Killer Kata Gatame From Closed Guard With Jake Mackenzie

By Fanatics Authors, September 13, 2019

The Closed Guard is BACK, but also it never left. A lot of time is being reinvested into studying the guard at the highest levels just ask some of these guys! To many it is evident as to why they would spend so much time studying the Closed Guard, it is technically inverted mount afterall.

Jiu-Jitsu is all about control. Being a beginner to Jiu-Jtisu can be a rough endeavor. Learning to fight off of your back can be difficult for many people to grasp. The Closed Guard is a great way for people to feel in control while off of their back. Any vetern of the sport will tell you that controlling your opponent is crucial for success.

By using your legs to control your opponent’s hips by locking your ankles is beneficial because it does not require the leg/foot dexterity of other guards ...looking at you Lasso Guard. Since your legs are occupied in a useful way it now just leaves the jobs of the hands! This simplicity can start to give a beginner a feel for what they should be doing, that said the Closed Guard is easily one of the deepest positions in all of Jiu-Jitsu. Athletes like Jake Mackenzie have developed complex, yet easy to follow, systems of attack that can completely shut down your opponent.

Here is an example of one of these systems at work, check out Jake’s Closed Guard Attack!

Jake starts off with Bernardo’s posture broken. This is done in a variety of ways, but one essential technique to become a master at is the Knee Pull. Closed Guard can offer an immense control over your opponent by developing and utilizing a strong knee pull. Once Jake has Bernardo’s posture he can start to set traps.

The goal of this technique is to cross your opponent’s arm across your body and trap it on the other side. Jake makes special note of how his grip will change when performing this process. He switches he’s gable grip in a way that ensures Bernardo cannot retrieve his arm nor posture up. This grip will make the arm transfer much more manageable, which is the next step in this brutal choke.

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Mackenzie uses a swinging motion with his hips to generate the space needed to pop his head out from underneath of Faria’s arm. As he swings back towards the trapped arm, Jake uses a shruggin motion with his shoulders to give the last needed “pop” to get Bernardo’s arm across to the other shoulder.

Once the arm is across Jake immediately starts to shoot his right arm across Bernardo’s upper shoulder. He is aiming for a 90 degree angle with his arm as he locks up the RNC-type grip. Makenzie explains that he isn’t just squeezing with his arms, he is really focusing on driving his shoulder into Bernardo’s neck. Another key detail to make this technique successful is utilizing the knee pull to keep Bernardo’s base coming forward.

Keep up to date with the Closed Guard! With all of the top level talent in Jiu-Jitsu releasing Closed Guard instructionals it could mean a lot for combat sports in general. Closed Guard is one of the most utilized positions in MMA when the fight hits the floor. Perhaps instead of stand ups left and right we will see Competition Closed Guard techniques!

Competition Closed Guard By Jake Mackenzie is the refinement of YEARS of competition at the HIGHEST LEVEL in Jiu-Jitsu. Closed Guard is coming back in a BIG way. As they say “The Classics are the Classics for a reason!”. Closed Guard can allow you to control, and dominate your opponent while reducing the risk of their attacks! If you are looking for a way to slow your opponent down and find a way to submit them, Competition Closed Guard By Jake Mackenzie is for you!

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