Deep Half Guard: The grappling sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasises battling on several fighting planes. You can wrestle with your back on the mat or you can engage from a standing posture, much as in judo. The term “playing guard” refers to the latter strategy. Today, we’ll talk about the deep half guard, a significant variation of the guard.
Describe The Guard
The guard posture is essentially defensive in nature, requiring you to protect your opponent with your body. Like a stronghold, your defence should be sturdy enough to lessen the impact of any offensive manoeuvre performed against you. After that, you may switch to using your offensive manoeuvres. In BJJ, there are several guard varieties. It is up to the practitioner to select the guard that best fits their grappling style.
Developing a guard game that is readily converted to both gi and no-gi situations is always a smart idea. This will save you a lot of time from having to establish two quite different styles. In all grappling rulesets, the half guard, especially the deep half guard form, is a secure position.
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The Guard at Deep Half
With your body in close proximity to your opponent’s centre of gravity, the deep half is essentially a half guard position. You take up the space beneath with the intention of throwing off your opponent’s balance, as opposed to using your hook to lock them down while you prevent their upper body from progressing. It’s a different take on the guard with a lot of sweeping possibilities.
Playing guards like the deep half requires you to be dynamic, which is a crucial notion for newbies to grasp. Prioritising safety over all else should always come first; protect your body from harm before deciding to strike. They should constantly shift from side to side and disrupt their posture to throw off their centre of gravity. Finally, always be aware of the circumstances. Once you are secure from passing attempts and incoming submissions, go to an offensive cycle.
Great Things About The Deep Half Guard
For those who like a more sweeping style of play, the deep half is an excellent choice. To use the deep half, you don’t need to be an elite athlete. As you utilise your building to dismantle even greater opponents, you may use it to successfully manage them.
Even while the deep half guard is effective on its own, to improve your bottom game, we suggest learning additional half guard techniques, especially the knee shield half guard.
Precautionary Concepts
You must be aware of the possible hazards associated with the deep half position since the primary goal is to move below the opponent. When you go into the deep half, there are three primary reactions you may do: attack the far arm, attack the neck, and pass the guard. Let’s examine the optimal strategy for each response.
It’s preferable to utilise unbalancing moves, such as stepping side to side, to break up an opponent’s effort to step over your head and get beyond your guard. Because the opponent’s foundation is unstable, it is also the ideal moment to launch a sweep assault.
You can always move your arm to negate submissions if your opponent tries to attack it with Americanas or kimuras. It’s a wise move to tuck your far arm beneath your opponent’s leg since it essentially renders armlock attempts useless. If your opponent is gripping your wrist, you may break the hold by slapping your leg up into their arm.
You can just lean forward while turning inward to conceal your head if your opponent is aiming for your neck. This ought to be sufficient to eliminate any efforts at submission.
Changes in Attitude
Additionally, a few basic transitions out of deep half guard are shown in the first video. If your opponent gets up and disengages, you have two options: go to 50/50 guard or X guard. You can still attack with sweeps and submissions, so these are solid choices. Keep in mind that attacking choices change according to the guard, therefore if you want to use these locations in your bottom game, properly educate yourself on these positions.
Once you have some sort of control, there are several methods to enter the deep half guard. The De La Riva guard, the lasso guard, and even the knee-cut pass counter are among the often-used entries that are mentioned in the video. The important thing to remember is that your body and arm should be able to swing below. As soon as you see a gap, shoot beneath, seize the leg, and adjust your body to the correct position.
Teco Shinzato, the BJJ World Champion, and Jucimar Eller discuss fundamental passes, deep half attacks, and defences. To get the whole image of the deep half guard, we strongly advise you to review every move they show. Although these positional moves may appear simple, they are the fundamental building blocks that all skilled deep half guard players are profoundly familiar with.
Drill to Win
Drilling the deep half guard several times is essential, just as with all the moves we demonstrate. It seems sense that many novices find the deep half difficult as it might occasionally feel constricted. Every position that has you playing underneath your opponent’s centre of gravity seems unique and difficult to understand at first. To become acquainted with the techniques you see in the video, drill them and gradually incorporate them into your sparring sessions. You’ll be shocked to learn how beneficial the deep half is over time.
In summary
The deep half guard is a fantastic move that will undoubtedly improve your bottom-player skills. Just the transitions alone will take your Jiu-Jitsu knowledge to a new level since they show you how to slide beneath an opponent who is resisting. This is a job that we recommend grapplers investigate.
This is a complete guide on deep half guard. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
