Face/Head Grinding: Top Half Guard Counters?

sb413197

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What are the best counters to someone posting on your face/head/neck with their hand and forearm and grinding on you, when you are trying to play bottom half guard? This is something I should have learned a long time ago, being largely a half guard player, but didn't, because the technique was frowned upon in my old gym - so I didn't develop counters (because I rarely faced it).

Last night when rolling with an athletic young white belt with what seemed like a solid wrestling background, I ran into this strategy...eventually, getting very fatigued and having been stalled out from my normal half guard sweeps and dealing with the discomfort, I relaxed to regain some energy and then transitioned to deep half...but I feel like I should have been doing something different rather than being nullified and forced to switch to deep half. Experienced grapplers rarely seem to use this technique. Looking back maybe I should have grabbed the sleeve by the wrist for a sleeve drag; or grabbed the sleeve with my other arm to set up a standard arm drag; or even maybe gone for an arm triangle....what do you guys find effective against this "wrestling top half guard" strategy of posting/grinding? Of course none of these ideas occurred to me at the time...are these good counters?
 
bro - you fucked up a long time ago. don't get flattened out.
 
Don't let them grip you there. It's something I'm trying to be more aware of lately. You don't just block the crossface, you block their ability to settle weight on you. I've been using frames on the chest a lot more recently and it helps.
 
If they are not stopping you from swinging under for reverse half guard or deep half guard, it's a legitimate counter.

The go behind is also an option (ie, octopus guard).








You can also throw them by for a leg lock entry.

 
As others said I'd focus not being put there in first place, being a lifetime half guard player myself I learn that being put on your back with an heavy crossface and your own leg closed that at that point contribute to pin you down is one of the most awful positions you can get in.

I mean sure, there are a lot of counters to get out from there like the ones above, but if the guy on top has good control and is around your own level it means you rely on him fucking up more than you should.

I personally find that playing the knee shield the way Xande explain here
is generally the best, and safest way to transition to other half guards/defend yourself from the pressure. I suggest you to watch and study this whole video because generally the guard concepts he's putting out here are pure GOLD.
 
You need to be up on your side with your face buried near his crotch which ensures that you are deep enough on his hips.
 
If they are not stopping you from swinging under for reverse half guard or deep half guard, it's a legitimate counter.

The go behind is also an option (ie, octopus guard).








You can also throw them by for a leg lock entry.


These videos are gold! I end up in the octopus guard from half guard all the time. By accident mainly! It's nice to have some moves to try.
 
The answer, as stated is knee shield guard, or deep half guard. no in between, unless you are Kimura hunting or hitting Satoshi style coin flip sweeps.
 

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