Guard tips for short stalky wrestler?

Hey guys,

If anyone could help me with this dilemma in anyway it would really be appreciated. I am still new to practicing jiu-jitsu, but i still feel my guard is subpar for my level. i have flexible legs i can almost bring me feet behind my head, rubber guard i can work a bit, its just my legs are very short and thick. halfguard i feel great in, but since i wanna transition into mma i worry it might not always be reliable when not gettin gnp from bottom position. i know butterfly is also an optino but i just feel stuck so to speak. so 2 things, if anyone has similar problems id love to hear if u have found anyways to help ur guard game or really just anyone in general who has something to say, itd be awesome. also, if anyone has anytips in general as far as short stalky guys
in no-gi grappling to help my overall game, would also be greatly appreciated.

Do you have trouble closing your guard, is that the problem?

the problem is not closing my guard but rather working sweep/submissions from my guard one my opponent is broken down. i often find myself shrimping into position but then not being able to pull anything off. again i know i am new and time can fix most things, but i guess i could have asked the question: is there better alternatives or should i just keep working at it.. perhaps both is the answer, but any insight helps.

Could you describe a specific move and how it plays out when you roll?

for sure. i have my opponent in my closed guard. i break his posture, work my hips up and out for a superior angle. lets say his elbow is on my chest, i like to push the elbow up past my head and work an arm triangle, but from there i cannot reclose my legs, not allowing my enough pressure to finish the sub.
also, lets say a hipbump sweep. i threaten the kimura from situp guard, and if he gives it to great, but if not and he sits up to avoid i follow him and go for the sweep. however often and especially agasint taller opponents, my leg(s) barely have enough space to push off the ground (the one i post with) and i often cant complete.
on top of all of that, my guard gets passed religiously lol. again, i know im new and need to put mroe time into it, i just feel concerned about this.

The guard isn't meant to be played straight off your back these days. When you break their posture scoot out to your side, so that your have hip mobility. From there you can work omoplatas, trianlges, and other guards. X, butterfly, and sit up. If your hips can't move your in a bad situation.

For the arm triangle, it can be tricky to finish the arm triangle from closed guard. Without the ability to drive your hips down (like a mounted arm triangle) you have to rely on your arm squeeze for the kill. You might want to try opening your guard and driving off of your right foot in order to roll them into your mount and then finish the technique from there.

For the hip bump.. there's two variations that I know. There's the Ryan Hall "bump and drive" hip bump and there's the hard twist and torque to the side hip bump. If you can't do the driving one then try the twisting one. Pretty much the same but you have to slap your left leg down to the mat to block their right knee, post up and get a deep hook on their right arm, then drag and twist them over while exploding up with your hip.

As for getting your guard passed, practice basic re guard techniques. If your opponent is breaking your guard, open it, before he breaks it, to get the jump on him so that you can get onto your side and block his body with your shin. From there you can grab his head and pull him back into guard.. rinse, repeat.

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Originally Posted by Ian Elliott

The guard isn't meant to be played straight off your back these days. When you break their posture scoot out to your side, so that your have hip mobility. From there you can work omoplatas, trianlges, and other guards. X, butterfly, and sit up. If your hips can't move your in a bad situation.

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It's weird. I see tons of MMA dudes that roll by obtaining grips while flattened out, and then exploding their hips and going for the submission at the same time. It's totally backwards to what I know but I still see it.

I'm 5'7 175 pounds. i have short muscular legs. when you break posture move your hips out to an angle so that you are on your hip, and you can easily bring your leg up for mission control.

on the hip bumps, I don't understand your problem. I hip bump people easily. You aren't trying to push off the ground to do anything but lift your hips and rotate them (a big step over). it doesn't require height at all

Learn to play with feet in the hips....good guard for people with your build. Lots of good stuff to branch off w. One of my students has the same issue and this is working well for him...as is BF guard. Don't get frustrated ..work it till it clicks.

thanks alot for the pointers everyone, the input is much appreciated. ill start putting these tips to use next practice.

Watch videos of Einstein working his guard game. He gets all the great angles because of his flexibility issues. The videos helped me alot about learning to get my hips out and get that angle. Good Luck!

One thing you might consider is using your wrestling to supplement your guard. I got stubs for legs, and armdrags and switches are what I hit most from open guard these days.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian Elliott

The guard isn't meant to be played straight off your back these days. When you break their posture scoot out to your side, so that your have hip mobility. From there you can work omoplatas, trianlges, and other guards. X, butterfly, and sit up. If your hips can't move your in a bad situation.

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Good advice! Id say work on your angles (watch some Ryan Hall vids, he is a good source for that) to help overcome limb length and flexibility issues. I think overall your sub-game will be better from other positions, IMO focus on your sweeps and reversals short term. Good luck!

thanks guys all these tips ive been putting to use on the mat. BF guard/mission control work really well for me now, and feet on hips aswell. focusing on angles ALOT, and mr mcgregor, armdrags are my new bestfriend. mr camacho, thanks for ur advice on those particilar techs, i feel very strong while sweeping with the hip bump now. when i posted this, i could do shit off my back except shrimp and maybe a hip escape to neutral. but now...... omoplata bitches!!! hittin these like robert downy jr hits the pipe!!

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Originally Posted by Patrick Carey

I'm 5'7 175 pounds. i have short muscular legs. when you break posture move your hips out to an angle so that you are on your hip, and you can easily bring your leg up for mission control.

on the hip bumps, I don't understand your problem. I hip bump people easily. You aren't trying to push off the ground to do anything but lift your hips and rotate them (a big step over). it doesn't require height at all

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havin success with these alot now, thanks man.