Offbalancing someone in the grappling arts is known as ‘Kuzushi’. Typically people use the term Kuzushi in a Judo context, but it can also be used in a jiu-jitsu context where you use it to set up sweeps, submissions and transitions to more dominant guard positions.

You can use Kuzushi from the guard in both gi and not gi, and in every form of guard including the closed guard, recumbent open guard, seated guard, half guard, etc.

The three basic types of Kuzushi from the guard are,

1, Hanging or swinging Kuzushi
2, Blocking or pushing Kuzushi, and
3, Intercepting Kuzushi

Once he’s off-balance and his alignment broken he’ll be much easier to deal with. He won’t be trying to pass your guard. He’ll be so off balance that all he’ll be thinking about is recovering his position.

Check out our in-depth instructional on how to use gripfighting and Kuzushi to dominate the guard at https://www.grapplearts.com/kuzushi

Often when you go for a Triangle the person will stack you and turn the corner and you can often lose the triangle.
Here’s an option on how to recover it.

How to make the armbar from guard much more powerful by systematically disrupting your opponent’s base, posture and structure. From The Submission Formula by Rob Biernacii and Stephan Kesting, available at https://www.grapplearts.com/submissionformula

A rant about how standing up from guard is just as valid a technique as sweeps and submissions. And when it comes to self defense the technical standup is absolutely critical! Check out https://www.grapplearts.com/selfdefenseguard for more examples of how the standup gets integrated into your guard game, and/or check out the related videos below:

How to Set Up Sweeps, Attacks, & Standups from The Guard

How to Use a Wall or a Fence While Grappling

BJJ Self Defense Lesson 4: The Technical Standup

The Three Most Critical Concepts of BJJ

Getting Back to Your Feet From Closed Guard