How the Gi Helps Closed Guard

Closed guard is one of the most popular guards in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Many people believe that it is one of the best guards in bjj.  There are so many powerful sweeps, submissions, and attacks from closed guard.  Closed guard is also an extremely versatile position. You can successfully use the closed guard in gi, nogi, MMA, and self-defense, therefore, many schools emphasize a deep understanding of the closed guard.

Today, we discuss how the gi can allow you to have far more attacks in the closed guard and can enhance your closed guard game.  Contrary to popular belief, the gi makes your closed guard more dangerous.  Although it allows your opponent to have more grips, they do not have any more attacks from top than they would have had without a gi, they only have better base.

How does the gi help?  The gi allows you to have far more sweep set ups, and submissions set ups. Learning to use the gi to manipulate your opponent can take your game to the next level.  If you’re a nogi guy, check out our article “Neil Melanson, Hidden Closed Guard Secrets.”  Neil is a master of closed guard for nogi and MMA.

The Gi for Sweeps in Closed Guard

The gi can enhance your sweeps in closed guard by a mile.  You have so many different grip variations to perform sweeps and it allows you to use other things that you can’t in nogi.  For example, you can do a scissor sweep with a foot on the bicep, like a hybrid closed guard/Spider guard. 

You have access to the lapels and can use them to set up different sweeps, you also have access to pant grips which is a tremendous advantage.  For popular sweeps like the flower sweep, instead of under hooking the leg, you can just grab a pant grip.  Check out this video of Bernardo Faria showing a sweep from closed guard below.

The Gi for Submissions from Closed Guard

The gi is an unbelievable weapon for submissions when playing the closed guard. The gi will add so many different submissions to your closed guard.  You can now do cross chokes, baseball bat choke, bow and arrow choke, Ezekiel choke, brabo choke, and so many more! The possibilities are endless with the lapels.

The gi can act as a noose around your opponent’s neck and constrict their arteries almost better than traditional nogi chokes.  Check out our article “Art of the Closed Guard” for some cool concepts from closed guard.  Also, check out this video below of a crazy lapel sequence from closed guard.

You want to take your gi game to the next level by having a dangerous closed guard that utilizes the gi?  Look no further, 5x Black Belt World Champion, Bernardo Faria has a 4 DVD Set “The Closed Guard” here he discusses secrets and attacks he has been using in closed guard for over 10 years!