Williams Guard

bjjstateguard10thplanetrubberguard

State Properties

• State ID: S049
• Point Value: 2 (Advantageous control position)
• Position Type: Specialized control guard
• Risk Level: Low to Medium
• Energy Cost: High
• Time Sustainability: Short to Medium

State Description

The Williams Guard is an advanced variation of the Rubber Guard developed within Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. This position represents a progression from the initial Rubber Guard control (Mission Control) through New York position to achieve a configuration where the practitioner’s shin crosses behind the opponent’s head while maintaining arm control. The position creates exceptional control over the opponent’s posture and upper body while setting up powerful sweeps and submissions, particularly the shoulder lock known as “The Williams” and pathways to the Omoplata. Named after Williams Barbosa, who inspired aspects of the position, the Williams Guard exemplifies the 10th Planet approach of creating specialized control positions through unorthodox movement patterns and extreme flexibility.

Key Principles

• Establish and maintain strong arm control with opponent’s arm trapped
• Create and sustain shin positioning behind opponent’s head/neck
• Control opponent’s posture through multiple connection points
• Maintain proper hip positioning and angle relative to opponent
• Apply synchronized pressure through legs and upper body control
• Prevent opponent from creating defensive frames
• Manage energy expenditure through efficient tension application
• Create submission and sweep opportunities through controlled movements

Prerequisites

• Exceptional hip and hamstring flexibility
• Strong Rubber Guard foundation
• Understanding of Mission Control and New York positions
• Knowledge of proper shoulder alignment to prevent injury
• Ability to maintain multiple control points simultaneously

State Invariants

• Practitioner’s shin positioned behind opponent’s head/neck
• Opponent’s arm trapped and controlled against practitioner’s chest
• Shoulder pressure created through leg positioning
• Opponent’s posture compromised
• Practitioner’s guard closed or semi-closed
• Connection between practitioner’s leg and upper body control

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

• Posture and Stack → Guard Breaking
• Two-on-One Arm Control → Grip Breaking
• Forward Pressure → Posture Establishment
• Head Pull → Neck Clearance
• Base Widening → Stability Creation

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

• Williams Shoulder Lock → Won by Submission
• Williams to Omoplata → Omoplata Control
• Gogoplata Setup → Gogoplata Control
• Push-Pull Sweep → Top Position
• Williams to Triangle → Triangle Control
• Dead Orchard Entry → Dead Orchard Control
• Williams Back Take → Back Control
• Return to New York → New York Control

Counter Transitions

• Re-establish Williams → Williams Guard (against posture breaks)
• Switch to New York → New York Control (if shin position is compromised)
• Retreat to Mission Control → Mission Control (under significant pressure)

Expert Insights

• Danaher System: While not a position featured in the Danaher system directly, acknowledges its effectiveness as a specialized control position for practitioners with exceptional flexibility. When analyzing the position, focuses on understanding the mechanical principles that make it effective, particularly the combination of arm control and shin placement that creates powerful control mechanics.
• Gordon Ryan: Rarely employs the Williams Guard in his own game but recognizes its utility within specialized systems. When addressing the position, focuses on systematic approaches to defeating it, particularly through strategic posture and grip fighting to prevent the initial establishment of the position.
• Eddie Bravo: As the primary developer and proponent of the Williams Guard within his 10th Planet system, considers it an advanced expression of the Rubber Guard control sequence. Emphasizes the position’s value as both a control mechanism and a pathway to specialized submissions, particularly the shoulder lock that shares its name. Has created a detailed progression system for reaching and maintaining the position, with specific counter-responses for common defensive reactions.

Common Errors

• Insufficient hip flexibility → Positional strain and ineffectiveness
• Poor shin positioning → Reduced control effectiveness
• Inadequate arm control → Defensive escape opportunities
• Overreliance on leg strength → Energy depletion
• Neglecting proper shoulder alignment → Potential injury risk
• Premature submission attempts → Position compromise

Training Drills

• Williams Guard entry and control maintenance against progressive resistance
• Transition flows between Williams Guard and related positions
• Flexibility development exercises with gradual progression
• Submission sequences from established Williams control
• Defensive recognition and counter drills
• Energy management exercises with controlled tension

Related States

• Rubber Guard - Foundational system
• Mission Control - Prerequisite position
• New York Control - Entry position to Williams
• Omoplata Control - Common submission transition
• Gogoplata Control - Specialized submission option

Decision Tree

If opponent attempts to pull arm free:

• Execute Williams Shoulder Lock or Williams to Omoplata

Else if opponent drives forward with pressure:

• Execute Gogoplata Setup or Williams to Triangle

Else if opponent attempts to stack:

• Execute Push-Pull Sweep or Williams Back Take

Else if opponent creates space and posture:

• Execute Return to New York or Dead Orchard Entry

Position Metrics

• Success Rate: 75% control effectiveness when established (competition data)
• Average Time in Position: 10-30 seconds
• Submission Probability: 60%
• Sweep Probability: 50%
• Position Loss Probability: 20%

Optimal Paths

Submission path 1: Williams Guard → Williams Shoulder Lock → Won by Submission

Submission path 2: Williams Guard → Williams to Omoplata → Omoplata Control → Won by Submission

Triangle path: Williams Guard → Williams to Triangle → Triangle Control → Triangle Finish → Won by Submission

Historical Context

The Williams Guard emerged as part of the evolution of Eddie Bravo’s Rubber Guard system in the early 2000s. Named after Williams Barbosa, whose flexibility impressed Bravo, the position represents a refinement of earlier Rubber Guard concepts into a more specialized and mechanically advantageous configuration. Initially viewed as an exotic or highly specialized position due to its flexibility requirements, the Williams Guard has gained recognition within the broader BJJ community as practitioners have demonstrated its effectiveness in both competition and training. The position exemplifies the innovation that characterized the early development of the 10th Planet system, creating new control paradigms that expanded beyond traditional BJJ approaches.

Computer Science Analogy

The Williams Guard functions as a “constraint satisfaction optimization” in the BJJ state machine, where multiple physical variables (shin position, arm control, hip angle) must be simultaneously configured to create a maximally effective control state. This implements a form of “state locking” where specific opponents’ degrees of freedom are systematically eliminated through precise configuration of multiple control points. The position exemplifies the concept of a “specialized heuristic algorithm” that sacrifices general applicability for exceptional performance within a narrow problem domain, creating an optimized solution for the specific constraints of posture control and submission setup.