Recently I posted on Reddit last week covering the different guard transitions that I use in tournaments which you can check out here and one big topic of interest was the lasso.
The lasso is a pretty broad term for throwing one of your legs on your opponents arm or shoulder while they’re trying to pass.
I know there’s more to it but we need a working definition.
Any way there are two main lasso positions.
There is the shallow lasso, which we usually use along side the same side sleeve grip with your leg resting on your opponents bicep or shoulder. The other hand usually can controlling the other sleeve. We call this the spider 🕷 lasso.
This lasso is great for slowing down a fast opponent and for transitioning into other guards like the De La Riva, spider guard, modified x-guard, and pretty much any other guard you can think of.
The benefit to it is that it’s quick and easy to put into position although it takes some hip mobility to get the most out of it.
We also have a lot of attacks like the triangle and omaplatta.
The deep lasso is pretty much the same position except this time your foot goes deep between your opponents arm and armpit with your foot turning inward towards their back. Almost like you’re kicking them with your shin.
The power behind the deep lasso is that it will slow your opponent down even more than the shallow lasso as well as create a lot of leverage to help you sweep your opponent.
Athletes like Shane Jamil Hill, Marcos Tinoco and Nicholas Meregali use this deep lasso to sweep everyone.
A few downsides are that it’s harder to get in place than the shallow lasso and it might be harder to use on a larger opponent with a great base.
But like any guard position it’s all about how you use it.
I personally prefer the shallow lasso in my game but they are both effective and both work for their own unique situations.
Which ever one you prefer, just make sure that you spar with both so you understand how they work.
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