When you're in your opponents closed guard, where do you position your arms to make sure you don't get armbarred? What I mean is there are always trigger positions for various subs/sweeps. For example, when you place your hands on the ground, your opponent can kimura you. If you leave one arm inside his legs and one arm out, you can get triangled. How about the armbar? I always thought it was elbow past the center of his body, but if your oppenent can scoot himself perpendicular enough, that may not always be necessary.
Also, when caught in the closed guard armbar, and you can't stack, what are you looking for in an escape? Of course don't get caught, but if you do, what should be some first thoughts?
I know this is a pretty basic question, but I'm working real hard on understanding everything better. I've gotten some great tips from jonpall, bb, and andre lately, so thanks in advance!
If you place your elbow on the outside of his hip and keep your arm bent, it should block his hip from moving around your elbow. You can also use your elbows and your knees together to block your opponent's hip movements to the side by keeping your elbow very close to your knees. When you do this, you will most likely keep your head buried in his chest to avoid him sitting up and f.ex. putting a kimura or a guillotine on you. This is pretty strong to use when your opponent tries to FORCE your elbow on top of his chest/stomach. And if you can get your hands on his biceps, in particular on the opposite side of the arm he's trying to armbar, there is pretty much no way he could armbar you, as he can't use his arms to pull your arm across the center.
Basically if you have some sort of guard "posture", you are "fairly" safe against all attacks, including armbars. Your opponent will be trying to break and get around your posture and you will be trying to get and maintain your posture and subsequently control and monitor his hip movements to pass his guard or attempt a leg lock.
You shouldn't be trying to learn every counter there is for every attack there is - instead get good at posturing, guard opening and hip controlling, which will be an "all attack counter" for you. Then just add practise - as much as you can!
Good postures include:
1. Head low, hands on biceps, elbows touching ribs/hips.
2. Head low, hands in armpits, elbows touching ribs/hips (this time you'll probably stretch out your arms and walk back to do the knee in tailpipe guard opener, instead of keeping your arms bent.
3. One hand on belt, the other grabbing both lapels on chest (this one is more secure with the gi). For this type of posture, although your arms may seem open to armbar attacks, they are really not, because your hand on the belt (or belt line for no-gi) is keeping your opponent's hips down. He has to raise his hips and latch them on your shoulder area to get the armbar.
"Also, when caught in the closed guard armbar, and you can't stack, what are you looking for in an escape? Of course don't get caught, but if you do, what should be some first thoughts? "
I'm not very good at defending that late in the attack, but I would probably bend both my arms as much as possible and try to stand and step over his body. Some guys would try to slam you from here, but I'm not too into that myself, I must admit.