Reverse Half Guard
Position
Reverse half guard is half guard turned inside out: one leg still traps the opponent's leg, but the bottom grappler has turned to face away from the opponent's head, toward their legs and hips. It looks like a scramble accident, and it often begins as one, but the position rewards whoever understands it first, with back takes and leg attacks hiding inside a shape most grapplers never study.
What is reverse half guard?
Both grapplers have doors
Why it matters
Gi and no-gi
Where to start
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · The player facing the legs has a significant advantage due to access to the opponent's back and hips while the opponent cannot use their arms effectively.
- · Hip control is paramount — securing an underhook on the far hip prevents the trapped player from re-establishing a normal guard.
- · The trapped player must immediately address the positional disadvantage by freeing their legs or turning to face their opponent before back exposure occurs.
- · Anticipate the bottom player shrimping away by maintaining chest pressure on their thighs and controlling the near-side knee line.
Execution
- 1 From half guard, spin 180 degrees so you face your opponent's legs while keeping one of your legs trapped between theirs.
- 2 Secure an underhook around the far hip or grip the far knee to establish control and prevent your opponent from turning into you.
- 3 Drive your chest weight onto the back of their thighs to flatten them and limit their hip movement.
- 4 Choose your attack: thread your free leg over their back to take back control, or use the knee line grip to execute a leg drag pass.
- 5 If the bottom player tries to free their legs, follow their hip movement and maintain pressure to preserve the dominant angle.
Common mistakes
- × Failing to control the far hip after spinning, allowing the bottom player to turn and re-guard or scramble to a neutral position.
- × Sitting too upright instead of driving chest pressure into the opponent's thighs, which gives them space to shrimp and recover guard.
- × Neglecting to free the trapped leg before committing to a back take, resulting in getting stuck in a stalemate or swept.
From the bottom
What the bottom grappler is working toward from Reverse Half Guard.
On top
The top grappler's options against Reverse Half Guard.
Chains & Sequences
Commonly taught paths through the graph that feature this technique.
Backstep Berimbolo Back Take
