When you Pull a Guard in the Street, What Actually Happens?

How do you perform the takedown efficiently in Jiu-Jitsu without getting too tired? There are a lot of techniques, and we are going to explore the method of pulling a guard.

The most practical scenario is where both fighters begin the fight in the standing position. With one trying to take the other down, it is more common for advanced practitioners to pull guard. This saves energy and enables the contender to engage in fighting in a stance where they can be more proficient.

This particular guide discusses the pulling guard technique in detail. It explains why the guard is preferable to takedowns and how quickly transitioning into this position can be done. In addition, it allows the fighter to have an upper hand over the opponent.

In most martial arts, the judoists and wrestlers do not consider pulling the guard a good option. For them, avoiding standing grapples with such techniques is a cheap way. The fact is that today, for the beginners of the BJJ, the competition is based on rules, and they can finish the match with knowledge of takedown skills.

If you do not practice takedowns, consider learning guard pulling. A guard-pulling technique is also one of the most frequently used offensive strategies performed by the practitioners of jiu-jitsu.

Read below to see how to apply pull guard in BJJ and find out how it is effective in street fights.

The pulling guard is one of the techniques employed within BJJ, which aims to facilitate moving from an upright position down into any type of guard. Firstly, the fighter must reach the opponent’s collar with one hand and his sleeves armed with the other.

After this step, the fighter is required to lean back and sit down while dragging the opponent towards you. With the specified position, you can get different guards like closed, open, butterfly, half, and De La Riva Guard. After this, you can choose from various options to submit the opponent.

Utilizing the different techniques, the fighter can apply any guard positions to employ the further steps. Once the fighter has chosen the guard position, it is time to begin working towards attack by sweeping the opponent or submitting them completely.

Certain grapplers are more outspoken than others about guard pullers and do not want to apply it. But at the same time, it works wonders. The fighter can avail the opportunity to employ the guard pulling to change the fight from standing to ground.

In this article, we are going to find out the effectiveness of the guard pulling in the street.

Guard passers are the ones who keep a close focus on passing the guard of the opponent. This needs to be done to acquire the dominant position or, in other words, to take control over fellow fighters. The fighters tend to use various techniques to pass the guard for that purpose.

A guard puller refers to a BJJ player who prefers using guard pull and will jump into the pull guard. It is this type of fighter that will try to

• break grips

• break posture

With that, they can even throw themselves at you and use you to push into their guard.

On the other hand, there are different kinds of guard pullers who either do not pull or jump to pull the guard position; instead, they prefer sliding in. Here, they are sliding into a grip to gain the guard position or a leg entanglement.

Then, some guard pullers will cover their guard pull by sometimes taking a fake takedown. They would come and pretend to take the opponent down, but that’s just bait to get into a position where they can feign the takedown and pull guard.

There is even a type of guard puller who immediately goes into guard after failure to take their opponent down. However, both guard pullers may be more aggressive and try to enter a leg entanglement.

Finally, the first thing that lets you know you are dealing with a guard puller even before grappling resumes is their posture or lack thereof. They usually take a square stance with extended hands and take up different guards before them. This indicates that they need nuances to pull guard.

Some players would simply drop all guard pulling and sit directly on the floor instead, initiating the protected position while yielding the top position to you.

In a street fight or an MMA, opting for a pull guard might not be suitable because these places are very vulnerable positions to be attacked with fists.

Pulling guards in a street fight is not a good idea because there are no rules in a street fight. An opponent in the dominant position can inflict damage with many effective strikes, such as punches to the face, soccer kicks, and even objects like rocks or glass bottles. It is even worse if they have weapons concealed on them. This is also a poor strategy to use against multiple opponents.

Nevertheless, one can identify some situations when this might work rather effectively. For instance, most common individuals have no knowledge or skills in grappling. Being on pull guard allows you to take them to the ground, submit them with a move like an armbar or triangle, and finish the fight.

Taking a sweep and getting to the top will be fine, as an ordinary person cannot distinguish between techniques and procedures of grappling.

They can not rely on strength and force themselves out of trouble. Indeed, it would only worsen their situation and land them in further trouble. In sum, it is your responsibility to evaluate your circumstances and, if possible, not to engage in physical violence first.

If an initial plan fails, pulling guard or aiming at a strong opponent with a single-leg takedown might be wise. Guards have been used when practicing jiu-jitsu so that you can execute any guard method. Like any other technique, it has pros and cons that depend on the circumstances under which it can perform.

Especially in situations of competition or when fighting with someone bigger than you. However, there are occasions where this move can pull you back. You cannot gain or lose points in some competitions because you pulled guard or could be penalized. It also saves energy, as this move suggests.

The guard is not an idle move as it is used to change the dynamics of the match to a region where the guard player will be most effective. This is more of a strategic move than anything, though it can be viewed as a defensive mechanism at a glance.

It entails a plan in which the fighter deliberately comes to the ground to fight the opponent, contrary to standup fighting tournaments. The guard pulling allows you to take the starting fight to the ground with the instant pull of the guard.

Let us find out the effectiveness of the pulling guard technique. Pulling guards can easily alter into working on submissions without the struggle of a takedown. The guard position is influential and is common in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights, depending on the scenarios.

The martial art of jiu-jitsu is considered a practical self-defense art, and ideally, it can be applied even in real-life scenarios, just as in street fights. It is evident that most fighters indulge in standing fights, and the common people also focus on them.

In this way, a pulling guard can be applied to the person standing before you to initiate a fight. That particular person will not be able to defend himself as he might have the knowledge related to the standing fight.

Grappling or ground fighting provides maximum opportunities to submit to the opponent. You can initiate any of the submission methods or even choke the person who is going to threaten you in the street.

Moreover, you can take advantage of the fact that the stranger is unfamiliar with the grappling moves. Once you have taken the opponent to the ground with the guard pull, you can save yourself after entangling the stranger.

In a street fight, the fighter's core need is to save himself with the best possible strategies and methods. For that purpose, grappling can be the most suitable option. It will become applicable after employing the guard-pulling technique over a stranger or an ordinary person unaware of the grappling.

Let us find out the advantages of applying the guard pull for self-defense in a street fight:

• Energy Preservation: Guard pulls can be less energy-consuming than performing a takedown.
• Positioning: It enables you to battle from the desired position. After the guard pulls, the fighter can use the preferred method in which he is proficient. You could use any submission methods you are more competent or familiar with.
• Control: With it, you can get instant control over the opponent. It might restrict the opponent's movements, but you can expand your submission opportunities.
• Defensive Strategy: Some have criticized it as a quiet or defensive strategy, which may only be suitable in some cases. But you can initiate it using the best possible techniques.
• Skill Requirement: This must be done methodically to prevent making incorrect assumptions about guard techniques.

Slipping into guard can lead you to various opportunities for effective submission techniques in BJJ. The effectiveness of this approach in competitive fights validates the claim regarding the technical and tactical richness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The main benefit of pulling a guard is that you can properly place your opponent in a way that enables you to apply ground efforts easily. With your legs, you can attack your opponent's position and quench the need for takedowns and sweeps, depending on which is appropriate.But what conventional submission techniques can be utilized during pull guard?

Omoplata is one of the most influential and dominating submissions of BJJ. It requires the fighter to lock the upper part of an opponent’s arm and then working on it to the extent of the elbow. Of course, this is a technique you want to learn to improve your grappling.

First of all, go for the Guard Pull movement. Press the right shin on the opponent’s bicep and place your right foot on top of it. Then, resuming such knee attacking motion, push the other leg’s shin, which is the targeted arm, to be brought down. Thus, you drive the same shin till the opponent is made to roll forward and expose you to the Omoplata position.

The triangle choke submission is arguably one of the most compelling submissions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu; it is a submission you use to defeat your more vigorous opponents who may become even more demanding.

This is where you place your feet on the inside of your opponent’s thighs and get his center gravity right on top of yours. Hooking your legs is essential, or the opponent will try to disengage.

All one does is once you have raised the opponent in your buttocks guard, then pull out her head up with your left toe and pull it from around the buttocks with your right leg, hence who pulls the right leg of her head. Finally, She secures in with her head and arms unit within reach.

An armbar is a grappling style of combat beat whose primary goal is to lock the elbow joint of the opponent and create a hyperextension. It is implemented in fighting activities, including Mixed Martial Arts, BJJ, and shootfighting. It bends the elbow or shoulder joint of the combatant and secures it.

Next, using the same heel planted on the back, elevate his hips while using the other leg to wrap his arm. Next, while in the entanglement, you push your head outside and isolate your arms. Then, you lay forward and bend the elbow of the opponent backward.

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), pulling guard refers to an action in which a fighter goes from a standing position onto a sitting or laying position and pulls the competitor to their guard. The guard is the fighter's position on the back, where they use their legs to control or protect themselves from the opponent on top.

A person grips their opponent at the collar or sleeve and instantly sits back or goes to the ground. In such a way, as they are being thrown backward, their bones are not broken, and instead, their legs wrap around the midsection of the other individual, or their feet go in to achieve total control.

The person on guard will still be able to prepare for hits or someone trying to make them submit or even prepare to attack, like sweep, submission, or take the mount. Pulling guard is a tactical option in the contests because it enables the fighter to take the match to the floor.

The strategic decision to pull guard significantly influences the course of the entire match, particularly favoring players with solid ground skills. The effectiveness of the pulling guard is often seen in competitions. This strategy is indicative of the conceptual and tactical growth in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a ready seasoned player, you should recognize guard pulling and the trick into your game, as it will improve your performance in tournaments. The pulling guard strategy in BJJ can be employed by combatants whose game is to grapple on the floor.

In addition, it is a more efficient use of energy to pull guard while standing rather than attempting a takedown, making it a valuable strategy for conserving stamina in a fight. The pulling guard is functional during BJJ sparring but may need to be wiser in an actual battle where striking is allowed. It is also essential to consider why one should not pull a guard and the abilities one has before initiating to pull a guard.

Instead of using their energy in challenging fallouts, the fighters can apply the submission after controlling the opponent. Moreover, it increases adaptability, and the fighters can initiate the move in which they are more proficient.

Although pulling guard has its uses, presumably within specific parameters such as the BJJ tournament, it is advisable against trying that on the street for self-defense. More often than not, remaining standing is the best option in combat to neutralize or evade the threat without going to the ground.

Pulling guards have their usages, or at least inside certain limits like the BJJ competition, but it is recommended against attempting them in the street for self-defense. In most cases, the most effective self-defense is avoiding fights and finding ways of no longer being in danger without the need to get down on the ground.