Half Guard Advice by Jake Mackenzie
Posted by Ismail Safi on
The half guard is probably the first position new grapplers look to expand to after they have gotten bored with the traditional stuff like closed guard, side control, and mount. Overall, half guard is a great position, especially for the inexperienced, because there are a ton of simple sweeps and submissions one can learn and add to their game.
Learn the half guard from one of the top specialists in the game, Jake Mackenzie!
More so, the half guard is a great position for beginners because it teaches and expands on a lot of the fundamentals everyone needs to develop. In half guard you learn how to frame appropriately, how to get and use under hooks, the value of an over hook, and how versatile many simple submissions are.
Also grappler is a great position to learn how simple positions can be modified to based on size and personal preference. Half guard is used differently by every person and it’s a great position to start developing your own personal style, something every successful grappler does.
As modifiable and versatile as half guard is, there are still some simple fundamentals every grapplers needs to understand to be successful. These details will improve your half guard regardless of style and attack preference.
Jake Mackenzie is a black belt under the legends Roberto Abreu. Jake has accomplished huge things in the word of Jiu Jitsu competition, winning multiple different high stakes championships. In the following video, Jake explains some of the basics of half guard everyone should know and talks about the importance of these details very well. See below:
The number one thing to focus on in half guard is not getting flattened. As Jake explained, if you get flattened while playing from half guard, you can get your guard passes easily. The way to prevent getting flattened is by using the appropriate frames with the arms and legs while also maintaining good posture. These are simple lessons you can apply to any position in Jiu Jitsu.
Jake Mackenzie's instruction of the half guard is one of the best you'll ever see!
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