Ringworm Guard Top represents the defensive challenge of dealing with one of the most technically sophisticated lapel guard variations in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When caught in this position, the top player faces significant mobility restrictions due to the lapel wrapped around their leg, limiting base, balance, and passing options. The position requires systematic problem-solving to extract from the lapel configuration while defending against sweeps, back takes, and submission attempts.
The primary challenge from the top position is the mechanical disadvantage created by the lapel wrap, which effectively ties one leg to the bottom player’s control system. This restricts weight distribution, prevents explosive movement, and creates predictable defensive patterns that skilled guard players exploit. The top player must prioritize grip breaking, posture maintenance, and systematic extraction while remaining aware of sweeping and back-taking opportunities the bottom player will attempt.
Strategically, escaping Ringworm Guard requires understanding the mechanical principles of lapel control and developing specific counters to the most common attacks. The top player must balance the urgency of escaping the position with the need to maintain defensive integrity, as hasty movements often lead to sweeps or worse positions. Success depends on systematic grip breaking, careful base management, and patience in working through the extraction sequence.
This position is primarily encountered in gi-based competition and training environments, particularly against opponents trained in Keenan Cornelius’s lapel guard system. Understanding Ringworm Guard Top defense is essential for complete guard passing skill development in modern BJJ.
Position Definition
- Top player has one leg compromised by opponent’s lapel wrapped around the knee or thigh area, restricting mobility and creating mechanical disadvantage with limited base options and altered weight distribution patterns
- Bottom player maintains lapel grip with tension while using leg frames, hooks, or shields to control distance and create off-balancing angles, forcing top player into reactive defensive patterns
- Top player in standing or combat base attempting to establish grips for posture recovery and lapel extraction while defending against sweeps and back-taking attempts from the compromised position
Prerequisites
- Opponent has successfully threaded their lapel around your leg and secured the grip
- Bottom player maintains tension on the lapel wrap creating movement restrictions
- You are wearing a gi that provides the bottom player with lapel control material
- Bottom player has established at least one secondary control point on your upper body or limbs
- You have not yet successfully broken the lapel grip or extracted your leg from the wrap
Key Offensive Principles
- Prioritize breaking the lapel grip before attempting aggressive passing, as the wrap severely limits safe movement options
- Maintain defensive posture and protect your back at all times, as Ringworm Guard creates numerous back-taking opportunities
- Use systematic grip fighting to control the bottom player’s hands and prevent them from establishing additional control points
- Create space and distance to facilitate leg extraction rather than forcing through the wrap with pressure
- Stay patient and methodical in your escape sequence, as rushed movements typically lead to sweeps or submissions
- Monitor your base constantly and adjust weight distribution to compensate for the restricted leg mobility
Available Attacks
Lapel Grip Break and Posture Recovery → Open Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Leg Extraction from Lapel Wrap → Combat Base
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Stack Pass with Lapel Control Negation → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Standing Guard Pass with Distance Creation → Headquarters Position
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 45%
Smash Pass Counter → Half Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Standing Reset to Open Guard → Standing Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent has just established the lapel wrap and is still securing their grip:
- Execute Immediate Posture and Grip Strip → Open Guard (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Leg Extraction from Lapel Wrap → Combat Base (Probability: 45%)
If opponent has secure lapel control and is creating angles for sweeps:
- Execute Standing Reset to Open Guard → Standing Guard (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Lapel Grip Break and Posture Recovery → Open Guard (Probability: 40%)
If opponent begins sweeping motion or off-balancing attempts:
- Execute Stack Pass with Lapel Control Negation → Side Control (Probability: 40%)
- Execute Pressure Pass to Half Guard → Half Guard (Probability: 45%)
If opponent establishes secondary grips and multiple control points:
- Execute Standing Extraction with Distance → Standing Guard (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Systematic Grip Breaking Sequence → Combat Base (Probability: 35%)
Optimal Submission Paths
Safest extraction to side control
Ringworm Guard Top → Lapel Grip Break → Combat Base → Stack Pass → Side Control
Standing reset to safe passing
Ringworm Guard Top → Standing Extraction → Standing Guard → Headquarters Position → Guard Pass
Pressure counter to half guard
Ringworm Guard Top → Stack Pass Counter → Half Guard → Half Guard Pass → Side Control
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 30% | 25% | 5% |
| Intermediate | 45% | 40% | 10% |
| Advanced | 60% | 55% | 15% |
Average Time in Position: 60-120 seconds to extract or get swept
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
Defending against Ringworm Guard requires understanding that the lapel wrap creates a closed mechanical system that converts your own movement into control disadvantages. The biomechanical principle at work is leverage multiplication - the bottom player uses the lapel as a force multiplier that makes your leg weight work against your base stability. The systematic solution involves grip breaking as the primary objective, with all other defensive considerations subordinate to this goal. You must be willing to temporarily accept other positional disadvantages to focus both hands on breaking the lapel grip, as no other aspect of your defense matters while that wrap remains secure. The key technical insight is recognizing that patience and systematic approach defeat this position far more reliably than athleticism or pressure. Many top players make the error of treating this like standard open guard, attempting to pressure pass or drive forward, which plays directly into the guard player’s mechanical advantages. Instead, we must prioritize grip breaking, then leg extraction, then posture recovery, and only finally consider passing attacks. This sequential approach may feel slow, but it represents the highest percentage path through this defensive challenge.
Gordon Ryan
Ringworm Guard is one of those positions where you need to check your ego and accept that you’re in a bad spot that requires careful navigation. I’ve had training sessions with Keenan where he showed me just how effective this guard can be, and the biggest lesson was understanding that rushing makes everything worse. When I encounter this position in competition, my immediate mindset is escape first, pass second. Don’t worry about looking dominant or aggressive - focus on solving the problem systematically. The grip break is everything. I typically use a two-on-one approach where I control their wrist with one hand and strip the lapel with the other, accepting that I might lose some upper body control temporarily. Once the grip is broken or weakened, I immediately stand up to create distance and reset to a standing passing position where the lapel wrap becomes much less effective. The key is recognizing this position early and not letting them fully consolidate it. If you feel the lapel starting to thread around your leg, address it immediately before they secure the full configuration. Prevention is infinitely easier than extraction once they’ve locked it in.
Eddie Bravo
From a 10th Planet perspective, dealing with gi-specific positions like Ringworm is interesting because it highlights the importance of understanding different games even if you primarily train no-gi. The conceptual lesson here is recognizing when you’re in a specialized control system that requires specialized counters - whether that’s a lapel wrap in gi or a body triangle in no-gi. What I tell my students who cross-train in gi is don’t try to muscle through weird gi guards. These positions were invented by high-level competitors specifically to shut down standard passing approaches, so you need to develop specific counters. For Ringworm, the answer is usually creating distance and standing up, essentially resetting the engagement rather than fighting through the control system. It’s like when someone gets a really good lockdown on you in half guard - sometimes the best option is to disengage and restart rather than fighting through their strongest position. The mental game aspect is huge too. Don’t let frustration make you sloppy. These technical positions can be incredibly annoying to deal with, but that’s exactly why they work - they make you want to do something reckless, which is exactly what the guard player is hoping for.