Fighting Stallers

As a guard player, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with an opponent who is stalling. This is particularly problematic in competition Jiu Jitsu, where both players can be penalized for stalling. This guide provides techniques to overcome stalling opponents from the closed guard position.

1. If your opponent is stalling by placing their hands on your armpits, use the power of your hips and your hands on their elbows to open them up. Use a scissoring movement at a 45-degree angle to break them down. This will put you in a familiar position where you can execute a variety of moves.
2. Another common stalling position is when your opponent cages your hips and digs their head into your stomach or chest. In this situation, use your whole body to open them up. Grab their lapel with both hands, use your hips and legs to open them up, and trap their arm. This will put you in a position to isolate their arm and execute a variety of attacks.
3. If your opponent is resting their arm on your thigh, grip their arm, sit up, and pull them down. This forces them to bend their elbow, making it hard for them to get away. Combine this with the movements you've been working on to trap their arm inside your legs. From here, you can control their body, grab their lapel, post, and pivot to get the sweep and go to mount.

These techniques will help you shift the momentum of the fight in your favor, opening up the fight to make something happen, rather than being a passive victim on the bottom.