Closed guard is an old time classic that’s one of the most commonly seen techniques in practice and in real life altercations.
It’s a great position for the one on the bottom since they have numerous submissions and sweep options. The one that is in the top closed guard, is stuck in a dangerous position and needs to get out of there ASAP.
James Duscio wrote for bjjee about the closed guard:
Watch any of the early UFC’s and you see Royce Gracie submitting people left and right and some of the most memorable tap outs were from closed guard. It made the world realize that a smaller guy on his back was a dangerous threat. You watch a street fight with a BJJ practitioner and the BJJ practitioner almost always submits the opponent from closed guard if a top or back position is not taken.
The closed guard offers lots of offensive options for the one in bottom. BJJ legend Vinicius Draculino shows some great details to a gnarly technique that he calls the “Exorcist”
Vinicius „Draculino“ Magalhães is a fifth-degree black belt under the legendary founder of Gracie Barra, Carlos Gracie Jr.
A part of the „golden generation“ of BJJ, he has trained with other legends such as Roberto Gordo, Tinguinha, Soneca, Soca and many others. He was also the first person to open a Gracie Barra academy outside of Rio de Janeiro; and is known today as a world-class coach, responsible for developing world-class athletes such as Romulo Barral and Samuel Braga.
Check out our great interview with Draculino:
