Learn the Open Guard at Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu

This week on Gracie Barra Blog we are going to look at 5 different styles of open guard that intermediate to advanced jiu-jitsu students should be training.

Depending on your body type, your personal jiu-jitsu game and which submissions or sweeps that are your strongest attacks, you will gravitate more towards certain guard styles that work for you.
I suggest to blue belt students that they explore all of the various open guard styles to see which ones feel right for them. Then they can build their guard games around their strongest guard style.

Let’s see some different open guard styles as taught by Gracie Barra instructors.

1) Butterfly guard
A very powerful sweeping position effective in both no-gi and with the kimono. There are many different combinations available in this position. Check out the entire series of techniques as shown by Prof. Marcio Feitosa in his series on the butterfly guard.

2) Spider guard
If triangle and omoplata attacks are your favorite guard submissions, then you will probably use the Spider guard a lot. There are a great number of sweeps from this position as well which makes it one of the strongest guard styles.

3) X Guard
This is an especially effective guard that will work without the kimono. Prof. Daniel Marques teaches how smaller guard players can use the X-Guard to unbalance a heavier opponent on top and look for one of several possible sweeps.

4) Single Leg X Guard
Leg lock specialists must have a solid single leg X guard game as this is a primary entry and control position to attack various leg locks from the bottom. Prof. Dave Weber shows how the single leg X-Guard combines well with other related open guard styles like X-Guard and DLR

5) De la Riva guard
This is the first sweep that you should study from De la Riva control. Competitors in IBJJF tournaments love this guard and if you want to compete, you should be well versed in defending and passing the DLR guard. Many competitors like this guard as their favorite open guard style.

See also on Gracie Barra : GB Techniques: 5 Advanced Shoulder Locks
https://graciebarra.com/gb-association-news/gb-learning-5-advanced-shoulder-locks/

Credits: Mark Mullen
Gracie Barra Black belt based in Saigon, Vietnam