The Body Lock Pass, with Lachlan Giles

By Fanatics Authors, October 07, 2019

Lachlan Giles is having a moment. Actually, this is just the latest of many moments that Lachlan Giles has had. The guy is one of the most famous figures in BJJ today, he holds a PhD, and he’s an expert on recovering from knee injuries.

But since the 2019 ADCC, his star has risen to a whole new level. Giles is downright inspirational. His performance in the ADCC spotlight is reminiscent of Helio Gracie’s story. Both are the smaller guys—the Davids—who use BJJ to topple foes the size of Goliath.

For those of us who are slight in build—or who started BJJ in our later years or who have physical impediments—he embodies the promise that BJJ can level the field against a larger opponent.

So, when Giles shows us a new technique, you can bet that we’ll be paying attention. And, in the video below, Giles demonstrates his Body Lock Pass.

He begins in a crouched standing position facing a sitting opponent. His first concern is to stop his teammate’s leg from going on the outside of his body as he closes the distance. If his opponent gets his leg on the outside, Giles won’t be able to establish the body lock that he’s aiming for.

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To keep his training partner’s leg in place, Giles grabs his ankle with his left hand as he closes the distance. Giles’s other arm goes around his partner’s waist as an underhook, extending across to his partner’s back.

Giles then uses his left knee to block his partner from moving his leg outside of Giles’s body as he removes his left hand from the ankle and brings his left arm over his teammate’s right thigh. Giles now has his teammate’s right leg immobilized using his left knee and left arm.

Giles then pushes against the right side of his opponent’s chest with his head. This prevents his opponent from reaching down and pushing Giles’s leg away to free his own leg.

Giles’s next goal is to lock his hands together. However, he wants to maintain control of his opponent’s right leg with his left arm, so he brings his right arm far around his opponent’s back so that, when his hands meet, Giles’s upper arm is still in position to help control his opponent’s right leg.

This is also why Giles prefers to simply link his fingers together instead of using a gable grip or grabbing his wrists. The finger link allows him to continue using his arm to control his teammate’s right leg.

At this point, Giles is in position to begin his pass. He makes sure to roll his teammate’s hips to the side he is controlling (which is the same side to which he will pass). As he rolls his teammate’s hips to the side, his teammate’s bent knee will drop down toward the mat, making it easier for Giles to slip his left leg past his teammate’s leg.

Once Giles has his left knee over his training partner’s knee, he no longer needs to keep his right arm in place controlling that leg, so he begins adding pressure by bringing his head and left shoulder across his partner’s body.

Usually, at this point, an opponent will establish a half guard grip on the leg that you haven’t yet passed.

If this happens, Giles pinches his knees as he gets into a tripod. Then, he rolls his hips, hooks his free foot inside the crook of his opponent’s right knee, and slips his trapped leg out.

With both legs free, Giles is now in side control and ready to hunt for a submission or further advance his position.

The Body Lock Pass by Lachlan Giles

Hang on tight with The Body Lock Pass by Lachlan Giles. Revitalize your passing with the power of The Body Lock. Fresh off of a Stellar ADCC 2019 performance, Lachlan Giles is ready to show you how to Dominate with The Body Lock Pass!

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