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Inverted Guard in MMA? (Huge video collection)Filed Under: Instruction

I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym about the inverted guard, aka the upside down guard, and how some guys use it in jujitsu to stuff guard pass attempts.  It works more or less like this : from regular closed guard, a guy breaks the connection between your legs (unlocks your ankles) and starts to pass to one side, controlling a leg. If he’s passing to the right side, you dive into him and roll to your right and get upside down, making an new connection with your legs.  Then, you can pull off a few forms of triangle chokes via inverted guard.

Anyway, I was wondering about the validity of inverted guard in MMA.  On one hand, punching someone’s face from this position seems devastating.  On the other hand, the inverted guard is a legitimate branch of the jujitsu tree and perhaps can still be used effectively. (You can see MMA fighter Nick Diaz move in and out of the inverted guard in the fight video above).

In a way, I see the rules of the MMA match playing a big part. Is the guy on bottom allowed to up-kick a downed opponent? Is the guy on top allowed kicks to a downed opponent? What about knees to a downed opponent?

The thing is, I can’t fully recall a fight where a guy has utilized the upside-down guard in MMA.  You see it in flashes, when guys drop and roll for knee-bars, roll out to escape the turtle position, etc.  If you can remember a fight where the inverted guard was used (or abused),  please let me know!

Here are a few matches that showcase the inverted guard, and again,  you tell me what you think.

“Cyborg” vs Bill Cooper (thanks Eric!)
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Ryan Hall at NAGA
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Rolleta Vs Wallid
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Tags: Cobrihna, guard, inverted guard, jujitsu, Margarida, Nick Diaz, Ryan Hall, upsidedown guard