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Feet on Hips Guard

Dec 09, 20259 min read

Feet on Hips Guard represents one of the most fundamental distance management positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where the guard player places both feet on the opponent’s hip bones to create controllable space. This position serves as a critical gateway between closed guard and more advanced open guard systems, teaching practitioners the essential principle that effective guard play relies on leg frames rather than grip strength alone. The feet-on-hips configuration provides immediate defensive structure while maintaining maximum mobility for transitions, sweeps, and submissions.

The position’s strategic value lies in its dual nature as both a retention mechanism and an offensive platform. When under pressure, the feet-on-hips frame creates instant distance that prevents the opponent from consolidating passing position. When attacking, the same frame provides the structural foundation for off-balancing, creating angles, and launching sweep attempts. The hip bones serve as ideal contact points because they offer bony landmarks that maximize force transmission while minimizing the energy required to maintain frames.

From a pedagogical standpoint, feet on hips guard teaches beginners the fundamental concept that open guard is an active, dynamic state rather than a passive defensive posture. The position requires constant hip movement, angle adjustment, and grip fighting—skills that translate directly to all advanced guard variations including Spider Guard, De La Riva, X-Guard, and beyond. Understanding feet on hips mechanics provides the foundation for guard retention theory and creates the technical vocabulary needed for sophisticated open guard play.

The position excels against standing and combat base opponents, using leg extension to manage engagement distance. However, its effectiveness depends on active implementation—static feet-on-hips frames eventually succumb to persistent pressure and grip control. Successful practitioners use this position as a transitional hub, constantly threatening attacks and guard changes that prevent the opponent from settling into passing sequences. The position’s low risk profile and medium energy cost make it sustainable for extended periods, but its true power emerges when used dynamically as part of a comprehensive guard system.

Key Principles

  • Place feet on hip bones (anterior superior iliac spine) not thighs or stomach for maximum structural connection and pushing efficiency

  • Maintain elevated hips with curved lower back, never allowing hips to flatten to mat, preserving mobility and frame effectiveness

  • Use legs as active pushing frames with constant micro-adjustments in pressure and angle to track opponent movement

  • Coordinate pushing forces through legs with pulling forces through grips to create off-balancing tension

  • Treat position as transitional hub not destination, constantly threatening sweeps, submissions, and guard changes

  • Fight aggressively for grip control while prioritizing maintenance of foot frames as primary defensive structure

  • Create angles through lateral hip movement while maintaining bilateral foot pressure on both hips

Top vs Bottom

 BottomTop
Position TypeDefensive with offensive optionsOffensive
Risk LevelLow to MediumMedium
Energy CostMediumMedium
TimeMedium to LongMedium to Long

Key Difference: Leg frames maximize mobility and transitions

Playing as Bottom

→ Full Bottom Guide

Key Principles

  • Maintain feet on hip bones (not thighs or stomach) with ball of foot providing maximum pushing surface and directional control

  • Keep hips mobile and elevated to create constant angle adjustment and prevent opponent from settling weight or achieving static grips

  • Use legs as active pushing frames rather than passive barriers, constantly adjusting distance and breaking opponent’s posture attempts

  • Grip fight aggressively to prevent opponent from controlling ankles or pant legs, which would compromise the distance management system

  • Stay ready to transition to other guards (Spider, De La Riva, X-Guard) when opponent attempts to pass or creates openings

  • Create angles by walking hips laterally while maintaining foot pressure on hips, setting up sweeps and off-balancing opportunities

  • Combine pushing and pulling forces through coordinated leg extension and grip control to break opponent’s balance and posture

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Placing feet on opponent’s thighs instead of hip bones

    • Consequence: Reduced leverage and pushing power, allowing opponent to easily control legs and initiate passing sequences
    • ✅ Correction: Focus foot placement specifically on bony hip landmarks (ASIS), creating maximum structural connection and pushing efficiency

  • ❌ Allowing hips to flatten to mat with lower back touching ground

    • Consequence: Loss of mobility and frame effectiveness, enabling opponent to settle weight and advance guard pass progression
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain constant hip elevation with active core engagement, creating curved spine position that preserves movement options

  • ❌ Extending arms rigidly without active grip fighting

    • Consequence: Opponent easily controls wrists or sleeves, neutralizing upper body defense and creating passing opportunities
    • ✅ Correction: Keep arms mobile with constant grip fighting, breaking opponent’s grips while establishing your own advantageous connections

  • ❌ Failing to track opponent’s movement with hip rotation

    • Consequence: Opponent circles to side or back, bypassing frames and achieving dominant passing angles
    • ✅ Correction: Walk hips continuously to face opponent squarely, adjusting foot pressure and angles to maintain centered defensive structure

  • ❌ Remaining static in feet-on-hips position without transitioning

    • Consequence: Opponent eventually finds grip combinations or passing angles to defeat the guard through persistence
    • ✅ Correction: Use feet-on-hips as transitional position, constantly threatening sweeps, submissions, or guard changes to prevent opponent settling

  • ❌ Allowing opponent to control ankles without immediate response

    • Consequence: Loss of distance management capability and exposure to stack passes, leg weave passes, and other ankle-control-based attacks
    • ✅ Correction: React immediately to ankle grabs by retracting legs, changing angles, or transitioning to different guard configuration

  • ❌ Pushing with feet without coordinated pulling with hands

    • Consequence: Opponent maintains balanced posture despite leg pressure, preventing effective sweeps or off-balancing
    • ✅ Correction: Synchronize pushing and pulling forces through simultaneous leg extension and grip manipulation to break opponent’s base

Playing as Top

→ Full Top Guide

Key Principles

  • Control the knees before attempting to pass - grip fighting at the pants is essential foundation

  • Maintain constant forward pressure to prevent bottom player from recovering better guards or establishing sleeve control

  • Break one frame at a time rather than attempting to clear both feet simultaneously

  • Keep hips low and weight distributed to prevent being pushed backward or off-balanced

  • Use angle changes and lateral movement to create passing opportunities when frames adjust

  • Timing is critical - pass when bottom player adjusts their frames or attempts guard transitions

  • Protect against De La Riva hooks and lasso guards during frame breaking process

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Attempting to pass without controlling the knees first

    • Consequence: Bottom player easily re-establishes guard or executes sweeps using full leg extension
    • ✅ Correction: Establish strong pants grips at the knees before initiating any passing movement to neutralize leg frames

  • ❌ Standing too upright with poor base and elevated center of gravity

    • Consequence: Vulnerable to push sweeps and loss of balance from leg extension pressure
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain low, athletic stance with weight distributed evenly and hips engaged for stability

  • ❌ Allowing bottom player to establish sleeve grips without fighting

    • Consequence: Bottom player transitions to spider guard or lasso guard with increased control and sweep opportunities
    • ✅ Correction: Fight grips aggressively and keep elbows tight to prevent sleeve control while establishing pants grips

  • ❌ Rushing the pass without breaking frames methodically

    • Consequence: Bottom player pushes you away or off-balances you with coordinated leg and grip pressure
    • ✅ Correction: Methodically break one frame at a time before committing to pass, ensuring control throughout

  • ❌ Keeping weight too far back away from the engagement

    • Consequence: Bottom player maintains distance and can attack with submissions or establish better guards
    • ✅ Correction: Apply constant forward pressure while maintaining balance to prevent guard recovery

  • ❌ Ignoring De La Riva hook threats during frame breaking

    • Consequence: Bottom player establishes De La Riva and sweeps or takes the back during passing attempt
    • ✅ Correction: Keep knee line awareness and clear hooks immediately when they appear before continuing pass

  • ❌ Using upper body strength to force through frames without technique

    • Consequence: Energy depletion and exposure to submissions when frames eventually collapse you forward
    • ✅ Correction: Use grip control and angle changes to systematically dismantle frames rather than forcing through

  • Open Guard - Parent category - feet on hips is fundamental open guard variation

  • Spider Guard - Natural progression when sleeve grips are established from feet-on-hips

  • De La Riva Guard - Common transition when opponent advances one leg or attempts lateral pass

  • X-Guard - Transition target when opponent steps close or attempts ankle control

  • Butterfly Guard - Alternative configuration when opponent drops to combat base between legs

  • Closed Guard - Recovery position when opponent drives forward into guard or distance collapses

  • Triangle Control - Primary submission threat when opponent reaches forward with extended arms

  • Lasso Guard - Advanced variation adding lasso hook to feet-on-hips frame structure

  • Collar Sleeve Guard - Grip variation adding upper body control to foot frames

  • Double Sleeve Guard - Alternative grip configuration maintaining same distance management concept

  • Combat Base - Common opponent posture when facing feet-on-hips frames

  • Standing Position - Alternative opponent posture requiring different distance management