Drill 2 of 5 · 10 min
Stand Up and Open the Guard
Learn to stand safely from inside closed guard and force it open without feeding arms into submissions.
How to practice
- From closed guard, pin their hips with both hands and stagger your feet - one foot under their seat.
- Stand straight up in one motion, keeping posture tall and their ankles locked behind you.
- Drive one knee back behind their hamstring and push their knee down until the ankles unlock.
- The moment the guard opens, step back to headquarters position before they re-guard.
- Partner resists progressively: first passive, then pulling you down, then attacking as you stand.
- Drill 15 clean repetitions per side, then two live rounds starting in closed guard where you must stand to open.
Coaching cues
Stand up tall in one motion - no half-standing crouchControl the hips before your feet moveHands frame their knees the instant the ankles popStep back out as it opens; do not linger in re-guard range
Common mistakes
- Standing with feet in line, making the sweep easy
- Bending at the waist to push the legs, giving up posture
- Releasing hip control early and getting pulled back down
Video references
External YouTube references — third-party content, not affiliated.