Half Guard

Half guard is that odd grappling position where the bottom player has only one of the top players legs locked up.  It’s kind of a crummy position for the bottom player but… it’s better than being in cross body or the mount.

So, when you find yourself in that position – get out!  The most natural solution for some folks is to simply try and pull guard so that they’ve got both their partner’s legs wrapped up.  For other people bridging and rolling their partner over comes more naturally.  Realistically, the solution should depend on how the top player is moving.  If they give lots of space for the legs, take full guard.  If they over-commit forward with their torso, roll them.

Another neat piece of the half guard is that either player can submit from this position – even though it is a crummy place to be for the bottom player.  Try starting some rolls from both the top and bottom half guard position and see what happens.

Check out the whiteboard to see what the students got out of today’s experiment.