BJJ Graph

Open Guard

Dec 09, 202510 min read

Open Guard is the fundamental bottom position in BJJ where you use your legs positioned between you and your opponent to create distance, manage angles, and prevent them from establishing dominant control. Unlike closed guard where your legs lock around the opponent’s back, open guard maintains an open configuration that allows for greater mobility and diverse attacking options at the cost of requiring more active management. This position serves as the gateway to all modern guard systems and is essential for contemporary BJJ competition.

The defining characteristic of open guard is the use of your legs as active frames and tools to control distance and create angles. Your feet may be on opponent’s hips, shins across their thighs, knees creating frames, or various combinations depending on the specific guard variation you’re entering. Upper body grips on gi sleeves and collars (or wrist and elbow control in no-gi) complement the leg frames to prevent opponent from freely closing distance or establishing pressure.

Open guard requires constant movement and active management - it’s a dynamic rather than static position. The guard player must continuously read opponent’s movements and adjust leg positioning, grips, and angles accordingly. This active nature makes it more energy-intensive than closed guard but offers superior options for entering specific guard systems like Spider Guard, De La Riva, X-Guard, or Butterfly Guard. Modern BJJ competition heavily favors open guard due to its versatility and the sophisticated attacking systems that have been developed from it.

From the top perspective, Open Guard Top represents the fundamental challenge of navigating past an opponent’s dynamic leg frames while managing grip battles, maintaining base against sweeps, and creating passing opportunities. Success requires reading the specific guard variation being employed and selecting appropriate passing strategies - pressure passing against close guards, movement passing against distance guards, and systematic dismantling of complex guard structures through grip dominance and angle creation.

Key Principles

  • Active leg management creates distance control and prevents opponent from establishing pressure or freely advancing position

  • Distance control is the primary objective - managing space between you and opponent determines who controls the engagement

  • Hip mobility enables angle creation and quick transitions between guard variations or passing sequences

  • Grip fighting determines who controls the pace and direction of guard play or passing attempts

  • Read opponent’s posture and movement to select appropriate guard variation or passing strategy

  • Never remain static - constant adjustment and movement prevent opponent from settling into preferred strategy

  • Multiple attack paths available from open guard make it the gateway to modern BJJ systems

Top vs Bottom

 BottomTop
Position TypeDefensive with offensive optionsOffensive/Controlling
Risk LevelMediumMedium
Energy CostMediumMedium
TimeMediumMedium to Long

Key Difference: Dynamic leg positioning for mobility and control

Playing as Bottom

→ Full Bottom Guide

Key Principles

  • Maintain active foot and hand engagement at all times - passive limbs invite passing pressure

  • Control distance and angles through strategic framing and leg positioning, never allowing opponent to close distance freely

  • Prevent opponent from establishing dominant grips or pressure by constant grip fighting and hand battling

  • Create and exploit leverage through strategic hooks and grips, using opponent’s momentum against them

  • Connect upper and lower body control systems - grips and hooks must work together cohesively

  • Constantly threaten multiple attack vectors simultaneously to create dilemmas and prevent focused passing

  • Maintain hip mobility and avoid being flattened - once shoulders are pinned, guard retention becomes exponentially harder

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Passive legs/feet that remain static without active engagement

    • Consequence: Allows opponent to easily control distance, establish grips, and initiate passing sequences without resistance
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain constant foot activity - push, pull, hook, and reposition feet to create barriers and control opponent’s movement

  • ❌ Overextending arms in frames or grips, creating vulnerability to armlocks

    • Consequence: Exposes limbs to submissions and allows opponent to break through frames by attacking the extended joints
    • ✅ Correction: Keep elbows close to body when framing, use structure rather than strength, and maintain bent-arm angles for safety

  • ❌ Disconnected upper and lower body control - grips and hooks working independently

    • Consequence: Creates gaps in defensive structure that allow opponent to split defenses and achieve passing position
    • ✅ Correction: Coordinate grip fighting with foot positioning - when pushing with feet, pull with hands; when hooking with legs, frame with arms

  • ❌ Static positioning without adjustment to opponent’s movement

    • Consequence: Allows opponent to establish rhythm, predict defensive responses, and systematically dismantle guard structure
    • ✅ Correction: Constantly adjust angles, switch grips, change guard variations, and create unpredictable movement patterns

  • ❌ Poor distance management - allowing opponent too close or being pushed too far away

    • Consequence: Too close enables smash passing and pressure; too far eliminates control and allows opponent to disengage completely
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain optimal mid-range distance where feet can control hips/knees while hands control upper body - adjust dynamically

  • ❌ Flat back position with shoulders pinned to mat

    • Consequence: Severely limits hip mobility, makes guard retention exponentially harder, and signals imminent guard pass
    • ✅ Correction: Keep shoulders off mat when possible, maintain active posture, and use bridging/shrimping to prevent flattening

  • ❌ Committing too heavily to single guard variation without transition options

    • Consequence: Allows opponent to develop specialized counters and passing strategies for that specific guard
    • ✅ Correction: Develop fluid transitions between guard variations - spider to lasso to de la riva - based on opponent’s reactions

Playing as Top

→ Full Top Guide

Key Principles

  • Maintain proper posture with spine alignment and hips back to prevent forward pulls and maintain base against sweep attempts

  • Control opponent’s legs through strategic grips and positioning to limit their mobility and offensive options

  • Create and exploit passing angles by moving laterally and circling to bypass defensive frames and leg barriers

  • Establish grip dominance early in exchanges to dictate the pace and direction of passing sequences

  • Manage distance appropriately for your passing style - close for pressure passing, further for speed and movement-based passing

  • Anticipate and counter defensive guard transitions by recognizing patterns and maintaining connection points

  • Apply strategic pressure to break down guard structures while preserving energy and maintaining safe positioning

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Poor posture with rounded back and hips too close to opponent

    • Consequence: Increased vulnerability to forward pulls, collar drags, and overhead sweeps; loss of base and balance leading to successful guard retention or sweeps
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain upright spine alignment with chest up, hips back, and weight distributed through the legs; keep head above hips and shoulders back to prevent forward collapse

  • ❌ Neglecting grip fighting and allowing opponent to establish dominant grips first

    • Consequence: Opponent controls distance, posture, and passing angles; significantly reduced passing success rate as bottom player dictates the engagement
    • ✅ Correction: Proactively engage in grip fighting from initial contact; prioritize breaking opponent’s grips while establishing your own control grips on pants, ankles, or collar

  • ❌ Committing prematurely to pass without proper setup or grip control

    • Consequence: Telegraphed passing attempts that are easily countered; leaving vulnerable positions exposed during failed pass attempts; energy waste on ineffective techniques
    • ✅ Correction: Build systematic passing sequences with proper grip establishment, angle creation, and pressure application before committing fully to the pass

  • ❌ Passive engagement without applying pressure or creating threats

    • Consequence: Allows opponent time to establish complex guard structures, recover optimal positioning, and set up offensive attacks; stalling in neutral without advancement
    • ✅ Correction: Constantly apply forward pressure and create passing threats to keep opponent defensive; use feints and combination attacks to force reactions and create openings

  • ❌ Telegraphing passes with obvious weight shifts and predictable movement patterns

    • Consequence: Opponent anticipates passing direction and prepares defensive responses; low passing success rate due to predictability
    • ✅ Correction: Use misdirection, feints, and combination attacks; vary passing directions and pressure points; maintain unpredictability in movement and grip transitions

  • ❌ Standing too upright without controlling opponent’s legs or hips

    • Consequence: Opponent easily establishes distance management guards (Spider, Lasso, feet on hips); difficulty closing distance to initiate meaningful passing sequences
    • ✅ Correction: Control opponent’s legs immediately when standing - grab pants, ankles, or knees; use strategic movement to prevent full extension while maintaining base

  • ❌ Ignoring guard type and using inappropriate passing strategy for the specific guard configuration

    • Consequence: Using pressure passes against distance guards or speed passes against close guards; mismatched strategy leads to failed attempts and energy waste
    • ✅ Correction: Identify specific guard type being employed and select appropriate passing strategy; pressure pass butterfly/half guard, movement pass De La Riva/Spider guard

  • Closed Guard - Related guard position with locked leg configuration offering more security but less mobility

  • Butterfly Guard - Specific open guard variation using butterfly hooks for control and sweeping

  • Spider Guard - Specific open guard variation using sleeve and shin control for distance management

  • De La Riva Guard - Specific open guard variation with de la riva hook for controlling standing opponents

  • Lasso Guard - Specific open guard variation using lapel and shin control for asymmetrical attacks

  • X-Guard - Advanced open guard variation for single leg control and sweeping

  • Half Guard - Common transition position when open guard is partially passed

  • Side Control - Dominant position reached after successful guard passing

  • Seated Guard - Upright open guard variation with different angle dynamics

  • Headquarters Position - Transitional passing position during open guard top sequences