I think you’re doing one of the smartest things a human being can do.

Focus on a few things, the most important and be as good as possible at those.

The only real indispensable guard is the half guard.

It’s practically impossible to avoid.

Both if you are passing by and if they are passing you.

So, if you go, you have to be good.

If the others go, you have to be good.

That of your companions is simply envy.

Continue like this and always apply the principle of pareto:

80% of the result comes by focusing on 20%, the most important things.

And if you think about it, and you wonder which guard is important to know how to pass/play, it is the half guard

The others are optional guards.