MMA Ground

When it comes to Jiu-Jitsu for MMA (or ground MMA), the addition of strikes on the ground and the co-existence with stand-up fighting, slightly modifies the dynamic and approach of the ground game specific to MMA, and adjustments need to be made.

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Disengagement to achieve MMA neutral position

The existence of 2 elements previously stated partially changes the definition of the neutral position. The definition of neutral position in MMA is different as compared to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

In MMA, both athletes are standing up facing each other from a distance, while in BJJ, a neutral position will be considered one person standing close to another person playing guard without having their guard closed around their waist.

Monarchy MMA Ground Neutral

Neutral position in MMA: both fighters facing each other in the middle of the cage, with the fight starting beyond each other’s reach.

Monarchy MMA Ground Disengage

Neutral position in BJJ; 2 practitioners, one on his back, other on his feet at a distance about to engage in a BJJ roll but from which he could easily choose to disengage back to his feet if he wanted to.

A clear technical difference between BJJ & MMA here is that an overwhelming number of escape techniques in BJJ are escapes back to guard and not back to the feet.

On this aspect of disengagement to neutrality in MMA, there is more in common with Wrestling than with BJJ, as neutrality in Wrestling is obtained when both athletes are back on their feet facing each other.

During most BJJ training sessions, there is always an ‘agreement’ that there is a top player and a bottom player, and that each will use BJJ against one other, and not use disengagement to bring the fight to another aspect of combat sport.

This disengagement adds a new challenge for the BJJ athletes in MMA and it is to get the fight the ground & keep it on the ground no matter if he is on top, or for the more wizardly ones, on the bottom:

If on top, an athlete with superior BJJ is no longer facing someone who wants to sweep or submit from a guard like in a BJJ setup, but more often than not someone who wants to stand back up to the MMA neutral position. Standing back up while someone is on top of you is often referred to as “scrambling back to the feet” and is a form of disengagement which is a technical craft of its own.

If at the bottom, a BJJ wizard is no longer facing someone who wants to pass the guard but more often than not, wants to stabilize in the full or half guard and deliver blows from the top, or if he has a clear advantage on the feet (and a clear disadvantage on the ground) he would just disengage and get the fight back to the neutral standing up position.
Sweeps in BJJ are rewarded 2 points.

What are sweeps per se?

Sweeps reversals are performed by the athlete on the bottom, achieving reversal of the athlete on top to the bottom, while gaining top position himself.

Monarchy MMA Ground Sweep

In BJJ, there aren’t any points reward just to stand up while not putting the other person on the bottom, maybe just an advantage in case of a near sweep which at the end might be defended by the athlete initially on top, resulting in both athlete ending up on their feet facing each other in the equivalent of what we define as the MMA (or wrestling) neutral position.

Those technics are not taught in BJJ as a goal.

The new BJJ NoGI skill taught during this class is the ability to impose the fight on the ground once it is gained being on top or bottom, more specifically:

  • The ability for the superior BJJ guard player to not allow the top player to disengage.
  • The ability for the superior ground fighter to pass the guard or ground-and-pound while not allowing the bottom player to stand back up.

Adding the strikes

In BJJ/NOGI the only option for a top player is to pass the opponent’s guard to side control, mount, or to take the back. An experienced guard player will use guard pass frames to nullify guard pass pressure and apply subs and sweeps from that frame.

Monnarchy MMA Ground Strikes

Gordon Ryan showcasing one type of framing with his forehand across the opponent’s face to not allow the top person set up prerequisite pressure to guard pass.

In MMA, the person on top can choose to only partially play the BJJ game, or even not attempt to pass guard by just maintaining a stable position while delivering blows.

The bottom guard pass BJJ/NOGI framing is negated in the presence of striking on the ground. As punches will go through easily.

Monnarchy MMA Ground Strikes

The knee shield is an efficient frame in NOGI environment against guard passing, but completely invalidated in the presence of striking.

The guard passing frame has to incorporate striking wedges and better distance control in the presence of strikes on the ground.

Rener Gracie goes in depth on why the BJJ guard for MMA decrease the force of top position (ground n’ pound) punches.

Monarchy MMA Ground

Rodrigo “ Minotauro” Nogueira was a pioneer in applying framing from guard in MMA to limit ground-and-pound and prevent guard passing.

This will weather the strikes, but it is not 100% bulletproof. Therefore, the guard player can no longer park on his back indefinitely like in BJJ/NOGI, so on top of adding striking frames to the guard pass frame, the attacks from the bottom (sweeps or submission) or even scrambles back to the feet, will have to be done at a faster speed than in BJJ/NOGI to avoid prolonged damage from striking.

There are a few guards in BJJ which are no longer valid in an MMA setup, and would even worsen the situation if the bottom person would allow the top player to take that position.

These guards are when the top person is on his feet rather than on his knees, such as De La Riva guard, deep De La Riva guard, spider guard, worm guard, etc.

Monarchy MMA Ground

The bottom person needs to let the person on top stand up to be able to pull off the De La Riva guard (and some other particular type of guards) in BJJ.

Letting the top opponent stand up while still playing a distant guard game from the bottom will increase the force of the ground & pound from the top position.

Notorious NO-GI pioneer Eddie Bravo defined that position as the “Predator” offense.

And is the correct strategical tactic against someone superior on the feet and superior on the ground: by standing up in front of the grounded opponent on this back, close enough to not allow him to stand up back up to his feet, but far enough by not getting on the knees in his guard, striking him a scoring point from standing up.

Monarchy MMA Ground

Position defined as the “Predator” position by Eddie Bravo, the top position fighter standing up close enough not to allow the bottom person stand up, but far enough enough from his BJJ guard, just dominating with blows from top position.

When it comes to the submissions from the bottom position in presence of striking: they remain the same as in NO-GI, it is the set up and the speed to set them up must be adapted.

While in MMA the GNP can give us opportunities to get those elbows separated from the trunk and catch submissions from guard; the setups are different and more complex when involving punching.

This is why we strongly advise you to first learn normal BJJ/NO-GI classes before involving the ground strikes.

From top dominant control, adding strikes can also create reactions that open more submission opportunities.

Analysis of MMA BJJ wizard Shinya Aoki uses strikes from the top and uses the reactions of his opponent to advance to a submission.

Who better to learn MMA Ground Game than from a 1st-degree black belt in BJJ and a black belt in Muay Thai under ChuteBox with 15 MMA fights at Monarchy MMA, Prof Diego Vargas. 

Samir Noury Mrabet, the founder of Monarchy MMA, was practicing BJJ and MMA for years before retiring from MMA in 2017 and finally updating himself on the advanced GI guards; going in-depth on how to counter the guards used against standing up top players such as worm guard and different lapel guards, the variety of De la Riva guards (simple, deep, inverted), etc.

MMA Ground Instructors

monarchy instructor diego

Diego Vargas

Brazil

Monarchy MMA Instructor Giulliano Del Vigna

Giulliano Del Vigna

Brazil

monarchy instructor andreia oro del vigna

Andreia Oro Del Vigna

Brazil

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