Single-Leg X Troubleshooting

[sha]

The single-leg x-guard is by far my most effective guard. Once I'm there, even if I don't get the sweep right away, I'm fairly confident I can hold most people there until I decide what to do.

I say "most" because from time to time I roll with people who just blast through my single-leg X or even regular X, and they usually do it with a simple back-step pass into reverse knee-on-belly.

So I'd love any tips or videos on how to either prevent the backstep, or counter it once it happens. For example, how does Marcelo prevent it?

 

[Questions]

Munchi and Lo are the top players of 1lx currently

 

[pagarede1]

I found this nice match between Edwin Najmi and Lachan Giles and I thought it would be cool to share it here, because there is a lot of effective SLX work from Giles vs a really good guy.
[YT]b82oYltMsXs[/YT]
Also, it's usually hard to find SLX footage in competition nowadays, so hope you like it.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

How are they able to backstep if you're gripping their ankle? Doesn't that allow you to at least follow them?

 

[pagarede1]

This post is pure gold. Thanks all.

 

[10thpjj]

Great thread. I love SLX. . .my biggest problem is getting there, especially against good guys. What are some of your favorite entries?

 

[kying418]

Keep your hooks super strong against their legs- if they backstep, you should be pivoting with them.

Now, if they are 100+ lbs heavier than you and are super strong with tree trunk legs, then it just might not work- but then again, a lot of things won't work if they are that much bigger.

 

[pagarede1]

Hi guys,
It may seem like a silly question, but try to understand that it comes from someone who hasn't got much experience playing this type of guard.
Now, it seems like a great guard to manage distance vs. bigger guys, and also one with a lot of high percentage sweeps when set up. The question is: why nowadays we don't see it in the competitive scene as much as DLR or RDLR?
Might be the higher percentage of back takes that both of this guards present? or perhaps may be only sth related with trend issues?

Hope the question doesn't bother, I wanted to know the opinion of some SLX experienced players.

 

[rmongler]

Great thread. I love SLX. . .my biggest problem is getting there, especially against good guys. What are some of your favorite entries?

Imanari roll :^)

 

[Gambledub]

I'll try get some gifs up when I get home.

 

[fanboysareevil]

If 1LX was as easy to get to as DLR, everyone would play it extensively. Thing is, it isn't. It has to be set up from another position (usually another, less dominant guard) and then worked from once you've already worked to get there.

 

[trustdoesntrust]

I found this nice match between Edwin Najmi and Lachan Giles and I thought it would be cool to share it here, because there is a lot of effective SLX work from Giles vs a really good guy.
[YT]b82oYltMsXs[/YT]
Also, it's usually hard to find SLX footage in competition nowadays, so hope you like it.

Man, the IBJJF ruleset is the worst! Both guys seemed way more interested in looking at the scoreboard than doing anything resembling an advance of position, much less finishing the match. Joke to call Giles the "winner," especially considering his ridiculous stalling the last minute.

Regarding the SLX, Giles demonstrates how it can be a great counter to a strong spider guard player like Najmi. Also demonstrates the counter to opponents who try to pass the SLX by shoving your knee through, which is to block the passing leg then take control of the far ankle for an idiot sweep.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Marcelo has a technique on his website addressing this. It's called "Spin Retention vs Back Step"

I would recommend you at least do a trial of MGinAction if you're at all interested in 1LX

 

[bLikeWater]

This is an amazing thread.

Do you guys feel like the basic thigh vice/fall sideways sweep poses any threat to your opponents knee? That sideways kind of pressure always makes me nervous.

 

[trustdoesntrust]

Great thread. I love SLX. . .my biggest problem is getting there, especially against good guys. What are some of your favorite entries?

In no-gi, the shin on shin entry is very difficult to stop. Also look for entries off arm drags, 2-on-1's, elevator hooks, and little half-trips and pushes that might off-balance your opponent.

 

[Uchi Mata]

How are they able to backstep if you're gripping their ankle? Doesn't that allow you to at least follow them?

That would be my question. This is my main guard and the backstep is the last thing I'm worried about from 1X.

 

[fanboysareevil]

It is significantly less dangerous than the reap, and it is largely up to the opponent whether or not it's any threat to their knee.

 

[flapdragon]

Imanari roll :^)

i find i dont have to be super technical to get into the position when im on bottom and theyre standing. i always make sure i have a hold of their ankle first, then i usually put my foot on their hip to stretch them out, and thats when i slide my leg under theirs. sometimes it starts from a psuedo de la riva too, or shin on shin, or im just posting my foot on their shin. the thing is you only need to get one leg under theirs and you basically have it, and it always seems (to me) that theres tons of free space to do so.

oh, and when theyre on their knees i usually get it from a butterfly hook.

 

[Chute Stomp]

Marcelo uses the foot that's not on the hip to catch the other leg in the back-step.

 

[Uchi Mata]

This is an amazing thread.

Do you guys feel like the basic thigh vice/fall sideways sweep poses any threat to your opponents knee? That sideways kind of pressure always makes me nervous.

No. Less than most wrestling shots, which is to say, none at all. I've watched a lot of MMA and a fair amount of Muay Thai and seen quite a few kicks to the inner thigh (same direction of force, but much more of it) and never seen anyone's knee get torn. Knee injuries typically occur when the knee moves one direction and the foot moves the other, that's extremely unlikely to happen from this sweep.

 

[JustTheTip]

Man, the IBJJF ruleset is the worst! Both guys seemed way more interested in looking at the scoreboard than doing anything resembling an advance of position, much less finishing the match. Joke to call Giles the "winner," especially considering his ridiculous stalling the last minute.

Regarding the SLX, Giles demonstrates how it can be a great counter to a strong spider guard player like Najmi. Also demonstrates the counter to opponents who try to pass the SLX by shoving your knee through, which is to block the passing leg then take control of the far ankle for an idiot sweep.

I actually haven't seen that counter before at 5:00.Gambledub should gif that.

 

[beeran1]

I think I know what he is saying. As the person on top, if you clear the foot from the hip and control the non-wrapping leg, you can take a big backstep over the wrapping leg/foot and end up in reverse KOB.

 

[JustTheTip]

My main issue with this position is when guys are able to bend the knee and keep a strong crouched base.Hard to sweep in any direction and I find I just get stuck there for awhile.

 

[sha]

Great thread. I love SLX. . .my biggest problem is getting there, especially against good guys. What are some of your favorite entries?

I mainly use these four entries:

2-on-1 Entry
From standing, get a 2-on-1 grip and "pull mount" (not really):



De La Riva Entry
From DLR, push off on their far leg with your free leg, and then use the space you create to rotate your DLR hook into the SLX position.

Shin-to-shin Entry
From the shin-to-shin sitting guard position, wrap their leg and pull back while straightening out your leg:



Over-under Entry (no-gi)
From a standing over-under clinch, fall to your back (think of "pulling mount" again) while using your underhook arm to post on their far leg and prevent them from actually settling down into mount.

 

[beeran1]

If my above assumption is correct, you need to be active once that foot is cleared from the hip. Don't just sit there. You can go right to full x guard, even with the overhook - let me know if that doesn't make sense. Then you can try to sweep from that position, maintain full x while you get the underhook, or go back to 1LX.

Also, as someone said, you can try to catch the far-side leg with your other foot.

 

[illmatic563]

My main issue with this position is when guys are able to bend the knee and keep a strong crouched base.Hard to sweep in any direction and I find I just get stuck there for awhile.

I have problems there as well would love to hear some advice, I usually try to switch to an underhook and do the technical stand up sweep, but sometimes it's easier said than done.

If I anticipate that particular defense I will try to look for the underhook during my entry, but this doesn't always work either.

 

[Gambledub]

I actually haven't seen that counter before at 5:00.Gambledub should gif that.

I'm not sure if it's that viable, unless you can quickly drop into KOB.

You expose the back a lot more.

Spoiler

Or risk the standard twist sweep (what happened here) but with no ability to base.

Spoiler

Which can be used to leg drag

Spoiler

You also risk leg entanglements like the saddle in nogi which can lead to being threatened with inside heel hooks. This is something that Tonon will often try and force.

Spoiler

 

[Zankou]

I think I know what he is saying. As the person on top, if you clear the foot from the hip and control the non-wrapping leg, you can take a big backstep over the wrapping leg/foot and end up in reverse KOB.

That is standard defense for almost any leg lock attack from bottom ... TS seems to be getting blocked from establishing the posish.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Are they turning their knee in or just crouching down low?

 

[berimBOWLoh]

my fav entry is so basic but works so good. same side pants grip and opposite sleeve grip, pull both to far side (leg drag/arm drag direction) while scooting in and looping leg around the leg you have grip on for SLX. works great when they stand or off the knees.

 

[Gambledub]

So I studied a bunch of the MG material I had on the SLX and there are a few techniques/ideas etc on how to counter the back step. There also seems to be a defensive progression vs the back step as well as some key concepts. The defensive progression flows from most ideal to least ideal and is as follows:

1. Follow/Block the Back Step
2. Prevent the Opponent Settling
3. Remove the Opponents Control

1 deals with stopping the opponents back step as soon as it begins, while 2 & 3 deal with the back step as a sub position of SLX control. 2 being the back step position where you successfully deny the opponent control, with 3 being the back step where the opponent has control.

Some important concepts are:

• Keeping control of the ankle of the entwined leg, this fixes the opponent in position and makes their response more predictable as their movement is limited.
• Matching and maintaining the opponent's rotation in order to prevent the pass or regain the SLX if the opponent gets to the back step position.
• Maintaining an active hook/leg position with the non entwining leg to prevent the pass initially and to control the position after the opponent has begun the back step.
• Using the free arm (not the one holding the ankle) to frame and post in order to create distance to prevent the opponent's control or to attack with sweeps.

Following or Blocking the Back Step

Granby Retention

Spoiler

Note how because you control the ankle, and due to the mechanics of the back step the opponents trapped leg becomes a pivot point. With the motion of the back step the opponent pivots and rotates around this leg, if you can match the rotation you follow the pass and recover. This is done by keeping both hooks tight (active) and crunching in while controlling the ankle.


Sticky Hook to Recovery or Sweep

Low Line Drag Back Recovery

Spoiler

Low Line Drive and Sweep

Spoiler

High Line Hook Follow & Rotate to Recover

Spoiler

This is in response to a back step either from shin to shin (I could be wrong but I feel like this has a lot of cross over) or after your opponent has removed some of your control from the SLX by removing your entwining leg and/or shucking your free leg off. You use the non entwining leg (I will call it free leg from now) to hook behind the opponents knee and follow it.

Against a low line back step you can either kick up to drag the opponent back, or they may realize the pass is blocked and attempt to come back on their own, before off balancing them forward to recover SLX. Or you can stiff arm, build your base up and drive into them and come on top if you cannot drag them back up, or if the opponent stays in the position.

Against a high line back step where the opponent insists on the pass by attempting to clear the hook, you control the ankle making opponent unable to move forward to step over your hook effectively. This allows you to rotate with the opponent and their momentum aids yours, as they finally clear the free leg hook their leg is high meaning the pass is slower allowing you to rotate under and recover guard. The active hook of the free leg also forces the opponent to post their hands to keep balanced meaning it will be difficult to have any form of control if they get to the back step position.


Sticky Hook Drag Back to Leg Feed Double Sweep

Spoiler

This is a combination of the above two counters to the low line back step. You kick your free leg hook to drag back and feed the opponents leg to your free arm as you build a base and suck out the opponents legs to obtain the top position.

 

[sha]

My main issue with this position is when guys are able to bend the knee and keep a strong crouched base.Hard to sweep in any direction and I find I just get stuck there for awhile.

If you can recognize the threat soon enough, make sure to break their grips (usually a collar grip or a collar tie if it's nogi) and then create space again using your legs and arms.

If it's too late, I would probably just bail out of 1LX, because you know something bad is coming (often the backstep to reverse knee-on-belly). I actually like to go to butterfly guard from the crouched position, because your inside leg can easily become a butterfly hook. So all you need to do is basically pull out your other leg back into butterfly position.

Just remember that any guard is just a means to controlling the distance. If you're not controlling the distance, then it doesn't matter that you're still in 1LX in theory, and you might as well switch to another guard.

 

[10thpjj]

I mainly use these four entries:

2-on-1 Entry
From standing, get a 2-on-1 grip and "pull mount" (not really):



De La Riva Entry
From DLR, push off on their far leg with your free leg, and then use the space you create to rotate your DLR hook into the SLX position.

Shin-to-shin Entry
From the shin-to-shin sitting guard position, wrap their leg and pull back while straightening out your leg:



Over-under Entry (no-gi)
From a standing over-under clinch, fall to your back (think of "pulling mount" again) while using your underhook arm to post on their far leg and prevent them from actually settling down into mount.

Very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Gambledub]

Prevent the Opponent Settling

This step is when the opponent has managed to back step and the focus shifts to preventing from establishing further control in order to retain SLX or avoid inferior position.

Stiff Arm & Elbow Push vs Opponents Control Attempts

Spoiler

This is really in the wrong section as it kind of shows the opponent with some form of established control. However it is a great demonstration of the back step as a position and highlights some key points of importance.

Note that the opponent has a choice with their hip side arm, they may either control the pants or leg, or they may attempt to control the upper body. The defence to the pant grip will be seen later, but if they elect to negate this in favor of controlling the upper body you stiff arm their shoulder or arm.

The opponents head side arm is dictated by their leg positioning. If the opponent's back stepping leg is straight while not being under their hips, their head side arm will have to post on the floor so they remain balanced. If you can keep the opponents back stepping leg straight (using the sticky hook as one example) then the opponent will be forced to keep the head side arm on the ground. If the opponent is able to bend their leg, or get the leg under their hips they will be free to remove the head side arm from the ground and use it to cross face or attack the upper body. If this happens you use an elbow push to redirect the opponent's arm away. If you allow the opponent to establish grips on your upper body, they will be able to consolidate the position and work to remove your grip on the ankle and establish side control positions.

Leg Swing Stiff Arm to Sit Up Escape or Seated Guard Recovery

Spoiler

Again some examples from shin to shin, but there is some crossover. As above you can see the stiff arms being used on the chest to control and maintain distance between you and the opponent. This is a useful escape if you cannot get the angle or distance to establish the "sticky hook". However we still remain active with the free leg, we can either leg swing the free leg to sit up while using a stiff arm to scoot back or straighten the leg to weight it and sit up, looking to retain variations of the seated guard, either looking for shin to shin or scooting away to a seated guard.


Crawl in to Hook Replace Recovery

Spoiler

In these examples you are looking to reestablish the "sticky hook" by crawling in and replacing the free leg hook. Once we have accomplished this we can use it to pull ourselves back into the SLX. This highlights another important idea about matching the opponents rotation, we also want to turn towards them. This allows us to shrimp away to regain this hook (or prevent the reverse KOB in the OP example) as well as giving us stronger control of the ankle. Alternatively, we see the free leg used as another method to control distance to gain some space to begin the crawl to reestablish the free leg hook. Also note the stiff arm, using the gi as a grip to help maintain the distance.

 

[flapdragon]

I play a lot of SLX, but I've actually never managed to get the Marcelo sweep (the one where you press down on their knee/thigh with your own legs). I feel like it's pretty hard to get against anybody that's bigger and stronger than you, but then again maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

i never got the sweep on bigger guys until i started grabbing their other leg (their free leg) with my free hand. i think im partly compensating for bad technique though.

 

[Digitsu]

*cough cough*
Shame less plug.

Go to the site to see how Gianni approached the Single Leg X --- There is a sample lesson on the site. http://www.digitsu.com/gianni-gripp...=Sherdod&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=SLXPOST

 

[BJJ_Rage]

How are they able to backstep if you're gripping their ankle? Doesn't that allow you to at least follow them?

I thought the same thing, I think you can do it if you clean the foot on the hip, then back step

 

[flapdragon]

My main issue with this position is when guys are able to bend the knee and keep a strong crouched base.Hard to sweep in any direction and I find I just get stuck there for awhile.

switch to full x guard

 

[kjg1672]

I mainly use these four entries:

2-on-1 Entry
From standing, get a 2-on-1 grip and "pull mount" (not really):



De La Riva Entry
From DLR, push off on their far leg with your free leg, and then use the space you create to rotate your DLR hook into the SLX position.

Shin-to-shin Entry
From the shin-to-shin sitting guard position, wrap their leg and pull back while straightening out your leg:



Over-under Entry (no-gi)
From a standing over-under clinch, fall to your back (think of "pulling mount" again) while using your underhook arm to post on their far leg and prevent them from actually settling down into mount.

I really like the shin-to-shin entry. Emily (along with her partner Art Keintz) is also very good at teaching at single-leg x.

 

[Gambledub]

Removing the Opponents Control

Leg Pummel to Recovery

Spoiler

The opponent controlling your leg is a lot more viable control for them, this is because it is a beneficial control at the beginning of their pass attempt. This prevents us from using a sticky hook or using the spin recovers effectively. The leg grip is also difficult for us to clear with our free arm making it a very common control. To counter this again we use an active free hook to pummel in, in order to create distance and initiate the crawl to reestablish the free leg hook in order to recover SLX.


Lapel Feed Low Single

Spoiler

In this example we see the opponent pass around (opposite way, though ending in the back step position) and manage to weight their trapped knee to the floor allowing them to control us by dropping weight on us. In this example MG uses a lapel feed low single leg type sweep (wrestlers is there a nogi version of this that is viable?)

I know that the reverse KOB is not addressed here but considering you have a free arm, I don't see why you couldn't push the opponents knee into position, especially considering with the KOB it is unlikely the opponent will be looking to close distance and control the upper body.


Honestly the best thing you can do is join mginaction.com it is by far the most comprehensive resource on the SLX and has far more info than what is here, plus MG's explanations and demos > mine!

Hope this helps!

 

[illmatic563]

switch to full x guard

That's actually very difficult from that position because there's no space to safely get the full x hook in, sure, you can create space, but that's a fight in itself, which is not necessarily in your favour.

As far as the Marcelo sweep with the overhook, I used to have trouble with it as well, but as someone mentioned earlier, you need to "make them light" by extending your control against their trapped leg, this makes the sweep possible.

As you mentioned, if they're standing and you can make them step forward with their free leg, you can catch it and sweep them, similar to a tripod sweep.

 

[Zankou]

Thread has ascended to God-tier status.

 

[nijak05]

Now we just need gifs and info on how to pass the guard - lot of people are starting to play this in my gym lately..

 

[JustTheTip]

Gambledub- Thanks alot.Those gifs are very helpful.

 

[trustdoesntrust]

Now we just need gifs and info on how to pass the guard - lot of people are starting to play this in my gym lately..

If you're in the gi you need to really pressure and manhandle the 1LX with your grips. There's still counters certainly, but that's the best way to make a 1LX player struggle. Against a more novice player you can look to shed the foot on the hip and/or stuff the off foot between your legs and pass, but there's some basic MG counters that will get you swept. Watch how Rafael Lovato deals with the 1LX here, and how hard MG fights to break his grips:

[YT]SLQh2aEP93Y[/YT]

 

[ulvhedin]

Now we just need gifs and info on how to pass the guard - lot of people are starting to play this in my gym lately..

Two nice videos explaining passing in action:

[YT]QzrwTTgM3gA[/YT]

[YT]PyL_rC-245Q[/YT]

 

[Train.Harder]

If you're in the gi you need to really pressure and manhandle the 1LX with your grips. There's still counters certainly, but that's the best way to make a 1LX player struggle. Against a more novice player you can look to shed the foot on the hip and/or stuff the off foot between your legs and pass, but there's some basic MG counters that will get you swept. Watch how Rafael Lovato deals with the 1LX here, and how hard MG fights to break his grips:

[YT]SLQh2aEP93Y[/YT]

Man I could watch Marcelo Roll all day. So slick. There's always something you can learn watching him.

BTW GREAT stuff in this thread. Fuckin fantastic posting there gents. You guys are wizards of some kind, no? I love me some single leg X.