Tom DeBlass has never been one to shy away from controversy, and his latest post is stirring up debate once again – this time over pulling guard.
DeBlass, a former ADCC veteran and respected instructor, fired back at critics who look down on athletes who choose to pull guard in submission grappling matches.
His message? Stop complaining:
You get annoyed when people pull guard.
I get annoyed when people can’t pass the guard.How about you learn how to pass?
DeBlass argued that the constant criticism of guard pulling misses the point of submission grappling entirely:
If you want to wrestle, enter a wrestling competition.
In a SUBMISSION grappling match, get it to the mat and actually do Jiu-Jitsu.
He also addressed one of the most common counterarguments, that pulling guard wouldn’t work in a real fight:
You wouldn’t pull guard in a basketball match either.
That’s why it’s a GRAPPLING MATCH you’re pulling guard in.
He emphasized that grappling’s purpose is submission, not prolonged standoffs or takedown battles:
Some of the absolute worst ADCC matches were on the feet the entire time.
DeBlass concluded by drawing a distinction between his approach in MMA versus pure grappling:
I never pulled guard in MMA besides one leg lock.
Grappling, always pulled.
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