No Half Measures: A Completely Incomplete History of The Half Guard

Where it started:

Like much of early Jiu Jitsu lore, it’s difficult to pin down the origins of the Half Guard, or meia-guarda, as it is called in Portuguese. But we do know when it was popularized, thanks in part to Roberto Correa in the 1990s.

Back in the day, it was a way to avoid getting smashed further. A place to hold on and run out the clock in competition, or at the very least, transition to a better position.

But thanks to grapplers like Correa, who doubled downo on the half-guard as a method to support an injured knee, we now know it as an offensive position where the player can execute an underhook or shift to the “sit-up guard”, among many other moves.

We write this part of history, not as a definitive record, but to pay homage to a crucial building block for grapplers of all shapes and sizes. Here’s what friends of Outsid/In had to say about it.

Fill in the Blank: 

The Half Guard is ________

“The best guard for no gi, in my opinion.”

“It sucks! I hate to be smashed from there.”

“Essential” (we got that answer a LOT)

So as you contemplate your practice, think about what you can build from the half guard. Think of it as a foundation, and create greatness from there.