How Do I Stop Knee On Belly From Side Guard?

Preventing the knee on belly position from side guard involves several key steps:

1. Ensure your elbow is inside your knee. Actively bring your knee into your chest and cut a slight angle. This should be done while on your hip.
2. Never allow your opponent to turn you away. Establish your position and create frames. Keep your knee and elbow structure tight and active, making it difficult for your opponent to create separation.
3. If your opponent manages to create separation, use your elbow to create a pummel and return to your original position. Aim to keep your opponent's weight down in the opposite direction.
4. If you feel like you're being turned away, create a frame on your other side with your elbow and hand at the hip. This can help maintain your side guard position and prevent you from being turned away.
5. Your elbow should actively drive into your thigh, while your knee comes to your shoulder or chest area. If your opponent manages to turn you away and create separation, establish an elbow inside, create space, and reestablish your side guard.
6. Your side guard frames should be very active. Your knee should actively come in, while your elbow actively comes down, creating tension pushing into each other. This side guard frame should be very strong and difficult for your opponent to separate.
7. If separation occurs, elbow pummel again to ensure the space is never occupied. When self-framing, grab lower on the hip to maintain the angle needed to prevent your opponent from occupying space underneath your knee.
8. Maintain your side guard frame and your frame on the bicep. This will make it difficult for your opponent to get their knee over the top or underneath. Actively pummel and recover to maintain a strong side guard position and prevent the knee on belly position.