Luiza Monteiro's Calf Slice From Single Leg X Guard
One of the most enjoyable things about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is that there's always something new to learn.
As I continue to roll and learn, I am finally learning to avoid the same old traps that I fell into time and time again as a beginner. Of course, this hardly slows my higher belt training partners for a minute. They have a bigger bag of tricks at their disposal, so they throw something new at me.
In a weird kind of way, I take it as a compliment. I'm still getting submitted, but at least I'm not getting submitted with beginner attacks.
That's the way I was introduced to the Calf Slice. I was rolling with a brown belt and, I guess, defending myself enough so that he decided to try something new.
My response to a new submission is always the same: I want to know more about it. Fortunately, Luiza Monteiro demonstrates a Calf Slice in the video below:
Monteiro begins in the De la Riva, but as her partner attempts to straddle her leg for the smash pass, she answers by transitioning to a single leg x guard.
She first switches her left hand grip from her training partner's pants cuff to his knee. At the same time, she uses her hooked right foot to lift her partner, taking his weight off of his right leg.
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This allows Monteiro to pick that leg up and pass her leg under it. She then wraps her leg around her teammate's and establishes the single leg x guard. Monteiro advises us to always maintain a tight x guard to control our opponents. She wants her hips off the mat, her knees tight, and her hook firm and strong.
Using her grip on her opponent's lapel, she tries to shift his direction so that he's facing the side instead of being directly in line with her. Monteiro then uses her left arm to underhook her opponent's right ankle and bring bring it to her shoulder. If possible, Monteiro also shifts her right hand grip from her partner's lapel to his sleeve.
Controlling his sleeve allows Monteiro to bring her teammate's arm to the ground and makes it impossible for him to use that hand to remove her foot from his hip.
From here, Monteiro removes her right hook from her training partner and places that foot on her partner's left hip/thigh. Pivoting off of that right foot, Monteiro lifts her hips and swivels her body so that her torso is lined up with the calf that she is gripping.
As she swivels, she also brings her right leg out from under her teammate and lays it across his knee, setting up the slice.
It's important that she make sure to hide her left foot from her opponent to prevent him from making an attack of his own, so Monteiro hooks her opponent's hip from behind. (This also helps prevent him from escaping by crawling forward).
She then uses her hands on the mat to lift herself up, uses one hand to control her training partner's belt, and plants her left foot on the mat.
With that foot planted, she can sweep her opponent's leg back toward her, making him lay flat on the mat.
From here, Monteiro simply folds herself over her opponent and hugs his waist for the finish and tap.
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