#370 "Sitting Guard is SOFT" | 951-Hot-Take #2

#370 "Sitting Guard is SOFT" | 951-Hot-Take #2

From I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show by Josh McKinney

April 16, 2026 · 1h 18m

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial topic of sitting guard in jiu jitsu and explores various opinions and arguments surrounding it.

Guard pulling is SOFT… or is it just smarter? In this Hot Takes Hotline episode of the I Suck at Jiu Jitsu Show, we dive straight into one of the most heated debates in jiu jitsu. Is sitting guard weak, or are people just mad they can’t pass it? The episode kicks off with an all-time caller who works a brutal blue collar job and makes a case that might completely flip how you see guard pulling. If you “sit at work,” you don’t get to complain about someone sitting guard. From there, it only gets more unhinged. We get into whether turtle guard is actually a guard or just a bad habit, why people care way too much about medals that don’t matter, and the ongoing gi vs no gi argument about what’s actually “realistic” in a fight. There’s also a hilarious breakdown of people waiting for you to get tired before asking you to roll, and why that mindset might be holding you back more than helping. Some takes are brutally honest, some are completely ridiculous, and a few might actually change how you train. Along the way, we talk about the difference between technique and strength, how rule sets shape your game, and why most people arguing about jiu jitsu online are missing the bigger…

People in this episode

Host: Josh McKinney

Topics covered

  • guard pulling
  • jiu jitsu debates
  • turtle guard
  • gi vs no gi
  • training mindset
  • technique vs strength

Keywords

  • sitting guard
  • guard pulling
  • jiu jitsu
  • turtle guard
  • training
  • technique
  • strength

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