Open guard knees to chest: talk about posture all the time in Jiu jitsu – understand from the start that different situations require different postures from you to maximize your efficiency. When it comes to open guard – if you do not have a on your opponent – be sure to KEEP YOUR KNEES CLOSE TO YOUR CHEST. This lessens the chance of an opponent explosively clearing your legs and before you can react. It also lessens the danger of a quick leg lock by the top player. In short – it makes you DEFENSIVELY SOUND at all times until you can get a solid grip upon your opponent that allows you to focus on . Here, Australian grappling Star near perfect open guard posture, necessary because he does not yet have a controlling grip upon his partner.