Your New Favorite Sweep with Jonnatas Gracie

 

When there is a gi present in a jiu-jitsu exchange it's a crime not to make use of it. The lasso guard is one of the most exciting and efficient guard platforms when it comes to utilizing and exploiting the gi. Few other guards offer the kind of entanglements that the lasso guard is known for and with some good knowledge of the position you can create nightmare scenarios for even the most aggressive guard passers. Yes, the lasso only requires a sleeve grip and the weaving of the leg around the arm but when it's combined with other grips and intelligent placement of the feet, the off balancing effects are many and  an enormous amount of control over posture can be achieved. This kind of control can lead to mistakes of all kinds and opportunities for us to take advantage. 

If you’d like to learn a little bit more about the lasso guard and the way it's being used in modern BJJ, Jonntaas Gracie is your man. One of his greatest assets is his incredibly efficient lasso guard and he’s sharing his unique systems for implementing it with the masses through an instructional project with BJJ Fanatics entitled, Next Level Lasson Guard. The content truly is next level material with 4 parts featuring everything from reversals, to masterful transitions and submissions that Gracie has been implementing at the highest levels of modern day BJJ competition. If you’ve been looking for an enhanced guide to this exciting position you needn't look any further. Gracie has you covered!

Let’s take a look at an excerpt from the series so we can get a feel for Gracie’s teaching and of course recruit a new technique for the toolbox. In this particular piece of instruction the lasso guard is paired with inversion to secure a beautiful sweep. Have a look! 

 

In this set up, Gracie begins with a standard lasso, gripping the cuff of the sleeve and his free foot is positioned on his partner’s hip. He then stretches away from his partner and looks to capture his partner's ankle from underneath, mch like what we may be searching for when setting up a reverse De La Riva guard. From here, Gracie begins to enter into his inversion. He drives weight toward his shoulder and begins to tuck his head underneath his partners hips. At the top of the inversion he removes his free leg from the mix and begins to travel back down in the direction he came from, planting his knee behind his partner’s ankle. Gracie then moves his hips under the leg, to make sure it's secure and that his partner cannot step out of the trap. This movement creates an off-balancing effect, collapsing his partner's base. 

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As the reversal takes place, Gracie follows the momentum and comes up to the top. Keeping a grip on the pants, he makes sure that his partner cannot get up and completes the technique. As you can see there are many ways to finish this technique and put yourself in a good position to pass. Gracie advises here that we don't allow the bottom player to reconfigure the guard they want but to make sure that we end up in a good position to continue. The leg drag seems like it may be the best option here but there are several routes, even a foot lock or a kneebar option if that's your cup of tea. 

This technique is incredibly slick and obviously not your run of the mill lasso guard instruction. We often see the same regurgitated themes with the lasso guard and of course there are tried and true methods of implementing it that will always be important to the lasso arsenal but Gracie really has taken the lasso guard to the next level, with modern flare and a fresh take on the position that will have you chomping at the bit to get to the academy and start experimenting. 

This contribution to the lasso guard is an important one and whether you're a seasoned guard player that loves the lasso or just looking to get a feel for the position this is the perfect opportunity to recruit some new skills and add some incredible value to your bottom game. Next Level Lasson Guard is available now at the BJJ Fanatics Online Store.

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