BJJ position
Spider guard
Spider guard is a gi guard where the bottom player grips both of the opponent's sleeves and places their feet on the biceps, pushing the arms out and away. With the arms extended, the opponent can't grip or posture properly, and the bottom player can steer them into sweeps, triangles and omoplatas. Spider guard often combines with a lasso on one side for extra control. The top player's goal is to break the sleeve grips, bend the arms and get past the feet before the bottom player can set up an attack.
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If you're on the bottom
- Grip both sleeves firmly and keep your feet on the biceps
- Push one arm and pull the other to break the opponent's balance
- Switch to a lasso or a triangle when the passer pulls an arm back
If you're on top
- Break the sleeve grips before anything else
- Keep your elbows bent and close to your body
- Step back and change angles until a foot comes off, then pass
Key details
- The feet push and the hands pull, which stretches the opponent
- Keep your hips off the mat and close enough to move them
- Switch feet between the biceps and the hips as the passer moves
- As the passer, a strong stance with your weight back makes sweeps harder
Common mistakes
- Letting your feet slip to the forearms
- Sitting too far back so you can't bring your hips into attacks
- On top: leaning forward into the feet
Techniques from spider guard
In the BJJ Navigator library, each with a video clip.
Spider guard pass guard pass, top
Related positions
Add spider guard to your map
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