Some areas of Jiu Jitsu are an endless ocean of moves – some have only a few: Of all the skill sets in Jiu Jitsu, the one that has the fewest options is probably opening A CLOSED GUARD. There are relatively few methods of doing this that work reliably in a competitive match. The same methods you learn in a beginner class will be the same methods you learn in a black belt class – just performed better. The basic demand to attain a strong working posture and get up to your feet admits only a few variations. This is a skill that you really need since there you cannot even begin to PASS a guard until you can OPEN a guard. There are not many moves to learn that are actually effective – but the skill is a difficult one as your opponent can set many traps as you try to posture and rise and so ironically the skill of opening a classed guard is among the first skills you will learn – but one of the last you will master. There may not be many moves to learn, but they are not easy to perform on a skilled opponent.
