The single biggest determinant of your success or failure from open guard will be your ability to break an opponents stance and balance (kuzushi). If you can do this at will, you will be highly successful from open guard. If you can't, even the simplest moves will be a struggle to apply and often subject to strong counters from a skilled opponent. I would rather have five moves from open guard plus the ability to break an opponents stance and balance at will than to have a hundred moves without that ability. ANYONE CAN APPLY THE MOVES OF OPEN GUARD ON AN UNRESISTING training PARTNER, BUT ONLY AN ATHLETE WHO CAN BREAK AN OPPONENTS STANCE AND BALANCE CAN APPLY THEM ON A FULLY RESISTING OPPONENT IN A competitive MATCH. Make the study of Kuzushi your biggest concern when working from open guard – if you can break a mans stance – you can break the man!
