K-Guard Entry

Also known as: Knee Lever Entry · K Guard Setup

Convert the knee shield into the modern leg-attack elevator: cup behind their knee, swing your shield shin across their waistline, and you are in K-guard with their whole lower body on a lever.

Transition · Gi & No-gi · Difficulty 3/5 · Usually learned at Purple belt

Starts from Z-Guard as the z-guard player → lands in K-Guard.

The details that make it work

  1. Your knee-shield shin pivots so the shin runs across their torso, knee pointing outside — the "K".
  2. The hand cups BEHIND their same-side knee; hand and shin work as one clamp.
  3. From here, elevate and roll under toward the saddle, or lift into sweeps as they defend.

Where it goes wrong

How opponents counter it

Is the K-Guard Entry legal in competition?

Legal in all major rulesets at all levels (IBJJF, ADCC, sub-only). Rules change — always confirm against the current official rulebook for your event.

History & naming

Developed into a complete modern system by Lachlan Giles and Craig Jones in the late 2010s.

Related techniques

All moves from Z-Guard · Back to Grapplepedia