Alias · Guard
Half
Also known as Half Guard — Bottom — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: colloquial
Shortened — half guard
Half is the maximally-shortened form of half guard — the bottom-position configuration in which the bottom player traps one of the opponent’s legs between their own legs.
Etymology. “Half” drops both “guard” and “bottom” — the shortest possible coaching shorthand, common in spoken vocabulary where context makes the guard-position context clear.
Mechanics. The trapped-leg configuration limits the opponent’s pass options on the trapped side — the position serves as a guard-retention platform and a sweep-setup position.
Cross-reference. “Half guard bottom” is the full name. Full mechanical coverage on Half Guard.