[triso]

I've been using the High Guard a lot lately. I find it MUCH easier to break his posture, control the head, and walk my legs up to keep his posture broken down.

Here are some things I'm running into:

Control Points:
What are your main control points when using this position, the arms, the head?

Getting Stacked:
Usually, I can deal with this and hit an armbar or flower sweep from here, but what are the most efficient ways of preventing the stack from this position?

Pulling Out:
Sometimes my opponent will manage to move his body back and slip his arms out, which usually means I'm going to get my guard passed. This doesn't happen that often, but I have a feeling I'm not controlling something quite right when it does.

Submissions:
The only submission I hit from this position is the armbar. Are there other submissions I can utilize from this position? Is there a good triangle setup?

Again, I'm in the early stages of making this a mainstay in my game, so much tweaking is to be done, but if anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

[Frodo]

My favorite submission from high guard is the santina.

[TacWar]

After reading your santina post I'm not sure I completely understand the submission, but then again I'm more of a visual learner anyways.


Question 1. What are the main points of control when utilizing the high guard: In Gi I actually keep control of a collar and find it helps me keep posture down, and also helps me prevent my opponent from pulling out of my high guard. I also grab the foot of the leg that is over the top, not sure why I do this I just find i go there a lot, might be my own experimentation with "crackhead and retard control" from the Eddie Bravo literature, again I'm really not sure.

Question 2. Avoiding getting stacked. Getting stacked happens in any guard game, the key is to anticipate the stack and transition. One way to get used to this is to throw your guard around a friend and tell them to work to break it and to stack you, and try and the feel of what happens when someone stacks you, and then learn to sweep or submit off the stack.

Question 3. opponent pulling out: The three things I always feel opponents do when I'm in my high guard is stack, can opener guard break, or pull out the back door. Usually the first two its all anticipation and flowing off my opponents movement, but pulling out is usually all my fault. I sometimes forget to keep my knees tight against my opponent and that is when they pull out, b/c that is when there is space to pull out.

Question 4. Submissions: Well personally I think the armbar is great to work from here and seems to always be only inches away, but I've had people bait me with the armbar and then pass my guard right off my transition. I've had someone omaplata me from high guard, and even one Kimura, but truthfully I haven't tried them enough from the high guard to be an expert.

Hope other people have some better suggestions than I do right now, hopefully something in there was useful.

[Frodo]

Good suggestions. Here are some more:

1) In high guard - either gi or no-gi, I always make sure one leg is over one shoulder and I had wrist control of that arm.

2) If you get stacked, try a sweep. Either a star sweep, pedulum sweep, armbar sweep, or just toppling him over like tomoenage would work. To avoid getting stacked, walk your hips away from him while keeping a good lock in high guard. That will stretch him out.

3) Pulling out is a risk, but if you go for a sub immediately after establishing high guard, it will be less of a risk. Don't hesitate!

4) The santina is a cool, simple submission. You simply pin his elbow to your hip and pull his arm the other direction. Works the same as ude garami, but without the arm entanglement.

[Zankou]

What I want to know is how people get to the high guard. I kind of think I may just not be flexible enough to do it.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Zankou

What I want to know is how people get to the high guard. I kind of think I may just not be flexible enough to do it.

There are a few ways. You can do it from rubber guard, breaking his posture my pushing his hips or knees out and jumping up, and other ways. I always use wrist control, though.

[Commissar]

I have to emphasise that you must be at an angle to your opponent. I don't know whether you are or not, but if you aren't, your high guard needs fixing.

[codemonkey76]

i have hit the gogoplata a couple of times when they tried to pull out, it gives you the little bit of space you need to get your leg in front of their head.

[CrackaJack]

frank mir used a variation of this one pete williams im pretty sure.

now i know kinda how to do it.

thanks

[greedysob]

Anybody by chance know of any videos on youtube or google video devoted to the high guard?