MMA question for blues and above

[Zankou]

The problem is that most people play full guard badly.

If you want to play guard, you need to play a very high guard (rubber guard being one type), or a butterfly guard. Those are the two that are relatively safe from strikes. Unless you are very flexible, you won't be able to play a really good high guard.

I think there may be room for development of an "under" your opponent game in MMA -- x guard, deep half guard. But so far it hasn't really been put in place yet. Somebody will get there I bet!

We've recently seen DLR guard used in MMA to great effect by Aoki. You never know how people are going to innovate.

 

[Delbjj]

The guys you are listing as using it in mma are top tier BJJ guys who are using it against people notr on thier level

 

[wildcard_seven]

The guys you are listing as using it in mma are top tier BJJ guys who are using it against people notr on thier level

NOGUEIRA/WERDUM? To a lesser extent, Nog/Barnett.

I think those are top grapplers.

 

[blanko]

BJJ question for MMA fighting. I play the half guard when I am forced to my back in Gi and No Gi, but in MMA I noticed that that my old-school sweep set up leaves me open to strikes on my ribs and head from the guy on top. I ended up abandonding my sweep game and scrambled to my feet. My question is this, can anyone here recommend a way to control the underhook, while not getting hit to badly from the guy on top?

in mma you have to accept the fact that you are gonna get hit and you are gonna feel pain. The question is: how hard is he punching you? Is he giving you pain or is he injuring you or damaging you to the extent that impairs your abiltity to continue fighting.

 

[damit2hell]

i like to get a high underhook on the same side the leg is trapped and then insert a butterfly

 

[hayliks]

There is no bottom half guard in mma. It is just as bad as being in side control when it comes to GnP. You're better off working on regaining full guard from half, rather than try and work sweeps because 9/10 times you're going to get punished down there.

 

[_Glorfindel_]

From my experience, half guard is not well suited for mma, for the very same reason that other guys told you : You will get hit, and probably hit hard with punchs and elbows.

You should concentrate on closed guard and butterfly. there is an intersting fact when you're doing those in mma context, guys are easier to sweep than in pure grappling or bjj 'cause they will commit themself too munch when punching and get a little bit out balance, then will be easier to sweep.

Half guard is better than be fully mounted, but get out of there as fast as you can.

Look what GSP did to Serra in the half guard. Serra is surrely not a dick in bjj and GSP was very comftable in the half guard and Serra was trying as hard as he can to put him back in full guard.

 

[beeble]

BJJ question for MMA fighting. I play the half guard when I am forced to my back in Gi and No Gi, but in MMA I noticed that that my old-school sweep set up leaves me open to strikes on my ribs and head from the guy on top. I ended up abandonding my sweep game and scrambled to my feet. My question is this, can anyone here recommend a way to control the underhook, while not getting hit to badly from the guy on top?

use wats called a lockdown, switch your triangle in half guard from the traditional way, say if your on your right side, your left leg will come across his right leg, hooking your right leg while your right foot hooks under his right foot, keep the pressure on his leg/foot which neutralizes his right hip, keep the underhook on the left side, and you can pretty much throw your opponent above you in a pendulum like motion, duck in with your chest to his hip, and you can either take him town, stand up, or try to take his back

taking the motion from his hip stops him from posturing and pounding you, he may be able to throw little punches but if he does the bump up to get to his hip will only be that much easier... hope this helps

 

[thehamma711]

vitor belfort swept dan henderson 4 times from half guard.

 

[wOg]

I play a lot of half guard (jiu jitsu, not MMA) and the point really is the same. Half guard is an offensive position, not a defensive one.

The more you attack with your half guard, going right after his base, the better your half guard will be - jiu jitsu or MMA.

Nog and Monson are both good examples. You can't "hang out" in half guard in MMA, but it is a position that more fighters could probably take advantage of--especially when combined with the butterfly guard.

 

[_Glorfindel_]

I play a lot of half guard (jiu jitsu, not MMA) and the point really is the same. Half guard is an offensive position, not a defensive one.

The more you attack with your half guard, going right after his base, the better your half guard will be - jiu jitsu or MMA.

Nog and Monson are both good examples. You can't "hang out" in half guard in MMA, but it is a position that more fighters could probably take advantage of--especially when combined with the butterfly guard.

No!! You will get hit!! Dont you understand that??

Nog is not a good example. Nog got beat for about 10 min in every one of his fight and he always came back with a sub. Nog is Nog, you cant apply it to other fighter. Just try it at your dojo. Put a guy about your skill in your half guard, ask him to put boxing gloves and try it. You will get hit a lot!! It's simple, there is better guard than half guard for mma.

 

[wildcard_seven]

No!! You will get hit!! Dont you understand that??

Nog is not a good example. Nog got beat for about 10 min in every one of his fight and he always came back with a sub. Nog is Nog, you cant apply it to other fighter. Just try it at your dojo. Put a guy about your skill in your half guard, ask him to put boxing gloves and try it. You will get hit a lot!! It's simple, there is better guard than half guard for mma.

Everybody is ignoring the fact that Nog has taken little to no damage in the actual half guard through out various fights. It's skill, not his chin.

I don't know how people can say that he hasn't proven the potential of half guard in MMA. He's not especially strong or athletic, he's used it against top caliber opponents, and as I've said--he's taken little damage from the actual half guard.

It's like saying anaconda chokes don't work or triangle/armbars, cause only Nog can do them.

 

[Max Shane]

I play a lot of half guard in mma.

Actually, I don't "play" halfguard, but when I'm in that position there are normally things I can do that are effective.

If someone is leaning back in my guard pounding away and I can't break their posture, I open my guard and shoot a leg through for half guard. Immedaiately, I also sit up hard, head to chest, and I grab that deep underhook and fall back. From there I have two options that also flow into each other, I can either go for the half guard single leg and throw my leg out and work to standing. The single works out great most of the time.

Or another thing from halfguard is to get an overhook, and then shoot your half guard leg out and play a knee in the bicep/overhook game. It's effective in mma and eeasy to get from half guard.

 

[RadBoy]

Couture actually prefers top half guard to side control in MMA, because the guy on the bottom has less mobility, and he can G&P at his pleasure.

I've never seen anyone use half guard in MMA with good effect -- surviving is the best you can usually do.

Big Nog vs Timmy is the only time I have seen halfguard work.

 

[hayliks]

Very few people know how to use the half guard in mma. IF you get stuffed there, you're screwed against somebody that has good GnP. It's not a position you can be idle with, you need to be explosive, and you need a lot of great movement underneath your opponent. It's not recommended, and you don't see it much. I see only 1 or MAYBE 2 of you that have actually trained in MMA speaking about the effectiveness of the half guard in mma. Most of you guys have NEVER trained MMA so I don't know why you want to make a comment about it, plus I se a number of you that aren't even blue belts in bjj, so kindly fuck off and let the big boys talk ok?

 

[Max Shane]

I can't really remember what he did, but Vitor Belfort used some good half guard from what I remember at that Pride event here in America.

 

[wildcard_seven]

Very few people know how to use the half guard in mma. IF you get stuffed there, you're screwed against somebody that has good GnP. It's not a position you can be idle with, you need to be explosive, and you need a lot of great movement underneath your opponent. It's not recommended, and you don't see it much. I see only 1 or MAYBE 2 of you that have actually trained in MMA speaking about the effectiveness of the half guard in mma. Most of you guys have NEVER trained MMA so I don't know why you want to make a comment about it, plus I se a number of you that aren't even blue belts in bjj, so kindly fuck off and let the big boys talk ok?

I don't know if you're including me in this statement, but...

I don't train MMA, but when you've got clear examples of it being pulled off in MMA...what more is there to say?

I never said it was easy, or the preferred way to play, but I said that it can be done--and the proof speaks for itself.

If that wasn't your intention, never mind.

 

[Max Shane]

I don't know if you're including me in this statement, but...

I don't train MMA, but when you've got clear examples of it being pulled off in MMA...what more is there to say?

I never said it was easy, or the preferred way to play, but I said that it can be done--and the proof speaks for itself.

If that wasn't your intention, never mind.

Dude, anything "can be done". There's not much point playing to semantics; If your point is just to state what "can be done", then that's pretty stupid.

It's been proved that falling eight stories and surviving "can be done".


And eventhough I've said I play half guard in MMA, that position in general sucks. If I can work you from bottom half guard in MMA, chances are I'll be able to work you from just about anywhere on the ground.

 

[Max Shane]

repeat

 

[hayliks]

I don't know if you're including me in this statement, but...

I don't train MMA, but when you've got clear examples of it being pulled off in MMA...what more is there to say?

I never said it was easy, or the preferred way to play, but I said that it can be done--and the proof speaks for itself.

If that wasn't your intention, never mind.

Anybody can do anything, but you see 100 guys get more punished than perform a solid technique from bottom half guard in mma. Most top guys hold at LEAST a purple belt in bjj (mostly brown and black) and avoid bottom half guard like the plague. You can only think of 2 people ever that have had significant success with it. It's like the rubber guard, people can only name 1 person with huge MMA success with it. People think BJ is going to or will need to use rubber guard to win. BJ is not known for his rubber guard. He doesn't use it often, and usually only uses it to set up the oma plata. YES people can be successful with half guard, but the vast majority will be punished in that position, it's garbage for mma.