Good Luck Surviving Xande Ribeiro’s Closed Guard

 

We could all use more efficiency when it comes to our guard. Of course, retention comes to mind here, as keeping a guard is first and foremost a priority. But efficiency transcends all the layers of guard. How hard are you working to attack, reverse, and maintain your guard? The guard can be incredibly taxing if you’re not doing everything you can to be efficient when implementing your game. We must seek out methods of positioning and technique that help us maintain a high level of efficiency. This will transform our time in the guard from exhausting to fruitful. 

Xande Ribeiro has one of the most revered guards in BJJ. For years he’s demonstrated his high level of proficiency in the most elite grappling settings. Ribeiro has an incredibly long list of victories over some of the most iconic figures in the sport, and his guard has had quite a hand in his success. With the recent release of Ribeiro’s new instructional with BJJ Fanatics, Diamond Concept of Defense, we received the first comprehensive look at the inner workings of what has made Ribeiro’s guard so impenetrable over the years. There are some gems contained in his work that will greatly increase your ability implement your guard game with greater efficiency, leading to more success in the position. 

Turning to the closed guard for his next instructional, we’ll find Ribeiro leading us down another path. The closed guard, to some, has been considered a thing of the past. But make no mistake, it is alive and well and still evolving every day. The closed guard is still incredibly dangerous when used effectively and it has its own laundry list of utilities. Ribeiro’s closed guard is nothing short of a nightmare for the passer and understanding how he’s built such a monster is an exciting prospect. Let’s check out a little sneak peak of what to expect on the new instructional. Here, Ribeiro gives us some things to think about when using the closed guard. There are some very key concepts here. See if you can spot them! Take a look! 

 

Getting in to the closed guard, Ribeiro reminds us of one very important thing. It’s the strongest part of our body vs. the weakest when were here. Don’t be in such a hurry. 

Posture is quite possibly the most talked about principle of the closed guard. This goes for top and bottom of course but were focusing on bottom today. Posture is always a consideration and it can always make of break the exchange. Ribeiro addresses this first. He pulls in on his resisting partner using just his legs first, but to no avail. He then lifts his knees and bites down with his feet, even adding the assistance of his hands to break his partner down the second time. Very interesting and incredibly effective. With action reaction type effort, Ribeiro uses opposing forces to eventually get what he wants here. 

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One of Ribeiro’s favorite variations of the closed guard is what he refers to as the side closed guard. If you’re not familiar, think back take set up from the guard. Using any number of set ups, Ribeiro can find a method of hipping out to the side and begin to work from this extreme angle. The constant pursuing of this angle will lead to much more than the position itself as Ribeiro explains. He’ll also find other attacks and opportunities during his efforts to transition to the side closed guard. 

Upon arrival in the side closed guard, Ribeiro has now presented the passer with limited options. Each option has a consequence. In the first example, his partner attempts to square his body back up and remove the trapped arm. Ribeiro simply adjusts here, keeping the arm trapped and then uses his partner’s momentum to perform a reversal. Notice the adjustment Ribeiro makes as his partner drives in to him. He opens his legs and transitions to a higher guard. From this platform the attacks become more accessible and Ribeiro can gain much more leverage to sweep. 

The high guard in a traditional sense is incredibly controlling. If you’ve ever used or been inside of it, you know that its very constricting. Applying this concept to the side closed guard is very exciting, as it opens a whole new can of worms. Very interesting.

It seems all roads lead to this position for Ribeiro and the more I see the more it makes sense. Jiu-jitsu is all about angles, getting to our side, not staying flat. Why would we not adhere to these same principles in closed guard scenarios?

Ribeiro has taken the advantages of this extreme angel and systemized them to create an incredibly dangerous home base. We can’t dismiss the closed guard as a thing of the past. If you feel this way, maybe its possible that you’re just using it improperly. Its tough to get anything done from your back in almost every position imaginable. We need methods of creating these extreme angles so that we can cause put the passers in to positions where they are forced to make mistakes that we can take advantage of. 

The closed guard doesn’t have to be a boring stall fest. It can actually be incredibly exciting if the right tools are present. So many times, we witness passers just being held on to for dear life. Back and forth the fight for posture drags on and nothing gets done. This concept forces action and reaction and this is the e true essence of the closed guard. 

I’m excited to see more of what Ribeiro has in store for us here. Just a few of these small details have me interested in the rest of the system and how he chooses to implement it. This is very innovative and could change the way many of us view the closed guard. Looking forward to delving in! 

The Diamond Concept of Defense by Xande Ribeiro is a MASTER CLASS in DEFENSE. If you find yourself getting your guard passed constantly, or you are getting stuck in side control Xande can help you out. These techniques don’t require extreme athleticism or strength, just the power of the DIAMOND! Know how to structure your body to form the Ultimate Defense regardless of skill level!

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