BJJ Moves Directory

Securing the Closed Guard from Full Guard

From the Full Guard position, establish a solid base and control the opponent's hips. Keep your spine neutral and your head up.
Create space and angle by shifting your hips slightly to one side and guiding your legs toward the opponent's torso to prepare the wrap.
Wrap both legs around the opponent's waist, bringing your knees together. Cross your ankles in front to lock the guard.
Squeeze your knees toward each other and pull your hips in to seal the closed guard; adjust posture to minimize gaps.
Establish or shift grips (Gi: pant cuffs, belt, or collar; No-Gi: underhooks or upper-body control) to maintain the guard and prevent immediate passes.

Purpose: control, attack options, and deny passing; this is a beginner-friendly step-by-step way to secure a stable guard transition in jiujitsu moves and bjj techniques.
How to apply: use this guard transition to stop a pass and open up your own attack chain from the guard.

Not controlling the opponent's hips, allowing them to posture and pass.
Failing to cross ankles or keep a tight lock; leaving space for the guard to open.
Poor posture or head/neck alignment, giving them space to stack or drive through.
Over-gripping or tensing, which reduces mobility.

Develop hip mobility; practice the hip-turn in small reps.
In Gi, secure pant/belt grips before closing; In No-Gi, use underhooks and control the upper body.
Keep a calm, steady tempo; use step-by-step repetition to build muscle memory.