Top 3 Mistakes To Avoid When Going for BJJ X-Guard

BJJ X-guard is one of the few moves or techniques in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that are very powerful. Once you have your opponent in BJJ X-guard, you are almost halfway to submitting your opponent. It provides many opportunities for making sweeps, transitions, and attacks against your opponent. But many people make mistakes in the execution of this powerful X-guard BJJ. A complete explanation of those common mistakes and their solutions will be discussed in this article. 

BJJ X-guard is the form of open guard. You can also consider it a half-guard. It is super effective. It does really well with guards like the butterfly guard, the deep half-guard, and various other forms of half-guard. So, it is a very powerful sweeping position. A lot of people do it wrong, and they have problems doing it the correct way. Following are the three most common mistakes or problems people make or have with making the BJJ X-guard. Besides these problems, the best tips will also be given along with these problems and mistakes so you can develop the best BJJ X-guard.

So start with the basic BJJ X-guard. This mistake is related to your foot position while doing the guard. Foot positioning is very important. You are using both your feet, which makes it crucial for you to first learn the position correctly. So basically, you insert yourself beneath your opponent’s legs. This is where people make the first mistake and that is in foot positioning. Your top leg goes in your opponent’s hips right in the middle of their body. Your bottom leg goes behind your opponent’s knees. Usually, your left leg is the top leg, and your right leg is the bottom leg. 

If you are pointing your knees to the ceiling while making the BJJ X-guard, your opponent can easily destroy your guard and escape. Instead, it will be easy for them to put you in a horrible position because you are beneath them and they are standing. So, it will be easy for them if you don’t position your foot correctly while making the BJJ X-guard. 

But if your knees are flared out, and your feet attached tightly to your opponent, then it will be much difficult for your opponent to pass the guard. You will have very good control. So, flare your knees out. Have one foot on your opponent’s hips and your other foot behind your opponent's knees.

• You point your foot to the ceiling.

• You do not keep your feet attached to your opponent’s body.

• Keep your feet attached tightly.

• Keep your knees and feet flared out.

The elbow position is the second mistake people often make while trying BJJ X-guard against their opponent. Elbow position is essential, as is respect for your opponent’s balance. 

Some people put their opponent’s leg in the crook of their elbow. They think that while doing this, they have controlled their opponent. But in reality, they are giving their opponent stability, which will help their opponent pass the guard. Putting your opponent’s legs in the crook of your elbow will make their knees reasonably close. So they have a stable position ready to attack you or at least pass your guard. 

The perfect solution to this mistake is to put your opponent’s legs on your shoulder. Grab your hands and then move your hands to your head while having your opponent’s leg in the crook of your elbow. This will take your opponent’s leg to your shoulder. It will be difficult for you to do this because of the weight of your opponent. 

To make it easy, try stretching your legs. Push your legs against your opponent’s legs. This will off balance your opponent. They become light in weight. It will be easy for you to take their leg to your shoulder. This will stretch your opponent’s legs. They will become unstable. Now, it will be easy to make sweeps, attacks, or submit your opponent.

So you are here in this position. This is a great position. You should try to stretch your opponent out. Your opponent, at this point, will be worried about staying upright. You should try to push them backward. Pull your opponent close to you. This position can be a dynamic. You should continuously try to off-balance them. Then, suddenly, drop them to the mat. This dynamic position and constant pushing and pulling will make falling easy.

• You keep your opponent’s heels in the crook of your elbow.

• Keep the opponent’s heels on your shoulder.

BJJ X-guard is not really a guard. It is about 50 to 80% of the way through a sweep. By the time when you are in the guard, you will be thinking that now you are in a very good position. You would be planning to hang in there for a long time. 

Instead, you should be thinking of sweeping your opponent. You did all the hard work just to hang in that position? No. Do some work to reach the BJJ X-guard. After reaching that position, think about finishing your opponent. Think about sweeping them. 

Think of attacking them. Try to submit them after getting into that position. Most people think they can only make attacks and sweep their opponent when they are in the BJJ X-guard. But they should realize the fact that there are some submissions that you can make from BJJ X-guard.

Many people worry about getting into the BJJ X-guard. The reality is that there are so many options that people get confused about getting into some technique. When starting, don’t go into complex things. Just pick a technique and go for practice. Practice till you become a master at that technique. So you are in the BJJ butterfly guard. You do a sweep and reach under your opponent. You grab and push your opponent. You insert your legs beneath your opponent. That’s it? People think after doing this they are in the BJJ X-guard. The technique is not difficult. Getting into the BJJ X-guard is not at all difficult. The problem is you do not know what is the position of your legs to place them beneath your opponent.

So when starting, don't worry about the entry. Just get yourself beneath your opponent’s legs. Cross your legs across your opponent’s leg. Just get under even if somebody later on has to position your legs and hands. First, just try to get under your opponent in the X-guard. Once you are here, just try to move your opponent and make this position a dynamic position. Your opponent will not give you any resistance because of their already unstable position. 

Even if they try to give resistance, it will be minimal resistance. You can easily make your moves in the presence of that resistance. At this stage, just try to shake your opponent. Make them step forward and backward. Make them step closer to you. Make them step away from you. You should do this practice to be better at BJJ X-guard. What you will learn from this is basic off-balancing. It also tells your body that this is a normal position so that you remain calm and relaxed.

So once you have learned this all by practicing again and again, your body will know the basics. Once you know the basics, you will be already at the final destination. You will know what is your route is. Once you have learned the entry, you will already know that final point. You will be able to find your way to your destination. It will be very easy for you.

• You stay in the BJJ X-guard for a long time without doing anything.

• Look for sweeps.

• Shake your opponent around.

• Make the position dynamic.

Follow these tips for being good in BJJ X-guard;

• Make sure your feet are in the right direction and position when entangling your opponent’s leg.

• Don’t keep your opponent’s heel in the crook of your arm. Have your opponent’s heels on your shoulder. This will stretch them out. They will become light in weight. It will make it easy for you to drop them on the mat.

• Continuously off-balance them. Make the X-guard dynamic. Make them closer. Push them away from you. In this way, don't make them settle.

• Try to look for sweeps. You can make a lot of good sweeps from the BJJ X-guard position. It should be the way to be on top of your opponent to be able to submit them.

• Before learning the entries and finishes to the X-guard, put your opponent on your shoulder in the X-guard position and shake them around. You may think that it is not the best thing to do, but you are teaching your body the destination of X-guard. The final position. It will make learning BJJ X-guard many times easier for you.

These were the most common mistakes people make while trying for BJJ X-guard. BJJ athletes make many mistakes when they first start learning BJJ X-guard. They should realize the importance of learning the correct technique and position. It is a very powerful position. Once you get in there, you have a lot of ways to submit your opponent by making sweeps and attacks. 

You can become better at BJJ X-guard by following tips;

• Keep your feet in the right direction and position when entangling your opponent’s leg.

• Don’t keep your opponent’s heel in the crook of your arm. Instead, keep it on your shoulder.

• Continuously off-balance them. Make the X-guard dynamic.

• Try to look for sweeps. You can make a lot of good sweeps from the BJJ X-guard position.

• Before learning the entries and finishes to the X-guard, put your opponent on your shoulder in the X-guard position and shake them around. This way you are teaching your body the destination of X-guard.

If you are pointing your knees to the ceiling while making the BJJ X-guard, your opponent can easily destroy your guard and escape. But if your knees are flared out, and your feet attached tightly to your opponent, then it will be much difficult for your opponent to pass the guard. You will have very good control. So, flare your knees out. Have one foot on your opponent’s hips and your other foot behind your opponent's knees.

Some people put their opponent’s leg in the crook of their elbow. Put your opponent’s legs on your shoulder. Grab your hands and then move your hands to your head while having your opponent’s leg in the crook of your elbow. This will take your opponent’s leg to your shoulder.

Yes you can make many sweeps from BJJ X-guard. These sweeps will help you get into a dominant position and put your opponent in a submissive position. You can go for submissions after making a sweep.