Rubber Guard: Trouble With Breakdown

My game has changed dramatically since starting to train with legit 10th Planet guys (big thanks to the Woolseys); my lockdown game has become much stronger, my leg locks are coming along nicely, and I'm getting pretty decent at catching people in the truck from turtle and side control. However, one thing I'm still struggling with, which I'm sure will dramatically improve my game, is breaking people down (properly) for the rubber guard. I'm still working on flexibility, but I have enough to do the basic path and some meathook action, and on occasion I'm even lucky enough to break someone down the right way for it. Most guys at my gym, however, are really good at not giving any hip space while in my guard, which then calls my flexibility into question. I feel like with enough technique and reps though I should be able to get breakdowns much easier. Any tips?

You feel like you have enough reps in breaking them down doesn't = breaking them down. Keep drilling it. Breaking posture and establishing posture is a war zone, something you will have to battle everyday. There is never enough reps in drilling those.

That said one little tip, make sure you are not trying to sit straight up onto their lap. Make a subtle angle (a mini shrimp) before sitting up on them, this changes the angle of their arms slightly making sure you are not fighting directly into the structural integrity on their arms.

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Originally Posted by Chris Herzog

You feel like you have enough reps in breaking them down doesn't = breaking them down. Keep drilling it. Breaking posture and establishing posture is a war zone, something you will have to battle everyday. There is never enough reps in drilling those.

That said one little tip, make sure you are not trying to sit straight up onto their lap. Make a subtle angle (a mini shrimp) before sitting up on them, this changes the angle of their arms slightly making sure you are not fighting directly into the structural integrity on their arms.

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Thanks! I'll keep that in mind from now on.

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Originally Posted by Ross Davidson

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind from now on.

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Ross it is most important to remember anything and everything that Coach tells you. His Midi-chlorian count is so high that its unreadable!!:cool: No bullshit, unreadable!

Haha! Unreadable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I33k8vV3Sk

At the Richmond seminar Eddie talked about sitting up and just grabbing their head, baiting them to take the underhook on that side and launching you straight to new york. Something I personally like doing is getting there from lockdown when they beat me to the good side underhook. I'll whizzer and take the Stomp to get New York.

Good luck!

+1 for Herzog's tip: always look for angle before you attack. It's gonna be much easier than fighting strength on strength. Keep that in mind for all of your guard positions.

Also remember its okay to open your guard for a sec, scoot your butt back, grab his head, then break his posture and reclose guard. This is what I use on Greek god statue posture. Gotta divert their attention and be quick or else that knees comin up. Plus, if there 100% defending posture, hip bump. Keeps em' honest.

Repetition repetition repetition. If you can pull the moves off against guys that know what you're doing then when you go against someone that doesn't know a thing about rubber guard youll completely tool them.

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Originally Posted by bobby rivers

Also remember its okay to open your guard for a sec, scoot your butt back, grab his head, then break his posture and reclose guard. This is what I use on Greek god statue posture. Gotta divert their attention and be quick or else that knees comin up. Plus, if there 100% defending posture, hip bump. Keeps em' honest.

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This is also an option but PERSONALLY I don't like to open my guard. Diverting their attention is a great way to open attacks though. You probably wont start doing that for awhile though. As you progress youll combine attacks and diverting will really help you open up attacks.

There are so many way to break a person down, and for sure people know most of this attempts. Here is a sneaky little trick I use in the absolute brackets against much heavier opponents. It works well on little guys too, and it doesn't require hardly any flexibility. I start in closed guard with wrist control or triceps control ( much stronger if you can hold the back of his head with one or two hands, some people don't have the arm length if they can't break them down. So head control won't always work) and from there allow my left leg to fall of his back and trap his right calf on the floor. You use this leg trap to go under his right shine and extend his leg. Put a wrestlers grapevine on his leg basically. As you extend your left leg ( just straighten it) it will force his posture to become chest to chest. From there, right foot goes to the hip and pushes him down. Left leg lets go of the grapevine and swings up into mission control. If needed I can provide a video. May your future rolls be filled with joy :)

Damn Brent, that was a legit tip right therrre. Props to Zog, too.

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Originally Posted by Brent Smith

This is also an option but PERSONALLY I don't like to open my guard. Diverting their attention is a great way to open attacks though. You probably wont start doing that for awhile though. As you progress youll combine attacks and diverting will really help you open up attacks.

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I promise you would have no problem with this one homie. But! If you can break them down without opening, yeah, that's def first option.

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Originally Posted by Brent Alvarez

There are so many way to break a person down, and for sure people know most of this attempts. Here is a sneaky little trick I use in the absolute brackets against much heavier opponents. It works well on little guys too, and it doesn't require hardly any flexibility. I start in closed guard with wrist control or triceps control ( much stronger if you can hold the back of his head with one or two hands, some people don't have the arm length if they can't break them down. So head control won't always work) and from there allow my left leg to fall of his back and trap his right calf on the floor. You use this leg trap to go under his right shine and extend his leg. Put a wrestlers grapevine on his leg basically. As you extend your left leg ( just straighten it) it will force his posture to become chest to chest. From there, right foot goes to the hip and pushes him down. Left leg lets go of the grapevine and swings up into mission control. If needed I can provide a video. May your future rolls be filled with joy :)

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nice to see a brown belt out of the Northwest making a comment, post more.

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Originally Posted by Brent Alvarez

There are so many way to break a person down, and for sure people know most of this attempts. Here is a sneaky little trick I use in the absolute brackets against much heavier opponents. It works well on little guys too, and it doesn't require hardly any flexibility. I start in closed guard with wrist control or triceps control ( much stronger if you can hold the back of his head with one or two hands, some people don't have the arm length if they can't break them down. So head control won't always work) and from there allow my left leg to fall of his back and trap his right calf on the floor. You use this leg trap to go under his right shine and extend his leg. Put a wrestlers grapevine on his leg basically. As you extend your left leg ( just straighten it) it will force his posture to become chest to chest. From there, right foot goes to the hip and pushes him down. Left leg lets go of the grapevine and swings up into mission control. If needed I can provide a video. May your future rolls be filled with joy :)

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Brent, is this a quick kick when you extend the leg, or do you ever have to fight for it? Also, how do people respond to this once you've caught them with it a few times? This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing it!

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Originally Posted by Brent Alvarez

There are so many way to break a person down, and for sure people know most of this attempts. Here is a sneaky little trick I use in the absolute brackets against much heavier opponents. It works well on little guys too, and it doesn't require hardly any flexibility. I start in closed guard with wrist control or triceps control ( much stronger if you can hold the back of his head with one or two hands, some people don't have the arm length if they can't break them down. So head control won't always work) and from there allow my left leg to fall of his back and trap his right calf on the floor. You use this leg trap to go under his right shine and extend his leg. Put a wrestlers grapevine on his leg basically. As you extend your left leg ( just straighten it) it will force his posture to become chest to chest. From there, right foot goes to the hip and pushes him down. Left leg lets go of the grapevine and swings up into mission control. If needed I can provide a video. May your future rolls be filled with joy :)

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Im having a little trouble visualizing it. A video would be cool if you get the chance

Sam Davis, one of our Purple Belts, does that (the tech Brent Alvarez is describing) to get from closed guard to butterfly guard. It hurts and it's very annoying. Very effective. I think he got it out of a Marcelo Garcia book?

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Originally Posted by Brandon Mccaghren

Sam Davis, one of our Purple Belts, does that (the tech Brent Alvarez is describing) to get from closed guard to butterfly guard. It hurts and it's very annoying. Very effective. I think he got it out of a Marcelo Garcia book?

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Very effective.