Gabriel Arges How To Take The Back From X Guard In BJJ

By Matt Bryers, February 27, 2019

Learn Gabriel Arges' One Simple Secret For Taking ANYONE'S Back!

Gabriel Arges is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Romulo Barral and Felipe “Preguiça”, who also trained extensively with Marcelo “Uirapuru”, competing for the Gracie Barra Academy. Arges made a name for himself while competing in lower belt divisions and conquering important titles such as IBJJF World Champion in both gi and no gi. The list of Gabriel Arges’ accolades is long. Some of his most prominent titles are IBJJF World Champion, ACB 4 Grand Prix Champion, UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro Champion and much more.

Gabriel is the future of Jiu Jitsu and this is your opportunity to learn the secrets that led him to his second Black Belt World Title

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Today we are going to check out one of Arges’ techniques for taking the back from X guard. You can find this video and a whole lot more in Gabriel’s instructional series, “Back Takes For Everyone,” available exclusively on BJJFanatics.com!

In modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the X guard is amongst the most popular ways to play using an open guard. It can be a very powerful position to sweep from, but did you know you can also take the back from X guard? This is a great technique to use when you have an opponent standing in your X guard. It is simple to learn, effective, and works no matter what your level of experience is! So how do you it? Let’s check it out! Watch the video below and then we will break it down.

It is very common to come against an opponent in X guard who is standing. There are many X guard techniques you can employ to control your opponent when this is the case. Gabriel starts this technique by explaining some concepts around switching your guard at the right time. He uses De La Riva as an example. If your opponent stands in your De La Riva guard and starts to pass by pushing your leg down then it is probably the right time to switch to X guard. It is important to switch your hips and turn away when you have lost the De La Riva. This allows you at different angle to position yourself in. Gabriel shows that you also want to switch to a collar grip, hooking your opponent at the ankle with your free hand. Notice that this position Gabriel is in is much like half guard knee shield. Now you can get your knee across, giving you the ability to control the distance. After this you can cross your legs with your knees open. Usually your opponent will try to counter this by standing. To counter this, weaken their base by extending your legs. Trap the near leg, and take your opponent’s foot off the ground. Switch it to the other side of your head and keep it connected. Remember, you want to keep the torque on your training partner’s leg and knee.

To finish the back take, Gabriel moves under his training partner, allowing him to sit behind him. From here he can pressure down and easily take the back. Now when his opponent stands, Gabirle pulls down at the belt while kicking with his feet hooks. Once Gabriel has the back he is clear to start working neck choke submissions. This is a great way to take the back from X guard, and very simply. Remember, being able to flow from one guard to the next like in the example we saw here today can really help you learn how to retain your guard and set yourself for great transitions into dominant positions. So give this one a try the next time you are on the mats, and if you are interested in learning more from Gabriel then check out his instructional series, “Back Takes For Everyone.” It is packed with tons of high level advice on how to get to the back from virtually anywhere!