Closed Guard Lessons in Submission Grappling Discovering Scissor Sweeps Kimura Traps and the Guillotine Chase
Submission Grappling
Closed guard can become a trap for the person on the bottom if they only learn it as a list of moves. Close the legs. Pull the arms. Try a sweep. Try a submission. Reset when it fails.
That is not how I want a beginner to understand it.
Hour three of my private client’s second Submission Grappling course with me, and their sixth overall martial arts course, continued our work from the closed guard. The aim was not to memorise a neat sequence. The aim was to make the main ideas appear under pressure: break posture, disturb base, remove posts, angle the hips, and attack what the other person gives you.
Tonight we worked on “discovering” scissor sweeps and hip-bumps, then introduced the Kimura lock from guard and the guillotine choke. Each section came through a game rather than a static demonstration. This suits private coaching especially well because the constraints can be adjusted instantly. If the student is solving the problem too easily, I can add resistance. If the problem is too vague, I can narrow it.
We returned to the closed guard as a live problem
Closed guard is often taught as if the person on top has agreed to behave. Their hands will be in the right place. Their weight will be honest. Their base will be available for the sweep that is being demonstrated.
A resisting person is rarely so kind.
For a beginner, the main problem is not knowing the perfect name for every position. The problem is feeling when weight has moved past the point where it can be recovered. That is why we started with games that create the conditions for a sweep without naming the sweep too early.
The top player’s job was to pass. The bottom player’s job was to stop being pinned to the floor and change the relationship. That meant finding routes to top position, ideally mount, through feeling rather than compliance.
I wanted my client to recognise a few key questions:
Where is the top player’s weight?
Which hand can post?
Can I make their head travel away from their hips?
Can I turn my hips without releasing control?
If they defend one attack, what have they now exposed?
This is the heart of closed guard. It is not a resting position. It is a place where the bottom player can manage distance, limit posture, and start forcing reactions.
The Post Removal game brought out the scissor sweep
The first game was The Post Removal.
Both players began in closed guard. The bottom player had to sweep and finish in mount. The catch was simple: they could not touch the floor with their hands. They could only use their legs, hips, and upper-body grips such as wrist ties, shallow under-hooks, or neck ties.
The top player had to pass, but only by pressuring forward over the bottom player’s centreline.
This game quickly removed one of the common beginner escapes from difficulty, using the hands on the mat as stabilisers. By taking that option away, the bottom player had to create stability through connection to the opponent.
The top player’s forward pressure gave us the seed of the scissor sweep. Once weight comes forward, the bottom player can start loading it. If the sweeping-side arm can be cleared or controlled, the top player loses the post that would save them.
The scissor action then becomes less like a choreographed move and more like a natural answer:
One leg helps block or cut across the line.
The other leg drives or reaps.
The upper body turns the opponent.
The grip prevents the post.
The important detail was not “put your shin exactly here” as a first concern. That can come later. The important lesson was that a sweep becomes available when base has been disturbed and the post has been removed.
That is a lesson a student can reuse across many positions.
When the first few attempts failed, they failed honestly. The top player posted. The hips were too square. The weight had not been drawn far enough forward. These are the useful failures. They tell the student what they must change.
In private lessons near Chipping Norton, this sort of feedback is one of the main benefits of one-to-one training. The exercise does not need to run for a whole class full of different levels. It can stay on the exact problem the student is ready to solve.
The Sweep and Posture Battle connected hip-bumps with base breaking
The second game was The Sweep and Posture Battle.
Both players started in closed guard with any preferred grips. The guard player had to use the lower body, including hip movement and butterfly-style hooks where they appeared, to sweep to top position. The top player had to posture up, break the legs open, or capitalise by passing into half guard.
The bottom player won by completing a sweep and achieving top position. The top player won by opening the guard and holding half guard for three seconds.
This game gave the top player a clearer success condition. That mattered. If the top player only exists as a moving training dummy, the guard player learns bad habits. A passer who wants posture forces the bottom player to make real decisions.
Here the hip-bump began to appear.
When the top player drove forward too heavily, the previous scissor sweep idea made sense. When the top player sat back or postured tall, the hip-bump became more logical. The bottom player could sit up with them, attach to the upper body, and drive through the angle.
The hip-bump is often shown as a sweep from a very clear sitting position. In live practice, the route to that sitting position is the hard part. The student has to learn when the top player’s hands are occupied, when their weight is travelling backwards, and when the bottom player can come up without being flattened again.
There was a useful rhythm to the game:
Pull the top player forward.
Make them fight to regain posture.
Follow them up as they rise.
Attack the hip-bump, or return to breaking posture if the timing has gone.
That rhythm also stops the beginner treating sweeps as isolated tricks. The scissor sweep and hip-bump sit together well because they punish opposite reactions. If the top player leans forward, they risk being taken over. If they pull upright too strongly, they risk being bumped backwards.
The lower body did most of the work. The hands guided, attached, and blocked. This was important because beginners often try to bench-press their way out of guard positions. That might work briefly against a cooperative partner, but it fails against pressure.
The hips must move first. The shoulders then follow.
The Kimura hunt taught the value of isolating the shoulder
The third game was Guard Hands vs Kimura Hunt.
Both players began in close guard, either closed or open depending on the exchange. The top player could only try to establish a body lock, connect their hands around the bottom player’s hips, and pass. The bottom player could not open the guard to sweep, nor could they use any other submission. Their only goal was to hunt the nearest arm, isolate the shoulder, and lock a figure-four Kimura grip.
This narrow rule-set made the Kimura feel less like a submission and more like a control problem.
The top player wanted their hands connected. The bottom player wanted one arm separated from the structure. That is a clean battle for a beginner to understand.
Once the top player reached in for the body lock, the bottom player had something to work with. They could break posture, turn the hips, and begin stripping the arm away from its support. The figure-four grip then became the reward for solving the positional problem.
The key points we looked for were:
The elbow moving away from the ribs.
The shoulder being drawn out of alignment.
The guard player turning off-centre rather than staying flat.
The head and chest helping to trap the arm.
The grip being built only after the body position was useful.
A common beginner mistake is to chase the wrist while lying square on the back. That turns the Kimura into an arm-wrestle. This game made that error obvious. If the student did not move their hips and break the top player’s posture, the body lock became stronger and the pass became more likely.
When they did angle off, the arm became vulnerable. The Kimura grip appeared as a consequence.
We treated the lock with care, as always. The purpose at this stage was to recognise the position, build the grip, and understand the direction of control. Submissions in training must be applied with control and released as soon as a partner taps.
The Headhunter and the Posture Master introduced the guillotine chase
The final game was The Headhunter and the Posture Master.
Both players began in neutral closed guard. The top player tried to maintain a strong upright posture and safely pass the guard. The bottom player tried to disrupt that posture, wrap the neck, and achieve an armpit-to-neck connection, the foundation of a front headlock.
This was our introduction to the guillotine choke from guard, but again we did not begin with the finish. We began with the chase.
The guillotine often tempts beginners into simply grabbing the head. That is not enough. A good top player will posture, hand-fight, and free the neck. The bottom player needs to understand how the head becomes available in the first place.
The game encouraged the bottom player to:
Pull posture down without relying on arm strength alone.
Bring the opponent’s head below a safe line.
Connect the armpit to the neck.
Angle the body to stop the top player simply backing out.
Recognise when the neck is not available and return to guard control.
The top player’s task was just as valuable. They had to practise safe posture, keep the neck out of danger, and learn not to drive blindly forward. Passing with the head low and the arms careless invites front headlocks, Kimuras, and sweeps.
This gave the lesson a useful connection between all four games. Every attacking option came from the same family of problems. If posture breaks, submissions and sweeps appear. If base breaks, sweeps appear. If an arm posts or reaches, the Kimura appears. If the head drops, the guillotine chase begins.
The student does not need hundreds of techniques to start making sense of closed guard. They need reliable ways to read posture, base, and available limbs.
Why games suit private martial arts coaching
I use games often in coaching because they make technique honest. In the realm of coaching, the integration of games serves as a powerful tool to enhance the learning experience. Games create a dynamic environment where students can engage with the material in a way that is both enjoyable and educational.
They encourage active participation, allowing students to apply techniques in real-time scenarios that mimic the challenges they will face outside of a controlled setting. Furthermore, games let the student experience the reason a movement exists.
This experiential learning is crucial; rather than merely being told how to perform a technique, students can discover the underlying principles through practice. For instance, a game designed to emphasize footwork will not only require students to move but will also illustrate the importance of positioning and balance in a competitive context. As they navigate through the game, they gain insights into the effectiveness of their movements, understand the consequences of their decisions, and learn to adapt their techniques based on immediate feedback.
Through this method, students develop a deeper understanding of their skills, which fosters a sense of ownership over their learning process. They begin to recognize the value of each movement, not just as a mechanical action but as a strategic choice that can impact the outcome of a game. This clarity not only enhances their technical abilities but also builds confidence, as they see firsthand how their efforts translate into improved performance.
Overall, incorporating games into coaching is an effective strategy that cultivates both skill and understanding, ultimately leading to a more profound and lasting mastery of the techniques being taught.
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