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:
- Follow/Block the Back Step
- Prevent the Opponent Settling
- 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
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
Low Line Drive and Sweep
High Line Hook Follow & Rotate to Recover
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
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.