The Lasso Guard is a fundamental open guard technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that utilizes a deep sleeve grip and a leg threaded through the opponent's armpit, wrapping around their back. This creates immense leverage and control, allowing practitioners to disrupt posture, sweep, and set up submissions from a distance. It's a highly versatile guard for both Gi and No-Gi (with modifications).
**Establish Primary Grips:** Begin by securing a strong cross-collar grip with one hand and a sleeve grip with the opposite hand on your opponent.
**Thread the Lasso:** With the sleeve grip hand, push your opponent's arm deeply into their bicep, then thread your leg (on the same side as the sleeve grip) through their armpit and wrap your foot around their back, engaging your instep on their shoulder or lat.
**Create Tension:** Extend your lasso leg to create outward tension, pulling your opponent's arm away from their body while maintaining your sleeve grip.
**Control Posture:** Use your collar grip to pull your opponent forward and break their posture, making them light and off-balance.
**Adjust and Connect:** Keep your hips mobile and connected to your opponent, constantly adjusting your angle and the depth of your lasso to maintain control and prevent them from escaping.
**Deep Lasso:** Ensure your foot is deeply wrapped around their back, not just hooked on their arm, for maximum leverage and control.
**Opposite Side Control:** The lasso creates control on one side; use your other leg and grip (e.g., collar, pant) to manage their balance and prevent escapes on the opposite side.
**Active Hips:** Don't lay flat; use constant hip movement to adjust angles, create space, and follow your opponent's movements, maintaining connection and off-balancing them.
**Foot Placement:** The instep of your lasso foot should be pressing firmly into their shoulder blade or lat, not just dangling loosely, to maximize the 'lassoing' effect.
**Reverse De La Riva Lasso:** Combining the control of RDLG with the lasso for powerful sweeps, back takes, and leg attacks.
**Spider Lasso:** Utilizing both a traditional spider guard hook and a lasso on the same side for double arm control and submission entries.
**Lasso Sweep to Omoplata:** A common sequence where the lasso sweep transitions directly into an omoplata submission, leveraging the arm control.
The Lasso Guard is most effective when your opponent is standing or kneeling in your open guard, especially if they are trying to break grips, establish strong posture, or initiate a pressure pass. It's ideal for creating distance, disrupting your opponent's balance, and setting up a wide array of sweeps, Back Takes, and submissions from a distance.
**Posture Up and Pull Arm Out:** The opponent straightens their posture vigorously while pulling their arm directly out of the lasso, often twisting their body to create space.
**Knee Slice Pass:** The opponent utilizes the open space on the non-lasso side to initiate a knee slice pass, often by pinning your non-lasso leg to the mat and driving forward.
**Step Over and Pin Leg:** The opponent steps over your lassoed leg and attempts to pin it to the mat, often leading to a leg drag or stack pass, nullifying the lasso control.
Always maintain active tension with your lasso leg; it's not a passive hook. Constantly push and pull with your leg and sleeve grip to keep your opponent off-balance, prevent them from freeing their arm, or posturing up, making them react to your movements.
π Competition Rules
While both use sleeve grips and leg hooks, Lasso Guard involves threading your leg *through* the opponent's armpit and wrapping it deeply around their back, creating a strong, single-arm control. Spider Guard typically uses a foot placed directly on the opponent's bicep or hip to manage distance and balance.
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Start Free βMost practitioners develop functional competency with Lasso Guard within 3β6 months of consistent drilling. Mastery β the ability to execute reliably in live rolling against resisting opponents β typically takes 1β2 years.
Yes. Lasso Guard is part of the core BJJ curriculum and taught at all belt levels. Beginners should focus on the fundamental mechanics and concepts before refining advanced entries.
3β5 times per week is ideal for rapid skill acquisition. Even 10 focused repetitions per session compounds over time β consistency matters more than volume.
BJJ is a linked system. Lasso Guard flows naturally to and from related positions. Study transitions in both directions to build a complete positional game.