Ultimate Guide to the Reverse X-Guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Some positions and techniques or moves in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are versatile. Being versatile, such as BJJ positions and techniques or moves, offers various things to do against your opponent. For example, you can make sweeps, you can make attacks, you can make submissions, and you can do a lot if you have mastered the position or move. One of these positions or moves is BJJ X-guard. Mastering BJJ X-guard allows you to sweep your opponent to transfer them into a submissive position. You have a lot of entry points. By applying for the BJJ X-guard, you can also go for any other guard in BJJ quickly.

However, one thing that BJJ X-guard fails to do ideally is submit. You can make submissions with BJJ X-guard but not as perfectly and efficiently as possible with BJJ reverse X-guard. Reverse X-guard makes submissions much more manageable for yourself if you have truly mastered the move. It is one of the few open guard positions or techniques that are very powerful. Open guard position means covering your opponent’s waist with your legs, but your legs are open and not closed, unlike the closed guard position. A complete guide regarding BJJ X-guard is provided in this article.

BJJ reverse X-guard is the position in which your one arm is controlling your opponent’s one leg. Your legs control your opponent’s other leg in such a way that your left leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips, and your right leg or right foot is at the bottom at the back of your opponent’s knee.

The difference between the two is the leg's position. Arm position and movement are the same in both positions. In BJJ X-guard, the right leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips, and the left is on the bottom at the back of your opponent’s knee. In BJJ reverse X-guard, the position of the legs is entirely opposite in such a way that your left leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips, and your right leg is at the bottom near your opponent’s knee.

BJJ reverse X-guard is a technique that is not very common. This is because of several reasons.

The first reason is that most people are on top of their opponents. They believe that being on top makes them defensive and can attack quickly at the same time. They don't realize the significance of BJJ reverse X-guard. BJJ athletes have this mindset, particularly at the start of their careers. With time, as they continued learning new techniques day by day, they began developing a new mindset. They realize the importance of being under your opponent yet able to control them in various ways.

The second reason BJJ Reverse X-guard is not very common is that they are used to playing the BJJ X-guard. They don't find it easy to play and use the BJJ reverse X-guard against their opponent because this technique differs significantly from other standard BJJ techniques and moves.

The third reason BJJ reverse X-guard is not commonly used is its difficulty maintaining the guard against opponents. It is challenging to keep your opponent in control with this guard. It is not efficiently utilized, not easily controlled, and not easily maintained. That’s why people tend to use other techniques over reverse X-guard.

BJJ X-guard provides many entry options, but reverse X-guard has limited possibilities for initiating.

As mentioned, the BJJ reverse X-guard is a very useful and powerful tool for making many good attacks, sweeps, and submissions on your opponent. The following are some points that highlight the significance of the BJJ reverse X-guard.

Just give this question a quick thought: What’s the best thing you can do to your opponent that causes them to lose control? Yes! The lift. When you lift your opponent on your legs by being under your opponent, they become entirely in your control. They have no option to escape from your trap. BJJ reverse X-guard provides this absolute trick to make your opponent fall under your control.

You may have heard that BJJ reverse X-guard can be used for sweeps, submissions, etc. However, reverse X-guard can also be used to escape submissions. A perfect example of this is the leg locks escape. With leg locks, your legs can be immobilized by targeting your lower legs or thighs. It is tough to escape the leg locks, but the BJJ reverse X-guard makes it easy.

BJJ reverse X-guard provides you with many advantages over your opponent. It offers various opportunities that help you, directly and indirectly, submit your opponent.

BJJ reverse X-guard is a very less commonly used technique. Therefore, it is a surprise for your opponent. Your opponent will have no idea about where that guard comes from. They will not be ready for the guard; therefore, they will be unable to defend themselves and fall under your control. The point is to find and learn those BJJ techniques and moves that are not common. Apply that technique against your opponent. They can't defend it because they are not prepared for it. So, it will help you gain an advantage over your opponent. BJJ reverse X-guard is one of those moves and positions.

• Most of the time in your BJJ career, you may have heard that being on the top of your opponent is better than being on the bottom. Being on top has benefits, such as being in defensive mode. It is easier to attack your opponent. Your opponent is more vulnerable to your submission when you are on their top. This is all that you have heard till now. But you don't know the importance of being on the bottom. Until now, no one has told you about various ways to attack and submit your opponent when you are at the bottom.
• Being on the bottom provides you with multiple leverages you can utilize to gain an advantage over your opponent. You have to be able to know how you can pass the guard. Being on the bottom is an uncommon and often unwanted position. You can utilize this to your advantage. You can do many things while at the bottom. But for this, you first have to master the position on the bottom and apply different techniques, such as the BJJ reverse X-guard.

You can call this BJJ reverse X-guard to the honey hole, the saddle, the cross ashi, or inside sankaku. In this position, you lock and entangle your opponent’s legs used for attacking the heel hooks.

So, suppose you are in the BJJ reverse X-guard. Your legs are controlling your opponent’s one leg and their other leg is controlled by your shoulder. Keep your hips off the ground. Your shoulders must also be a little bit up from the mat.

The first step is to stretch your opponent’s legs. Straighten your far leg by pushing your opponent’s leg. This will stretch them. This will make them lose a little bit of their control.

The second step is to push your opponent with your legs behind their knee. They will fall over, and their hands will be on the mat.

Once you have done this, switch your legs in such a way that the position of your right leg becomes the position of your left leg and vice versa. The reason for doing this is to pull your opponent towards yourself. Switching will make pulling easier for you.

So now, after switching your legs across your opponent, pull them towards you. Move your hips upwards slightly.

Grab your opponent’s leg and curl the heel to the ground. So now you both are up with you having control over your opponent’s legs. Now switch and go for ankle lock.

• BJJ reverse X-guard is the open guard type. This is the reason reverse X-guard is very difficult to execute as compared to others. With open guard, you are exposed to many attacks, sweeps, and submissions. This is the reason many people don't even try to learn open guards. But you must remember that you have to keep trying and learning variations of open guard. This will help you master this open guard.
• Many BJJ athletes, particularly white or blue belts, focus only on the difficult or negative aspects of the reverse X-guard. They don't realize how powerful this guard is. Mastering this guard allows you to do so many things. You can make submissions, attacks, sweeps, etc. So, keep learning and trying different variations until you become a master at that technique. Don't ignore the importance of the moves and techniques, which are uncommon because these are the techniques that will make you win over your opponent. 

BJJ reverse X-guard is the guard that is a gateway for taking an edge over your opponent. Don't be afraid of the difficulty in initiating the guard. Don't ignore the importance of the guard because it is uncommon. Start with the BJJ X-guard and then proceed to its variations, such as single leg BJJ X-guard. After that, you can move to reverse X-guard. Mastering this technique will make you an expert in escaping from guards. You will be able to attack your opponent even when you are at the bottom, and your opponent is on your top.

BJJ reverse X-guard is the position in which your one arm is controlling your opponent’s one leg. Your legs control your opponent’s other leg in such a way that your left leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips, and your right leg or right foot is at the bottom at the back of your opponent’s knee.

The difference between the two is the leg's position. Arm position and movement are the same in both positions. In BJJ X-guard, the right leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips and the left leg is on the bottom at the back of your opponent’s knee. In BJJ reverse X-guard, the position of the legs is completely opposite in such a way that your left leg is on the top near your opponent’s hips, and your right leg is at the bottom near your opponent’s knee.

You can enter the saddle position from the BJJ reverse X-guard by following points;

• Keep your hips and shoulders off the ground.

• Stretch your opponent’s legs.

• Push your opponent with your legs behind their knee. They will fall over, and their hands will be on the mat.

• Switch your legs and pull your opponent towards you.

• Grab your opponent’s leg and curl the heel to the ground.

• Now switch and go for ankle lock.