Make open guard stable with clear distance, grips, and simple transitions you can trust.
The Bottom Line
This is a fundamentals primer for open guard. You get priorities for posture, distance, and grips to stop chaos. It sets up your path to advanced options and side butterfly attacks.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: Beginners building guard
Skip if: You want leglocks
Tech focus: Romulo Guard, Two On One, Lo Guard, Shin To Shin, X Guard Entries, Wrestle Up, Grip Fighting
Biggest takeaway: Priorities calm open guard chaos
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What You'll Learn
A fundamentals-first look at Lovato’s open guard preferences. It highlights posture, distance, and grip choices, referencing positions like Romulo guard, two-on-one, Lo guard, and transitions to x-guards. It aims to make open guard less chaotic by giving priority rules.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- Romulo Guard
- Two On One
- Lo Guard
- Shin To Shin
- X Guard Entries
- Wrestle Up
- Grip Fighting
Format & Level
- Instructional style: Conceptual, Technique Collection
- Skill level: Beginner
- Format: Gi
- Runtime: 2 hours and 44 minutes
Should You Buy It?
Wait for daily deal. I think beginners need priorities more than variations; this delivers that filter.
Why Rafael Lovato Jr?
Lovato’s guard game is historically diverse, with collar-sleeve and omoplata tendencies in the gi. He teaches principles to stabilize open guard before layering advanced attacks.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- Community members call his open guard foundations excellent.
- Lovato is praised for diverse guard skill across styles.
- Side butterfly concepts help wrestle-ups and angle changes.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- If you already have a mature open guard, overlap exists.
- More gi-oriented examples than pure nogi.
- Not as deep on modern inversion or leglock entries.
Free Preview Lesson
Smart Alternatives
- Timeless Advanced Open Guard – Step up when foundations are dialed in. (Price: $247.00)
Sources & References
Video Breakdowns
Official listing: View Timeless Open Guard Foundations on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.
