After a brief description and some examples of Hierarchy of Positions, we should come to understand that in grappling, fighters will fight for positions, and this will look like a tug-of-war over the Hierarchy of Positions. That is, both players will try to cross the “neutrality line” throughout the game to a more dominant side of the spectrum in order to win the match and submit their opponent.
Having said that, I find that one of the most common positions grapplers will encounter is half guard, as they often act as the “pit stop” before crossing the neutrality line. For instance, mount escapes to establishing a guard will have a stage where the bottom will be in half guard; or one form of escape from side control is to half guard.
Being one of the most commonly encountered positions in grappling, I’d like to highlight a number of key points required to establish a sound half guard from the bottom, which in reverse, points out what to defend for the person on the top. Note that these movements are to be done sequentially, which I will explain later:
1.) Leg hooks
2.) Outside underhook
3.) Getting to your side
Firstly, getting the leg hooks is the first and important thing in establishing your half guard. This is one key element of the position which will make the top player “stuck” inside a half guard. Without it, top player will be free to advance to side control or even back to mount. The bottom player can halt, or at least delay, the top player’s advance to a better position without the underhook, but not without the leg hooks. There are different leg hooks (outside, inside, single leg, double leg, and so on), each with their own uses, but I will not go into details on this article but will cover them on a later stage.
Next, the outside underhook. While the leg hook is meant to halt the opponent’s advances, by itself it will not grant you much control nor offensive options. In order to obtain this, you will need to pair it up with the outside underhook. This will be the true tug of war between both players, as both require this hook to improve each of their positions. For the top player, this is what they require to pass the half guard. For the bottom player, the underhook is an essential element in getting to the side and go for the offensive.
The third element, getting to the side, is the crucial element in going offensive from the bottom of the half guard. Moving to the side achieves 2 things: taking the weight of the top player off and create space, both allowing more movement for the bottom player, thus allowing them to be on the offensive. In the process of moving to the side, remember to move yourself against your opponent, as opposed to moving your opponent against you. Shifting your own body is easier than moving the top player’s body (plus gravity), and you can feel the difference when making the shift against a much heavier opponent (which is what BJJ is designed for – overcoming bigger and stronger adversaries). The top player’s objective at this stage is to get the bottom player’s back flat to the ground, thus pushing the bottom player one step back.
Note that these elements need to be done sequentially. i.e.: get leg hooks first, then the underhook, then get to your side. You cannot get a half guard with only underhook and getting to your side. The same goes for the top player – with the bottom player attaching the underhook, top player must flatten the shoulder to the ground first before attempting to get the underhook or even to escape the leg hooks.
Of course, half guard game is not limited into these three elements. In fact, there are tons of variations and combination on half guard game, and renowned instructors like Eddie Bravo and Stephan Kesting has put a chapter or even a book specifically discussing the half guard. However, regardless of the variations people made on the half guard, these basic elements will remain intact on the variations, therefore having solid proficiency on these basics will help practitioners on their current game as well as future developments of their game.
Having said that, I find that one of the most common positions grapplers will encounter is half guard, as they often act as the “pit stop” before crossing the neutrality line. For instance, mount escapes to establishing a guard will have a stage where the bottom will be in half guard; or one form of escape from side control is to half guard.
Being one of the most commonly encountered positions in grappling, I’d like to highlight a number of key points required to establish a sound half guard from the bottom, which in reverse, points out what to defend for the person on the top. Note that these movements are to be done sequentially, which I will explain later:
1.) Leg hooks
2.) Outside underhook
3.) Getting to your side
Firstly, getting the leg hooks is the first and important thing in establishing your half guard. This is one key element of the position which will make the top player “stuck” inside a half guard. Without it, top player will be free to advance to side control or even back to mount. The bottom player can halt, or at least delay, the top player’s advance to a better position without the underhook, but not without the leg hooks. There are different leg hooks (outside, inside, single leg, double leg, and so on), each with their own uses, but I will not go into details on this article but will cover them on a later stage.
Next, the outside underhook. While the leg hook is meant to halt the opponent’s advances, by itself it will not grant you much control nor offensive options. In order to obtain this, you will need to pair it up with the outside underhook. This will be the true tug of war between both players, as both require this hook to improve each of their positions. For the top player, this is what they require to pass the half guard. For the bottom player, the underhook is an essential element in getting to the side and go for the offensive.
The third element, getting to the side, is the crucial element in going offensive from the bottom of the half guard. Moving to the side achieves 2 things: taking the weight of the top player off and create space, both allowing more movement for the bottom player, thus allowing them to be on the offensive. In the process of moving to the side, remember to move yourself against your opponent, as opposed to moving your opponent against you. Shifting your own body is easier than moving the top player’s body (plus gravity), and you can feel the difference when making the shift against a much heavier opponent (which is what BJJ is designed for – overcoming bigger and stronger adversaries). The top player’s objective at this stage is to get the bottom player’s back flat to the ground, thus pushing the bottom player one step back.
Note that these elements need to be done sequentially. i.e.: get leg hooks first, then the underhook, then get to your side. You cannot get a half guard with only underhook and getting to your side. The same goes for the top player – with the bottom player attaching the underhook, top player must flatten the shoulder to the ground first before attempting to get the underhook or even to escape the leg hooks.
Of course, half guard game is not limited into these three elements. In fact, there are tons of variations and combination on half guard game, and renowned instructors like Eddie Bravo and Stephan Kesting has put a chapter or even a book specifically discussing the half guard. However, regardless of the variations people made on the half guard, these basic elements will remain intact on the variations, therefore having solid proficiency on these basics will help practitioners on their current game as well as future developments of their game.
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