Original article available from About.com through this link.
The guard is the most basic, essential position in ground fighting. Learning to be comfortable fighting and defending from the guard, or learning to escape the guard, are key to becoming a capable grappler.
When you are on your back, and you have someone in your guard, remember to try to eliminate as much space as possible between your hips and your opponent's hips. Lock your feet tightly at the ankle, and squeeze your thighs around your opponent's lower ribs. Keep your hands up to protect yourself.
While in the guard, you can rock your opponent back and forth with your legs to disrupt his or her balance and get in a better position to apply a lock or a choke.
If you are in your opponent's guard, your objective is to get out of the guard and get a better position to end the fight by a lock, choke or other submission. One method to get out of the guard is to use your elbows to apply pressure to the nerves on the inner thigh and force your opponent to unlock their ankles.
If your opponent is rocking you with their legs, be careful when trying to catch your balance by going forward onto your hands. This leaves you open to an arm bar and numerous other locks.
It also gives your opponent the opportunity to gain enough leverage to throw you and get into a mount position.
