“My open guard, generally, was just not clicking, and within 1 or 2 of the videos, I could feel stuff clicking into place. The links between the different guards that Professor Michael lays out and the 3 pillars of a decent guard he discussed are opening things up for me. Thank you!”
This is one of the 5-star reviews written by one of the hundreds of JJX users who enrolled in Michael Liera’s course, “The Guardian.” This course is an absolute MUST for anyone struggling with their guard game and looking to improve.
Who is Michael Liera, and what is so special about him?
Michael Liera is one of the professional black belt jiu jitsu athletes who is also a frequent competitor from Team Atos under Andre Galvao. Throughout his long journey started at a young age, he achieved multiple victories at IBJJF world (2011,2013,2014) as a color belt and IBJJF Pan (2018), IBJJF European open (2016), and many more as a black belt.
As much as he competes, he is perhaps more known for his vicious guard game. In fact, an analysis found that nearly 75% of his overall position in matches was in some form of guard. He is clearly most comfortable and incredibly capable from any guard position, and in utilizing his dynamic system of transitioning between guards.
Why does having a good guard matter anyway?
Some jiu jitsu practitioners tend to pick one guard and revolve their whole game around it. While that isn't a bad thing, Liera emphasizes the importance of an overall understanding of multiple guards.. Rather than having one game that your training partners or opponents can quickly figure out during the match, a deep understanding of different guards and when to transition makes your strategy much more complex. It safely protects you from getting your guard passed, and opens up significantly more opportunities for you to attack.
The more complex your guard, the more clueless your training partners will be about your next move. You'll be able to stay several steps ahead of them, ultimately dominating the match! Your training partners just might start requesting to film your rolls so they can go home and try to figure it out! Little do they know, it's not just about playing guard well. Transitioning well is also a vital part of the IMPASSABLE system.
How can Michael help me improve my guard?
Michael launched his course, “The Guardian,” hoping to share his profound knowledge of the guard system with more jiu jitsu practitioners. Starting with three pillars of the guard concept that can help you understand the primary factors to focus on, you will obtain all the details to have a clearer vision of playing guard. Here are the three pillars you'll review with Michael:
How to protect yourself from guard passes and identify potential guard pass
How to off-balance them to control the opponent’s weight distribution to attack sweeps
How to attack, threaten and submit the opponent
Combining these factors results in an intense and complex guard. Overcommitting to only one or two causes people to have a shallow understanding of the guard system, which can expose them to being passed or submitted. Harmony of all three is necessary to have an impassable guard.
What else will I learn from this course?
Including the three pillars mentioned above, Michael demonstrates three standard guard models (Double sleeve, Shallow Lasso, and X Guard) and how to implement variations that can be easily applied to any other guard. He shows us how to connect the dots between playing guard and attacking, going over specific offensive scenarios as well as how to counter and defend when in danger. Being able to connect and smoothly transition between these guards will provide 20+ offensive and counter-offensive options including sweeps, back takes, and submissions
You know that one guy at your gym who seems to always seek you out when he's looking for an easy roll? Time to teach him a lesson. Developing and improving your guard game with the help of Michael will get you ready. It is only a matter of time before they start avoiding you, knowing there is no way they can pass your guard!
There are also 3 free videos available for every single course, including Michael’s “The Guardian”! Click on any of them to access and start stepping up your jiu jitsu game!
Michael’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lierajr/
