Squid Guard

Squid Guard is an advanced Open Guard system in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that focuses on using your opponent's lapel to create leverage, control, and attack opportunities. This position, popularized by Keenan Cornelius, involves wrapping one of the opponent's lapels around your leg, arm, or body to enhance grip strength and immobilize their posture. Squid Guard is effective for sweeps, submissions, and transitions, making it a versatile and innovative tool in gi-based grappling.

Key Features of Squid Guard

Lapel Control

  • One of the opponent’s lapels (usually the far-side lapel) is fed under your leg and wrapped around your thigh or hip for control.
  • The lapel serves as a powerful tool for creating leverage and limiting their mobility.

Leg Position

  • Your legs actively maintain hooks or frames to control their posture and base while using the lapel for added control.

Grip and Tension

  • Maintain tension in the lapel to control their posture and prevent them from disengaging.
  • Additional grips on their sleeve, collar, or pants are often used to complement the lapel control.

Angle Creation

  • The Squid Guard emphasizes creating angles to off-balance the opponent and set up attacks.

Objectives of Squid Guard

Control the Opponent

  • Use the lapel to restrict their movement, disrupt their base, and prevent guard passes.

Set Up Sweeps and Submissions

  • The lapel control enhances your ability to execute powerful sweeps and submissions by neutralizing their defenses.

Transition to Other Guards

Common Techniques from Squid Guard

Sweeps

Balloon Sweep

  • Use the lapel to elevate their hips while flipping them overhead.

Pendulum Sweep

  • Swing your body using the Lapel Grip to destabilize and sweep them.

Single-Leg Sweep

  • Use the lapel to control their posture while pulling their leg out to topple them.

Back Roll Sweep

  • Roll underneath them using lapel control to off-balance and transition to top position.

Submissions

Triangle Choke

  • Use the lapel to control their posture, isolate an arm, and transition into the choke.

Armbar

  • Trap their arm with your legs and the lapel, applying pressure to the elbow.

Omoplata

  • Utilize the lapel to limit their shoulder movement, transitioning into the shoulder lock.

Loop Choke

  • Wrap the lapel around their neck to execute a tight choke.

Transitions

To Worm Guard

  • Adjust the lapel under your leg and wrap it around theirs, transitioning to Worm Guard.

To Closed Guard

  • Use the Lapel Grip to pull them forward and close your legs around their waist.

To Reverse De La Riva

  • Switch grips and reposition your legs for additional control and attack options.

Defending Against Squid Guard (Top Player)

Break the Lapel Grip

  • Focus on removing the lapel from their leg or hand to reduce their control.

Maintain Posture

  • Stay upright to prevent being off-balanced or pulled into sweeps.

Smash Pass

  • Apply heavy pressure to their hips, flattening them to bypass the guard.

Knee Cut Pass

  • Use strong posture to pin their lapel-controlled leg and slice your knee through their guard.

Tips for Effective Squid Guard

  • Secure tight and precise lapel grips to maintain control and prevent counters.
  • Use your hips and frames actively to manage distance and create off-balancing opportunities.
  • Transition smoothly between sweeps, submissions, and other guard variations to maintain offensive pressure.
  • Stay patient and let the lapel control do the work of limiting their mobility and creating openings.

Squid Guard is a highly technical and innovative guard system that leverages the lapel to enhance control and attack potential. Its focus on grip fighting and positional leverage makes it a valuable tool for gi-based practitioners looking to expand their guard repertoire.

Advancing Squid Guard

Transitions from Squid Guard

To Worm Guard

  • Feed the lapel under your leg and around their leg, creating the Worm Guard setup for advanced sweeps and control.

To Reverse De La Riva

  • Adjust your hooks and lapel control to establish the Reverse De La Riva position, enhancing sweeping angles.

To Single-Leg X Guard

  • Pull their lapel tight while scooting under their leg, transitioning into Single-Leg X Guard for leg entanglements and sweeps.

To Closed Guard

  • Use the lapel to pull them forward, retract your legs, and close your guard around their waist.

To Standing

Submissions from Squid Guard

Triangle Choke

  • Use the lapel to control their posture, isolate one arm, and lock your legs around their neck and shoulder.

Armbar

  • Control their posture with the lapel and secure their arm, pivoting your hips for the lock.

Omoplata

  • Rotate your hips outward while using the lapel to trap their arm, transitioning into the shoulder lock.

Loop Choke

  • Wrap the lapel around their neck while maintaining grip tension, finishing with a choke.

Bow and Arrow Choke

  • Use the lapel to control their posture and wrap it across their neck, applying pressure by pulling.

Sweeps from Squid Guard

Pendulum Sweep

  • Swing your body using the Lapel Grip to off-balance them and sweep to top position.

Balloon Sweep

  • Elevate their hips with your legs while pulling on the lapel to flip them over.

Single-Leg Sweep

  • Pull their lapel while pushing or pulling their leg to topple them.

Back Roll Sweep

  • Roll underneath their base using lapel control to destabilize and transition into a dominant position.

Lapel Tripod Sweep

  • Use the lapel to control their posture while gripping their ankle and pushing with your legs to sweep backward.

Passes to Counter Squid Guard (Top Player)

Break the Lapel Grip

  • Use your hands or forearms to remove the lapel from their leg or hand, nullifying their control.

Smash Pass

  • Flatten their hips with heavy pressure, pinning the lapel-controlled leg and advancing into Side Control.

Knee Cut Pass

  • Use strong grips to control their lapel and leg while slicing your knee across their thigh to bypass the guard.

Leg Drag Pass

  • Redirect their lapel-controlled leg across your body and pin it, transitioning to a dominant passing position.

Backstep Pass

  • Free your leg by stepping over their body and rotating into a superior position.

Escapes from Squid Guard (Bottom Player)

Release and Reset to Closed Guard

  • Release the lapel, pull them forward, and reestablish Closed Guard.

Invert to Escape Pressure

  • Use the lapel to control their posture while inverting your body to recover or transition to another guard.

Recover De La Riva

Roll to Stand-Up Escape

  • Roll backward while maintaining lapel control to create space, then stand up to disengage.

Takedowns from Squid Guard

Sweep to Stand-Up

  • Use a lapel sweep to off-balance them, then release the lapel and perform a technical stand-up to transition into a takedown.

Tripod Sweep to Trip

  • Off-balance them backward with the Lapel Grip and use the momentum to trip them.

Single-Leg Takedown

  • Transition from Squid Guard to Single-Leg X Guard, then rise while maintaining control to execute the takedown.

Ankle Pick Takedown

  • Use the lapel to off-balance them, grip their ankle, and push forward to complete the takedown.

Squid Guard offers a unique blend of control, submissions, and sweeping options through the innovative use of the lapel. Its versatility allows for transitions to other lapel guards and strategic attacks that exploit the opponent’s compromised posture and balance.

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