Top 3 Types of Guards fir MMA?

[ShotsWereFired]

i'll also throw in a nomination to Shawn Williams Guard

 

[Shemhazai]

i'll also throw in a nomination to Shawn Williams Guard

Agreed, but I'd say it's more of a specific attacking position than a guard per se. I tend to set up the angle with feet on hips and an overhook/shin-grab before I go to the leg hook.

 

[DiscipleOfPog]

I think the open guard is much better for defending strikes. I'd also say it's better for sweeps, considering the opponent will be throwing his weight around a bit as he hunts for openings for strikes.

The problem with open guard, and I think the same reason we see much more closed guard in MMA, is that it's simple for the opponent to disengage and force the stand-up.

I think it's too easy to get pounded in half guard. Butterfly guard is also great for avoiding strikes and sweeping, but it's also pretty easy to disengage from butterfly guard and force the stand-up.

 

[thegreenblender]

Well, since most of us are jiu-jitsu guys, and utterly helpless and weak on our feets, I'm gonna say closed. The last thing we want is our opponent standing up whilst in our open guard and then we have to stand and exchange blows!

 

[Shemhazai]

Well, since most of us are jiu-jitsu guys, and utterly helpless and weak on our feets, I'm gonna say closed. The last thing we want is our opponent standing up whilst in our open guard and then we have to stand and exchange blows!

I get most of my sweeps when guys stand in my open guard ...

 

[BJJ Sorceress]

Open, Closed, and Rubber.

 

[NateTx4112]

I get most of my sweeps when guys stand in my open guard ...

Difference is you do this in bjj, not in mma.

 

[Bruce Calavera]

Half guard is not good for MMA, maybe the worstttttt guard!

In order I think:

1. Rubber guard (bc u cant get hit if u do it right)
2. Closed (bc u can break posture and keep control)
3. Butterfly (bc u can control opponents hips)

Umm...all of those reasons also apply to all of those guards.

 

[Shemhazai]

Difference is you do this in bjj, not in mma.

Sure, it's more difficult in MMA (everything on bottom is), but we've seen plenty of guys sweep standing opponents in MMA as well. They just don't hang out in DLR/X/whatever guard, they get down to business right away.

 

[korleone1911]

lol... rubber guard

 

[James Fuller]

I get most of my sweeps when guys stand in my open guard ...

Yeah but is that when they are punching you in the face or in no gi? Because its a risky place to be in mma with the guy standing over you.

 

[Shemhazai]

Yeah but is that when they are punching you in the face or in no gi? Because its a risky place to be in mma with the guy standing over you.

Gi and no gi (I use no gi grips more or less exclusively regardless of attire), but I don't train MMA. That being said, I've seen all of my go-to sweeps from open guard pulled off in MMA. I'm not saying it's good to have an opponent stand over you in MMA, just that aggressively attacking with open guard sweeps can be a good counter-strategy. Also, if you keep disrupting your opponent's base and threatening with sweeps, your opponent's strikes will be much less effective, or he might just give up on strikes altogether for fear of the sweep.

 

[RibCrusher**]

for mma, closed guard has proven to be the best. fighters have gotten a lot of triangle, armbar, and guillotine subs from there, and you can also tie up for the standup.

feet on hips guard is also good, just purely to push the guy off and stand up.

but open guard punches are much worse than closed guard punches for the guy on bottom.

 

[supersuk]

Depends on situation, position, and what you're working for. A good grappler would use several guards and transition to any guard that presents an advantage.

What are your requirements for "top 3"? Best Risk vs Reward? Least amount of risk? Best opportunity to press action? most commonly used?