Tag: Half Guard Lockdown

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How To Escape The Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ – 3 Lockdown Escapes

The lockdown position in half guard is a very powerful way to secure your opponent when you are in half guard bottom. Getting the lockdown from half guard bottom opens up sweeps, submissions, and prevents your opponent from passing to mount or side control. Getting stuck in the lockdown can be frustrating and like many positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, spazzing and trying to muscle your way out of lockdown can lead to injuries.

These are three great ways to use Jiu-Jitsu to escape the half guard lockdown safely.

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 1: Lift Off

Start: Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Shift weight as low onto opponent’s hips as possible

Step 2: Switch hips and face towards your trapped leg, posting free foot at an angle and pinching free knee in to trap opponent’s free leg

Step 3: Lift trapped heel up and towards your butt

Step 4: Post formerly trapped foot out away from opponent’s legs to prevent them from restoring lockdown

Finish: Half guard top

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 2: Knee Cut

Start Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Get arm underhook on lockdown side and overhook on other side

Step 2: Switch head to free side of opponent’s head and sprawl out, flattening yourself onto mat

Step 3: Use free foot to pry opponent’s inside leg down and away from lockdown

Step 4: Pull trapped knee forward past opponent’s knee into knee cut pass

Step 5: Slide knee over opponent’s thigh and past their half guard

Finish: Side control top

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 3: Donkey Kick

Start: Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Shift weight as low onto opponent’s hips as possible

Step 2: Tilt to free side and shoot free-side hand through underneath opponent’s thighs

Step 3: Grips hands together and pinch opponent’s knees together

Step 4: Move hips back and sprawl free leg out

Step 5: Sprawl or kick trapped leg back

Finish: Scramble

Curious about the lockdown? Check out How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ, How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Arm Triangle Choke in BJJ, and How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Calf Slicer in BJJ.

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How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Calf Slicer in BJJ

The half guard lockdown is a great BJJ position that secures half guard, preventing your opponent from passing while allowing you to work on submissions and sweeps. By simply wrapping your feet around your opponent’s shin, you can prevent their movement and they have to work on passing your lockdown before they can think about passing your half guard. That extra step gives you a chance to work on submissions from half guard lockdown. 

If you’re unsure of how to get the lockdown position in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, check out our writeup How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ.

A calf slicer is a brutally painful submission in BJJ that put the shin of your leg into the calf muscle of your opponent, causing immense pressure. This move is illegal to use in gi BJJ competitions but is legal in nogi BJJ and MMA, but this submission can do serious damage so be careful training it in your gym.

Start: Halfguard with lockdown

Step 1: Dive inside hand under opponent’s opposite armpit and sit up so that they are on all fours and your top half is clear of their body on the side of their trapped leg

Step 2: Grab opponent’s trapped shin with your inside hand

Step 3: Abandon the lockdown and figure four your legs with the outside foot on your inside knee

Step 4: With both hands, pull opponent’s foot towards you

Finish: Submission via half guard lockdown calf slicer

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How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ

Half guard is a powerful position in BJJ. Because your legs are intertwined with your opponent’s, half guard opens up a lot of options for sweeps and submissions. On the other hand, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu half guard doesn’t provide the same ability to control your opponent’s hips as the full guard or mount does, so it can be a tougher position to work from than those and is easier for your opponent to escape from.

The half guard lockdown in BJJ offers an option to stop your opponent from moving their trapped leg while in your half guard, stopping them from escaping. The lockdown wraps both of your feet around your opponent’s leg, preventing them from moving anywhere without dragging you with them in exactly the same position (and just tiring themselves out in the process).

Start: Half guard

Step 1: Step outside foot over opponent’s leg to inside their legs

Step 2: Lace outside foot under inside calf

Step 3: Weave inside foot under opponent’s shin

Step 4: Extend outside leg to inside ankle and press into opponent’s shin

Finish: Half guard lockdown