Open Guard

Open Guard refers to a broad and versatile category of guard positions in which the bottom practitioner's legs are not locked together behind the opponent's back. Unlike the closed guard, this allows for greater mobility and a wider array of attacks. The practitioner uses their feet, shins, and knees on the opponent's hips, biceps, or legs to control distance, disrupt their base, and set up numerous sweeps and submissions. Open guard is a cornerstone of modern BJJ and encompasses a vast family of specific guards, including Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard, Lasso Guard, X-Guard, and Butterfly Guard.