The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community has been buzzing over controversial comments made by Rickson Gracie black belt Henry Akins regarding half guard players but the veteran instructor is standing firm on his position while providing additional context to his widely discussed remarks.
The statements, originally made during a BJJ Fanatics podcast interview over two years ago, recently resurfaced and generated significant debate when Akins declared that those who advocate half guard as an ideal position “don’t understand jiu-jitsu.” Now, the third American to earn a black belt under the legendary Rickson Gracie is offering clarification on what he calls a “pretty sensational headline.”
Akins emphasizes that his comments were specifically directed toward bottom half guard positioning not the position as a whole. His core argument centers on a fundamental question of strategy: how can any position be considered “ideal” when its primary function is transitional?
“The half guard cannot be considered an ‘ideal’ position when the main focus of that position is to transition out of it,”
Akins explains.
“People are usually looking to sweep or take the back therefore advance to a better position. If it was an ‘ideal’ position you’d be looking to maintain it not transition to something else.”
The instructor’s critique goes deeper than positional preference touching on jiu-jitsu’s ultimate objective.
“The ultimate goal of our art is to submit and the bottom half guard position is extremely lacking in options to finish. So how can it be ‘ideal'”
he argues, contrasting this with positions like mount, cross side or back control that offer significantly more finishing opportunities.
From a tactical standpoint, Akins points out that bottom half guard represents a compromised defensive position rather than an advantageous one.
“Half guard means they’re halfway past your guard,”
he noted in the original interview, explaining that
“the top person is basically half way passed your guard, he’s already gotten close and chest to chest. He just needs to extract one leg.”
This perspective aligns with high-level coaching strategies according to Akins. He references how respected instructors including John Danaher often advise their students to force half guard when struggling with guard passes because
“it’s easier to pass the half guard then full guard.”
This tactical reality he argues demonstrates that accepting half guard is more of a defensive concession than a strategic advantage.
The controversy seems to stem from a misunderstanding of Akins‘ broader philosophy rather than a dismissal of half guard entirely. He clarifies that developing competency in all positions remains crucial for any well-rounded practitioner.
“One of the things Rickson constantly impressed on his students is that we should have no holes in our game that’s one of the reasons I advocate for more positional training then free rolling,”
Akins explains.
“I believe every practitioner should have a well rounded game and be strong and capable in every position.”
However he maintains a clear distinction between being competent in a position and considering it optimal. His approach reflects the traditional Gracie philosophy that emphasizes constant advancement toward more dominant positions with greater finishing potential.
“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 explained in the original interview. Even recovering full guard represents an improvement because
“once you enter into the full guard whether it’s an open or closed guard you have far more ability to submit.”
Akins suggests that the real issue lies in how practitioners approach positional training and understanding. Rather than accepting defensive positions as endpoints he advocates for developing the skills necessary to constantly advance toward more advantageous positions with genuine finishing opportunities.
The debate ultimately reflects broader questions about jiu-jitsu’s evolution and how traditional principles apply to modern training methods. While techniques and strategies continue to develop Akins argues that the fundamental concepts of positioning and offensive capability remain unchanged.
“Bottom half guard is not an ‘ideal’ position,”
he concludes,
“and if you think it is you should try to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts of the art.”
