Lasso Guard for Beginners: How to Set the Hook and Sweep Without Losing the Grip
TL;DR. Lasso guard is a sleeve-and-hook control from open guard where your shin wraps around your opponent's arm while you pin their sleeve. It shines for smaller or flexibility-friendly players who want to slow the pass, off-balance, and enter sweeps or triangles. Learn one grip sequence, two sweeps, and one recovery, and you have a working lasso game. The two things that get white belts passed: losing the sleeve grip and letting the lassoed elbow drop to the mat.
If you've watched Cobrinha, Michelle Nicolini or the Mendes brothers pull off lasso magic and thought "I'll never move like that," you're in the right place. You don't need to be flexible or explosive to start using lasso guard — you need a clean grip sequence and a couple of sweeps that actually connect. This article walks you through the mechanics slowly, in the order you should learn them: how the hook is built, how the sleeve grip stays alive, the first two sweeps that work at every level, the mistakes that get white belts passed, and a simple drilling plan for your next few weeks on the mat.
This is a gi-focused tutorial. Lasso exists in no-gi as an underhook/biceps grip variant, but if you're just starting, learn it with a sleeve first — the friction of the gi covers a lot of technical gaps.
Why the lasso guard is worth learning early
Most beginners default to closed guard and, when it opens, get panicked and passed. Lasso guard gives you a structural frame that:
- Slows down guard passers by tying up one of their arms.
- Creates natural entries into sweeps, triangles, omoplatas and back takes.
- Works even when your opponent is bigger, because the leverage comes from your shin and their sleeve, not from your strength.
- Pairs well with the closed guard basics you already know — you can enter lasso as your closed guard breaks open.
It's also a guard that teaches you good habits: it forces you to fight for grips, keep your elbow connected, and move your hips. Even if you never make lasso your A-game, drilling it for a few months will clean up your open guard forever.
Remember. Lasso is a control position, not a submission. Your goal isn't to hold it forever — it's to use the frame long enough to break your opponent's posture, off-balance them, and enter something else.
Why beginners struggle with lasso guard
Before we get to the how, understand the why. Most white and blue belts try lasso, get passed twice, and abandon it. Here's what's actually going wrong:
- They set the hook without the sleeve. The lasso shin only works when the sleeve grip is already locked. Without the sleeve, the opponent just circles the arm out.
- They stay flat on their back. Lasso needs a live hip. If both of your shoulder blades are on the mat, you're a target, not a threat.
- They wrap too shallow. A shin above the wrist is not a lasso — it's a decoration. The shin needs to be over the biceps, elbow pointing up.
- They forget the second point of contact. A lasso alone floats. You need a foot on the hip, a De La Riva hook, or a collar grip to anchor the other side.
Fix those four things and you'll go from "getting passed the moment I lasso" to "actually threatening sweeps."
A simple lasso guard system: 7 steps
Build the position in the same order every single time. Consistency beats improvisation when you're new.
1. Establish the sleeve grip first
Get a cross-sleeve or same-side sleeve grip on your opponent's cuff. Pistol grip (four fingers inside the sleeve, thumb out) is the strongest for beginners. If they rip the grip before you even lift your leg, you can't lasso — go back and win the grip fight first.
2. Get to your side, not flat on your back
Rotate onto the same-side hip as the sleeve you're gripping. If you gripped their right sleeve, roll onto your left hip. This gives your leg room to travel and prevents them from stapling your knee to the mat.
3. Thread the shin over the arm
With the sleeve locked, pull their arm toward your hip while you lift your same-side leg and thread your shin over their biceps, from outside to inside. Your foot should end up pointing toward their far hip. The elbow you're wrapping must stay above your body — if it drops, restart.
4. Anchor the other side
Place your free foot on their opposite hip, or hook it inside their far knee (De La Riva). Without this second anchor, they'll just walk around your lasso. Grip their opposite collar or belt with your free hand to complete the frame.
5. Break their posture
Pull the sleeve toward your hip and extend your lassoed leg. Their shoulder should be forced down and forward. This is the moment where sweeps become available — a posturing opponent can defend; a broken-posture opponent can't.
6. Read the reaction and pick a sweep
- If they lean forward into you → tripod/sit-up sweep off the hip foot.
- If they stand up tall → lasso-and-hip-bump or transition to spider guard.
- If they try to walk around your lasso → back take as their hips turn.
7. Follow the sweep to top position
Don't stop when they land. Come up on your hip, chase the knee cut, and finish in a real top position. A sweep is only two points if you consolidate.
The two beginner-friendly lasso sweeps
You only need two working sweeps to have a lasso game. Learn these before anything else.
Sweep 1: The lasso tripod sweep
From the setup above, with your free foot on their far hip:
- Pull the sleeve grip strongly toward your hip.
- Extend your lasso leg to push their shoulder down.
- Push their far hip with your free foot while grabbing their near ankle with your free hand.
- Kick out with the hip foot as you pull the ankle — they tip backward.
- Sit up, come on top, and chase the pass.
Sweep 2: The lasso to back take
When your opponent tries to circle around your lasso to pass to the free side:
- Keep the sleeve grip tight — do not let go.
- As they turn, extend your lasso leg fully and use it to elevate them.
- Insert your free-side hook into their far hip as they rotate.
- Climb your other hook in and take the back.
| Situation | Best option | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent posts forward | Tripod sweep | Forgetting the ankle grab |
| Opponent stands tall | Hip bump / spider transition | Losing the sleeve |
| Opponent walks around | Back take | Dropping the lasso leg early |
| Opponent grabs your pants | Kick the grip, re-frame | Panicking and flattening out |
Remember. Every sweep from lasso starts with the same two grips. If you find yourself "trying a different sweep," you're usually just doing the same sweep with a different exit — that's a good thing. Simple beats fancy.
Common mistakes that get you passed
Even with the right steps, most beginners lose lasso for the same handful of reasons. Fix these one at a time.
Losing the sleeve grip. The sleeve is the whole position. If they rip it, disengage the lasso immediately and recover open guard. Don't try to save the lasso without the grip.
Flat back syndrome. If your shoulders are square to the ceiling, your opponent's knee cut works. Stay on your side and keep your top knee active.
Shallow shin. If your shin is on their wrist or forearm, they can pop the elbow free. The shin belongs over the biceps, close to their armpit.
Ignoring the free leg. Beginners obsess over the lasso leg and forget the other one. That free foot on the hip (or hook in the knee) is what keeps them from walking around you.
No angle changes. Lasso works when you're constantly rotating. If you settle into one position and hold, a smart passer will smash your leg down and start cutting.
Trying it live too soon. Drill the entry a hundred times with a cooperative partner before you try to hit it in a hard roll. Muscle memory beats improvisation.
How BJJ Memo fits into your lasso guard journey
One reason lasso guard takes so long to learn is that the details fade fast. You watch a great tutorial from Cobrinha or the Mendes brothers, drill it once in class, then forget the grip sequence within days. That's the retention problem BJJ Memo was built for. Paste any lasso guard YouTube video into the app, and it turns the instructional into a Technique Card with the steps, key details, and tappable timestamps for the visual moments — so before class, you can revise the exact entries you want to work on. Build a small library of your favorite lasso videos, review them on the drive to the academy, and you'll spend your rolling time trying the technique instead of trying to remember it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be flexible to play lasso guard?
No. Basic lasso only requires normal hip rotation. The extreme-angle versions you see in high-level competition need flexibility, but the beginner tripod sweep and back take work with average mobility.
Is lasso guard legal at white belt in IBJJF?
Yes, the position itself is legal. Just be aware that reaping the knee (crossing your foot in front of their far knee) is illegal at white and blue belt, so keep your lasso foot pointed correctly and don't let your knee line cross their centerline.
Can I play lasso guard in no-gi?
There's a no-gi variant using an underhook or biceps grip instead of a sleeve, but it's much less stable. If you're new, learn lasso in the gi first — the sleeve grip covers most beginner mistakes.
How long before lasso guard actually works in rolling?
Most hobbyists need consistent focused drilling before it works against training partners of similar level. Rushing it — trying to hit lasso in every roll before you've drilled the entries — usually delays progress.
What should I learn before lasso guard?
Get comfortable with closed guard, basic open guard (feet on hips), and hip movement first. Lasso is an open guard variation — it doesn't replace fundamentals, it builds on them.
What's the biggest single fix for a beginner's lasso?
Stop dropping the elbow. If the elbow of the arm you're lassoing ever touches the mat, your position is dead. Keep pulling that sleeve toward your hip and keep the elbow pointing up.
Wrap up: drill it, capture it, revise it
Lasso guard rewards patience. Learn the grip sequence, drill the two sweeps until they're automatic, and fight the mistakes above. In a few months, you'll have a real guard — not just a position you tried once and gave up on.
Next time you watch a lasso guard tutorial on YouTube, save it as a Technique Card in BJJ Memo so the details are there before your next roll. Build a small personal library of the entries and sweeps you're actually working on, and revise them on the way to training.
Teacher disclaimer: This article is a written aid to help you remember and structure what you're learning. For real feedback, safe drilling, and corrections to your specific body mechanics, train the technique at a legit academy with a qualified coach. BJJ Memo helps you revise between sessions — it doesn't replace mat time.
Last updated 2026-09-07.