Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” Reveals Half Guard Secrets

I remember gearing up for the very first Metamoris nearly 8 years ago. The card was stacked with some of BJJ’s most successful and well-known competitors.

I could barely contain my anticipation for the event, as some of my favorite BJJ athletes were making appearances on this relatively brand new BJJ competition format. One of those fighters was Marcus Almeida, also known as,  “Buchecha”. 

Buchecha had become a dominant force is the competition scene and was consistently churning out exciting matches. He was slated to compete against the legendary Roger Gracie at Metamoris 1, and the match did not disappoint. It ended in a draw, but produced some incredibly exciting moments. 

Buchecha has since become one of the most successful BJJ athletes of all time and still remains as one of the most exciting competitors in the game. BJJ Fanatics has gotten together with Buchecha to pick his brain for an instructional that’s sure to add value to your BJJ toolbox. 

We’ve received a couple of sneak peaks from the content and I have to say, I’m more than excited to see the rest. Let’s check out these initial techniques and get a little taste of what we are in store for!

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This first video deals with a back take from the deep half guard. If you’ve never trained from the deep half, make some time to check this out. It’s an incredibly versatile position and it’s a blast to learn the ins and outs. Have a look!

Setting up in the deep half guard, Buchecha positions himself underneath his partner. His partner’s leg nearest to his head is resting on the knee, and the opposite leg is extended in the formation of a kickstand, running the length of Buchecha’s body. Buchecha begins by taking two grips. One 4 finger grip in the pants on the backside of his partner’s body, controlling his partner’s hip, and the other, a grip on the pants near the knee in the front. Next, he begins to create an angle by turning his knees, and pointing them in the same way his partner is facing. This is an important detail. Especially if you’re bigger. Setting the hook to elevate your partner may be tough without this detail. Keep it in mind!

After he creates his angle, Buchecha then scoops his partners foot with his top leg instep. Buchecha uses his grips in combination with the hook under his partners leg to move his partner over his head, which lands him behind his partner. Next, he transitions the grip on leg to a grip behind his partners knee and then fits himself in under hi partner, acquiring another hook on the opposite side as well. Here he uses his grip on the pants to pull his partner back as he extends his hooks out, causing his partner to take a seated position. He then secures a harness around his partners neck and proceeds to attack. 

This is a common pathway to the back from the deep half guard, but I love Buchecha’s efficiency with his movements here. Amazing stuff!

Let’s take a look at another piece of instruction from Buchecha. In this video Buchecha has his partner inside of his half guard, and his partner answers by switching his hips. This hip switch is a very common way to deal with the half guard, especially when you’re already passed the knee shield. Turning the hips down can effectively take the guard player into more of a defensive posture and help us begin to gain ground. 

In this video, Buchecha addresses this exact scenario. Let’s have a look at how he chooses to answer this common reaction!

Again, setting up in the half guard, the top player begins to react by turning his hip down and switching his base, so that he is now facing Buchecha’s hips. The ability to react here as the bottom player seems to be very important, as allowing your partner to settle after they switch their hips, could be the beginning of the end. As his partner makes the switch, Buchecha adjusts by hip escaping and getting to his side. Once in this posture he is safe from being flattened.

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Here he takes two grips;One on the material near the shoulder blade, and another near the knee on the pants. The top frame prevents his partner from moving backward, and be sure to keep your elbow closed here so that space cannot be claimed by the top player. The bottom grip keeps the passer’s hips from advancing toward his head. 

Now, to the lower half controls. Buchecha now trades his half guard hook for another a hook using his opposite leg. Here he makes a hook over the top of both of his partners legs, which looks to be incredibly restricting, and then makes what looks like a loose triangle lock to secure the bind. Buchecha the sits up to his elbow, which is enough to force his partner in to a seated position, and as he keeps moving, he eventually transitions to the mount. To completely establish that position, Buchecha then reaches back for the head and pulls it toward him, twisting his partner in to position, and ending up with an incredibly tight mount. 

I love this technique. From start to finish there are zero openings for his partner to counter. Every base is covered, every detail is necessary. 

I’m really excited to see what the rest of this instructional series has in store. Buchecha has been dominating for years, and there’s sure to be a vast amount of important battle tested information contained within his instruction. I have seen similar techniques before, in different settings, but the level of detail and the way Buchecha is putting them to work is on another level. Hope you enjoyed the break downs! Good luck!

Join one of the best BJJ competitors of all time, Marcus "Buchecha" Almedia, and get all of his half guard secrets! His DVD "The Buchecha Half Guard" will allow you to sweep everyone from the bottom! Check it out here!

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