The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Is spider guard okay for a short person…a really short person…let’s say someone under 5 feet tall?  Last summer I went to a Leticia Ribeiro seminar and that’s what we worked on, and I fell in love with it.  Leticia is a petite lady and she rocks spider guard (plus her jiu jitsu is bad ass!).  Some might not think it’s the best choice for me, but I think it appeals to me because my legs are so short.  I don’t like to use closed guard…my legs are going to have a hard time closing around most people (unless you’re a stick).  Some folks say that I’m too short for spider guard, but I work it every chance I get.  It makes me happy, and if I’m really, really lucky, it gets me a sweep!  If you have short legs or long legs or you are somewhere in between, you’ve got to learn to work with what you’ve got.  But don’t be afraid to try new things that seem outside your comfort zone, you might be pleasantly surprised.  It’s amazing that we are all different shapes and sizes and that there are infinite ways to adapt this beautiful sport to ourselves.  Quite amazing indeed!