The spider guard can be a very fun and enjoyable guard to learn in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The guard is known for its unique approach to controlling an opponent and it opens the door for many
different offensive and defensive maneuvers. Putting a lot of time into learning the basics of the
spider guard is well worth the effort. Yet, there are those that might not be very interested in
learning the “ins and outs” of this guard. That could be a great mistake.
The spider guard is a version of the open guard where you have a minimum of three points of
contact. That is, you have 2 hands and 2 feet and a minimum of three of them in any
combination has to have a hold on an opponent. The feet can press into the hips or the biceps or
they can hook the inside of the knees or the thighs. The hands can control the wrist, grabs the gi
sleeves or even gran a foot. Regardless of where your contact points are and how you achieve
them, you must use them in some way to control an opponent.
Learning the spider guard is a must in Gracie Jiu Jitsu because you simply cannot rely on
keeping your guard closed all the time. When you are a beginner and you are rolling against
other beginners, you might find you can easily maintain the closed guard for quite some time.
Why is this so? Basically, you are rolling against other beginners that just might not have gotten
down the art and science of opening the guard yet. So, you can keep your legs locked around
them easier. Even when they open your guard you have the ability to wrap your legs back around them once again without much difficulty. You won’t be so lucky with more experienced players.You need to use the spider guard.
More Spider Guard Uses:
With the spider guard, you can control, push, pull, off-balance, and tie up an opponent. These are all more preferable options that simply allowing an opponent to open up your closed guard and just pass.
And yes, the spider guard opens many possibilities for sweeps and submissions. Putting the right amount of time and effort into learning the basics of the spider guard is a must for your guard and Gracie Jiu Jitsu game.