Master the BJJ Lasso Guard: Dominant Control & Submission Setups

**Establish Primary Grips:** Begin by securing a strong cross-collar grip with one hand and a sleeve grip with the opposite hand on your opponent.
**Thread the Lasso:** With the sleeve grip hand, push your opponent's arm deeply into their bicep, then thread your leg (on the same side as the sleeve grip) through their armpit and wrap your foot around their back, engaging your instep on their shoulder or lat.
**Create Tension:** Extend your lasso leg to create outward tension, pulling your opponent's arm away from their body while maintaining your sleeve grip.
**Control Posture:** Use your collar grip to pull your opponent forward and break their posture, making them light and off-balance.
**Adjust and Connect:** Keep your hips mobile and connected to your opponent, constantly adjusting your angle and the depth of your lasso to maintain control and prevent them from escaping.

**Deep Lasso:** Ensure your foot is deeply wrapped around their back, not just hooked on their arm, for maximum leverage and control.
**Opposite Side Control:** The lasso creates control on one side; use your other leg and grip (e.g., collar, pant) to manage their balance and prevent escapes on the opposite side.
**Active Hips:** Don't lay flat; use constant hip movement to adjust angles, create space, and follow your opponent's movements, maintaining connection and off-balancing them.
**Foot Placement:** The instep of your lasso foot should be pressing firmly into their shoulder blade or lat, not just dangling loosely, to maximize the 'lassoing' effect.

**Reverse De La Riva Lasso:** Combining the control of RDLG with the lasso for powerful sweeps, back takes, and leg attacks.
**Spider Lasso:** Utilizing both a traditional spider guard hook and a lasso on the same side for double arm control and submission entries.
**Lasso Sweep to Omoplata:** A common sequence where the lasso sweep transitions directly into an omoplata submission, leveraging the arm control.

The Lasso Guard is most effective when your opponent is standing or kneeling in your open guard, especially if they are trying to break grips, establish strong posture, or initiate a pressure pass. It's ideal for creating distance, disrupting your opponent's balance, and setting up a wide array of sweeps, Back Takes, and submissions from a distance.

**Posture Up and Pull Arm Out:** The opponent straightens their posture vigorously while pulling their arm directly out of the lasso, often twisting their body to create space.
**Knee Slice Pass:** The opponent utilizes the open space on the non-lasso side to initiate a knee slice pass, often by pinning your non-lasso leg to the mat and driving forward.
**Step Over and Pin Leg:** The opponent steps over your lassoed leg and attempts to pin it to the mat, often leading to a leg drag or stack pass, nullifying the lasso control.