New York Entry from Rubber Guard Attacker

As the attacker executing the New York Entry from Rubber Guard, your objective is to advance from Mission Control to the more offensively potent New York position by establishing a deep overhook on the opponent’s trapped arm. This transition requires coordinating the release of your shin-gripping hand with the threading of the overhook while maintaining enough hip engagement and leg pressure to prevent the opponent from escaping during the brief vulnerability window. The entry is fundamentally a grip transition under pressure, and success depends on your ability to maintain posture control through your legs alone while your arms execute the overhook swim. Once established, New York provides dual-point control through the overhook and shin grip that opens the entire upper chain of Rubber Guard attacks.

From Position: Rubber Guard (Bottom)

Key Attacking Principles

What are the key principles for executing New York Entry from Rubber Guard?

• Maintain shin-across-back pressure through hip engagement throughout the entire threading process, never relying solely on hand grip to hold the position
• Break posture completely before initiating the overhook swim. Attempting the entry against partial posture results in failed threading and potential guard loss
• Thread the overhook deep around the tricep with shoulder-to-armpit contact. Shallow overhooks catching only the elbow are easily extracted
• Use the opponent’s defensive reactions to create threading windows rather than forcing the entry against active resistance
• Coordinate hip angle adjustment with arm threading to maintain structural control during the transition phase
• Transition immediately to attacks once New York is consolidated. The position is a launching pad, not a resting point

Prerequisites

What do you need before attempting New York Entry from Rubber Guard?

• Established Rubber Guard with secure shin grip near the ankle and consistent pressure across the opponent’s back
• Opponent’s posture broken with head below their shoulder line and weight loaded forward onto their trapped arm
• Free arm positioned below the opponent’s near arm with clearance to initiate the swimming motion
• Hip flexibility sufficient to maintain active shin pressure using leg engagement alone during the brief one-handed phase
• Opponent’s trapped arm positioned forward rather than retracted to the hip, allowing the overhook to catch deep

Execution Steps

How do you execute New York Entry from Rubber Guard step by step?

1. Confirm Mission Control stability: Verify your shin is securely positioned across the opponent’s back with your hand gripping near the ankle. Ensure their posture is fully broken with head pulled below shoulder line. Test the stability by briefly engaging your hip flexors to confirm you can maintain shin pressure without the hand grip. Do not proceed until the position feels locked and controlled.
2. Identify the threading window: Read the opponent’s arm position and tension level. The ideal threading moment occurs when the opponent relaxes their trapped arm, shifts weight to their free hand for posting, or makes a failed posture recovery attempt that resets them deeper into your control. Rushing the entry without this window dramatically increases failure rate.
3. Engage hip flexors to secure shin independently: Before releasing your shin grip hand, actively engage your hip flexors and pull your knee toward your chest to lock the shin across the opponent’s back through muscular tension alone. This creates the structural foundation that allows your hand to release without losing the critical shin-across-back pressure that prevents posture recovery.
4. Release shin grip and initiate overhook swim: Release the shin-gripping hand and immediately begin swimming it under the opponent’s near arm. The motion should be smooth and continuous, threading from below the elbow and driving up around the tricep in a circular path. Speed matters here because this is the most vulnerable phase of the transition where shin control depends entirely on hip engagement.
5. Secure deep overhook with shoulder-to-armpit contact: Drive the overhook deep so your shoulder presses tight against the opponent’s armpit. The overhook should wrap around the tricep area, not just catch the elbow. Pull your elbow tight to your body to lock the overhook in place. A deep overhook prevents the opponent from retracting their arm and creates the structural control that defines New York.
6. Re-establish shin grip with opposite hand: Once the overhook is secured, use your newly free hand (the one that was previously your free arm before the swap) to re-establish the shin grip near the ankle. Both control points, overhook and shin grip, must now be active simultaneously. Confirm the grip is near the ankle rather than the knee for maximum leverage and control.
7. Adjust hip angle for New York mechanics: Angle your hips slightly toward the overhook side rather than lying flat on your back. This angular adjustment loads the opponent’s weight onto their compromised trapped arm side, further degrading their base and creating the asymmetric control pressure that characterizes New York. Your shoulders should stay rounded with chin tucked.
8. Consolidate and read opponent reactions: Tighten both control points simultaneously, verify posture remains broken, and begin reading the opponent’s defensive responses. Their reaction determines your next move: resistance to the overhook opens Invisible Collar; driving forward enables Chill Dog; circling away creates Carni opportunity. New York is always transitional; immediately progress to the appropriate follow-up.

Possible Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	New York	55%
Failure	Rubber Guard	30%
Counter	Open Guard	15%

Opponent Counters

How might your opponent counter New York Entry from Rubber Guard?

• Opponent initiates posture recovery by walking hands back and sitting upright before overhook is threaded (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Abandon the threading attempt and use your shin grip to pull their posture back down immediately. If they achieve partial posture, switch to threatening a triangle by shooting your leg over their shoulder as the posture creates space between their arm and body. Their posture recovery often creates the very opening needed for triangle entry. → Leads to Rubber Guard
• Opponent retracts trapped arm toward their hip during the threading window, preventing overhook establishment (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: If the arm retracts before the overhook catches, redirect to a triangle setup since the retracting arm is now inside your guard frame. Alternatively, use your shin pressure to re-trap the arm by pulling them forward again and reattempting the thread when their arm naturally repositions forward for balance. → Leads to Rubber Guard
• Opponent drives forward with stack pressure to flatten the bottom player during the vulnerable one-handed phase (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Accept the forward drive and use it to accelerate the overhook by letting their forward momentum bring their arm deeper into threading range. Simultaneously angle your hips to prevent being stacked flat. Their forward pressure actually assists the overhook depth if you time the swimming motion to coincide with their drive rather than fighting against it. → Leads to Open Guard
• Opponent grip-fights the shin-gripping hand, stripping control and opening the guard during transition (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: If the shin grip is stripped, immediately close your guard to prevent complete escape and re-establish posture control from closed guard. From there, re-enter Rubber Guard through the standard entry sequence. The opponent’s grip fight on your shin hand also exposes their arm for potential arm drag or underhook opportunities. → Leads to Open Guard

Common Attacking Mistakes

What mistakes should you avoid when executing New York Entry from Rubber Guard?

1. Releasing shin grip before engaging hip flexors to maintain independent shin pressure

• Consequence: Shin slides off the opponent’s back immediately, losing all posture control and allowing the opponent to posture up and potentially pass the guard entirely
• Correction: Before releasing the shin grip, actively engage hip flexors and pull your knee toward your chest. Test the pressure by loosening your grip slightly to confirm the shin stays locked through muscular engagement alone. Only then release fully to begin the threading motion.

2. Threading a shallow overhook that only catches the elbow or forearm

• Consequence: Opponent easily extracts their arm by pulling the elbow back toward their hip, escaping New York within seconds and potentially recovering posture to pass
• Correction: Drive the overhook swimming motion all the way around the tricep until your shoulder makes contact with the opponent’s armpit. The depth of the overhook directly determines control quality. If you feel the overhook is shallow, immediately deepen it by swimming further before the opponent can react.

3. Attempting the New York entry without fully breaking the opponent’s posture first

• Consequence: The opponent’s remaining posture provides enough structural integrity to resist the overhook threading and creates space to retract their arm or stand up out of the guard entirely
• Correction: Invest time in thorough posture breaking from Mission Control before initiating the entry. Use pulling pressure with the shin grip and opposite hand on the head to fully collapse their posture. Verify their head is below their own shoulder line before beginning the threading sequence.

4. Telegraphing the entry by visually looking at the arm or reaching slowly and obviously

• Consequence: Opponent recognizes the threading attempt early and preemptively retracts their arm or initiates posture recovery, closing the window before the overhook can establish
• Correction: Disguise the entry by combining it with other threats. Pull the opponent’s head down while simultaneously initiating the swimming motion. Keep your eyes on the opponent’s chest or head rather than staring at the target arm. The entry should feel like one continuous motion rather than a deliberate reach.

5. Losing hip angle during the threading phase by lying flat on the back

• Consequence: Flat positioning removes the angular pressure that keeps the opponent loaded onto their trapped arm side, giving them a symmetrical base to work from and making escape significantly easier
• Correction: Maintain a slight angle toward the overhook side throughout the transition. Your bottom hip should be slightly elevated with your body turned toward the overhook. This angle must be preserved even during the dynamic threading motion to keep structural pressure constant.

6. Spending too long in the transition phase with one hand on shin and the other mid-thread

• Consequence: Extended time in the vulnerable one-handed phase gives the opponent multiple opportunities to escape. Hip flexor fatigue accumulates rapidly when maintaining shin pressure without hand support
• Correction: Execute the threading motion as one continuous, committed movement. The release of shin grip, swim under the arm, and overhook lock should take no more than 2-3 seconds. Practice the threading speed in drilling until the motion is fluid and automatic.

7. Gripping the shin too high near the knee rather than near the ankle after establishing overhook

• Consequence: High shin grip provides less leverage for maintaining pressure across the opponent’s back. The opponent can more easily peel the leg away because the control point is closer to the fulcrum
• Correction: Always grip the shin near the ankle, positioning your hand between the ankle and lower calf. This maximizes the lever arm for pulling pressure across the opponent’s back and makes it significantly harder for them to strip the grip or peel the leg away.

Training Progressions

How do you train New York Entry from Rubber Guard (Attacker)?

Phase 1: Solo Mechanics - Threading motion and hip engagement Practice the overhook swimming motion and hip flexor engagement without a partner. Lie on your back, bring one leg to rubber guard position, and drill releasing the shin grip while maintaining leg position through hip engagement alone. Thread your arm through an imaginary opponent’s arm space. Perform 20-30 repetitions per side daily to build the motor pattern and hip endurance.

Phase 2: Cooperative Partner Drilling - Entry mechanics with zero resistance Partner assumes the top position in your Rubber Guard with no resistance. Practice the complete entry sequence from Mission Control to New York, focusing on each step: posture verification, hip engagement, shin release, overhook swim, shin re-grip, and angle adjustment. Complete 30-40 full repetitions per training session until the sequence feels automatic.

Phase 3: Progressive Resistance - Timing and adaptation under pressure Partner provides escalating resistance starting at 30% and building to 70% over multiple rounds. Partner chooses from posture recovery, arm retraction, and stack pressure as defensive options. Practitioner must identify threading windows and execute entries despite active defense. Track success rate to measure improvement across sessions.

Phase 4: Integration with Mission Control - Complete chain from guard pull to New York Begin from closed guard and work through the full Rubber Guard progression: posture break, Mission Control establishment, and New York entry as one continuous sequence. Partner provides realistic resistance throughout. Emphasis on recognizing when to attempt New York versus when to maintain Mission Control and wait for better timing.

Phase 5: Live Positional Sparring - Application under competition conditions Start from Rubber Guard in live positional rounds with full resistance. The goal is to reach New York and advance to at least one follow-up position (Invisible Collar, Carni, Chill Dog) within 60 seconds. Track success rates and identify recurring failure patterns. Adjust technique based on which counters you face most frequently.

Safety Considerations

What are the safety concerns for New York Entry from Rubber Guard?

The New York entry requires significant hip and hamstring flexibility. Never force the position beyond your current range of motion, as this risks hip flexor strains, hamstring tears, and groin injuries. During drilling, communicate with your partner about pressure levels during the overhook threading phase, as excessive resistance can strain the shoulder joint of either player. Warm up thoroughly before practicing, focusing on hip openers and hamstring stretches. If you experience sharp pain in the hip or groin during the shin-across-back position, stop immediately and address flexibility limitations through progressive stretching rather than forcing the position. The one-handed transition phase places extra demand on the hip flexors, so build endurance gradually.