BJJ Graph

Worm Guard

Jun 15, 20255 min read

Worm Guard

bjjstateguardopen_guardlapelgi

State Properties

  • State ID: S023
  • Point Value: 0 (Neutral with strong offensive advantage)
  • Position Type: Specialized offensive guard
  • Risk Level: Medium
  • Energy Cost: Medium to High
  • Time Sustainability: Medium to Long

State Description

Worm Guard is a specialized modern guard system developed by Keenan Cornelius that uses the opponent’s lapel as the primary control mechanism. The position is characterized by threading the opponent’s lapel around the player’s leg while establishing specific grips and hooks that severely limit the opponent’s mobility. This creates a powerful control position that offers exceptional sweeping opportunities and transitions to other advantageous positions. Worm Guard represents the evolution of lapel-based guards in modern gi jiu-jitsu, creating defensive security through innovative grip configurations.

Key Principles

  • Thread opponent’s lapel around your leg to create the “worm”
  • Establish secure lapel grip with same-side hand
  • Control opponent’s sleeve/wrist with opposite hand
  • Position De La Riva hook on opponent’s lead leg
  • Create and maintain angle relative to opponent
  • Use lapel tension to restrict opponent’s movement
  • Manage distance through strategic hook and grip adjustments

Prerequisites

  • Advanced grip fighting skills
  • Familiarity with lapel control mechanics
  • Understanding of De La Riva guard principles
  • Hip mobility and dexterity
  • Patience for grip establishment

State Invariants

  • Opponent’s lapel wrapped around your leg
  • Secure grip on threaded lapel
  • Control of opponent’s opposite sleeve
  • De La Riva hook on opponent’s lead leg
  • Angled body position relative to opponent

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: While not specifically focusing on Worm Guard in his teaching, acknowledges the mechanical principles that make it effective - particularly the combination of lapel control to limit hip mobility with leg positioning to prevent movement. Emphasizes understanding the defensive hierarchy when caught in Worm Guard rather than specialized offensive development of the position.
  • Gordon Ryan: Has adapted certain principles of Worm Guard to no-gi contexts, focusing on the mechanical control aspects rather than the specific lapel configurations. Recognizes the position’s effectiveness for competition but focuses more on universally applicable guards in his own game.
  • Eddie Bravo: Has not explicitly incorporated Worm Guard into the 10th Planet system due to its gi-specific nature, but has developed parallel control structures in no-gi that achieve similar control objectives through different mechanical means.

Common Errors

  • Insufficient lapel tension → Reduced control effectiveness
  • Poor lapel threading depth → Easy for opponent to extract
  • Flat positioning → Vulnerability to pressure passing
  • Overcommitment to lapel grip → Neglecting defensive awareness
  • Passive De La Riva hook → Ineffective leg control

Training Drills

  • Worm Guard entry and grip sequencing
  • Maintenance against progressive passing pressure
  • Transition flows between Worm and related guards
  • Sweep combinations with resistance
  • Recovery sequences from compromised positions

Decision Tree

If opponent stands tall with weight back:

Else if opponent tries to knee cut:

Else if opponent attempts to grip break:

Else if opponent pressures forward:

Position Metrics

  • Success Rate: 75% offensive action (competition data)
  • Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds
  • Sweep Probability: 65%
  • Back Take Probability: 40%
  • Position Loss Probability: 25%

Optimal Paths

Sweeping path: Worm Guard → Worm Guard Sweep → Top Position → Side Control → dominant position sequence

Back-taking path: Worm Guard → Berimbolo Entry → Berimbolo → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Submission path: Worm Guard → Omoplata from Worm → Omoplata Control → submission finish

Historical Context

Worm Guard was developed and popularized by Keenan Cornelius around 2014, representing an evolution in lapel-based guards. The system emerged in response to the increasing sophistication of guard passing, creating a control structure that severely limited the passer’s mobility through innovative use of the gi. Worm Guard subsequently evolved into a family of related positions (Squid Guard, Ringworm Guard, etc.) that all use the same fundamental principle of using the opponent’s own gi against them to create powerful control mechanisms.

Computer Science Analogy

Worm Guard represents a specialized constraint system in the BJJ state graph that uses the opponent’s equipment (gi) against them - similar to how a computer virus might repurpose a system’s own resources to restrict its function. The guard creates a “deadlock” scenario where the opponent’s movement is severely constrained through circular dependencies (the lapel wrap), requiring significant resource expenditure to break free from the constraint system.

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