Favorite ways to break posture from CG

[Bruce Calavera]

What ways do you guys find are the easiest to break someone's posture in closed guard? Once I've broken grips I like cupping the elbows and flaring the arms out while simultaneously pulling them forward with my legs. The person usually posts on the mat which gives me time to shrimp and secure a dominant angle.

 

[elbigsam]

Pretty similar, I like pulling the elbows into a flared angle.

 

[177ark]

Get one underhook. Reach over the same arm with your other hand. Gable grip your hands. Pull your elbows to your sides while pulling your hands to your chest (like a rowing motion). This will pry his elbow out AND pull him slightly sideways, giving a good angle to start attacking that arm.

 

[redaxe]

I prefer to armdrag. I pick whichever arm seems more vulnerable, cross-pistol grip the sleeve with one hand and the wrist with my other hand, break the grip off and pull it across, and sit up, reach behind his neck and hug him so he can't posture up or pull his arm back across.

As I'm doing this I hip out so I'm more perpendicular to him, then depending on what he does I either go for an armbar, flower sweep (w/ the gift wrap if I can get it) or try to climb the back. Sometimes I'll even triangle from there if I can clear his other arm with my leg.

IMHO getting that arm across and the perpendicular angle is the basis of most effective attacks from guard, and to me this is the easiest way to do it.

 

[ijustwannasurf]

I prefer to armdrag. I pick whichever arm seems more vulnerable, cross-pistol grip the sleeve with one hand and the wrist with my other hand, break the grip off and pull it across, and sit up, reach behind his neck and hug him so he can't posture up or pull his arm back across.

As I'm doing this I hip out so I'm more perpendicular to him, then depending on what he does I either go for an armbar, flower sweep (w/ the gift wrap if I can get it) or try to climb the back. Sometimes I'll even triangle from there if I can clear his other arm with my leg.

IMHO getting that arm across and the perpendicular angle is the basis of most effective attacks from guard, and to me this is the easiest way to do it.

Like your style. 2 on 1 FTW.

EDIT- to the TS, I will always try your way first, especially if they have both hands on my hips. I think this is the best thing to show beginners, as it teaches the importance of using your whole body to break their posture. That, and as redaxe said, getting your hips out and angled are the foundation of full guard.

 

[redaxe]

Like your style. 2 on 1 FTW.

EDIT- to the TS, I will always try your way first, especially if they have both hands on my hips. I think this is the best thing to show beginners, as it teaches the importance of using your whole body to break their posture. That, and as redaxe said, getting your hips out and angled are the foundation of full guard.

Yeah, closed guard is all about isolating one arm, and a two-on-one grip is the way to do that. In the gi as long as I can break his grip on my lapel, it's pretty easy to pull the arm across, and breaking his posture comes naturally after that because he has no base to posture up once the arm is across.

In no-gi I do the two-on-one with that thumb-down cross-grip on the tricep and still try to armdrag, OR I go for a tight overhook and try to triangle. The overhook is also a very powerful way to break posture and isolate an arm.

 

[Bruce Calavera]

I've also been experiementing with swiming my arms from the outside underneath their arms and puliing up and out. I kind of simluates what flaring does in that once you feel they're coming down you need to create an angle. Anyone have any other ideas? Maybe something unorthodox?

 

[Freezing Winds**]

Get one underhook. Reach over the same arm with your other hand. Gable grip your hands. Pull your elbows to your sides while pulling your hands to your chest (like a rowing motion). This will pry his elbow out AND pull him slightly sideways, giving a good angle to start attacking that arm.

i like this as you can switch to kimura or just put in the opposite butterfly hook and sweep

 

[CyberFreq]

In gi, cup the elbows and flare out, pulling them in. From there, head/arm grip to hold down.

In nogi, SAME THING.

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

I like controlling the elbows as well as arm drags. I don't like to think about it as pulling his arm across my body. Instead, I like moving my body around his arm. I also like to sit up into the person or use a lapel or collar grip.

BTW, Bruce Calavera was promoted to blue belt last week! Congrats!!!