A very common position you will find yourself in is the half-guard. This is true for both the bottom and top half guard positions. So mastering a handful of effective half guard submissions can greatly improve your jiu-jitsu game.
Even though there are a ton of great submissions from half guard, the most common thing people do when in half guard is to try and get to a better position.
If you are on the bottom you might try and get to the closed guard. If you are on top you might try to pass to side control or mount.
Though this does make sense and in many ways, there are a ton of great submissions that you can learn from half guard. Whether you are in the top or bottom half guard there are some great BJJ submissions from these positions.
Here are my top 11 must-know submissions from the half guard.
#1 Kimura From Half Guard Bottom
The kimura is one of the most common submissions from the bottom half guard. Named after Masahiko Kimura the famous judoka who defeated Helio Gracie with this shoulder lock.
Of course, Masahiko would have called it by its judo name gyaku ude-garami. It is known as the double wrist lock from catch wrestling and is a great submission from half guard. Check out this video tutorial for the kimura from bottom half guard!
Of course, this amazing submission is not limited to only the bottom half guard. It is also a great submission to execute from top half guard as well.
Here is a video from the grappling academy on how to execute the kimura from top half guard.
#2 Americana From Top And Bottom Half Guard
Another submission you need to learn for your half guard game is the Americana. Like the kimura, the Americana is a wonderful half guard submission that can be used in both bottom and top positions.
More times than not however the Americana would likely be used from the top position.
There are a few ways in which the Americana can be used from top half guard. The most common way would be to hit the Americana very similarly to the way you would execute it from side control.
However, I found this great video from Caio Terra where he uses his opponent’s gi to control his opponents arm.
Though it is not as common, you can also submit your opponent with the Americana from bottom half guard as well. So you might as well master this submission from the bottom as well.
Check out this video of the Americana from bottom half guard. The tutorial starts around 30 seconds into the video.
#3 Triangle Choke From Bottom Half Guard
Before I really got into grappling I was into weight lifting and bodybuilding. I used to hate the fact that I had long slender legs.
Though I try, my legs are not naturally designed for massive quads and world record squats. They are however perfect for the triangle choke in BJJ. So have the body for it you should certainly master the triangle choke.
Of course, just about anyone can learn to do the triangle choke, however, this submission is especially great for those with longer legs.
So if that is you I would highly recommend adding this submission to your bottom half guard game. Here is a great video tutorial teaching you how to execute the triangle choke from the half guard.
#4 Loop choke From Top and Bottom Half Guard
Another great submission from half guard is the loop choke. Of course, this choke will only work in gi BJJ because you will be using your opponent’s lapel to choke them.
It is one of the best chokes to learn for the bottom half guard. Here is a great tutorial on the loop choke from bottom half guard.
There are also ways to hit the loop choke from the top half guard as well. In this video, Jesse Crumpton shows us his modified loop choke for the top half guard.
#5 Straight Armlock From Top and Bottom Half Guard
The straight armlock is a classic BJJ submission. It is similar to the armbar except that you are not using your hips and you are putting pressure on the opposite side of the elbow. It is very effective and can be utilized in many different positions.
One of the positions that you can hit this submission from is the bottom half guard. In this video, Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu teaches the straight armlock submission from bottom half guard.
You can also hit a cool armlock from the top half guard as well. This is a very good technique that will often catch your opponents by surprise.
The best time to try this is when your opponent thinks you are simply trying to pass their guard. Here is a great video demonstrating a great example of this.
#6 Knee Bar From Top and Bottom Half Guard
Who doesn’t love a kneebar? The kneebar is an awesome submission that has been used for a long time. It is an excellent submission to hit from both top and bottom half guard. In fact, the top half guard is probably the most common position for the kneebar.
The mechanics are similar to the armbar except you will be putting pressure on the knee joint instead of the elbow. Check out this video of Dean Lister teaching the kneebar from top half guard.
Though it is more common to hit the kneebar from the top half guard, it is also a great submission from the bottom half guard as well. Here is another video from Dean Lister showing the kneebar from the bottom half guard.
#7 Darch Choke From Top and Bottom Half Guard
The D’arce choke or Brabo choke is probably my favorite submission from top half guard. This probably has something to do with the fact that I have long arms and have great mechanics for this choke.
That said, it can be a solid choice for just about anybody but is definitely more effective for people with longer arms.
The Darce is a great half guard choke that works for both gi and no-gi BJJ. Check out this video from great grappling to learn how to execute the D’arce choke from top half guard.
#8 Japanese Necktie
If the Darce choke is too hard for you because you have shorter arms then the Japanese necktie might be a better option. It is similar to the Darce in execution from top half guard.
The differences are in the grips and the fact that you do not need control of their arm to execute this choke. Here is a good example of the Japanese necktie from top half guard.
#9 Guillotine Choke From Top Half Guard
The guillotine choke is a classic BJJ submission that can be utilized from many different positions. Though the mechanics of this choke might look simple there are some small details that need to be executed well. It is one of the most important submissions from half guard that you need in your jiu-jitsu game.
The guillotine choke is a great choke to use in both gi and no-gi BJJ. Here is another video from Great Grappling that teaches you how to hit the guillotine choke from top half guard.
#10 Arm Triangle From Top and Bottom Half Guard
Another great submission to hit from both top and bottom half guard is the arm triangle. The arm triangle is a very powerful stranglehold. It is a blood choke which I love because you can put someone out no matter how tough they might be.
This is very good for self-defense situations. They can be dangerous, however, so you would only reserve this for a serious situation.
It is also of course an excellent submission for rolling and for competition. Though the arm triangle is pretty simple there are some details you will need to master. Let’s first find out the basics of hitting the arm triangle from top half guard.
Now let’s look at the arm triangle from the bottom half guard.
#11 Omoplata
Last but certainly not least is the omoplata. It is one of the greatest submissions from half guard that you can learn. The omoplata means scapula in Portuguese for some pretty understandable reasons.
It is also called ashi sankaku garami in judo and is a very great submission to use from half guard. Here is a great video of Kurt Osiander teaching the Omoplata from half guard bottom!
Best Instructional To Learn Half Guard Submissions
If you really want to take your half guard game to the next level you might want to invest in some half guard specific BJJ instructionals. A great example would be the Half Guard Anthology by Lachlan Giles.
This instructional is probably the most in-depth instructional on the half guard out there. It’s a great starting place if you are looking to improve your half gaurd game.
In fact, it has over 10 hours worth of content in this one instructional. So not only will you learn half-guard submissions but you can supercharge your entire half-guard game!