Passing the Guard

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling, and mixed martial arts, ground fighting is what separates these fighting styles or martial arts from the striking arts, which include sports such as boxing, kickboxing, or muay thai.  A vital component of ground fighting is positional dominance.  In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the “guard” is what protects a fighter on his back from being dominated in position, or worse yet, from being submitted.  In order to defeat the guard of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or mixed martial artist who is fighting off of his back, the fighter or grappler who is fighting from top position must figure out a way to “pass the guard.”  “Passing the guard” is a concept that involves maneuvering, stacking, or cutting through a fighter’s “guard.”  A guard can take the form of full guard, half guard, quarter guard, open guard, butterfly guard, knee shield guard, or any other position that prevents the fighter on top from gaining side control, mount, north south position, or any other dominant top control.  When a fighter “passes the guard”, that fighter is able to shut down his opponent’s ground defense, and gain a dominant position such as mount or side control.  In a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or grappling match, passing the guard and gaining dominant top position makes a submission significantly more likely than when inside an opponent’s guard.  In mixed martial arts, passing the guard also increases the top fighter’s chances of submitting his or her opponent, but also sets up far easier positional control to land strikes from the ground (i.e. ground and pound).  Either way, “passing the guard” is an essential skill in any ground fighter’s game, and puts that fighter one step closer to getting his hand raised.

FightStylez, as we always do, have illustrated our own little twist on what “passing the guard” is all about.  In this one-of-a-kind, customized FightStylez tee, we have a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter who is trying to make his way through security and get to the riches that await him at a castle at the end of the road.  In order to get to the castle, this Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter, black belt and all, is attempting to get past the security guard, protected in a barbed wire, FightStylez cage clad with camera surveillance.  To do so, he must not only get past security, but he also must figure out a way to “pass the guard” of the security guard.  This is, in every sense of the definition of the phrase, “Passing the Guard.”  Be sure to show your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu savvy by sporting this short and showing everyone that you understand what “Passing the Guard” is all about!

This t-shirt is custom printed by FightStylez on a 100% cotton shirt, custom printed in the U.S.A., and multi-colored printed.  Order yours today!