IamJacksColon4 In an ideal world, assuming he can manage a takedown on Galvao - no small feat. Then he'd be trying to pass Galvao's guard, all the while risking the sweep. If we're being that optimistic though, why not just jump right on a flying triangle and avoid the ground all together? You can't just choose to play top game like you can bottom. Playing guard also takes you out of risk of being swept and gives you the opp to pick up 2 sweep points of your own.
IamJacksColon4 Still, you would have to get there first. And you're talking about Rodolpho! The greatest smash-passer on the planet Earth. You see how rarely Keenan gets his guard passed? Look at what Rodolpho did to him. Martin is definitely a great BJJ fighter, but he's not Rodolpho. Besides, you can't accurately compare anyone's top game vs bottom game by any single match, particularly where Rodolpho is involved. From watching several years worth of Galvao's competition footage, I personally think you are right - Galvao's top game is better. Still, to force him to play guard, you'd have to take him down, then you're risking the sweep until you manage to pass. A risky competition strategy. Martin's guard was great. Were I him, I'd want to play guard as well. Galvao did not pass easily.
![2013 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship - Braulio Estima vs. Andre Galvao [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C8TdBGiTeKM/mqdefault.jpg)
![2013 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship - Braulio Estima vs. Andre Galvao [HD]](/img/tr.png)
Awesome guard recovery work against one of the best passers in the game!
+nowyourenraged2 if you don't understand it, please be in silence...
brilliant guard game at display.
aedma Martin, excellent fight man!!!
Nicely done! Great match. Keep it up. Your blog and videos have been a huge inspiration to me.
Galvao's passing a flexible guard like this is impressive!! steady pressure with incredible technique, its something to watch
You put up a good fight. Galvao had to work hard to pass your guard.
Awesome guard Martin, what submission did Andre use?
Its called the completely dominant position submission
It was a wristlock. Anyway, not a bad performance from Martin against one of the best grapplers of the world.
HiloBorn 808 It was a surprising wristlock
A sneaky wristlock :)
ah thanks Martin, It had me guessing :)
que tal guardia (good guard)
pardon my ignorance what was the weight class
+Gem Forsythe -88kg
playing guard game with galvao lol what a mistake
He actually did quite well. Guard is the base of all BJJ, not sure what other game to play. If you don't have a guard, you don't have anything.
SubFlow22 top game?
IamJacksColon4 In an ideal world, assuming he can manage a takedown on Galvao - no small feat. Then he'd be trying to pass Galvao's guard, all the while risking the sweep. If we're being that optimistic though, why not just jump right on a flying triangle and avoid the ground all together? You can't just choose to play top game like you can bottom. Playing guard also takes you out of risk of being swept and gives you the opp to pick up 2 sweep points of your own.
Michael Reilly galvaos buttom game is not as good as his top game. when rodolpho put him on his back he was like a turle.
IamJacksColon4 Still, you would have to get there first. And you're talking about Rodolpho! The greatest smash-passer on the planet Earth. You see how rarely Keenan gets his guard passed? Look at what Rodolpho did to him. Martin is definitely a great BJJ fighter, but he's not Rodolpho.
Besides, you can't accurately compare anyone's top game vs bottom game by any single match, particularly where Rodolpho is involved. From watching several years worth of Galvao's competition footage, I personally think you are right - Galvao's top game is better. Still, to force him to play guard, you'd have to take him down, then you're risking the sweep until you manage to pass. A risky competition strategy. Martin's guard was great. Were I him, I'd want to play guard as well. Galvao did not pass easily.