Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ instructional explaining the basics of X-guard positioning and attacks.
- Offers details on off-balancing, sweeping, and transitions to the back and Ashi.
- Features easy-to-understand connections between X-guard variations and other guards.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
EFFICIENTLY EXECUTING X-GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD HERE:
Thinking about X-guad? you’re not alone, many grapplers end up wondering what they did wrong while attempting what seems like one of the easiest guards in BJJ. Well, it is about time to shift those thoughts to more positive ones, like for example, those of you sweeping and submitting folks from the position.
The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is your go-to resource for quickly making sense of all the key things about the X-guard. You won’t get any fancy inversions and multiple-step lapel grips in this open – just the basics of off-balancing, sweeping, transitioning to the back and Ashi, and merging it with other guards.
The Hardest Open Guard in BJJ?
Out of all the open guards, you’ll end up playing in BJJ, I think one of the hardest ones to really get a grip of is the full X-guard. While seemingly simple and easy to understand, mostly once people make the X connection between the name and leg positioning, this guard is deceitfully difficult.
Namely, people tend to forget that to use a guard, you need to actually engage your legs, not just place them in a configuration and magically wait for things to happen. While this is true for all guards, failing to keep your legs active in the X-guard will cost you a lot more than closed or half guard, mostly because your opponent is on top of you.
With only your legs to prevent them from mounting and their head and collars too far out to reach, you’re not really left with too many attachment options from an X-guard. However, on the plus side, the guard is extremely difficult to pass once you get the just of it, and is one of the rare guards that offers 360 attacking options, for the exact same reason it flirts with being mounted so much – you’re right beneath your opponent.
The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is perfectly named as it really does teach you how to become effective at playing this very powerful, but equally risky position.
2x ADCC Champion Giancarlo Bodoni
I was not really aware of Giancarlo Bodoni, part of the random Danaher post before he stepped on the ADCC mats in 2022. His performances in his debut year took him all the way to the title, his first in the competition. I guess it is not was not surprising to those who knew him and saw him win the IBJJF No-Gi pans in 2021.
The few super fights he had in between the 2022 and 2024 ADCC editions further revealed what a gem had walked into the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team. Bodoni made quick work of grapplers like Lucas Barbosa, Roberto Jimenez, Patruc Gauido, Pedro Rocha, etc as he established himself as one of the folks to beat in the -88kg No-Gi divisions on a world level.
At the latest ADCC, he demonstrated his growth by beating the who-is-who of -88 kg grapplers (at least those that opted for ADCC over CJI) in Gabriel Almeida, Felipe Costa, and Jay Rodriguez. He also had a good run in the absolute, losing out on points to veteran Robery Cyborg Abreu in the semi-final.
There is a lot more to come from the 28-year-old. As he prepares for his next adventures on the mats, he occasionally treats the BJJ world with well-thought-out instructionals, such as the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD we’ll deconstruct today.
Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review
This Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is a 4-part No-Gi BJJ instructional covering the basics of holding and attacking from the X-guard, including variations, and lasts for a total of two and a half hours.
Part 1 – Kuzushi
Unsurprisingly, the foundation of the guard game that Bodoni shares in this Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD begins with a staple of his teacher Danaher’s guard philosophy – off-balancing.
After a short intro, Giancarlo covers the different ways to make people lose their balance from the X-guard, using general positioning concepts and easily explained mechanics. Basically, BOdoni shares how to make people fall by adjusting the X-guard positioning rather than going all-out for technical sweeps.
The crucial guard concept (open and closed) of climbing up with your legs, also features in this volume, just after the chapter on setting up an ankle pick-like sweep from the ‘basic’ X-guard.
Part 2 – Sweeping
Speaking of sweeps, they are not far away once you get the hang of causing Kuzushi, which is exactly how Bodoni set this DVD up. Building on the previous principles he explains how to sweep people in different directions, beginning with backward sweeps.
Spinning the leg is a major method that we see a lot through this volume, as well as the relationship that his attack has with forcing the top person to bring their knee to the mats. A few wrist and ankle grab sweeps round off the second volume of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, right after he shares how to use the 50/5 as a natural follow-up to the X-guard.
Part 3 – Reverse X Guard
The reverse X-guard is what really changed the landscape of X-guards when leg locks entered the frame, so, naturally, there is a lot of it in this part of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.
A few entries into the reverse X set the subject up, followed by common issues and easy solutions to troubleshoot them, mostly effective because they are based on successful off-balancing, which was thoroughly covered in the first volume. If you expected leg locks, you’ll have to wait until the very last chapter of this volume (and in the entire fourth one).
Part 4 – Crab Rides & Ashi
Ashi Garami is a natural continuation of X-guards, be it the single, regular, or reverse version The final part of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD offers ways to get an Ashi Garami if you’re not able or don’t want to finish sweeps once you create Kuzushi.
Bodoni shares entries to both legs from the regular and Reverse X guard, as well as options to mix up attacks by transitioning into crab rides that open up back attacks. A short guide on how to use all the information in this instructional is the perfect ending to this very well-thought-out and executed BJJ DVD.
Close Range Guards
The X-guard falls under the category of close range guards, along with the deep half guard, 50/50, and single-leg X-guard, to name a few. These guards put you beneath your opponent’s hips, offering the best possible position to launch into lower-body attacks and sweeps.
The drawbacks are that upper body submissions are far away, especially chokes, and you can mess up everything really easily and allow the top person to get into the mount. These drawbacks are there in every close range guard, though, and end up being worth the gamble once you understand how to play guards.
In that regard, the X-guard is the easiest guard to set up, both from guards and after escaping bad spots, like Mount. As such, it is the perfect launching pad for all kinds of attacks, including mid and long range guard ones, since it is great to haunt your opponent as they try to put distance between you by moving backward.
Most of the mechanics that allow you to stay in the guard, as well as some key sweeps and lower body submission attacks, are really well covered in the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD. This one is an awesome resource for every guard player out there.
DOWNLOAD NOW: X-GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD
Playing X-Guard
Let’s face it, you’re going to fall in love with the X-guard once you give it a try for a while. It is the perfect way to keep an opponent in your grasp while they are standing, which is the most difficult aspect of playing guard in BJJ. The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD has everything you’ll ever need to set up a solid X-guard game that you can turn back to in time of need, or make it the centerpiece of your game.
