Bottom Z guard Question

[Andrew Sarasin]

I barely use this position and I was wondering if anyone knows any basic stuff from the bottom they can show me. I don't recall learning anything from the bottom at my school or other schools I've been to. One of the previous MTS episodes seem a little more intermediate. I want to get the basics down so any help would be great.

[Arman Fathi]

I barely use this position and I was wondering if anyone knows any basic stuff from the bottom they can show me. I don't recall learning anything from the bottom at my school or other schools I've been to. One of the previous MTS episodes seem a little more intermediate. I want to get the basics down so any help would be great.

Start with keeping your points of contact (aka your feet) intact, use them as points of leverage and hand fight. Hand fight the shit outta the guy. Do this until you can enter another guard like butterfly guard or full guard with an overhook. Or time the shot for the double underhooks. From any three of those, look to attack. That's basically exactly what I'm thinking when I'm rolling and have z-guard.

[Gray]

Uhm, I don't think you're talking about Z guard there Arman?

There is so many answers on how to play Z guard/terra guard/shin shield/93 guard. I personally play it really low on the hip with the ankles crossed, it works a lot like RDLR. All methods have something in common, you use your top leg to keep distance/control the underhook. Do you have a more specific question on the position?

[apygav]

I love the shin guard variation for setting up deep double under hooks or electric under hooks - Geo used it really well when I rolled with him at a seminar, he really changed my opinion of the position

[Arman Fathi]

Uhm, I don't think you're talking about Z guard there Arman?

There is so many answers on how to play Z guard/terra guard/shin shield/93 guard. I personally play it really low on the hip with the ankles crossed, it works a lot like RDLR. All methods have something in common, you use your top leg to keep distance/control the underhook. Do you have a more specific question on the position?

The reverse de la riva is exactly the point of contact I'm talking about. The insteps of your feet are still your feet. I play more 93 guard and that may be more appropriate for my response. But the principles are the same. Points of contact are points of contact, whether it's the shin or the foot. The names will change Gray, but the principles remain.

Let's look at it from the other perspective: should you let the other guy win the hand fight battle? Will that help your half-guard?

[Gray]

You said two feet though, how are you playing your Z guard where your main point of contact for your bottom foot is your instep?

[Gray]

And for the record, I barely hand fight at all. The shield controls the far side underhook and being so far on your side negates the near side underhook. My top hand mostly spends time controlling distance on the collar bone.

I might be misunderstanding your positions though, text can do that. Do you have videos?

[Arman Fathi]

Yea it's hard to describe in words. But much like butterfly guard uses the top of our foot as the point of contact, I meant this as the instep.

[BJ Searle]

And for the record, I barely hand fight at all. The shield controls the far side underhook and being so far on your side negates the near side underhook. My top hand mostly spends time controlling distance on the collar bone.

I might be misunderstanding your positions though, text can do that. Do you have videos?

I pretty much play Z guard the exact same way as Gary, knee shield is my go to, try to use it to set up Terra guard. When I rolled in the gi the knee shield was my go to sweep

[Gary Meek]

If you can get the far side arm kimura grip, there's a roll there to the star gazer and then pick your move from there; whether it be rolling into an armbar or taking back or even getting into Smount. Even if they don't drop to the star gazer posish you can roll up into an armbar or establish full guard. Eddie also showed a recent transition to donkey guard from z if i recall correctly...that's what I'm playing with now.