If you want to learn how to play guard at the highest possible levels of the game, learn from a top-level guard passer. If you’re struggling to think of one that is active as a competitor, and has been competing at the highest levels for decades, allow us to point you to Rafel Lovato Jr.
The inventor of the most widely used passing checkpoint – the Headquarters, now shares some of his World CHampionshp level guard technique in the latest Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD dubbed Timeless Closed Guard. Is it just hyped up because of Lovato, or is it really an instructional you can’t miss out on? Check out our review and decide for yourself!
Key Takeaways
- 4-part No-Gi DVD with over 2 hours of world-class closed guard material
- Lovato shows closed guard variations and back-and-forth open guard transitions
- Each volume offers a self-sustaining mini closed guard system.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.
FULL TIMELESS CLOSED GUARD DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!
A Throwback to the Best Guard in BJJ
What is your favorite guard to play in Jiu-Jitsu? If people started answering now, how many do you think would say that they enjoy the closed guard? Mostly older grapplers and brown/black belts, or complete beginners. And that is a shame.
The closed guard is an incredibly powerful weapon for grapplers of any experience level, build, sex, or age. It simply is timeless, just like the Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD we’re reviewing today claims.
The question is, and I truly do not have an answer to this, why do people ignore the power of the closed guard so much? For me, ti is a staple that allows choosing to either keep things Gracie-style simple or go into the most complicated positions and attacks, all the while having a great fall-back.
Whether you close your legs around an opponent’s waist, or one fo their legs, you’re ending up with one of the most powerful and versatile positions available in Jiu-Jitsu. Ignoring it is beyond dumb.
One of the Greatest BJJ Heavyweigths: Rafel Lovato Jr.
Rafel Lovato Jr’s journey through the world of martial arts has been a very long and inspiring one. From being the first non-Brazilian grappler to win the Brazilian Nationals in his category at black belt, to winning the same tournament’s absolute a while later, with the same accolades.
A black belt under Carlos Machado, which many people do not know on account of his close relationship with the Ribeiro brothers, Lovato has been a staple name of the BJJ world for the past couple of decades. He won just about everything of note in BJJ short of the ADCC, before moving on to become the Bellator middleweight MMA World Champion.
An unfortunate diagnosis of cerebral cavernoma forced Lovato to vacate his title, as doctors prohibited him from competing. He carried on competing in high-level grappling tournaments, announcing his retirement in the 2022 ADCC after reaching the semi-finals and suffering a defeat to the eventual champion Kaynan Duarte.
Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD Review
This Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD exploring the closed guard is a No-Gi instructional, with the material equally divided between four volumes. Each volume lasts just above half an hour, and concludes a mini system that can work on its own, or in combination with the others:
Part 1 – Overhook Attacks
The first part of the Timeless Closed Guard instructional by Rafael Lovato revolves around some of the best-known closed guard basics. He covers the hip bump sweep, connecting it with an intricate submission-heavy overhook control from the closed guard.
He then shares the best details I have seen so far on how to use the position to set up a triangle. Of course, since this is my preferred way of doing it, you could say I am a bit biased. Or a lot.
Anyway, he also pays lots of attention to the kimura and guillotine, combining them with the triangle in an ultra-tight overhook closed guard that directly launches into the hip bump sweep if the top person pulls their arm out.
Lovato wraps this volume up with a very tight spiral armbar finish to introduce yet another direction of movement.
Part 2 – Williams Guard
The second portion of this Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD keeps focusing on the overhook position, polishing up the guillotine setup and finish. From there, Rafael launches a deep direction of the Williams guard, in my opinion, the best closed guard version out there. Seriously it feels like cheating!
Lovato teaches the mechanics, and the all-important grip intricacies of the position, including several snake grip variations, and launches into submissions again. Willimas guard Kimuras and trap armbars are his main focus, interrupted by an underhook pendulum sweep for variety.
Part 3 – High Guard Armbars
21% of Lovato Jr’s submission finishes as a black belt are down to armbars. In this volume of his Timeless Closed Guard instructional, the legendary grappler shares a bunch of different setups and finishes, using the collar tie and elbow grip high guard.
Among the armbars that find their way into his selection are the world-famous rolling Ronda Rousey armbar, and the Bellator armbar that Lovato used a lot in the cage. My personal favorite was his take on killing the stack as a means to block your armbar. That one is never going to work again.
Part 4- Open Guard Crunch
Lovato is a very well-rounded grappler who loves sticking to basics, but that doesn’t mean he has no flashy and modern tricks up his Gi sleeve. The final part of the Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD goes past the closed guard, exploring how to get in and out of the most effective open guards that are readily available.
Lovato picks the butterfly guard and K-guard as his primary options, centering his game around the dreaded shoulder crunch position using both guards. Apart from a detailed breakdown of the lumberjack sweep, Lovato shares a few more armbar traps he loves to set up using the shoulder crunch.
The BJJ Position You Can’t Avoid
Next time you’re on the mats, whether it is competition or rolling, take a moment and watch a round. Take note of how many times you see the closed guard pop up. I guarantee that it will, as it remains the most used guard in the entire sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Gi or No-Gi, BJJ or MMA, you’re going to see people gravitating to the closed guard. Those who have trained for longer do it out of a force of habit, having spent so much time perfecting it as newbies.
Present-day newbies, who might not have encountered the closed guard so much still end up in it, as it appears intuitively, particularly when they are being pressured and bullied by the top person.
The point here is that the closed guard never left BJJ, and is still a huge part of the sport, it is just not practiced enough. While it may seem boring, it is extremely effective, and with all the variations that exist, such as the high guard and Willimas Guard, it actually presents a very interesting and fun challenge when it comes to mastering it.
Why not give the timeless closed guard a shot? You need it, that much I can guarantee!
TIMELESS CLOSED GUARD RAFAEL LOVATO BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD
Close your Guard!
There are countless resources out there covering the closed guard, and you’ll hardly find a bad one. The options from the closed guard, as any other guard are down to sweeps and submissions, but from the closed guard you also have the luxury of time as you can easily stall and set your own pace.
Throw in the highly useful, effective, and above all, fun-to-play closed guard variations in the Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD, and you have one of the best instructional available on the subject. Do yourself a favor and pick it up, as both students and professors will learn tons from this one!
The Best Closed Guard DVD Instructionals and Digital Releases
Closed Guard Movie: A Jiu-Jitsu Documentary About The History Of BJJ
