Learn The Lapel Guard Basics With Alex Huddleston
The Lapel Guard has been making big waves in the world of Jiu-Jitsu, and much like the Leglock Revolution the Jiu-Jitsu community has to adapt or get left behind. Martial Artists tend to get defensive when something new comes along. While it is important to be critical of new techniques approaching them with a closed mind will only leave you behind.
There are some misnomers out there floating around about lapel guard. One, is that it is too complex to work for most people. While it does have many moving parts to set up, don’t most guards? Like most techniques the lapel guard can be broken down into more digestible chunks. Eventually it will come together overtime to mend into a devastating guard system that doesn’t require any special attributes to pull off.
Seeing is believing, and after watching Alex Huddleston go over a brief introduction of The Lapel Guard Blueprint you will be a believer. Check out Huddleston’s demo with Bernardo!
Flexibility is another attribute that is commonly believed to be essential to pull of the Lapel Guard. As you can clearly see Alex Huddleston is a big guy. At 6’6 255lbs he is quite a big bigger than Bernardo in the video. One thing to notice throughout the demonstration is how relaxed and smooth Huddleston moves. Jiu-Jitsu in general requires somewhat of a baseline when it comes to flexibility, and the Lapel Guard is no different.
Learn The Lapel Guard With Alex! Click Learn More!
Like any other guard you will definitely need to spend some time with the techniques, but with Lapel Guard it’s different. The Lapel Guard by design is very controlling. Through it’s controlling nature, you will be able to spend more time honing your skills and reactions to an opponent. Another added bonus is that you don’t have to get crazy finger tip grips for it to work. Holding a lapel is like holding rope, and there is a good chance you won’t suffer from grip fatigue as much as other guards.
The Lapel Guard Blueprint is all about combination techniques. As you can tell from the demonstration one goal of Alex is to constantly keep his opponent guessing. This multi-option approach is why The Lapel Guard catches so many people by surprise. The entire sequence from the guard pull contains traps and tricks around every corner.
Alex is adamant about the Lapel Guard being for everybody. A great example of how flexibility doesn’t make or break the position is how he uses the lapel to help elevate his hips for the triangle attack at the 3:55 mark of the video.
People assume that Lapel Guard is only for advanced students. While this may be true in part, Lapel Guard can be learned early on in your Jiu-Jitsu career. The foundations will always be required for a successful Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, but as you can see Alex was doing most techniques in the video from a closed guard. The adaptations to classic techniques add depths that many martial arts just don’t have. So while you probably should know how to hip escape, and other basics the lapel guard can be learned early on!
Alex uses the Lapel Guard as his primary weapon when he is competing against opponents who are even bigger than him. With The Lapel Guard Blueprint you will get to see all of the combination attacks that Alex uses to keep his opponent’s guessing. Don’t miss out on the next wave of technique, The Lapel Guard Blueprint has you covered!
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