13 Best Submissions From Closed & Open Guard (BJJ)

The Closed and Open Guard positions are exceptionally dominant because they allow you endless options. There isn’t an end to the moves you can execute from these positions, such as sweeping the opponent, going for a leg lock, or finishing with a sneaky Kimura.

That’s why many BJJ trainees love the Open and Closed Guards. Nonetheless, one of the most popular and effective options to go for is a submission. You’ll be able to force the opponent to tap and finish the fight right from the Closed Guard.

This article will cover the best submissions you want to learn from the Open and Closed Guards. You’ll be able to finish fights quicker and with greater efficiency if you read the entire piece.

A fundamental part of BJJ is constant learning. That’s why reading this article will help you become a better grappler since it’s a source of knowledge. However, reading isn’t enough; you must go to the mat and practice what you read.

I recommend bookmarking this article so you can return to it whenever you finish learning and practicing a submission. Essentially, you want to learn one submission at a time and not all simultaneously. Bookmarking this article will allow you to do that.

I think that’s enough introduction; let’s dive into the practical stuff!

#13 – Ninja Choke From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Ninja Choke From Closed Guard	5	7	6

The Ninja Choke is one of BJJ’s most effective submissions from the Closed Guard position. You can cause extreme physical pain if you perform it correctly, which we’ll learn in this section.

Anyways, here’s how to perform the Ninja Choke:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Break the opponent’s posture
3. Move his head to your left armpit
4. Underhook your right hand around his head
5. Twist your body to the right
6. Grab your left biceps with your right hand
7. Lock a Rear Naked Choke grip
8. Squeeze your lock
9. Pull his head
10. Wait for the tap

As you can see, learning and understanding this submission is not difficult. You’ll be able to start tapping out your training partners soon after learning this technique.

A key point to understand with this choke is that—your Rear Naked Choke lock will dictate how successful you’ll be. You might perform everything flawlessly but not get a tight lock around the opponent’s head. In that case, the tap becomes highly unlikely.

So make sure to tighten your grip before squeezing and getting the inevitable tap.

Read a complete breakdown of the Ninja Choke by clicking here!

#12 – Ezekiel Choke From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Ezekiel Choke From Closed Guard	7	6	6

The Ezekiel Choke is an excruciating submission you can apply on novice and advanced grapplers to force them to tap out quickly. It won’t be long before you control the fundamentals of this Ezekiel Choke and get ready to get your first wins using it.

Performing the Ezekiel Choke from the Closed Guard position isn’t as complicated. Here’s how you want to do it:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Grab the opponent’s lapel (cross-grip)
3. Wrap his head with your other hand
4. Grab your Gi with the same hand
5. Lean backward
6. Shift your hips to the right
7. Pull your elbow down to apply pressure
8. Squeeze your hands
9. Wait for the tap

Ensure you remain as tight as possible when you grip the opponent’s collar and your Gi. The last thing you want to do is to allow the opponent to escape because your grips are too loose.

Make sure to follow this link to read more tips on performing the Ezekiel Choke correctly from all its variations, including from Side Control.

Read more about the Ezekiel Choke by following this link.

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#11 – Palms-Up Choke (Cross Choke)

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Palms-Up Choke From Closed Guard	9	5	6

The next submission we’ll cover is the Palms Up Choke from the Closed Guard position. This one is perhaps the simplest one we’ll cover today. It will give you a solid foundation going forward in your BJJ journey, as you’ll learn a valuable lesson: you can choke someone by performing 3 moves.

The Palms-Up Choke, also known as the Helio Gracie Choke, is an excruciating experience. You can inflict extreme levels of pain by performing it correctly, especially from the Full Mount position.

Anyways, here are the steps to perform the Cross Choke from the Closed Guard position:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Grab his collar using a cross-grip
3. Your 2nd hand grabs the other collar
4. Pull the opponent
5. Rotate your wrist
6. Squeeze
7. Wait for the tap

As you can see, it’s uncomplicated. But it also comes with a primary disadvantage: it’s easy to counter. So you want to go through the steps quickly, not letting the opponent have any opportunity to counter your offensive means.

Both your palms should face the ceiling. This will ensure you can apply more neck pressure and finish the choke easily and effectively.

If you want to learn more about the Helio Gracie Choke (Palms-Up)—follow this link.

#10 – Wrist Lock From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Wrist Lock From Closed Guard	9	5	7

Wrist Locks are nasty. And still, you want to start learning them early on in your BJJ career. While they don’t work as often in the advanced leagues, they allow you to do a certain thing, which will give you an advantage.

That thing is that they serve as another tool in your toolbox. You can threaten the opponent simply by knowing to perform the Wrist Lock. Nobody says you have to finish using this submission. But you might get another advantage if you can threaten the opponent by going for it.

And, who knows? You might be able to force a competent grappler to tap out with this Wrist Lock. So let’s see how it’s done:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. The opponent grabs your wrist
3. Overhook your other hand around his wrist
4. Grab your biceps with the same hand
5. Pin his elbow (the hand you’re targeting) to your hips
6. Pull the opponent with your legs
7. Begin sitting up
8. Fold the opponent’s wrist with steps #6 & #7
9. Apply more pressure
10. Wait for the tap

You can definitely submit advanced grapplers using Wrist Locks, but you have to know the small details. I encourage you to follow this link to learn more about Wrist Locks and how to perform them properly.

#9 – Straight Foot Lock From Open Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Straight Foot Lock From Open Guard	7	7	7

The Straight Foot Lock is a leg lock you want to learn early on in your journey. You’ll be able to use most leg locks only when you’re a brown belt. However, this is not the case with this one. You can, in fact, use it when you’re a white belt.

Before we continue, if you want to learn about the best leg locks you must learn to call yourself a competent grappler— you can follow this link.

You want to learn this variation, as you’ll be able to use it from the Open Guard position. If you want to read a comprehensive guide on the Open Guard, follow the link.

Anyways, here’s how you perform this Straight Foot Lock variant from the Open Guard position:

1. Start in X Guard
2. Hook your right foot underneath the opponent’s hips
3. Place your left foot on the opponent’s hips (cross-side)
4. Raise your hips
5. Shift your weight toward his hips
6. Isolate the opponent’s leg by grabbing your collar
7. Lean on your shoulder
8. Raise your hip to the ceiling to apply pressure
9. Wait for the tap

I’m a fan of this Straight Foot Lock variation because it’s quick and practical. You can pull it off in under 10 seconds if you learn it correctly and build muscle memory. The best way to do that is by constant practice and experimentation.

See which grips you most prefer and stick to those. Experiment with different angles and foot placements. Do that—and you’ll build muscle memory for this Straight Foot Lock in no time!

And if you want to learn more about the Straight Foot Lock and how to perform it correctly, follow this link.

#8 – Armbar From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Armbar From Closed Guard	7	8	8

The Armbar is one of BJJ’s most popular submissions. You want to become very comfortable with it when you’re already in the blue belt, as it’s a technique that’ll serve you until you attain the mighty black belt, or even the Grandmaster!

Anyways, we’ll now cover one of its more popular variations. I have no doubts you’ll be able to learn and understand it even if you only went through a single BJJ session. That’s how much I think you should learn it.

Alright, here’s how to perform the Armbar from the Closed Guard position:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Grab the opponent’s wrist
3. Grab the opponent’s triceps
4. Control the arm you’re targeting
5. Bring your left foot on his hips
6. Turn to the right
7. Hook your right leg above his arm
8. Bring your left foot above his arm
9. Lock your feet together
10. Apply pressure by turning your hips
11. Hyperextend the opponent’s arm (thumb-up)
12. Apply more pressure
13. Wait for the tap

This is the most basic variation of the Armbar you’ll find. Typically, this will work against novice grapplers, but not so much for the advanced leagues.

To get this Armbar suitable for the more advanced leagues, you want to be kind of stealthy about it. You don’t want to show the opponent your means of getting his arm isolated. Instead, you want to perform all the steps together and have this flow smoothly.

I’m not suggesting you blast out your speed. But, you want to perform this as smoothly and quickly as possible to avoid letting the opponent know of your intentions.

If you want to master the Armbar from all positions, follow this link.

#7 – Triangle Choke From Open Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Triangle Choke From Open Guard	7	8	8

This Triangle Choke variation is one of my favorites because it’s simple to execute. However, you can use it in both the novice and advanced leagues, as it will be unexpected if you perform it correctly.

The primary point here is to perform it smoothly. While I’m not suggesting you try to go as fast as possible, I’m suggesting you perform it smoothly. How do you do that? By breaking down each step and practicing it alone. You’ll habituate your body to perform each step alone.

Later, you’ll be able to combine them smoothly, increasing your speed of execution.

Here are the steps to performing this Open Guard Triangle Choke:

1. Start in Open Guard
2. Grab the opponent’s sleeve
3. Grip the opponent’s collar
4. Place your right foot on his biceps
5. Place your left foot on his hips
6. Push his biceps back
7. Pull his sleeve toward you
8. Hyperextend the opponent’s limbs
9. Wrap your right leg around his head
10. Lock your legs around his head and arm
11. You’re now in the Triangle Lock
12. Pivot your body to maximize neck pressure
13. Apply pressure by squeezing
14. Wait for the tap

The Triangle Choke is one of BJJ’s most effective submissions you want to learn when you’re just starting out. If you train in a qualified BJJ gym, I guarantee you’ll learn it in your first couple of weeks of training.

So I assume you know the basics of this submission. But if you want to learn advanced knowledge regarding the Triangle Choke and how to master this submission from many variations—follow the link.

The primary mistake many novice grapplers make with this variation is not extending their opponent. You want to use your limbs in a push-pull motion to hyperextend the opponent’s limbs. That way, he’ll be less likely to react to your offensive means, making you more likely to pull this off and end up victorious.

#6 – Bow and Arrow Choke From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Bow and Arrow Choke From Closed Guard	7	8	8

The Bow and Arrow Choke is one of my favorites because it’s so beautiful and effective. I can look at grapplers executing it for 4 hours without any breaks.

Likewise, it’s an exceptionally effective and practical choke you can perform against both novice and advanced grapplers. Not many grapplers know the proper defense for this submission, at least from my experience. Therefore, you’d be able to finish fights quickly and effectively if you invest your time into honing your execution of the Bow and Arrow Choke.

Alright. Without further ado, let’s examine the steps to performing the Bow and Arrow Choke from the Closed Guard position:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Pull his right arm across his body
3. Pull your legs in
4. Switch your grips
5. Straighten his arm
6. Overhook the opponent’s head (left arm)
7. Anchor yourself by gripping the opponent’s hips
8. Squeeze your left arm
9. Wait for the tap

This is a simple variation you can understand and perform against advanced grapplers. Please don’t let the fact that it’s simple to intimidate you. Many basic techniques, such as the Kimura and Americana, are extremely effective, even against advanced grapplers.

If you want to master the Bow and Arrow Choke, follow this link!

#5 – Gogoplata From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Gogoplata From Closed Guard	6	9	8

The Gogoplata is definitely one of my favorites. I can’t remember when I first stumbled upon it. However, I do remember I was amazed by this move, as it looked fancy and simple simultaneously. Well, I found it was both.

Likewise, many grapplers don’t know how to defend it, as it can be quite confusing when someone performs a Gogoplata on you.

Here’s the Gogoplata from Closed Guard:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Grab the opponent’s lapel
3. Break the opponent’s posture
4. Overhook the opponent’s arm
5. Place your right foot on his hip
6. Bring your left leg up to his back
7. Place the same foot under his chin
8. Grab your toes using your left hand
9. Grab your heel using your right hand
10. Pull with the first hand (toes)
11. Push with the 2nd hand (heel)
12. Squeeze
13. Wait for the tap

You want to ensure you get this pull-push motion with your hands. That’s the primary source of force you’ll get in this submission. Ensure you use the push-pull motions to apply more neck pressure and get the tap quicker.

Learn everything there’s to know about the Gogoplata by following this link to another article of mine!

#4 – Guillotine Choke From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Guillotine Choke From Closed Guard	7	8	8

The Guillotine Choke is one of BJJ’s most effective submissions. This variant is a practical one you want to know and start using early on in your BJJ journey.

Everyone interested in martial arts seems to know to perform the Guillotine Choke. That’s because of two primary reasons: (1) it’s simple, and (2) it’s effective. That’s what you need to construct a really effective choke; that’s what we got here.

Here’s how you perform this variation of the Guillotine Choke:

You want to start with a guard position. You then want to force the opponent’s hands on the mat. Then, you lean forward while wrapping your hand around his neck (biceps facing down.) The final step is to fall back and cover his neck with your other hand. Now, apply pressure forward and upward.

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Force the opponent’s hands on the mat
3. Lean forward
4. Wrap your hand around his neck (biceps facing down)
5. Fall back
6. Cover his neck with your other hand
7. Apply pressure forward and upward
8. Wait for the tap

The Guillotine Hold is fairly simple to learn. You want to wrap your hand outward and not inward. Our natural instinct tells us that this isn’t an effective hold. However, the opponent will not be able to escape your outward wrap, as you’ll be applying tons of pressure using it.

You also want to get in real deep when wrapping your hand. Every useless bit of space between your wrap and his head will allow him to escape your Guillotine Hold and go on the offensive.

If you want to master the Guillotine Choke, follow this link.

#3 – Americana From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Americana From Closed Guard	9	8	9

The next submission we’ll cover is the Americana. You might be familiar with it, as it’s one of the most popular ones in BJJ & MMA. However, if you haven’t or you want to start practicing and get comfortable using it, this is how you perform it:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Lean forward
3. Underhook the hand you want to isolate (left hand)
4. Lock your hands with a cable grip
5. Lean backward to your starting position
6. Shift your hips to the left
7. Hook your left leg on his back
8. Hyperextend his arm
9. Wait for the tap

This is a basic submission you want to experiment with to ensure you add it to your toolbox. The broader your toolbox is, the better.

I encourage you to keep learning more and more variations of the Americana. You’ll notice how you’re capable of going for more entries and performing more techniques the more you know. It’s like that in many sports, such as chess.

Anyways, here’s a visual aid of the Americana from the Closed Guard position. And if you want to broaden your toolbox by learning more Americana variations, follow this link.

#2 – Kneebar From Open Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Kneebar From Open Guard	7	9	8

We’ll now review the Kneebar from the Open Guard position. If you want to become a competent grappler, you must practice leg locks more often. That’ll require you to learn the pre-leg lock positions, such as the Ashi Garami and 50/50. Follow the link to learn to perform them.

Regardless of whether you know them, you want to start dipping your toes into the vast world of leg locks. Here’s a superb leg lock from the Open Guard position you want to start learning, especially if you’re a brown belt because that’s when performing it is allowed in official competitions.

You can probably guess why performing the Kneebar is illegal until you’re a brown belt. It’s because it can quickly turn from a typical submission to a permanent injury.

So now, let’s see how you can perform the Kneebar from the Open Guard position:

1. Start in the open guard position
2. Hook your hand under the opponent’s leg
3. Place your other side foot on his hips
4. Using your other leg, hook and wrap your legs together
5. Move until you get this grip locked
6. Rotate and allow the opponent to fall
7. Hook the opponent’s leg
8. Place your hand under the opponent’s arm
9. Apply backward pressure
10. Wait for the tap

So good luck learning it. This can definitely be what you need to turn from an alright grappler to an extraordinary one. If you’re interested in learning more about the Kneebar, follow this link!

#1 – Kimura From Closed Guard

Submission	Simplicity	Effectiveness	Overall Grade
Kimura From Closed Guard	9	8	9

The Kimura is a shoulder manipulation submission, allowing you to finish fights quickly and simply. It’s a submission you’ll likely learn in your first few weeks of BJJ training, as it’s a fundamental move.

You might have also heard of the Americana, which we covered in this article. If you want to learn about the difference between the Kimura and Americana, follow this link.

Anyways, let’s jump right into the steps to performing the Kimura from the Closed Guard position:

1. Start in Closed Guard
2. Force the opponent’s hands to be on the mat
3. Pull the opponent in with your legs
4. Grip the opponent’s wrist
5. Lock your arm
6. Shift your hips
7. Sit up while leaning on your elbow
8. Wrap your hand behind the opponent’s isolated arm
9. Lock your hands
10. Lean back
11. Hyperextend the opponent’s arm
12. Wait for the tap

The Kimura is a must-know submission, especially for those struggling to finish from the Closed Guard position. You’ll suddenly be able to threaten your opponent much better from this position.

There’s really no losing by learning it. Follow this link to learn to perfectly perform the Kimura from all its variations.

Final Words

We’re already at the end of this article. What a journey! Constant learning is something great BJJ masters advocate for continuous improvement. You want to strive to broaden your toolbox as much as possible.

Eventually, broadening your toolbox (knowing more submissions, entries, and techniques), will allow you to win more fights, which is the goal of BJJ.

You never want to stop learning. This is why I love the fact that you’ve read this article in its entirety. If you’re reading those words, you’re one of the few grapplers willing to do what it takes to improve their BJJ game.

So good luck in the rest of your BJJ journey.

Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:

9 Most Effective Submissions From Mount (Must-Know)

BJJ Beginner Moves: The 11 Most Effective Ones

The 7 Best BJJ Guard Passes You Must Learn – Guide

Mastering the Straight Arm Lock – BJJ Grappling Guide