top person gaining and under hook and cross face
    - Bottom opponent needs to keep their head and shoulders free
      - This is often done by the bottom opponent coming up to an elbow
  2. Distance management
    - You need to have the ability to both push and pull to manage distance
      - When the top opponent gets to chest-to-chest position we lose our ability to push with our legs.
What is the upside of playing bottom half guard
- You can create very tight connections with the opponent
- You have the easy ability to get under the opponent’s center of gravity
  - This is only easy if you win the underhook battle
- You create the ability to use your whole body vs half of the opponent’s body
- Any time you have won the underhook and have come up to your elbow, you are halfway to your opponents back
  - The only thing stopping you from taking the back is the opponent’s whizzer
Half guard leg connections
- Inside hook
- Outside hook
  - Be sure your knee is pointing down to the back of your opponents knee
  - Two forms:
    1. Above the knee
    2. Lower leg shift
- Inside hook triangle
  - You limit your movement in this position
  - Works well for short periods of time
- Scorpion
  - Inside hook, with a triangle and your foot under their foot
  - One of the few leg positions in bottom half that allows you to push with your legs
- Half butterfly
  - One hook under the opponents knee
Kuzushi: off balancing the opponent
- Windmill motion:
  - May not sweep the opponent but will cause them to base with an arm or leg allowing you to gain position
  - How to
    - Inside hook
    - Windmill your arms as one arm cross faces and the other goes to the knee
    - Bridge while you do this motion
- Knee lever
  - How to
    - Inside hook
    - Set outside foot on top of inside foot, so two big toes are on top of each other
    - Take hips off floor and point knees to outside
- Butterfly hook
  - When the opponent knee comes off the floor obtain a butterfly hook
  - Can use this to off balance opponent in both directions
- Scorpion elevator
  - Must be done when both arms are under the opponents arms
  - Obtain the Scorpion hook
  - Push opponent overhead with hands
  - Bring knees forward
Knee shields
- This position allows you to control your opponent and change your positioning
- You can easily come up to an elbow and enter the tight waist position
  - Ear on opponent’s chest
  - Arm across back with hand controlling the opponent’s far hip
- How to
  - Put knee on opponent’s sternum facing towards their jaw
  - Grab a Cross lapel grip
    - The higher the grip, the more control
    - Aim for a grip by the opponent’s ear
  - Use other hand to thumb post inside the elbow of the opponent
    - This is used to defend against them taking grips or cross facing you
Attack series that will be covered
- The Tight waist position series
  - Allows for three different threats
    - Back take
    - Ankle picks
    - Roll through sweep
- The knee lever series
  - sweeps
  - Off balancing
- Single leg lapel feed
- Deep half guard
Working from the worst case scenario
- Opponent is chest to chest, has underhook and cross face
- You can reverse with a single elbow escape
  - Put hand on opponent’s belt
  - Bridge
  - Shrimp and get knee on opponents hip
  - Push against opponent
  - Trap the arm that was cross facing you
  - Sweep
- Double elbow escape
  - Put hand on opponent’s belt
  - Bridge
  - Shrimp and get knee on opponents hip
  - Elbow escape with the same arm again getting the arm outside their shoulder
  - Enter the clamp position

Continue to: Part 2