Feats of strength
Feats of strength - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a ground fighting martial art that emphasizes the use of different submissions, sweeps, attacks and defenses from certain positions. The positions discussed in this article are extremely popular in the BJJ and MMA worlds and should be focused on by all practitioners. It is very important to be comfortable both on top, and on the bottom of all of these positions and have a few techniques that can be applied to either attack your opponent with a choke or submission, or change your position to favor yourself. Either way, these positions are fundamental in BJJ and should become very familiar when you progress through your BJJ training.
Closed Guard
This position is when the player on the bottom is lying on his/her back and has the ability to wrap his/her legs around the back of their opponent. Being able to wrap your legs around the back of your opponent allows you to control your opponent's movements and allow you to attack with several sweeps and submissions. Some popular submissions from the closed guard position are the triangle choke, and arm bar. If you find yourself on top in this position, it is very difficult to submit your opponent, though it is possible. However, you should focus on advancing your position by passing your opponents guard and moving to side control, or mount.
Open Guard
The open guard position is a slight variation of the closed guard where the difference is the player on the bottom does not have the ability to lock his/her legs around the back of their opponent. If you are on the bottom in the open guard position, you can work to advance your position by controlling the posture of your opponent and allowing yourself to lock your legs into a closed guard position. Another option for the player on his/her back would be to try and escape from the control of the player on top by slipping his hips out and away from one's opponent.
Half Guard
Half guard is similar to the closed guard position but the difference is the player on the bottom only has the ability to wrap their legs around one of their opponent's legs (opposed to around the back which would be closed guard). This is a popular position and can be used successfully by both the top player by passing the guard completely, and the bottom player can use this position to sweep their opponent and reverse the position. Submissions are difficult from both the top and bottom in this position because it is hard to control your opponent with only one leg.
Side Control/Cross-body
Once the top play successfully passes the guard of his/her opponent and the player on the bottom has no control of the top player's body they are in side control. Side control is one the top player is controlling the upper body of his/her opponent and their bodies are perpendicular to each other. This is a dominant position for the top player and can work for several submissions and chokes such as a kimura, arm bar, and head arm choke. Additionally, the top player can advance their position by moving into the mount.
Mount
One of the most dominant positions in BJJ is when the top player achieves the mount position. This position is when the top player is sitting on the bottom player's mid section. This position allows the top player to work freely towards many arm locks, shoulder locks, and chokes. The player on the bottom is simply trying to avoid being submitted and is looking to move to a less dominant position by either escaping the situation as a whole, or by trying to slip his/her leg in to move into a half guard position.
Feats of strength
Closed Guard
This position is when the player on the bottom is lying on his/her back and has the ability to wrap his/her legs around the back of their opponent. Being able to wrap your legs around the back of your opponent allows you to control your opponent's movements and allow you to attack with several sweeps and submissions. Some popular submissions from the closed guard position are the triangle choke, and arm bar. If you find yourself on top in this position, it is very difficult to submit your opponent, though it is possible. However, you should focus on advancing your position by passing your opponents guard and moving to side control, or mount.
Open Guard
The open guard position is a slight variation of the closed guard where the difference is the player on the bottom does not have the ability to lock his/her legs around the back of their opponent. If you are on the bottom in the open guard position, you can work to advance your position by controlling the posture of your opponent and allowing yourself to lock your legs into a closed guard position. Another option for the player on his/her back would be to try and escape from the control of the player on top by slipping his hips out and away from one's opponent.
Half Guard
Half guard is similar to the closed guard position but the difference is the player on the bottom only has the ability to wrap their legs around one of their opponent's legs (opposed to around the back which would be closed guard). This is a popular position and can be used successfully by both the top player by passing the guard completely, and the bottom player can use this position to sweep their opponent and reverse the position. Submissions are difficult from both the top and bottom in this position because it is hard to control your opponent with only one leg.
Side Control/Cross-body
Once the top play successfully passes the guard of his/her opponent and the player on the bottom has no control of the top player's body they are in side control. Side control is one the top player is controlling the upper body of his/her opponent and their bodies are perpendicular to each other. This is a dominant position for the top player and can work for several submissions and chokes such as a kimura, arm bar, and head arm choke. Additionally, the top player can advance their position by moving into the mount.
Mount
One of the most dominant positions in BJJ is when the top player achieves the mount position. This position is when the top player is sitting on the bottom player's mid section. This position allows the top player to work freely towards many arm locks, shoulder locks, and chokes. The player on the bottom is simply trying to avoid being submitted and is looking to move to a less dominant position by either escaping the situation as a whole, or by trying to slip his/her leg in to move into a half guard position.
Feats of strength