In a recent appearance on the BJJ Fanatics podcast, Rickson Gracie black belt Henry Akins made a bold claim that has stirred the jiu-jitsu community. Discussing positional strategy for smaller less athletic practitioners, Akins said those who advocate half guard as an ideal position
“don’t understand jiu-jitsu.”
Akins, the third American to earn a black belt under Rickson Gracie and former head instructor at the legendary academy, has decades of experience studying the art’s foundations.
He argues that recommending half guard as a safe position for smaller players shows a shallow grasp of jiu-jitsu philosophy.
“Half guard means they’re halfway past your guard,”
he says, pointing out that being on bottom half guard puts you at a disadvantage.
“When you’re on the bottom of half guard, the person on top is already halfway past your guard.”
The bigger issue is offensive potential. Unlike closed or open full guard, half guard offers very limited submission chances.
“There’s very very few submissions from bottom half guard,”
Akins notes, contrasting it with the full guard’s guillotines cross collar chokes kimuras armbars and inverted armbars.
For Akins the goal in jiu-jitsu is the finish.
“The end goal for us in jiu-jitsu is the finish,”
he says. Settling for half guard means giving up offensive opportunities for a defensive deadlock.
From the top player’s view Akins points out that many top coaches advise their students to force half guard if they struggle to pass guard.
“Some of the best coaches in the world,”
he explains,
“encourage their students when they’re passing guard—if you can’t pass the guard if you’re struggling to pass the guard then force the half guard when you’re on top.”
This is because
“it’s much easier to pass the half guard than the full guard.”
So accepting half guard is more of a concession than a win.
Akins says most people training
“don’t understand the concept and the philosophy of the art. They don’t really have a deep level of understanding of the art. They have a collection of moves.”
This reflects a divide between simply knowing techniques and understanding jiu-jitsu’s strategic core. The original Gracie philosophy especially from the Helio branch that shaped Akins’ training focused on creating advantages for smaller players through superior positioning and constant offensive threats.
Instead of accepting half guard’s limits Akins says bottom half guard players should aim to improve position through sweeps back takes reversals or by recovering full guard where finishing chances increase.
“From bottom half guard normally what the person on the bottom is looking to do is they’re looking to sweep or they’re looking to somehow reverse the position so they can end up in a more dominant position,”
he says. Even getting back to full guard is better because
“once you enter into the full guard whether it’s an open or closed guard you have far more ability to submit.”
Akins challenges practitioners to rethink defensive strategies and training focus. Positions that just delay trouble shouldn’t be comfort zones. Students should develop skills to create and seize offensive opportunities from positions that really matter.
Half guard skill remains important for escaping or passing but it’s a transition not a goal. Constantly pushing toward positions with true finishing potential is key.
Akins’ view raises important questions about jiu-jitsu’s growth and how its original principles hold up. His message is clear: understanding the strategy behind the art is just as important as knowing the moves.
