Entering the Legs with Reverse X-Guard

By Fanatics Authors, September 20, 2018

The first time I was ever exposed to the reverse x-guard, I was in New Jersey at Ocean County BJJ. For those of you who don’t know, this is Tom DeBlass' academy, and the training is always tough. But this weekend it was particularly grueling. I was there for a summit with all of the current DeBlass association affiliates, and the academy was packed with some serious talent. It was a long day for me. The level of jiu-jitsu on those mats was very high, and I was learning a lot. Josh Hayden was one of the titans on the mat that day. I had watched Josh use the reverse x-guard during live training, and when it was my turn to train with him he put it to work on me as well (with not a lot of effort on his part). I had to know more about it. As he explained some of the ins and outs, I definitely found myself intrigued by how useful it was for leg lock entries and how it also shielded my legs from an opponent.

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Ill be honest though. I love the traditional x-guard. So, for me getting used to switching the feet after doing it for 10 years the other way was not an easy transition for me, and it still isn’t. I really have to think about it. So, if you’re an x-guard player, the position will be no problem for you to understand, but it may take some repetitions for your autopilot to consider it an option.

If you’re someone who enjoys the leg game, then you’re probably always looking to find new and effective ways to enter the legs. Consider playing with the reverse x-guard as a new means of getting to an entanglement.

In this video Kent Peters demonstrates a very basic way to enter into the position. There aren’t many steps, and it’s very easy to follow along. Enjoy!

For more X Guard, check out Josh's instructor Tom DeBlass' High Tech BJJ in the Gi where he will show all of his favorite techniques from his years of Gi training. You can get it here at BJJ Fanatics!

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