BJJ Graph

Spider Guard

Dec 09, 20258 min read

Spider Guard is a highly technical open guard position characterized by the bottom player controlling both sleeves of the opponent while placing their feet on the opponent’s biceps or elbows, creating strong pushing frames. This guard creates exceptional distance management and posture control, allowing the bottom player to break down the top player’s base while setting up sweeps, triangles, and omoplatas. The position derives its name from the resemblance to a spider’s legs extending outward with thread-like control of the opponent’s arms.

Spider Guard is particularly effective in gi-based competition, where sleeve grips provide mechanical advantage for controlling distance and creating off-balancing opportunities. The position allows the guard player to maintain safe distance while simultaneously threatening attacks, making it difficult for the opponent to establish effective passing pressure. Advanced practitioners use Spider Guard as a hub position, flowing to Lasso Guard, De La Riva Guard, and various other open guard variations.

The effectiveness of Spider Guard relies heavily on grip strength, hip mobility, and precise foot placement. When executed correctly, it creates a dilemma for the opponent: maintaining upright posture leaves them vulnerable to sweeps, while attempting to address the feet on biceps creates opportunities for transitions to submission positions. This position is fundamental to modern gi jiu-jitsu and serves as a cornerstone of many competition-focused guard systems.

Key Principles

  • Maintain deep sleeve grips at the cuffs to maximize lever arm length and control opponent’s arm movement

  • Keep constant pushing pressure through feet on biceps to control distance and prevent opponent from establishing close-range pressure

  • Use hip movement and angles to create off-balancing opportunities rather than relying solely on arm strength

  • Coordinate grip pulls with foot pushes to create opposing forces that break opponent’s posture and base

  • Maintain active hip positioning off the mat to enable quick transitions and sweep entries

  • Adjust foot placement between biceps and elbows based on opponent’s reactions and passing attempts

  • Use one leg as primary control while the other leg creates angles and threatens attacks

Top vs Bottom

 BottomTop
Position TypeDefensive with offensive optionsDefensive with offensive options
Risk LevelLow to MediumMedium
Energy CostMediumMedium
TimeMedium to LongMedium

Key Difference: Sleeve and bicep control for distance management

Playing as Bottom

→ Full Bottom Guide

Key Principles

  • Maintain constant tension through extended legs pressing against opponent’s arms to prevent forward pressure and passing attempts

  • Keep grips tight on sleeves or collar to control opponent’s posture and prevent grip breaks

  • Use hip movement and angle creation to set up sweeps and prevent guard passes

  • Balance extension with the ability to retract legs quickly for transitions to other guards

  • Control distance through foot placement - biceps for maximum extension, hips for closer control

  • Create constant dilemmas for opponent between defending sweeps and maintaining posture

  • Combine foot pressure with grip control to break opponent’s balance and create sweep opportunities

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Allowing legs to bend and lose extension pressure on opponent’s arms

    • Consequence: Opponent can drive forward pressure and establish passing position
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain constant leg extension with active foot pressure against biceps or hips, keeping legs straight and creating distance

  • ❌ Gripping too low on opponent’s sleeves or wrists instead of upper sleeve

    • Consequence: Weak control that allows opponent to strip grips and advance position
    • ✅ Correction: Establish grips at or above opponent’s elbows for maximum leverage and control, using deep four-finger sleeve grips

  • ❌ Keeping hips flat on the mat without active movement

    • Consequence: Limited ability to create angles for sweeps and vulnerability to stack passes
    • ✅ Correction: Keep hips elevated and mobile, constantly adjusting angles and using hip movement to set up attacks and prevent passes

  • ❌ Using both feet on same side creating imbalanced control

    • Consequence: Opponent can easily circulate around uncontrolled side to pass guard
    • ✅ Correction: Distribute feet strategically - one on each arm for maximum control, or one bicep and one hip for varied pressure

  • ❌ Failing to transition when opponent secures strong grips or begins breaking guard

    • Consequence: Guard gets passed as opponent establishes dominant grips and posture
    • ✅ Correction: Recognize grip fighting disadvantage early and transition to closed guard, lasso, or other guard variation before position is compromised

  • ❌ Over-committing to sweeps without securing proper grips first

    • Consequence: Failed sweep attempts that leave guard vulnerable to passes
    • ✅ Correction: Establish strong grip and foot control before initiating sweeps, ensuring proper setup and timing

Playing as Top

→ Full Top Guide

Key Principles

  • Maintain strong upright posture to prevent being broken down or swept forward

  • Systematically break grips before attempting to pass, never force passes with grips intact

  • Control distance by stepping back or circling to reduce effectiveness of Spider Guard hooks

  • Use grip breaks in combination with angle changes to create passing opportunities

  • Keep weight centered and base wide to defend against technical sweeps like lasso sweeps and scissor variations

  • Target weak points in the guard structure such as single-side Spider Guard or transitions between grips

  • Pressure the legs down and forward once grips are broken to flatten the guard and enable passing sequences

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Attempting to pass with sleeve grips still intact, allowing bottom player to maintain full distance control

    • Consequence: Bottom player easily executes sweeps or transitions to submissions as top player moves forward into their control structure
    • ✅ Correction: Systematically break grips first using proper grip-breaking mechanics, then establish your own passing grips before advancing

  • ❌ Staying too close and allowing bottom player to break posture down with collar grips combined with Spider Guard hooks

    • Consequence: Top player gets swept forward or pulled into triangle or omoplata entries where bottom player has superior control
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain distance and upright posture, step back when necessary to reset and prevent posture breaks

  • ❌ Committing weight forward onto one side while bottom player still has strong Spider Guard on that side

    • Consequence: Easy technical sweep for bottom player as top player’s weight is already committed in direction of sweep
    • ✅ Correction: Only commit weight forward after neutralizing the Spider Guard on that side through grip breaks and leg control

  • ❌ Ignoring the lasso hook transition, allowing bottom player to establish deep lasso control

    • Consequence: Lasso becomes extremely difficult to pass and opens multiple sweep and omoplata opportunities for bottom player
    • ✅ Correction: Recognize lasso entry early and immediately address it with proper lasso passing sequences or prevent the entry through grip fighting

  • ❌ Using arms to fight against the foot pressure on biceps, creating arm fatigue and wasted energy

    • Consequence: Top player tires quickly, grips weaken, and bottom player maintains control with minimal energy expenditure
    • ✅ Correction: Use posture, distance management, and systematic grip breaks rather than muscling against foot pressure

  • ❌ Failing to control the bottom player’s hips and legs after breaking grips, allowing immediate guard re-establishment

    • Consequence: Bottom player simply re-establishes Spider Guard and the passing cycle restarts with no progress made
    • ✅ Correction: Immediately control pants or legs and pressure forward to flatten the guard structure once grips are broken

  • ❌ Standing too narrow or with feet too close together when facing Spider Guard

    • Consequence: Poor base makes top player highly vulnerable to technical sweeps even with mediocre Spider Guard execution
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain wide, stable base with feet outside opponent’s hips and weight centered between both legs

  • Lasso Guard - Common variation where one leg threads under opponent’s arm creating lasso control

  • Open Guard - Parent category position that spider guard falls under

  • Collar Sleeve Guard - Related guard position using similar grip concepts with different foot placement

  • De La Riva Guard - Complementary open guard that combines well with spider guard transitions

  • Double Sleeve Guard - Grip configuration used in establishing spider guard control

  • Butterfly Guard - Alternative open guard that can be transitioned to from spider guard

  • X-Guard - Transition target when opponent stands and spider guard sweeps create elevation

  • Triangle Control - Primary submission transition target from spider guard

  • Omoplata Control - High-percentage submission transition when opponent drives forward