Half Guard Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Half Guard: BJJ's Working Position." Print it. This is the position your rounds keep visiting, so own it from both chairs.
| Art | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
|---|---|
| Family | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Level | intermediate |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | groundwork, submissions, leg-locks, training-plans, safety |
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Half Guard: BJJ's Working Position." Print it. This is the position your rounds keep visiting, so own it from both chairs.
SAFETY, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE ☐ Tap early and tap often. Half guard feeds the kimura trap, the arm triangle, and the leg entanglements, and all three tighten while you think. ☐ When your partner taps, or says anything, release instantly. First the release, then the discussion. ☐ Apply every submission with control: position first, pressure gradually, always giving your partner time to concede. ☐ The lockdown stretch and the electric chair load your partner's hip and groin. Stretch to the tap, never through it. ☐ Leg attacks from half guard follow your belt and your school's rules. The backstep lane stays control-only until your instructor opens it for you.
The Position in One Table
| Bottom player's jobs | Top player's jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| First | Turn to your side and face them. Never start flat | Win the crossface before anything else |
| Second | Frame the neck or biceps so the crossface cannot settle | Win the underhook on the far side |
| Third | Win the underhook, or set the knee shield | Flatten them onto their back and keep them there |
| Fourth | Sweep, come up, enter deep, or recover full guard | Free the trapped leg through one chosen lane |
| Never | Lie flat with both shoulders on the mat and wait | Pass against a live underhook and an upright opponent |
Half Guard Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Half Guard: BJJ's Working Position." Print it. This is the position your rounds keep visiting, so own it from both chairs.
What's Inside
- The Position in One Table
- Position Annex
- The Sweeps, Step by Step
- The Top Game, in Working Detail
- Positional Drilling Library: Ten Games
- The Error Table
- …and 10 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: The Half Guard: BJJ's Working Position — the full article, free in full.