Technique Talk 1 - Deep Half to Back Take

This one is for the half guard enthusiasts. If you follow my Instagram, @greglewjitsu, you’ll notice that I favored deep half guard as my, sport, a-game at purple belt in competition. I started my deep half journey when I saw my professor, Monroe Hall (Baltimore BJJ), was having success in the black belt division utilizing this guard. 

Deep half is one of those positions where you can relax, and your opponent feels weightless. This is because when your opponent is directly on top of you, without a proper base, or kickstand, you get a seesaw effect. The weight is in the center, and can be tilted either way easier than picking someone up and moving them to the other side of you.

Here are a few details to deep half guard that will further your success.

1. Safety grip - Once you swing your body under your opponent, they will be countering with an underhook. Once they get that underhook, deep half guard becomes infinitely harder and harder. But it’s not over. The best thing you can do is fight for that safety grip right away. If your opponent gets an underhook at this point, it’s usually too late, and it becomes an easy sweep, unless your safety grip is barely holding on. In the video below, I’ll show a technique which allows you to recover a safety grip when your opponent manages to get an underhook first. The safety grip, once secure, will allow you to hang out as long as you need to set up your sweep or escape.
   
2. Outside hook - This one took awhile for me to figure out, but once I did, it was a game changer. Having an outside hook on your opponent who is sitting on you, elevates their leg. Once their leg is elevated, it’s very difficult for them to decide which way to go. It gives them a trapped feeling, often leading to an incorrect movement. It also makes them want to keep their hands on the mat to stay balanced, which means they are not threatening you with their hands. 
   

This video is just one chain that takes you from deep half guard to your opponents back. I like to explore chains for the purpose of competing. It gives me a direct path in competition, and I feel as though having a specific chain calms my nerves because I know exactly what I’m going to do each competition. Everyone has their own style, this is just mine. Drill the same chain for 3-6 weeks leading into a tournament. Go compete, and work your path. If you get off path, your goal is to get back on path, rather than just wing it and try to win. 

Today’s technique is Deep Half Guard > Back door escape > Inverted half guard > Inverted half sweep > 2 variations of back take.

Here you can see this chain at the IBJJF DC Open in April 2018. My opponent’s recovery was very good. He didn't give up his back right away, rather he assessed the situation. Knowing that he needed to turtle, he didn't make any irrational/quick decisions, rather he waited til he felt the time was right to turtle, and immediately roll to guard. So, the path wasn't perfect, but when is it really?

I’ll cover come more Deep Half Guard sweeps that have regularly worked for me in competitions soon. Stay tuned for upcoming Technique Talk blogs. If you're having any problem areas, please drop a comment. I love problem solving.

-Greg