Key Takeaways
- A three-part Gi instructional on the Gracie closed guard Kyra used to dominate.
- Features closed guard entries, control, pass prevention, sweeps, and submissions.
- Uncovers old-school gracie submissions such as the Roger armbar and Amassa Pao choke.Â
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9Â out of 10.
GRACIE SECRETS CLOSED GUARD KYRA GRACIE DVDÂ GET HERE
I am a fan of the closed guard. That said, I usually don’t bank too much on closed-guard BJJ DVDs to figure out the layers of this classic Jiu-Jitsu position. Instead, I like to watch and analyze fights, of both current and old matches, trying to piece the puzzle together on how to best utilize this timeless position.
The Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD might just be an exception. I decided to take a look since it would be irresponsible of me to dismiss a resource on the position by one of the best closed guard players ever, simply because it’s instructional. Here’s what I found:
The Secret Everyone Knows
I always laugh when I see the word ‘secret’ used in BJJ terms. There are no secrets in the sport, and there are no grandmasters that live in the mountains and can teach you a one-touch toe hold.
However, there is an interesting play on the word in the context of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD we’ll be looking at today. Those who have seen Kyra compete know that the closed guard was her favorite position. The secret here is not the position itself, but rather the tactics Kyra used to set up her highly dominant game.Â
At the end of the day, what everyone knows is that the closed guard works. That said, for it to work you need to know what you’re doing – it is not a magical position that gives you guaranteed dominance and attacks just by getting to it. You’ll have to earn those, and Kyra knows all the best ways to constantly keep the top person guessing your next move.
Kyra Gracie – The Most Famous Female Gracie
It is wild when I talk to folks from the newer generations of grapplers and they have no idea who Kyra Gracie is. Understandably, they know about Ffion Davies and Danielly Kelly but the pioneer of female Jiu-Jitsu is completely off the map.
I guess that is what happens when you retire from teaching seminars and more importantly, competing. That said, Kyra did it all when pro-grappling did not exist, the only way for grapplers to make some petty cash was MMA, and when competitive women athletes were no more than a handful, and I am being generous.
Kyra Gracie is still actively training, holding the rank of 4th degree BJJ black belt under Carlso Gracei Jr. With three ADCC titles, five IBJJF world championships, and two Pans and Brazilian Nationals titles each, Kyra really did win it all back in the day. Her last title was the ADCC belt in 2011.
These days, Kyra is still teaching actively at Gracie gyms in the US. She has also been active lately in the digital BJJ realm, producing several instructionals on her competitive game plans. Since she was particularly notorious for her closed guard, I was really stoked to be able to take a peek at the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD.
Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD Review
The three-part Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD is a Gi instructional offering the complete gameplan that one of the best closed guard players in the history of the sport used to beat everyone and anyone in her way. In it, you get just under 3 hours of super-high quality material by one of the most legit Gracie fighters ever.
Part 1 – The Competitive Closed Guard
Kyra throws everything and the kitchen sink in the first volume of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD. She starts by detailing how to safely jump guard, something Kron Gracie should’ve learned from her.
Jokes aside, Kyra provides the best options you have for quickly getting to guard, including a couple of sneaky pull variations. She follows up using the common progressions we’ve seen from her in tournaments – pull/jump guard and then torture the poor person by keeping them stuck like a fly in honey.
The classic task of breaking posture features heavily, with Kyra sharing how she achieves it with submission threats that pay off fully from time to time. The Kimura trap is her go-to for control, pass prevention, sweep, and submission threats, which is as progressive as BJJ gets from the closed guard.
Towards the end of the volume, Gracie goes over flanking attacks that expose the back and starts covering your best option when opponents resort to the inevitable – standing up inside your closed guard.
Part 2 – Sweep-Submission Combos
Dealing with standing opponents is still the focus as the second part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD rolls on. Here, Kyra offers several sweep variations that don’t jeopardize your guard retention.
Sweeps continue to donate this part, with Kyra looking for the mount as her final destination. Along the way, she uses Kimuras and armbars to set up her sweeps, constantly causing dilemma scenarios. She tops it all with a few quick strangles in the form of guillotines and collar chokes.
Part 3 – Rare Gracie Attacks
The final part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD was a real surprise for me. In it, I found moves that I’ve stumbled on as a blue/purple belt and tried to figure out on my own. Some of them, such as the Amassa Pao became my go-to’s, but seeing more details from Kyra means I now understand them a lot better.
For those wondering what the Amassa Pao or Roger Gracie armbar is, this DVD is the perfect way to get your hands on insider instructions on obscure and rare submission moves that work at the highest levels.
Kyra concludes the instructional with a series of overhook closed guard attacks, offering routes into the triangle choke and even more back attacks. She also talks about the forgotten art of using the legs as hooks as she shares the secrets to sweeping using underhooks.
Why is the Closed Guard Timeless?
Love it or hate it, the closed guard is never going to become redundant in BJJ. It simply offers too much and comes too instinctively to people to fade out of existence. It is the one guard position you will surely use and have to face, white to black felt and beyond.
Lately, the trend is to learn plenty of other guards, usually complex beyond reason first, and only try to understand the closed guard when BJJ starts making sense. I’d urge you to go back to the closed guard for the next few months – I don’t care what belt you are.
The Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD is the perfect resource to help you set up goals for your closed guard repetition or first-time use. I’ll even jump in on this challenge myself, as someone who went through all the phases of closed guard – loving it, hating it, and ultimately, understanding how crucial it is and playing it whenever I need to emphasize safety and efficiency.
DOWNLOAD HERE: CLOSED GUARD KYRA GRACIE DVD
Closed Guard Gracie Secrets
The next time you roll, go for the closed guard. Even better, try out some of the stuff from the third part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD! You’ll end up confusing anyone, including those who know the moves. Reverting back to old-school tactics and techniques and blending them with modern ones is a surefire way to improve any aspect of your game. It just so happens, we’re talking about the closed guard here.
