BJJ Video Series: Standing Open Guard

Standing Open Guard in Jiu-Jitsu is a dynamic position where the top person stands up inside their opponent's open guard to create passing angles and pressure. You use footwork, grip fighting, and balance to either sweep your opponent or systematically break down their guard structure. It is used to set up powerful guard passes like the toreando and knee cut, while the bottom player hunts for ankle picks, scissor sweeps, and off-balancing attacks. Standing in someone's open guard is like playing the world's most dangerous game of red light, green light - one wrong step and you're flying through the air wondering how you ended up on bottom! This is where guard passing gets athletic and guard players get creative, so we'll cover all the essential techniques for both the standing passer and the sweeping guard player.