Shin-to-Shin Guard
Position · Open Guard
You sit up on one hip in front of him: your shin presses against the inside of his lead shin, the hand on that side grips his ankle or pant leg, and the other hand holds a collar or sleeve or posts behind you. The ankle grip stops him stepping the leg away, and the shin lifts and loads his leg, so his balance depends on you. If he steps in closer, slide your legs under that leg into the single leg X entry; if he stands wide, go under him into X-guard for the sweep. He wants to step back out of the grip or push your head down and pass. Stay sitting up and facing his leg: if you fall flat on your back, the shin loses its lift. It is the doorway to single leg X, X-guard and back takes.
How to do it
- Sit up in front of them with one hand posted behind you, at an angle to their lead leg.
- Put your shin against the inside of their lead shin, your foot behind their ankle, so the shin sits between their legs.
- Hook behind their knee with your outside arm (a gable grip or the hand to your own shoulder), or grip the ankle: shin and hand now hold the same leg.
- Scoot your hips close under their leg and give your weight to it, so your shin lifts the leg and their weight comes onto the other foot.
- Enter single leg X, X-guard or go for the back when they turn; if they drive the knee into you, turn to your side instead of lying flat.
Key details
- Shin and hand hold the same leg: the ankle cannot step away, because both ends of the shin are controlled.
- Get close: the guard works from under their leg, not from the front.
- It is a no-gi and gi entry: no grips on the jacket needed.
- Pull yourself in close and give your weight to their leg: the heavier the leg, the harder it is for them to step it back.
- If they drive the knee into you, turn to your side instead of lying flat.
Common mistakes
- Staying far away. — They step back out of the shin contact. — Scoot the hips in right after the ankle grip.
- Shin on the outside of their leg. — They step over and pass to your side. — Keep the shin inside, between their legs.
- Letting go of the ankle. — The foot steps back and the entry is gone. — Hold the ankle until you are under the leg.
If they defend
- They step back with the lead leg. → Follow with the hips or come up on a single leg.
- They knee cut over your shin. → Turn to the side and recover with guard retention.
How to drill it
Shin-to-shin to single leg X entry, 10 each side. Then the partner steps back or forward and you pick the entry.
What comes next
Where it comes from