So my open guard sucks and so do my knees

I went through a similar issue, regarding knee pain & open guard. I was really struggling for a while there, looking for answers.

You know what really helped me...? I took a few privates with a Batata black belt Named Arash Dibazar

--SOOO helpful. I became a lot more confident, too.

 

(I can PM you info if interested)

LOL at Shen Phone Post 3.0

shen - 


I went through a similar issue, regarding knee pain & open guard. I was really struggling for a while there, looking for answers.



You know what really helped me...? I took a few privates with a Batata black belt Named Arash Dibazar



--SOOO helpful. I became a lot more confident, too.



 



(I can PM you info if interested)


Should I get my tattoo before or after we start? Does this mean I'm one of your girls now ?

Hillary - Spider techniques and walk throughs are what I'm looking for...please post or recommend some. And I should have clarified, I don't have issues with placing or maintaining the hook in DLR, but if someone quickly angles their knee out with pressure to pass the hook, I've gotten hurt multiple times. I'm trying to avoid it as much as I can. Phone Post 3.0
I've almost given up on the hook precisely because of that sudden movement to get rid of it. I'm feeding the opponents near lapel under my dlr leg to my hand instead. Once done, I lose the hook entirely but the lapel feed gives me similar options. Phone Post 3.0

Hillary - check out this video from trumpetdan on the 'Dariush Guard':

https://youtu.be/7vCAc7oyG6s Phone Post 3.0

ttt Phone Post 3.0

How about focusing primarily on guard maintenance for a while (EG, keeping knees close to your chest, not allowing the person to pass completely, but still playing open)?

Tinguina's spider guard tape set is pretty solid for longer folks, but I have stubby legs so I like Robinho's stuff a little more although I'm afraid to use the lasso hook against bigger people after having one of my knees almost go out on me a few years back during some drills. Phone Post 3.0

Hillary - 
LCSULLA - What about butterfly?

Love butterfly. I've been reading notes I typed up as a blue/purple from MG seminars.

agreed here. I have had meniscus surgery and issues with both knees.

i have found the butteryfly in combination with 1-leg X and full X-guard to be a pretty good combination.

Marcelo has some great entries for the 1-X and full X guard.

Muffinho - 
Hillary - Spider techniques and walk throughs are what I'm looking for...please post or recommend some. And I should have clarified, I don't have issues with placing or maintaining the hook in DLR, but if someone quickly angles their knee out with pressure to pass the hook, I've gotten hurt multiple times. I'm trying to avoid it as much as I can. Phone Post 3.0

It is kinda hard to walk through techniques online.

It is also hard to play spider and avoid using the DLR hook completely. It is a fantastic control position. If you're safe with X guard, watch how Romulo and Leandro Lo get to x guard from spider. Keenan used to do it for a while when he was in the late stages of brown belt, early black.


I think you can play a lot of sit up guard... you can have some threats from dlr but primarily just to momentarily keep yourself attached to your opponent....and really working between sit up and spider...



A lot of dbl sleeve. This will keep your opponent's grips from attacking your feet and making you work your knees too much. You'll have the freedom to move your feet around to off balance or just to reposition to something comfortable.

I wouldn't recommend guards that require too much gripping, ie spider guard, etc...not so good for the fingers in the long run.

Maybe a bit of shin to shin? Ala nicolini.
Mginaction too. X guard, 1lx, butterfly ect Phone Post 3.0

michelle nicolini has great instruction on open guard.  Her shit guard is great for off balancing and setting up the triangle.  I think that someone with reasonably long legs would hit it at high percentage.  Check out the BJJ Scout 2 part series on her open guard, its pretty good and has great musical soundtrack lol

Nothing beats Mendesbros for learning spider and how it connects with DLR and other guards. Better than any instructional.

BigEyedFish -


michelle nicolini has great instruction on open guard.  Her shit guard is great for off balancing and setting up the triangle.  I think that someone with reasonably long legs would hit it at high percentage.  Check out the BJJ Scout 2 part series on her open guard, its pretty good and has great musical soundtrack lol

VU for Nicolini's shit guard lol Phone Post 3.0

Thanks for the recs guys! Phone Post 3.0

lol I meant Shin Guard*   I cant even blame that on autocorrect!  

My knees have always been bad, cracked since 3rd grade. I even had to give up hardcore judo practices. I can't do whole practices of ukemi.

I play a lot of butterfly, hook sweep. Lot of jj machado and mg style stuff. Single x and x guard have been very complimentary lately.

I play dela riva a lot too but i don't hold the position. Make angle and move. I don't entrench myself there with grips and hold on while my knees twist. Phone Post 3.0

Michael Langhis DVD is alright, but for you I'd just watch Michelle, especially if you want to play a distance guard and be easy on your knees.

Just coming off two knee scopes so this thread interests me. I have been back a month and am still feeling stiff and sore. I have been playing a lot of half guard. De la riva hurts a bit and I don't have the strength back to play butterfly (to off balance or sweep partner).