Guard pull: how BJJ players use it
The guard pull is the #3 takedown entry in BJJBuddy logs: 621 people have logged it. How to pull guard safely, and which belts use it most.
Where it ranks.
People who logged each takedown at least once.
Logged, not scored.
BJJBuddy records which takedowns people work in training. It doesn’t record who took whom down, so these pages show how widely each takedown is used, not how often it succeeds.
Pulling guard means taking the match to the ground by sitting to your guard instead of throwing. It is a BJJ-only entry, legal in most jiu-jitsu rule sets, and it lets guard players start where they are strongest.
How the guard pull works
- Get grips first: collar and sleeve in the gi, or a collar tie and wrist control in no-gi.
- Put one foot on their hip or step in close.
- Sit down close to them, not far away, keeping your grips.
- Land straight into your guard: closed guard, de la Riva, or whatever you play.
Common mistakes
- Jumping guard in training without warning a partner. Many gyms don’t allow it.
- Sitting down far away, so they can pass immediately.
- Pulling without grips and giving them free control.
Learn and drill techniques with a qualified coach and a cooperative partner, and let go the moment your partner taps. This overview is not a substitute for live instruction.
Who logs it, by belt
People at each belt who logged this takedown. Belt is the rank set in the app today.
How to read these figures
The rank orders all 31 takedowns by how many different people logged them. From BJJBuddy training logs, November 2015 to November 2026. Duplicate uploads are removed, so a session is one person on one training day. Each person counts once per technique. Groups smaller than 10 people are not shown.