Why The Turtle Guard Works For Me And Can Work For You Too!

If you currently take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) classes then chances are you’ve seen the turtle guard in use.

If maybe you’ve come from Wrestling then you’ll know the Turtle Guard as “Referees position”. The name doesn’t matter, however, the skills learned from this position do matter…a lot.

Check out the video posted below so you can see the Turtle Guard and get a better idea as to how it works and what it’s used for.

Pretty cool huh? I like the turtle guard for a lot of different reasons but the main one is it works for people who are a bit slower and less athletic (like me) against bigger, stronger and faster opponents.

I admit it’s not the easiest position to learn but at the same time if you’re willing to put in the work the turtle guard pays off in spades.

The key to learning a complex position like this is reps reps and more reps. Lot’s of drilling followed up with productive rolling sessions are a surefire recipe for success.

In the beginning i recommend sticking with some of the more simple techniques like the Peterson Roll, Peak Out and Rolling back to Closed Guard.

As you gain more experience with the turtle guard sooner or later you’ll be able to hit the super cool advanced stuff like the murphy roll, standing kimura and rolling kneebar. All in due time my friend.

For now, study up with the youtube videos i posted below. At the very least you should gain a pretty good understanding of how the techniques work when needed for self-defense, BJJ or MMA.

Remember…REPS REPS REPS!