Stretching for Rubber guard

[alphamale]

hey guys,

i know there's been a bunch of stretching threads before but im looking for any stretches you guys do specifically to help your rubber guard? any links, pics, vids appreciated. I basically need to get my hip flexors and piraformis muscles stretched out.
I heard that bravo's newest book has some stretching stuff in it, can anyone fill me in on what, and how they've found those excercises.

cheers.

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

1. The book is worth buying.

2. In the stretching section, Bravo mentions a lot of his flexibiity routinecomes from yoga. So check that out.

3. Some of the stretches in the book are (and these are vague descriptions, I know) the lotus, the lotus combined with reaching forward, half lotus, half lotus combined with a hurdler's stretch, lie on your back and combine a half lotus with pulling your opposite knee to your chest.

4. You should find some illustrations or something to make sure you're doing these stretches properly.

 

[Christian Medina]

I work a lot of rubber guard these days; meet hook triangle is a bread and butter (judo and jits people alike) while the invisible collar works on the noobs.

The best yoga for jits, IMO, and I've tried a few, Stephen Kesting's inlcuded:
http://www.poweryogastore.com/miva/...ct_Code=D-BKS&Category_Code=D&Product_Count=0

Just did the workout this morning, actually. The second workout will make your inner hips feel shredded for the first few weeks. It's perfect for rubber guard.

The other great attributes you aquire is good isometric strength (this IS a workout, not just stretching), which is what a lot of jits is about, and it also teaches you how to breath in uncomfortable positions. Also helps alleviate back pain.

Granted, the dude is a frickin fruit. The DVD at least lets you do it at home and away from the ridicule of your peers.

 

[Kyuktooki]

I was wondering, is it even worthwhile to learn the rubber guard if you aren't particularly flexible?

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

I was wondering, is it even worthwhile to learn the rubber guard if you aren't particularly flexible?

I'm just learning it, but here's my 2 cents.

Bravo's opinion on this is that you don't expect to kick someone in the head on the first day of Muay Thai - but you work your flexibility until you can.

I am not leg-behind-my-head flexible, but I am pretty limber for a big guy and have long legs, which I think helps. If you can comfortably get into the "mission control" position you can begin to play the rubber guard. Get the book to make sure you're doing it properly, if not, it makes it more difficult.

So far, I mostly use it to sweep through the omoplata. I'm just not flexible enough yet for some of that crazy shit.

Also, Bravo's book has an extensive section on half guard.

 

[letsgotribe9]

Besides butterfly stretches, I do one I don't know the name too. I was also born with flexibility, but this one still really helps....

You take one of your legs and put the ankle on top of the knee of the other leg. Bend that leg, the one which your ankle rests on, into your chest. Essentially it's a figure 4, in which you want your knee touching one shoulder and your ankle touching the other. It's also important to try to keep your back straight in order to get extra stretch for it. It's a direct rubber guard stretch.

I also think it's very difficult to obtain rubber guard flexibility without being born flexible, but go for it.