Guard Selection Guide
Knowing twenty guards badly is worse than knowing three guards well. This guide helps you pick which guards to invest in based on your body, your opponents, and your ruleset.
The Four Guard Families
Guards cluster into four families based on how your legs connect to your opponent:
Closed Guards — legs locked around opponent (ankles connected). Maximum control, limited mobility. Best for beginners and self-defense. Examples: Closed Guard, Rubber Guard, Williams Guard
Open Guards — legs not connected, using hooks, grips, and frames. Dynamic, distance-based, requires better timing. Examples: Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard, Butterfly Guard, Lasso Guard
Half Guards — one of opponent’s legs trapped between yours. The universal recovery position. Strong sweeps, limited submissions. Examples: Half Guard, Z-Guard, Quarter Guard
Leg Entanglement Guards — controlling opponent’s legs for sweeps and leg attacks. Dominant in modern no-gi. Requires systematic understanding. Examples: X-Guard, Ashi Garami, Inside Sankaku
Comparison Table
| Guard | Difficulty | Best For | Gi/No-Gi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed Guard | Beginner | Control, self-defense | Both |
| Half Guard | Beginner | Recovery, sweeps | Both |
| Butterfly Guard | Intermediate | Versatility, transitions | Both |
| De La Riva Guard | Intermediate | Off-balancing, back takes | Both |
| Spider Guard | Intermediate | Distance control | Gi only |
| Lasso Guard | Intermediate | Stalling pressure passers | Gi only |
| Collar Sleeve Guard | Intermediate | Fundamentals, sweeps | Gi only |
| Z-Guard | Intermediate | Frames, distance | Both |
| X-Guard | Advanced | High-percentage sweeps | Both |
| Ashi Garami | Advanced | Leg attacks | No-gi primarily |
| Inside Sankaku | Advanced | Heel hooks | No-gi primarily |
| Rubber Guard | Advanced | No-gi control, MMA | No-gi primarily |
| Worm Guard | Advanced | Creative control | Gi only |
Selection by Opponent’s Passing Style
Against pressure passers (heavy, smash passing): Use guards that create distance and frames — Z-Guard, Spider Guard, Lasso Guard. These force them to deal with your legs before they can close distance.
Against speed passers (fast, standing passes): Use hook-based guards that off-balance mobile opponents — De La Riva Guard, X-Guard, Butterfly Guard. Their speed works against them when they’re off-balance.
Against leg drag specialists: De La Riva Guard and Shin-to-Shin Guard directly counter leg drag mechanics. Avoid positions that expose your back.
Against knee cut passers: Z-Guard and Butterfly Guard stuff the knee cut. De La Riva Guard can sweep before they initiate.
Selection by Body Type
Tall / long legs: Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard, Lasso Guard. Length creates distance and maximizes your frame advantage.
Stocky / short legs: Butterfly Guard, Half Guard, X-Guard. Compact guards that use leverage over reach.
Flexible: Rubber Guard, Inverted Guard, Z-Guard. These positions reward hip mobility that other practitioners can’t replicate.
Strong grip: Spider Guard, Lasso Guard, Collar Sleeve Guard. Grip-intensive gi guards where hand strength is a direct advantage.
Selection by Competition Format
IBJJF Gi: Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard, Lasso Guard. Grip-based control, sweep points, limited leg locks at lower belts.
IBJJF No-Gi: Butterfly Guard, Half Guard, Ashi Garami. Dynamic guards, back take opportunities, moderate leg lock rules.
ADCC / Submission-Only: Ashi Garami, Inside Sankaku, X-Guard. Full leg attack game, back takes, aggressive offense rewarded.
MMA / Self-Defense: Closed Guard, Rubber Guard, Half Guard. Control posture, prevent strikes, stand up or sweep. Avoid extended guards where you can be hit.
Selection by Match Situation
Ahead on points: Closed Guard, Z-Guard — maintain control, don’t risk position.
Behind on points: Butterfly Guard, De La Riva Guard, X-Guard — create sweep opportunities, take calculated risks.
Submission only / overtime: Ashi Garami, Inside Sankaku — leg locks and back takes for the finish.
Learning Order by Belt Level
White belt: Master Closed Guard and Half Guard. These two cover 80% of the situations you’ll face. Add basic Open Guard concepts (feet on hips, distance management).
Blue belt: Add Butterfly Guard as your core open guard — it works gi and no-gi and connects to everything. Pick one of Spider Guard (gi) or De La Riva Guard (both) as your second open guard. Develop Z-Guard for half guard depth.
Purple belt and beyond: Specialize. Pick 1-2 guards to master completely based on your body type and style. Add X-Guard and leg entanglement guards for no-gi. Explore Worm Guard or Lasso Guard for gi creativity. Your guard game should be a connected system where defending one guard feeds into another.
The best guard is not the most sophisticated one — it’s the one you’ve drilled enough to trust under pressure.