The Rubber Guard is an advanced grappling position that builds upon the closed guard, offering a powerful tool for control and offense in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Using your shin and opposite arm to create a tight lock over your opponent’s back lets you neutralize their attacks while setting up your next move. In this article, we’ll explore the rubber guard’s origins, mechanics, and how it prevents guard passers from gaining the upper hand.
How Did the Rubber Guard Techniques Came to Be?
The rubber guard is a modern evolution of the closed guard. Eddie Bravo, founder of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, pioneered it.
Initially, it was developed as a non-traditional grappling technique, particularly in the MMA divisions of the sport. Its core mechanics involve clinching the opponent’s shin to limit their offensive options and control their movement, providing a significant advantage to the closed-guard player.
Some interpretations of the technique come from an open guard position, influenced by Nino Schmebrí, who popularized the “shin game” in open guard in mixed martial arts. However, Bravo first utilized this technique as the rubber guard we know today, thanks to those who refined it.
The Role of Eddie Bravo and the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu System
Bravo’s 10th Planet system is a no-gi-focused system that emphasizes flexibility and creativity, departing from traditional BJJ models.
Leg and hip mobility form the foundation of the rubber guard, enabling players to control and trap opponents without relying on gi grips. This enhances their ability to advance attacks and makes their movements more unpredictable, particularly from a closed-guard position.
Purpose of the Rubber Guard in modern BJJ strategies.
An opponent often anticipates transitions like opening the guard or moving to a half-guard, which are easier to predict, especially for experienced players. But by clinching and controlling them, you limit their visibility and make it harder for them to read your intentions. This control allows you to plan your next move. Incorporating rubber guards into your game plan disrupts this predictability by buying time and limiting your opponent’s ability to react.
- Control Opponents: Rubber Guard will catch your opponent off guard, forcing them to a defensive mode while limiting their mobility.
- Set Up Submission: Rubber guard utilizes unique angles, twists, and turns, leading to powerful submissions.
- Defensive Strategy: Rubber guards are effective for defending against aggressive guard passers. They often catch opponents off guard when facing a rubber guard player.
Proper Way to Execute Rubber Guard
Let’s learn how to execute the rubber guard like a pro. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be leg-locking like Eddie Bravo in no time. Before attempting the rubber guard, it’s important to review some fundamentals. The mechanics of this technique involve standard BJJ terms like under hooks, submissions, and positions. Check out our resources on basic BJJ techniques to get warmed up.
If you’re ready, here are the key steps for adequately executing the rubber guard.
Step 1—Entry
To showcase advanced skills, focus on the entry, which is fundamental to rubber guard. A solid entry ensures a secure leg lock from the start. Eddie Bravo refers to this entry as the “seatbelt,” which involves undercooking your opponent and grabbing their neck and shoulder to open their back, making it accessible to you.
Step 2 – Shield or Cocoon
Create a shield with your knee by forming a Z-guard, maintaining an overlook, and applying constant pressure to bait your opponent.
Step 3 – Break the Opponent’s Posture
If your opponent tries to flatten you, you can bait them into it. Maintain your Z-guard or butterfly guard with your knees, and with the gap between your opponent and your lower body, use your arm to clinch their leg.
Step 4 – Control the Head and Shoulder
As soon as you clinch the leg, you’ve trapped your opponent in a cocoon. Their only option is to escape by pulling their leg away. While they may succeed in freeing it, you’re waiting to clinch and lock their arm instead.
Step 5 – Set Up Better Angles and Proper Position
Now, return to your closed guard or gain control of your opponent’s arm or leg. With their mobility limited, you can set up for a more effective submission or attack.
Key Elements to Master the Rubber Guard
The effectiveness of locking your opponent in a rubber guard relies on a proper understanding of the following key principles:
- Role of hip and leg mobility: Flexibility plays a significant role in executing the rubber guard effectively. Strong hip and leg mobility allows for greater control and tighter setups.
- Applying Consistent Pressure: You can maintain tight control over your opponent by locking in and applying pressure with your legs.
- Controlling Key Areas: The head, shoulders, and arms are key areas to prevent and reduce your opponent’s mobility. Ensure constant contact with these areas to maintain control.
How is the Rubber Guard used in No-Gi scenarios?
When Eddie Bravo introduced the rubber guard, it was designed for No-Gi grappling as part of his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, which focuses on non-traditional BJJ. It emphasizes skills like leg locks, proper angling, and precise control of the body. To better understand, it’s most commonly applied in No-Gi settings.
Control Grips: It emphasizes using the legs to control the opponent, relying primarily on leverage, and establishing Mission Control to gain dominance.
Set Up Key Submissions: The rubber guard combines key submission techniques, including the Omoplata, Triangle Choke, Gogoplata, and Dead Orchard.
Breaking the Balance of Aggressive Passers (No-Gi): This forces aggressive passers to defend, locks them into high-control positions, disrupts their movements, and opens attack opportunities.
How to Defend the Rubber Guard?
Understanding how to defend the Rubber Guard is just as crucial as learning to execute it. Effective defense requires postural awareness, precise movement, and the ability to counterattack when your opponent attempts to establish control. Mastering these techniques keeps you safe and creates opportunities to transition from defense to offense.
Counterattacks Against the Rubber Guard
You must match their agility and control to counter a Rubber Guard player. Here are ways to break their grip and clinch on you.
- Turning Defense into Offense: Shift your focus from just breaking control to transitioning into dominant positions like side control or a pass. This keeps you proactive, not reactive.
- Posturing Up to Break Control: Maintain an upright posture to neutralize your opponent’s Rubber Guard. Strategically push against their grips to regain mobility.
- Clearing the Leg Over the Shoulder: Use shoulder rotation and arm positioning to shrug off the controlling leg, preventing submissions like the omoplata or triangle choke.
Maintaining Distance and Avoiding Closed Guard
The best defense starts before your opponent can secure the Rubber Guard. Keep your posture upright, control your hips, and manage the distance to avoid being drawn into their closed guard.
Turning Defensive Strategies to Offense
Turning defensive strategies into offense creates opportunities for sweeps or submissions, which is the essence of the rubber guard, starting from a closed position. It has evolved into an advanced, multi-tiered technique that transforms a defensive position into a calculated offensive strategy. These methods demand solid technique and situational awareness to neutralize the rubber guard and regain control effectively.
Tips for Adapting the Rubber Guard for the Less Flexible
Executing the Rubber Guard involves unconventional stances and movements, requiring quick thinking and the ability to push your and your opponent’s bodies to their limits. This demands flexibility, and you’ll enhance your offensive and defensive skills with targeted exercises for improvement.
- Dynamic Drills for Hip and Hamstring Flexibility: To improve your range of motion, incorporate drills like butterfly stretches, seated leg stretches, and dynamic hip openers.
- Yoga-Based Movements: Poses like the pigeon pose and lizard lunge are excellent for loosening the hips and preparing for Rubber Guard adaptability.
Conclusion
The Rubber Guard is a versatile grappling system known for its power and effectiveness. A BJJ practitioner who can execute a seamless Rubber Guard elevates their control and defensive strategies. This essential technique demonstrates growth in both thinking and understanding. Your BJJ will reach new levels with consistent practice, attention to detail, and familiarity with its principles. Whether aiming to dominate in competition or refine your defense, mastering the Rubber Guard will undoubtedly make you a more well-rounded grappler.