Guard Retention Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Your Guard Keeps Getting Passed." Print it. Retention is a skill with drills, and this is the drill book.
| Art | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
|---|---|
| Family | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | groundwork, sparring |
Mat Manual companion guide to "Your Guard Keeps Getting Passed." Print it. Retention is a skill with drills, and this is the drill book.
SAFETY, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE ☐ Tap early and tap often. Retention scrambles end in leg entanglements and sudden arm traps more often than anyone plans. ☐ When your partner taps, or says anything, release instantly. First the release, then the discussion. ☐ Play the turtle with a tucked chin and elbows home. A live back take against an unprepared neck is an injury looking for a place to happen. Drill the shape slowly before anyone hunts it. ☐ Stack escapes load your neck. If you cannot keep your chin tucked and your weight off your head, stop the rep and reset. Never bridge through your neck to win a drill. ☐ Standing resets end standing. Clear the space behind you before a scramble drill starts, and call it out loud when you are going to stand.
The Four Layers in One Table
| Layer | Its job | Its tools | The sign it has failed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feet | Hold distance and read movement | Feet on hips, biceps, shoulders, push and re-place | Their hands reach your legs with no foot in the way |
| Shins | Frame their advance | Shin across the thigh or torso, knee shield shapes | Their chest touches yours with your shin folded flat |
| Knees | The second wall, pointed at them | Knee-elbow connection, knees tracking their hips | Both knees pinned together or pushed to one side |
| Hands | Manage posture and arms | Collar and sleeve grips, wrist control, head frames | Both hands holding cloth while your legs hang open |
Behind all four: your hips. Every drill in this playbook is a hip drill wearing a layer's clothes.
Guard Retention Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Your Guard Keeps Getting Passed." Print it. Retention is a skill with drills, and this is the drill book.
What's Inside
- The Four Layers in One Table
- Baseline Self-Check
- Layer by Layer: The Drill Library
- Lane by Lane: The Retention Annex
- The Near-Pass: Recovery Drills
- Partner Games: Twelve Rounds of Retention
- …and 16 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: Your Guard Keeps Getting Passed — the full article, free in full.
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