Leg lock strategy question against stallers

[nick_b]

So how do some of you other leg lock guys deal with guys who wanna stall. And the stalling I’m talking about it where they just keep disengaging and backing Away? Or when there sprawling out a lot trying to pass?

[TaylorWolf]

I am almost always looking to Black Mamba on guys that disengage and run around.
Black Mamba to 1/4 guard Ministop entry into Ashi is probably your best bet.
Of course there is the Iminari Roll also hehe.

If they were sprawling out I would probably invert and rotate to butterfly guard then look to elevate for senkaku/honeyhole entries.

[Mike Nall]

The answer from the top is putting more pressure on the pass. I see a lot of leg locks fail from the top because the top player isn't actually threatening enough with their pass, and there's no pressure, so the guard player knows something like a leg entanglement or a diving kimura is coming.

If you're the guard player and the top player is stalling or disengaging, then I think you have 2 general strategies f you want the leg lock.

1. Relentlessly hand fight from seated guard until you can get a Russian 2-on-1 grip and then they can't really back up anymore and you can get your weight under theirs to elevate them. Another option is to try and get under them for deep half guard, which has some great entries to honeyhole, DOA, and 50/50. But if you aren't a deep half player unfortunately a lot of reps are needed for those entries, since deep half isn't a very common leg locking position if you aren't used to it.

2. I like this 2nd option better, which is to take the tunnel vision away from the legs and start to attack other things. Look to arm drag for the back. Snap down to front headlock or guillotines. Look for kimura grips. Start attacking the entire body, and they'll be forced to open their legs back up. If you start threatening them with sweeps or subs then they will be forced to react. I'd work a Marcelo Garcia style seated wrestling game and when they stand to avoid to butterfly game then you've got all of your leg entanglements right there.

[scottross]

2. I like this 2nd option better, which is to take the tunnel vision away from the legs and start to attack other things. Look to arm drag for the back. Snap down to front headlock or guillotines. Look for kimura grips. Start attacking the entire body, and they'll be forced to open their legs back up. If you start threatening them with sweeps or subs then they will be forced to react. I'd work a Marcelo Garcia style seated wrestling game and when they stand to avoid to butterfly game then you've got all of your leg entanglements right there.

The second option Mike Nall suggests is great long term strategy to develop although I like to think of his option two and the first part of option one as going together. Try the 2-on-1 game and if they pull back hard to free their arm, ride that into a clinch and look for the COP game. Work for arm drags, guillotines and such to keep your opponent honest. If you only come with one attack, that can be shut down pretty easily.

[Chad Clark]

Another option: work on your wrestling. If he is disengaging and retreating, learning how to safely pursue him is another long term project. Having a strong technical standup is a great thing, being in a structurally sound position to wait for his mistake so you can make it to the inside space.

[Princess Guillotine]

So how do some of you other leg lock guys deal with guys who wanna stall. And the stalling I’m talking about it where they just keep disengaging and backing Away? Or when there sprawling out a lot trying to pass?

What you describe isn't stalling it's good defense, especially for people who aren't leglockers or don't want to enter leglock battles. To have effective leg attacks against all opponents you must develop a strong high/low game. This means having strong guard passing options from the top that can chain into the lower body attacks, but conversely being ready to transition back to passing when your opponent overcommits to defending the leg. You also need to balance your kimura, guillotine, straight arm, and back attacks with the legs. But beyond all this, work on your guard defense, especially against stuff like over/under passes, since a big way to get a sprawl passer to expose himself is to force him into a scramble off your escape.

[Mike Nall]

Honestly if I were you I would watch Oliver Taza. He's a brown belt under Firas Zahabi and John Danaher and he's a junior member of the Danaher Death Squad. I think he's got the most well rounded game of the bunch even though he's not as accomplished as Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, or Eddie Cummings. But get on youtube and watch his matches and you'll see how good he mixed up attacking the lower body and upper body.

I can't embed videos on here like I used to but look up Oliver Taza Matrix Invitational and wtach those 4 matches first: https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...x+invitational

His best sub is the inside heel hook but he never pushes for it to the point where he's running into a wall. he always mixes it with good passing, back attacks, various front headlock strangles, various triangle strangles, kimura traps, hook sweeps, and he's always attacking one level to open up another.

[sean applegate]

there are a lot of ways to confront this issue. everyone will have their own way. I think its very important to address this issue at the source, though. if people are able to make contact with you and still disengage when you begin your techniques, then the issue is in your off-balancing or "kuzushi". you should always look to off-balance before attacking. an off-balance opponent can be attacked a number of different ways. it will also slow them down. "the falling man is only concerned with not falling." if he is trying to catch his balance, it will be very hard for him to break your controls, free himself, and disengage. solve this issue at the root, and your entire game will get better...not just your leg locks.

[Eddie Bravo]

I am almost always looking to Black Mamba on guys that disengage and run around.
Black Mamba to 1/4 guard Ministop entry into Ashi is probably your best bet.
Of course there is the Iminari Roll also hehe.

If they were sprawling out I would probably invert and rotate to butterfly guard then look to elevate for senkaku/honeyhole entries.

This ^^^