Spider Guard

[Hungryjack]

My instructor was showing us what he called the spider guard. I don't know if it's commonly called that or if it was just his name for it, but since I'm kind of a tall lanky guy, it worked well for me. I'll try to describe it in case the name means nothing to you.

I'm on my back versus a standing/kneeling opponent. I have one of his sleeves in each hand and my feet pressed into his elbows. Usually one of my legs is bent while the other is extended to "stretch" him out and keep him off balance.

In the lessons we were taught, it seemed to work well into triangle chokes or rolling the opponent to the ground.

What I'd like to know is where can I get more information about techniques to work out of this guard?

[JaredExtreme]

Yeah, the spider guard is really cool. A couple things I really like it are the reversals and the submissions. I haven't done BJJ for about 5 months so I kind of forgot how to do them hehe. Did your instructor show you the bicep submission from the spider guard? Cuz that was my favorite.

[Hungryjack]

I don't think I know that one. My favorite technique was to go for the triangle choke (which worked about twice before everyone saw it was my favorite thing to try)

[duc]

The spider guard is my favorite there are sooo many submisions to go for and alot of sweeps. My favorite is to go for the triangle and then change to umaplata if they roll to escape the umaplata you end up with the triangle.

[AWSolis]

Woof!

I love the spider guard. The bicep lock mentioned above is now illegal at the Pan Ams and at the Mundials. I still use the position though to set up sweeps or to spin all the way under your opponent and get the uma plata or triangle. A detail that will improve your spider guard game is to sit up, this allows you to sweep easier.

If you are on top standing, the spider guard is fairly easy to counter by rotating both your wrists to the inside and pushing up on the back of your opponent's knees, throw to one side then pass.

If you are on top on your knees. Rotate both your wrists to the inside, left hand reaches all the way under and grab the belt, the other hand grabs the back of your opponent's gi at the knee straightening it out. My right shoulder goes to his midsection, and I pass on my right side.

Hope that made sense.

Alvis

www.solismartialarts.com

[cracker]

I didn't know they outlawed the bicep lock! That move friggin hurts. It doesn't look like it should, but it does. very sneaky too.

[macdawg]

very low percentage too, the bicep lock.

I like spider guard to go into a triangle but it is dull to lay there and hold the sleeves, it isn't a dominant position so you gotta do something with it. I also liked when Royce used it to block punches while on his back.

[blown383]

Yeah...the bicep lock is now illegal at most tournaments The bicept lock is my bread and butter move!!!!!! So now I use it to set up sweeps and triangles. At Jean Jacques tournament this past weekend they stopped my fight to tell me it was illegal! I had it sunk in deep too!

[Halloween Jack]

Can't you just kick them in the head from that position?

[Thumper]

What is the bicep lock? How do you apply it?

[cracker]

WEll, I've never been good at writing about the technical way to do a move but I'll try......

From the "spider guard", you place your shin across the lower part of the other guy's bicep, while trapping his wrist underneath your calf (kind of pinching his wrist between your calf and hamstring). Then grab his bicep, above where your shin goes across his bicep, and pull hard with both hands, while you push against his bicep with your shin.

It's crucial to have your shin straight across the lower part of his bicep or it wont work.

If you practive it on someone, dont pull real hard, cause it hurts like a mutha. Your basically pinching the tendon/lower bicep between your shin and their arm bone.

I hope that makes sense, anyone else feel free to try.

[SweepEm]

Cracker explained it but there are a few holes.

You start on your butt, grabbing your opponents sleeves and you put one foot on the bicep. This will usually be the arm that you are going to attack. Let's say that you are going to attack the right arm. So you want to pull your opponent inwards.
The bicep attack/lock won't be effective is your opponent is on his feet.
[If your do circle drills with your feet, while you are on your back, this circle inwards movement is what you are practicing for.]
With your left foot, you want to circle inwards so that your shin rests on the inside of your opponents arm and you can hook your opponent's right shoulder with your left foot, to keep him in tight. You need to keep a strong, firm grip on the sleeves and after you circle inwards, let go of the sleeve with your right hand and you reach with your right hand to grab through the arm pit to the tricep and you want to push your left knee outwards and keep ahold of the sleeve with your left hand and your right hand pulling on the tricep towards you and lift your hips up.

this should produce adequate pain on the right bicep for a submission.

Now I hope I explained this so that it's easy to understand.

[HOWARD KIMONOS]

I have long legs as well, and I used to play spider guard a lot. Bad knees have forced me to play half-guard now, when I am on the bottom.

However, I am more comfortable in the top position. And the BJJ game has changed alot. I think some players depend too much on the open guard position and lazily leave their feet and legs in very vulnerable positions. I think Andreh Anderson knows what I am talking about.

Be careful when using the spider guard....otherwise you can get your ankles, arches, toes, heels, knees and hips broken.

Howard Liu

HOWARD COMBAT KIMONOS