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The Pillars: Open Guard Mastery System by Stephen Whittier

Master The Open Guard With Clear-Cut Controls, Sweeps, Submissions, Back Takes, And More From Stephen Whittier!

  • Stephen Whittier is a 4th degree BJJ black belt and has a unique open guard system that is highly effective for grapplers of ALL levels.
  • Utilize effective open guard concepts that will allow you to shut down your opponent’s passing attempts as you set up your offense.
  • Develop go-to attacks from both inside and outside foot positions.
  • Learn preventive open guard maintenance that allows you to avoid guard passes and keeps you in control of the action.
  • Discover late-stage guard retention that works against DEEP passes that are usually the end of the road for guard players.
  • Stephen Whittier adds another CLASSIC to “The Pillars” series of instructionals, this time centered around the Open Guard!

Course Content

Expand All Sections

Volume 1

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Overview: the most important &overlooked guard skill 0
1. Both feet on the outside. How &when to create connection from your back 7:29
Feet vs. hands pummeling 20:07
Retracting when opponents breaks connection 23:58
Breaking grips low on the pants 26:51
Breaking no gi grips on the feet 28:28
Breaking grips on the knees 30:39
Transferring weight &repummeling your legs 35:21
Repummeling vs leg drag 40:20
Adding the hand check 43:31
Recovering guard when oppt drives legs to one side 48:06

Volume 2

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Countering the hip-in pass 0
Additional details 3:36
Q&A: Maintaining connection &when to break grips 6:53
Intro to sweeps 11:04
Tripod sweep 12:41
Finishing the sweep 15:42
Beating the “Hop” defense” 20:30
Sickle sweep 23:11
Sickle sweep on much taller opponents 26:04
Pocket drill to isolate the sweeps 28:21
Using pressure to set up closed guard 30:20
Using connection &pressure to set up other guards 33:30
Arm steering counter to leg staple pass 37:40
Magic handle defense 43:08
Cycling back to open guard when opp’t backs off 47:49

Volume 3

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Over / under defense (head pointed across) 0
Over / under defense (head diagonal or centerline) 7:45
Adding the arm drag 11:46
Early defense to double under pass 17:23
Additional details 21:20
Late defense to double under pass 23:52
Dump pass counter 28:52
The classic scissor sweep 33:53
The Rickson scissor sweep (via Henry Akins) 38:07
How to secure top position from scissor sweep (without grips) 45:09

Volume 4

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Transferring weight in the scissor sweep 0
Scissor sweep when opp’t changes angle 2:27
Counter when opponent sprawls 5:24
Integrating offense into your guard retention 8:57
Breaking the leg weave grip &troubleshooting 11:44
Incorporating submissions. X-choke details (under) 15:24
X-choke details (over) 21:52
Loop choke 24:35
First principles &strategy for setting up chokes 26:22
The ‘Sneak’ omoplata #1 30:59
The ‘Sneak’ omoplata #2 33:35
2. Both feet on the inside. Hooks (Butterfly) guard fundamentals 36:28
Both hooks in (Butterfly Guard) 47:55
Hook sweep details 51:20

Volume 5

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Additional details 0
Butterfly sweep with an overhook 5:57
Sweeping when opponent bases with their leg 7:15
Circular &linear angles concept for sweeps &reversals 10:18
Maintaining connection butterfly posture as oppt moves 15:44
Completing the hook sweep when oppt posts their leg 21:03
Entries to other guards when they post their leg 24:48
Details on the reversal from butterfly guard 26:29
The collar tie “Chop” hook sweep 28:15
The arm drag (standard) 32:52
The windsurfer arm drag 36:07
Multi-directional sweeping off the arm drag 41:18
The shoulder crunch hook sweep 44:20
Hitting the hook sweep from your back 48:28
The reverse hook sweep 52:06
Reverse hook sweep to knee bar 57:12

Volume 6

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Getting up when opp’t disengages 0
Transitions to double &single leg when opp’t disengages &stands 8:09
The modified inside single 9:56
Pulling opp’t into single leg X when they keep balance 12:49
Reverse grip inside ankle pick 17:16
Seated guard vs. standing opponents (sport) 18:22
Defense when opp’t steps in the middle 21:56
Leg drag vs. standing opp’t 23:28
The double ankle push sweep vs. standing opp’t 27:29
Defense vs cross step pass 29:31
Cross shin hook kuzushi to ankle pick 32:12
Cross shin kuzushi to single leg X guard 38:02
Single leg X to X-guard, sweep &ankle lock 41:16
Switching to standard X-guard &standup sweep 44:43
Switch to reverse-X when opp’t drops weights 47:49
Adaptive isolation drilling 49:46

Build A Battle-Tested Open Guard With Next-Level Concepts Of Control, Sweeps, Submissions, Guard Retention, And MORE!

 

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What Will You Learn?

The open guard is an essential position to master in Jiu-Jitsu. With today’s modern passing strategies, developing a successful open guard is more challenging than ever. Thankfully, 4th degree BJJ black belt Stepehn Whittier lays out an easy-to-learn system that applies high-level concepts that makes the open guard more effective than ever!

The 6-part series takes an extensive look at what makes a GOOD open guard. The series spends a good deal of time shutting down multiple guards passing styles as well as how to retain and recover your guard. Once you start to apply Stephen’s unique grips, off balances, and sweep/submission threats your guard will become even more challenging to pass.

Take control of the action from open guard by always having a plan of attack. Whittier’s system puts you in control of the action by winning effective grips and funneling opponents into threatening territory. You’ll learn how to effectively sweep opponents with a vast array of sweeps like the sickle sweep, tripod sweep, scissor sweeps, and much more!

The key to Stephen’s system is to constantly threaten opponents with dominant grips, sweeps, submissions, and back takes. If opponents have to constantly defend instead of focus on guard passing, your job from the open guard becomes much more manageable. Develop a threatening environment for opponents with endless attacks from the open guard!

So, What Exactly Do You Get?

PART 1

  • OVERVIEW: THE MOST IMPORTANT &OVERLOOKED GUARD SKILL

    1. BOTH FEET ON THE OUTSIDE

  • HOW &WHEN TO CREATE CONNECTION FROM YOUR BACK
  • FEET VS. HANDS PUMMELING
  • RETRACTING WHEN OPPONENTS BREAKS CONNECTION
  • BREAKING GRIPS LOW ON THE PANTS
  • BREAKING NO GI GRIPS ON THE FEET
  • BREAKING GRIPS ON THE KNEES
  • TRANSFERRING WEIGHT &REPUMMELING YOUR LEGS
  • REPUMMELING VS LEG DRAG
  • ADDING THE HAND CHECK
  • RECOVERING GUARD WHEN OPPT DRIVES LEGS TO ONE SIDE

    PART 2

  • COUNTERING THE HIP-IN PASS
  • ADDITIONAL DETAILS
  • Q&A: MAINTAINING CONNECTION &WHEN TO BREAK GRIPS
  • INTRO TO SWEEPS
  • TRIPOD SWEEP
  • FINISHING THE SWEEP
  • BEATING THE "HOP" DEFENSE"
  • SICKLE SWEEP
  • SICKLE SWEEP ON MUCH TALLER OPPONENTS
  • POCKET DRILL TO ISOLATE THE SWEEPS
  • USING PRESSURE TO SET UP CLOSED GUARD
  • USING CONNECTION &PRESSURE TO SET UP OTHER GUARDS
  • ARM STEERING COUNTER TO LEG STAPLE PASS
  • MAGIC HANDLE DEFENSE
  • CYCLING BACK TO OPEN GUARD WHEN OPP'T BACKS OFF

    PART 3

  • OVER / UNDER DEFENSE (HEAD POINTED ACROSS)
  • OVER / UNDER DEFENSE (HEAD DIAGONAL OR CENTERLINE)
  • ADDING THE ARM DRAG
  • EARLY DEFENSE TO DOUBLE UNDER PASS
  • ADDITIONAL DETAILS
  • LATE DEFENSE TO DOUBLE UNDER PASS
  • DUMP PASS COUNTER
  • THE CLASSIC SCISSOR SWEEP
  • THE RICKSON SCISSOR SWEEP (VIA HENRY AKINS)
  • HOW TO SECURE TOP POSITION FROM SCISSOR SWEEP (WITHOUT GRIPS)

    PART 4

  • TRANSFERRING WEIGHT IN THE SCISSOR SWEEP
  • SCISSOR SWEEP WHEN OPP'T CHANGES ANGLE
  • COUNTER WHEN OPPONENT SPRAWLS
  • INTEGRATING OFFENSE INTO YOUR GUARD RETENTION
  • BREAKING THE LEG WEAVE GRIP &TROUBLESHOOTING

    INCORPORATING SUBMISSIONS

  • X-CHOKE DETAILS (UNDER)
  • X-CHOKE DETAILS (OVER)
  • LOOP CHOKE
  • FIRST PRINCIPLES &STRATEGY FOR SETTING UP CHOKES
  • THE 'SNEAK' OMOPLATA #1
  • THE 'SNEAK' OMOPLATA #2

    2. BOTH FEET ON THE INSIDE

  • HOOKS (BUTTERFLY) GUARD FUNDAMENTALS
  • BOTH HOOKS IN (BUTTERFLY GUARD)
  • HOOK SWEEP DETAILS

    PART 5

  • ADDITIONAL DETAILS
  • BUTTERFLY SWEEP WITH AN OVERHOOK
  • SWEEPING WHEN OPPONENT BASES WITH THEIR LEG
  • CIRCULAR &LINEAR ANGLES CONCEPT FOR SWEEPS &REVERSALS
  • MAINTAINING CONNECTION BUTTERFLY POSTURE AS OPPT MOVES
  • COMPLETING THE HOOK SWEEP WHEN OPPT POSTS THEIR LEG
  • ENTRIES TO OTHER GUARDS WHEN THEY POST THEIR LEG
  • DETAILS ON THE REVERSAL FROM BUTTERFLY GUARD
  • THE COLLAR TIE "CHOP" HOOK SWEEP
  • THE ARM DRAG (STANDARD)
  • THE WINDSURFER ARM DRAG
  • MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SWEEPING OFF THE ARM DRAG
  • THE SHOULDER CRUNCH HOOK SWEEP
  • HITTING THE HOOK SWEEP FROM YOUR BACK
  • THE REVERSE HOOK SWEEP
  • REVERSE HOOK SWEEP TO KNEE BAR

    PART 6

  • GETTING UP WHEN OPPT'S DISENGAGES
  • TRANSITIONS TO DOUBLE &SINGLE LEG WHEN OPP'T DISENGAGES &STANDS
  • THE MODIFIED INSIDE SINGLE
  • PULLING OPP'T INTO SINGLE LEG X WHEN THEY KEEP BALANCE
  • REVERSE GRIP INSIDE ANKLE PICK
  • SEATED GUARD VS. STANDING OPPONENTS (SPORT)
  • DEFENSE WHEN OPP'T STEPS IN THE MIDDLE
  • LEG DRAG VS. STANDING OPP'T
  • THE DOUBLE ANKLE PUSH SWEEP VS. STANDING OPP'T
  • DEFENSE VS CROSS STEP PASS
  • CROSS SHIN HOOK KUZUSHI TO ANKLE PICK
  • CROSS SHIN KUZUSHI TO SINGLE LEG X GUARD
  • SINGLE LEG X TO X-GUARD, SWEEP &ANKLE LOCK
  • SWITCHING TO STANDARD X-GUARD &STANDUP SWEEP
  • SWITCH TO REVERSE-X WHEN OPP'T DROPS WEIGHTS
  • ADAPTIVE ISOLATION DRILLING


    $177


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