X Guard

12/12 - Downtown

Poor James. Every time he asks me if I'm familiar with a particular guard...X guard, DLR, spider, etc., my eyes roll back. Today I finally told him that if it isn't closed, then no have idea. Today we started from seated/shin guard. Not really sure what to call it. You're sitting on your butt and opponent is standing or crouching in front of you, trying to pass. What I discovered is that while I'm not comfortable with the transition into X guard, me likey once I get there.

James discussed relaxing (to an extent) while in guard and then exploding on a pass. If I have someone in guard and I'm always tense, my opponent is going to be tense, expecting me to move. It's more difficult to catch them with something if they are tensed and waiting for it. So set it up, get position, then explode in quick, efficient movements. Theme applies to BJJ as a whole, but it might be easier to implement in one position at a time, especially one that I'm most comfortable in.

Learned what constitutes leg reaping. You cannot bow their knee out, only in. Probably a poor description. If you have your left leg wrapped around their right leg, your foot cannot go past their hip (i.e. their stomach). 

Technique

Set-up:  On your butt, opponent is coming in.
1. Started with a pass defense.  Get a grip relatively high on their right lapel with your right hand. If they come to your right, bring your hips and right leg off the floor, turn slightly to your right and bring your arm and bodyweight back down to the mat at the same time, driving them to the mat face first and likely into a turtle-like position. Immediately gain control of their near side leg and close the distance.

2. If opponent goes the other way (toward your left), keep your right arm locked, grip behind their right ankle with your left hand, and push into your right hand as you stand up, bringing their leg up with you. Should resemble a stand-in-base movement.

Set-up: You're on your butt, knees up. Opponent is crouched on their right knee in front of you.

3. Cup their right ankle with your left hand, dive feet under their leg, right hand grips under their left thigh and eventually through to the outside of their thigh. Knees should be pointed out (away from each other other). Keep control of their left leg, using your right arm to pin it to your head. If they sit off to the side, making it difficult to get them off the ground, go to single X by bringing your right leg around the outside of their right leg and then pinning foot to hip. Probably have foot-locks and the like set-up from here. Otherwise, go to X guard by kicking your right leg behind them to straighten it and then bringing it back underneath them, hooking the front of your foot above the front of their knee. Can also lift up their left leg to help you maneuver.

4. From shin guard as you are transitioning to X guard, if they attempt to run out of it (i.e. they face your feet and try to move in that direction), keep one of your feet on the back of their knee (probably their right knee if using the set-up from above) and continue to grip the bottom of their left pant leg or cup the ankle (better) and come up standing behind them. Can continue to drive down on the left leg to bring them down.

5. If you're in X guard and their weight is neutral or back, drop your left foot down the back of their leg to just above their heel, then kick it forward and you drive/push into their left leg with your right arm. Must make sure to defend the triangle as you come up.

6. If you're in X guard and their weight is forward, grip their right sleeve to keep them posting and roll to your left, you should sortof end up in side-control. If you can't get the sleeve, push up on their left leg with your right hand, turn to your right to get behind them. Bring your left leg through and you should be sitting up, facing their back. If they are close to you, yank down on their belt. If they are leaning forward, immediately get up and attempt to take their back.

We did two six minute rounds of positional sparring from shin/X guard. Worked with Sara, and did ok in both. This was my first time working with X guard, so I didn't have much of a feel for what was good and what was bad as far as where the other person's weight is distributed. I thought I was in a good spot a couple of times but turned out not so much.

Rolled with Sara, Antone and James. Antone snaggled my arms left and right, as usual. I did fairly well at scrambling and fighting to not get trapped in bad positions. James was calling out points while we rolled. It's hard for me to get into the points mindset, but it is really motivating when it comes to not giving up bad positions (i.e. another reason not to fall into them).