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Eddie Bravo built a complete no-gi grappling system around flexibility and non-traditional guard positions. Rubber guard sits at the center of it — a closed guard variation where the leg pins the arm, creating control that traditional closed guard can't match.
Start Training Smarter →Rubber guard is a closed guard variation where you push your leg over the opponent's shoulder — pinning their arm against their body and limiting their posture options. Unlike traditional closed guard (which relies primarily on leg lock and grip combinations), rubber guard uses hip flexibility to create control with a single leg position.
The system was developed by Eddie Bravo of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, who famously beat Royler Gracie using it at ADCC 2003. Since then, the system has evolved into a comprehensive chain of positions, each with its own name and attack options.
The key requirement: significant hip flexibility. Without the ability to push your shin above the opponent's shoulder, rubber guard isn't accessible. This is why it works better for some practitioners than others.
Mission Control is the entry point to rubber guard. From closed guard, you open your guard and push one leg up to pin their arm. Your hand grabs your own shin to hold the position. This creates the frame that everything else builds from.
From Mission Control, you switch your grip from your shin to behind their head — the Meathook. This is a significant control upgrade because now you're pulling their posture down with arm and leg simultaneously. They can't posture up against both your leg on their shoulder and your arm pulling their head.
The New York position occurs when the opponent reaches their arm up to fight the leg. You transition from the Meathook to a position where your hand grips their wrist instead of behind their head. This sets up the Omoplata or transitions to other submission chains.
When the opponent pushes their arm into your body to defend the leg position, you extend your arm toward them — hence "Zombie." This transitions to the Invisible Collar and Chill Dog positions which set up triangle and omoplata attacks.
The Invisible Collar is a deep arm/neck entanglement where your arm wraps behind their neck. Combined with the leg on shoulder, this creates a vice-like control that sets up the Gogoplata submission — a foot-in-throat choke that is nearly impossible to defend when set up correctly.
The Gogoplata is a choke using the shin across the throat. From the Invisible Collar position, you walk your shin under their chin and choke with the lower shin/instep. It requires substantial hip flexibility to lock in, but once in place, it's very difficult to escape.
The arm-over-the-shoulder position in rubber guard is a natural setup for the omoplata. From New York, you can swing the leg over and convert directly to an omoplata submission or use it as a sweep.
When opponents defend the rubber guard by pulling their arm out, they often create the opening for a triangle. The leg position above the shoulder means one arm is already isolated — adding the triangle is a natural flow.
The immobilized arm from rubber guard creates direct armbar opportunities. When they leave their arm extended, the armbar becomes available without the usual setup required from traditional closed guard.
Rubber guard is the centerpiece of Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet system, but it's part of a larger no-gi framework that includes:
The 10th Planet system creates a complete no-gi grappling game built around flexibility, non-traditional positions, and submission chains that most opponents haven't trained to defend.
Rubber guard isn't for everyone. The position demands significant hip flexibility — specifically external hip rotation. Here are the flexibility benchmarks:
If you can't yet reach these positions, hip flexibility training will get you there. Consistent hip stretching, yoga, and practice will improve your range of motion over months.
10th Planet schools often include flexibility training as part of their warm-up specifically to develop rubber guard ability.
This is a common question, especially among skeptics. The honest answer: rubber guard is a legitimate system that works at high levels, but it has prerequisites and limitations.
What works: Against opponents who haven't trained rubber guard defense, the positions create genuine control issues. The Gogoplata and omoplata setups are legitimate submission threats. The system forces opponents into unfamiliar territory.
Limitations: High-level grapplers who understand rubber guard can escape the positions. Maintaining Mission Control against a very strong, tall opponent is physically demanding. Without the flexibility, you can't access the system at all.
Rubber guard is most effective as a complementary system — not a replacement for fundamental closed guard. Use it as a surprise weapon and a flexibility tool.
Try AIBJJ's AI Coach to get personalized advice on whether rubber guard fits your game, how to develop the flexibility needed, and which positions to start with.
Get Started Free →Should you spend time on rubber guard or traditional open guard systems? Both have merit — here's how to think about it:
Many MMA practitioners use rubber guard specifically because the cage and fence create a natural pressure that makes the positions easier to maintain.
Join AIBJJ and build a personalized training plan that integrates rubber guard into your complete bottom game.
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