Lachlan Giles flips the perspective — first teaching how to defend the saddle (all its attack variants, the leg lace, double trouble, the Z lock) and outside Ashi (including last-resort heel-hook escapes), then how to enter 50/50 and outside Sankaku from the inside-position guards (butterfly, half butterfly, shin-to-shin, single leg X) with the full menu of follow-ups: outside Sankaku via sweep, outside Ashi, X-guard, K-guard, and the reverse-X saddle entry.

developingUpdated 2026-05-12

Distilled from the verbatim transcript. Every concept is preserved; verbal filler, partner demos, and repetition are not. Each section header links to the exact moment in the Bilibili video. Volume 05 is essentially two volumes glued together — the first half is defense (knowing what attacks exist in the saddle and outside Ashi, and how to survive each), and the second half is entries (how to actually arrive at 50/50 and outside Sankaku from the standard inside-position guards). The seam is at section 15.

Part I — Defending the Saddle

Saddle attacks: what the saddle player wants · 0:00–4:23
Defending the saddle without double trouble · 4:23–11:29
Defending the leg lace · 11:29–12:40
Double trouble: straight ankle and the Aoki lock · 12:40–16:55
Defending the foot-to-far-side pass · 16:55–19:53
Two-hands-on-toe side bridge — attack and defense · 19:53–24:17
Defending the Z lock · 24:17–26:54

Part II — Defending the Reap and Outside Ashi

Defending the reap from the saddle · 26:54–31:39
Outside Ashi attacks and catching the heel from bottom · 31:39–35:12
Defending the single-X variant and Aoki lock · 35:12–37:46
Outside Ashi escape: reach under the hip and take the back · 37:46–41:14
Outside Ashi leg-drag escape · 41:14–43:02
Last-resort escape when the heel is caught · 43:02–48:36
Outside Ashi defense — summary · 48:36–50:24

Part III — Position Transitions and Entry Strategy

Transitions between leg-lock positions · 50:24–52:48
Three entry mechanisms — and why bottom entries · 52:48–55:09
Beginner pathway and flexibility prerequisites · 55:09–58:34
Forcing access to the legs from the upper body · 58:34–1:01:32

Part IV — Inside-Position Entries to 50/50

Inside-positioning entry overview · 1:01:32–1:04:00
Butterfly and double-unders entries to single leg X · 1:04:00–1:07:20
Half butterfly entry · 1:07:40–1:09:49
Shin-to-shin entry (with straight-back alternative) · 1:09:49–1:14:51
Single X to outside Sankaku via the sweep · 1:14:51–1:16:48
Single X to outside Ashi · 1:18:02–1:20:08
Single X to X-guard · 1:20:08–1:23:18
Single X to K-guard · 1:23:18–1:25:00
Single X to reverse X to the saddle · 1:25:00–1:28:06
Final summary: inside-position entries · 1:29:06–1:32:02

Part I — Defending the Saddle

1. Saddle attacks: what the saddle player wants

0:00–4:23 · ▶ Watch

To defend the saddle, the defender has to know what the attacker is trying to do.

Without controlling the far leg. The attacker is looking to either catch the heel directly, or to bite and roll through to catch from there.

Catching the far leg (double trouble). Once the far leg is caught, the defender's roll-through escape no longer works — rolling keeps the same positioning. From here the attacker has secondary threats: a straight ankle lock variant (not high percentage unless there is a major strength mismatch), and more dangerously, the Aoki lock — heel turned inward, essentially a heel hook.

Pummeling under to take the foot to the far side. Hold the ankle, lock the knee, often step on the hip to stop the defender retracting the leg. Underhook the leg and pull it onto the shoulder to keep the knee line. From there, reach behind the head while still holding the knee line and take the foot across — either to the other shoulder and swim through, or straight across to the other side. The attacker never lets go of the knee line. The idea: turn the defender so far that the heel cannot hide.

Reality: the defender can still position the heel so it's hidden. The attacker has to let go at some point — that's the defender's escape window.

The leg lace. Lift the hips, palm the right foot underneath, hook behind the opposite hip. More controlling than a regular triangle leg position — tighter, harder for the defender to keep out and hide the heel. But it doesn't completely remove the ability to hide the heel or escape.

The bigger picture: even though the leg-lock game funnels toward 50/50 and outside Sankaku as the highest-percentage finishing positions, the defender will end up in the saddle sometimes and needs to know how to get out.

2. Defending the saddle without double trouble

4:23–11:29 · ▶ Watch

Hide the heel first. Don't cross the feet — that gives access to the far leg for double trouble. Point the toes and turn the foot in as much as possible.

Hip out. Hands on the ground, move the hips away from partner. This is the difference between hiding the heel a little and hiding it completely. Stay tight to the body; once hipped out, the heel is difficult to dig.

Don't roll unless partner rolls. A common mistake: rolling preemptively. People roll all the way through and end up caught when their partner wasn't even rolling.

Lachlan note: he has caught plenty of heel hooks this way — partner goes to catch the heel, defender hides it, but then panics and keeps rolling.

The rule: heel hidden, then if partner follows, roll with them; otherwise stay.

Block the outside (top) leg with the hands. This stops partner from hooking with a leg as the roll chases. It also lets the defender pummel a foot in.

Two escape options once free.

Kick and rotate to hide the heel. Stay safe, partner has nothing.
Pummel the inside foot in and convert to 50/50. Block the leg with the foot inside, pull the leg up and across, capture the knee. Once the leg is across, the feet can cross — which the saddle never wanted.

If partner rolls, roll with them. Each roll lands well: left foot in good position, knee straight, toes pointed. The direction of escape is the same as the direction of the roll.

Where to scoot. Don't pull away — that gives partner a better angle to finish. Scoot forward into partner, hips closer. Bad angle for the heel hook. Once safe, then pull away to free the leg.

Where to kick. The hamstring right behind the knee is the easiest decent lever. Any solid post works.

Heel slip. If partner is digging and almost has the heel, come forward and slip the heel — that initiates the roll-through. Can't heel-slip while pulling away; has to be hips forward and kicking through.

Final word: if the heel is well caught, tap. Once it's there, escape is over.

3. Defending the leg lace

11:29–12:40 · ▶ Watch

The leg lace is better control than a regular triangle for the saddle finish — and it pummels closer to the hips, making the inside-foot defense harder.

Still pummelable, just closer to the hips. May have to straighten and stiffen the arm to win the space. The defender can usually break through and turn the leg lace back into a regular triangle position.

Setup recap (from attacker's view): grab the far leg, pull onto the side, lock the leg lace tight.

Defense. Move the hips to the side and up to clear the active leg lace. The lace is meant to slow hip movement; popping the hips up releases that.

Heel hidden, safe from the heel hook, pummel the left foot — same escape as without the lace. Pop the hips up a bit so the lace can't actively prevent the hip-out.

If the lace really won't release: it's not extremely strong as a hook. Hand pin the leg, sit on the lacing, hip out. Hand-clear and post over the top.

4. Double trouble: straight ankle and the Aoki lock

12:40–16:55 · ▶ Watch

When partner catches the far leg, the secondary attacks open up. With proper defense, they really shouldn't work.

Straight ankle. Partner has no feet on the hips for the bridge — they're bridging off the ground, weak. The defender can lift the hips to alleviate pressure. Most importantly, the defender can hand-fight, which feet-on-hips normally prevents.

Grab and pull against partner's grip. Grab the arm. Scoot the hips in, lift them up. With hand-fighting going, virtually no one finishes a straight ankle from here unless they're extremely powerful.

What partner actually wants. Partner wants the defender to turn and fight and come forward — that exposes the heel. As the defender exposes the heel, partner catches it.

Aside: don't worry about an outside heel hook by opening the leg. No knee control — bend the knee, kick free with the other foot. Address it but don't panic.

Main focus while partner has the leg. Move the hips to the side, point the toes inward as far as possible. Even with all this hand-fighting going on, partner has to let go of the leg eventually to get the heel hook they actually want. With the heel pre-hidden, when partner lets go and goes for it, the defender frees the foot and escapes.

The Aoki lock. This one can do real damage. As the defender hips out and hides the heel, keep the left knee pointed at the roof. If the knee turns out, the heel slips inside and the Aoki lock catches.

Knee at the roof = the foot is straight = only a straight ankle to defend, not an Aoki.

Other variants. Partner reaches under with an arm for another straight foot lock variant. Same answer: keep the heel hidden, hand-fight. Partner is really waiting for the defender to turn and expose the heel.

5. Defending the foot-to-far-side pass

16:55–19:53 · ▶ Watch

Partner's main escalation: pummel the foot to the other side of the body or over the shoulder, trying to expose the heel.

Critical detail: the way to free the foot is to pull the knee toward the head — never pull the heel back. Heel-pulling doesn't work.

As soon as the defender realizes partner is going for this, constant pressure pulling the knee back toward the head. Partner has to pass the leg to the other side; that constant pressure makes the pass fail.

Partner's mechanics. Partner always keeps control of the knee. Underhook, foot on top of the defender's foot, pummel under, never let it go to the knee. But partner will have moments where only one hand controls.

The window. While partner is hand-fighting and passing, hide the heel and free the knee. As soon as the knee frees and partner doesn't have a good ankle lock grip, escape.

The waiting position. Sometimes there's no immediate escape — knee not free yet. Don't rush. This is a waiting position. Take time, keep hand-fighting. Partner either gets frustrated and goes for the heel (escape window), or keeps going for this and the foot eventually frees.

Foot all the way to the other side. Even with the full ankle lock grip on the far side, move the hips out and the heel still hides. No immediate heel hook risk from the foot-on-the-other-side position (only if the defender turns the wrong way).

Stay still, heel hidden. The only way out is partner letting go. Pull the knee back actively the whole time. Wait. Partner has to let go eventually.

The saddle's problem: for every saddle attack, there is always a point where the defender can hide the heel and free. The best players spend 95% of their saddle time trying to minimize the delay between letting go of the leg and catching the heel.

The grip and dig that minimizes this delay best: scoop a foot up under, reach to the heel with the left hand (the heel acts as a rotation preventer), then dig — but even then, partner moves hips out and hides the heel, and the chase continues.

6. Two-hands-on-toe side bridge — attack and defense

19:53–24:17 · ▶ Watch

The attack. Two hands on the toe, keeping it tight, then apply sideways pressure on the knee — like a side bridge with hips driving in. The knee can take real damage from this; there is footage of someone causing significant injury with it.

The setup also exposes the heel in theory. Hands stay on the foot, sit up, catch the heel by getting the elbow and arm over the top before partner turns to hide.

Defense — kill the sideways pressure. Partner has to bridge sideways into the knee. Take that away by pulling the far leg in tight.

Pull the knee. This points partner's hips the wrong way — they cannot put sideways pressure on the knee. They might bridge toward the roof, but that mostly bends the knee rather than threatening it. Bridging sideways is the tap; if it's prevented, the attack stalls.

If late to the defense, start with the near leg just for a moment, then transition to the far leg pulled in tight.

Bending the knee creates rotation. The more bent the knee, the more rotation is needed for the attack to work. Scooping the hips in (bending the knee) makes it hard to finish. Pulling away (straightening the leg) makes it easier for partner.

Toe-point as escape window. When partner shifts from the bridge to digging the heel — getting up on the elbow — start pointing the toes. With toes pointed, partner can't get the same rotation pressure. As partner comes forward, escape.

If partner stays in the bridge attempt, hand-fight. Get one hand free, pummel in, free.

7. Defending the Z lock

24:17–26:54 · ▶ Watch

The Z lock starts in the saddle but isn't a saddle finish — it's a knee attack. Partner passes the foot to the other side, takes control of the far leg, holds the original leg, reaches inside the ankle, and pushes the knee out. Hip lock / knee lock.

Variants: sit forward and use the hand for added leverage. With a flexible partner, the position has to be set up precisely to get the submission.

Setup recap. Feed the legs outside, climb the leg, put the feet either at the hip or together, sit forward, attack the knee.

Defense. Keep the leg straight. If the knee is bent, the Z lock is strong. If the leg stays straight, the pressure doesn't translate the same way onto the knee.

Partner grabs the foot, pulls it in, puts feet next to the defender's hip, pulls the far leg to the inside, reaches inside the ankle, pushes outward, underhooks at the elbow. With the leg straight, the whole sequence loses effect. With the knee bent, it works.

After the Z lock fails, partner often passes the leg back over to try double trouble attacks. The defender goes back to standard saddle defense.

Part II — Defending the Reap and Outside Ashi

8. Defending the reap from the saddle

26:54–31:39 · ▶ Watch

Partner uses the outside leg to reap across and expose the heel. Usually this transitions into something like outside Ashi — partner takes the right leg across to a position that can close off and finish. Without that second leg coming across, the heel hook is hard to finish.

Variant: reap holding the ankle and connecting, forcing the knee down, taking the heel hook there. Then as the defender rolls and frees, partner transitions to outside leg positioning for the finish. That second variant is higher percentage.

Defense. As partner reaps, the heel will get exposed — expect that. The main defensive focus: get the knee through the gap, past the line of the hips. Once the knee is past the hips, partner can attack the heel hook all they want — the defender just rolls and stays free. Very hard to finish from there.

The real danger: the near leg jamming the knee down. If the defender's knee gets jammed to the mat, this is the worst position — the knee can't free, partner's knee blocks it, and partner can crank, then transition to outside Ashi and finish.

So everything focuses on the near leg, not just staying tight on the knee. Open the gap; the knee can then bail and run backwards.

The mechanic. Partner starts the reap → focus everything on the near leg, push it open, free the knee behind the hips. From there, work the escape.

If partner is holding an ankle lock grip, immediate escape is harder. If partner goes for the heel, kick and free.

If partner holds the knee with the arm. Don't let the knee go down. While partner is holding with an arm, no good finishing pressure is on the heel hook — even if the heel is dug, it won't finish. Step the foot in. Beat through the hands. Push-pull to free the knee.

The most dangerous version. Partner keeps the ankle lock grip until the defender's knee touches the ground, hooks the far leg, shoots the reap across, extends out. Everything must drive the knee away from the mat using the other leg.

Counter-counter: hands on the mat to stop the knee going down. Ideally hands actually through the leg on the mat — that frees the foot. Push partner's foot down while keeping the hand fighting. Step the foot out. Now the hook is gone, more freedom to free the leg. The hip turn is awkward, but the leg can free and the position is gone.

9. Outside Ashi attacks and catching the heel from bottom

31:39–35:12 · ▶ Watch

The downside to playing outside Ashi for the attacker: it's hard to expose the heel. That's exactly what the defender exploits.

Attacker's options from the ground: side bridge on the knee — back-heel with the feet as the hips come in. Step on the hip for a stronger bridge that also prevents the defender lifting their hips up.

From standing: outside Ashi entries by grabbing the far leg and knocking down, or X-crossover reap variations, or twisting for a standing heel hook (harder if partner is tall).

Defender's counter — catch the heel. Outside Ashi entry, hold the knee so partner can't step on the hip. Partner tries to reap; the knee hold prevents pressure on the knee.

Pummel for the defender's own heel through the gap, looking for the top of the knee. As pummeling, get the chest pinching against the thigh — slight bend in the knee, chest over thigh. This pins partner's foot in place. Without that chest pressure, partner kicks the foot up/down/forward/back and it's hard to catch. With it, partner can't move the foot.

Pull the elbow to the toes to catch the heel. Finish: lock the elbows, sit back or jump back down.

Single-X variant by partner. The foot becomes a hook, lifts the foot to attack an Aoki. Critical defense: turn the foot so it's just a straight ankle — hard to finish a straight ankle from up here. Pull the heel across, hold the knee, exposed heel for the counter.

Don't let the foot turn out — that's how the Aoki finishes.

If the defender can't catch the heel back: sit down, point the leg straight, transition to the defender's own inside/outside position from there.

The main thing: don't get knocked to the butt with no positioning. If knocked back, look for 50/50 immediately, or the outside Sankaku transition.

10. Defending the single-X variant and Aoki lock

35:12–37:46 · ▶ Watch

When partner uses the single-X foot-hook variant and starts lifting the foot toward an Aoki:

Critical detail: turn the foot so the position is just a straight ankle. The Aoki finishes when the foot turns outward, not when it's straight. Hard to finish a straight ankle in this position.

Keep that hook. Pull the heel across — once the heel passes, hold partner's knee. Partner has an exposed heel.

As partner lifts the foot up, come forward with the weight, get underneath the heel, slip the hip past the line of the heel, hold the bottom of the knee, catch the heel. Win the exchange.

Don't let the foot turn out — this can get nasty. Best outcome is heel-hooking partner back. Alternative escape: sit down, straight leg, transition across to the defender's own inside/outside position.

11. Outside Ashi escape: reach under the hip and take the back

37:46–41:14 · ▶ Watch

If standing up: never lift the heel off the ground. Partner gets an immediate finish.

Unlock by sliding the knee. Free the knee by pushing partner's back-heel (the active back-heel keeps the triangle tight; working against it opens space).

The bigger mechanic — reach under and turn. Reach under the hip and turn partner onto their side. Even if partner catches the heel, they're stacked — no ability to bridge to finish. Push on the right calf to free the knee, then take the back.

Reach all the way under with the left hand. Hand on top of the thigh, slip. If it's loose, push and free the knee. No immediate heel hook or ankle lock through. Under the hip, turn partner onto the shoulder.

Once the knee is free, shoot the left leg underneath, point it to the roof, jump away, look for the back.

The lift-and-turn cue. Pushing the knee down — partner's triangle makes that hard. Lifting the hips and turning partner releases it. Imagine taking partner over their shoulder.

With an ankle lock grip from partner, this doesn't work as well — but if the hand is open at all, it works. Shoot the left knee into the gap, sit down, take the back.

12. Outside Ashi leg-drag escape

41:14–43:02 · ▶ Watch

When partner keeps the ankle lock grip rather than going for the heel, slowly drag the foot back to a leg drag.

Keep the foot high in the armpit. Push, lift, stack partner up. Reach to the elbow. Then inch by inch, walk the foot back — top of the foot on the mat if possible, slide the knee down, foot back.

Underhook on the near side — leg drag finish.

Pacing. Take time. Partner tries to off-balance constantly. Each time, come back in and inch the foot further down and wide. Wide base prevents getting off-balanced.

Once stacked, the defender is pretty safe from the heel hook. Foot goes wide. Toes on the mat can wiggle the knee down. Underhook, head position, pass.

If partner has only the ankle lock grip and hasn't caught the heel yet, transition to outside Sankaku attacks instead. If partner is on an ankle lock, pummel through, come up, attack the heel.

13. Last-resort escape when the heel is caught

43:02–48:36 · ▶ Watch

The obvious answer is tap. But sometimes there is a window depending on positioning.

If partner is on their left hip — worst case. Hands at the hips, bridging in, already getting the finish.

If on the other side, there's some time. Use the hands to stack partner up.

This is a very late stage. If partner is already bridging with pressure on the knee, getting up may not help — too late, knee blows before stacking completes. But if partner has just caught it:

Hands on the mat. Remember: the more bent the knee, the more rotation. Partner is trying to both rotate the knee and bridge. Bending the knee forces partner to put much more rotation in to be effective.

Walk forward — butt first — bending the knee, sitting on the hips down toward the heel. Partner has to apply a lot of force; usually they change grips.

Stacking the hips over the top.

The hip-take to redirect. Step forward, reach under the hips, take the left leg back, bridge off the left leg, pull partner's hips over the top. Partner ends on the elbow / shoulder.

That movement also turns the knee from the bad-cross position to the far side. Look at it from the other side: on the bad cross, that's bad positioning; bridge and take partner to the other side, now turn the knee out. From the new angle, if partner bridges, they bridge up at the knee, not side onto the knee.

Just roll back from that position — partner has no side bridge anymore.

Mechanic. Partner catches the ankle. Come forward, reach under the hip, bridge off the left leg. Put the knee underneath partner's hip — hand free now to reach to partner's hand. Pull to break the grip. Slip the heel.

Once free, come on top into a leg drag.

Late-stage roll-through to outside Ashi. Even if the knee gets forced to the mat and partner catches the heel, an experienced leg-locker can roll through, step into the defender's own outside Ashi position, and start working to free.

This is very late stage — not recommended unless deeply experienced with leg locks.

14. Outside Ashi defense — summary

48:36–50:24 · ▶ Watch

Reap: block the near leg, free the knee. If partner hooks the far leg, push it / step away, hands stop the knee from going down, free the knee behind the hips. Knee free = safe.

Standing outside Ashi: catch the heel immediately, or sit down to dig from there, into outside Sankaku.

If partner keeps the ankle lock grip: reach under, stack on the left shoulder, work foot back slow toward leg drag or back take.

If partner goes for the heel with open hands: shoot the left leg underneath, take the back.

If knocked down: attack from there or just keep hiding the heel.

Heel caught, left hip: hands on mat, butt drives back first, tilt partner, slip heel.

Heel caught, partner on their good hip: mostly just tap. If absolutely necessary: foot in for the bridge, reach under the hip, come forward (not stay back), lift, slip.

Part III — Position Transitions and Entry Strategy

15. Transitions between leg-lock positions

50:24–52:48 · ▶ Watch

Saddle to outside Sankaku. Open the legs, right foot moves up to the stomach, left foot close. Read partner's response — if they're pushing on the leg with the sport, opening the legs gives them a chance to escape, so don't transition. If their hands are on the mat trying another escape, transition.

Outside Ashi to 50/50. Don't let partner close in too much with chest over the leg — that makes pulling partner's leg to the other side hard. Get the left leg in front of the stomach, cross here. Partner tries to sit forward; push them away, sit back to make space, reach the leg, pull across. Now 50/50.

From standing outside Ashi to 50/50: harder, but doable. Put the foot across. Wary of going too deep with the right leg — heel hook risk. Keep the cut close to the hip. Reach under the elbow, under the leg. Lift the hips, feed the leg across.

The read: when to transition depends on partner's hands and pressure. Saddle is good; sometimes outside Sankaku is even better; pick based on what partner is doing.

16. Three entry mechanisms — and why bottom entries

52:48–55:09 · ▶ Watch

50/50 entries come in three mechanical categories:

Feed across. Work to a standard leg entanglement (single-X type), then feed the leg across to the other side.
Shoot underneath. As partner starts to pass, swing the leg through and catch 50/50.
Spin over the top. From the K-guard style, spin over partner's leg into the entanglement.

Strongly favor developing bottom entries. When entering from the bottom and missing, the defender is still on the bottom — no positional concession. When entering from the top and missing, the defender concedes top position, which in most competition contexts is a real disadvantage.

The third mechanism — the spin-over — receives the most focus in this volume.

17. Beginner pathway and flexibility prerequisites

55:09–58:34 · ▶ Watch

For beginners: start with the inside-positioning entries (butterfly, single-X, shin-to-shin). These are the easiest path to a leg entanglement. Add the basic closed-guard K-guard entry second — also accessible.

The more complex K-guard entries (De La Hiva, reverse De La Hiva) come later. These can be the most effective entries available, but they take longer to develop.

Flexibility considerations. K-guard entries and inversion-style entries need moderate flexibility. Butterfly / single-X entries need less. Less flexible players lean toward butterfly / single-X; the average player can play K-guard too.

Stretches for the game. Work the external rotators of the hip:

Foot out wide (not narrow — guard isn't recovered that way), shoulders flat toward the front of the foot. Trying to drop the shoulders.
Knee as far behind the back as possible. Foot flat. Shoulders down. Other knee pointing straight down at the mat. Work the shoulder toward the heel.

Application. When partner passes, the more the leg can pull up and across, the better. Knee tight, knee here — hard for partner to apply pressure through. From a bad position, this flexibility lets the leg thread across and recover.

Late stage — don't aim to land here, but if flexible, recovery from bad positions still works.

18. Forcing access to the legs from the upper body

58:34–1:01:32 · ▶ Watch

To get to the legs, partner has to give some access. If partner walks in standing tall, the legs are there — easy entry.

Harder: partner on feet leaning forward and reaching with hands, blocking. Hardest: partner on knees, legs hidden.

Two-on-one grip. Grip the arm, pull the elbows down toward the hips — like eating a hamburger. Don't just pull straight back at yourself (useless); pull past and over. Shoot the legs up — partner has to react or get triangle-caught. Partner pops the hips up to defend; that opens access to attach to the leg. Or with the same setup, lift partner with butterfly hooks to inside control.

Underhooks. Especially if partner is on knees. Underhook or post, bring weight forward — get partner's hands to the mat. Hands on the mat means hands can't be in the way of the legs.

Submission threats from the front. Choi bar (arm lock), pro number, head snap to guillotine. Partner reacts by posturing out, which exposes the legs.

Frames. Partner closes the gap chest-to-chest; frame to push up, create space to get under the leg or take an underhook to pull forward.

The general rule: an upper-body threat forces partner to defend, and the legs become available during that defense.

Part IV — Inside-Position Entries to 50/50

19. Inside-positioning entry overview

1:01:32–1:04:00 · ▶ Watch

Inside positioning = feet on the inside (butterfly, shin-to-shin, single-X). Outside positioning = feet on the outside (K-guard, De La Hiva).

Progression toward 50/50. Elevate from butterfly to single leg X, then either through X-guard or directly to 50/50.

Standing partner. Shin-to-shin if inside-positioning. From there: two-on-one with shin control, lift, pull through to single leg X. Or with shin-to-shin, grab around the knee, block the leg, use that shin-to-shin entry.

Knock-down route. Get to single X, sweep partner down — this is the safest path. Feed across from there, high chance of finish.

20. Butterfly and double-unders entries to single leg X

1:04:00–1:07:20 · ▶ Watch

Important entry rule. Don't put both butterfly hooks in from distance — partner grabs the legs and gets control. Win the hand fight first.

Feet up near the knees or hips initially. If losing the hand fight, push and reset — possible with the foot on the hip, impossible with both hooks in.

Mechanic. Kick the leg out, hand-fight, close the gap. A good option: one hook + the other foot on the hip. From there aim for an underhook or a good two-on-one (wrist-elbow or two-handed hamburger grip).

Once attached, partner tries to pull away — that pulls the defender underneath and helps lift. Pull forward, lift up, get to single leg X.

Two underhooks variant. Hand-fight to two underhooks. Use the two hooks to back and push up.

Critical: don't try to lift by straightening the legs — load up, collapse knees to chest, then push up from there. Straightening the legs doesn't elevate partner.

Double-unders entry. Two-hook grab around the ankle. Outside leg through and around onto the hip; inside leg up in front of the hip. Don't get mounted — right hand blocks in case partner goes toward mount. Other knee tight to the chest; foot on the hip. Back-heel to lift hips. Single leg X is attached.

21. Half butterfly entry

1:07:40–1:09:49 · ▶ Watch

Bottom leg is a half-guard; top leg is a butterfly hook.

To get there from half-guard: hip escape, butterfly hook in, scoot underneath.

What elevates. The half-butterfly leg has to be deep. Knee partner up the butt and forward — that brings partner forward. Shallow leg doesn't pull partner forward at all.

Once forward, attach to single X.

Saddle entry from half butterfly. Same action, but grab the far leg, elevate, go into the saddle.

Critical knee-safety detail. If partner smashes the leg down with their hips while in this position, this can blow the knee. Never push out against the pressure. Invert underneath. Turn first. Don't push out. Then elevate higher, roll under. Catch the saddle from underneath with the knee in good position.

The mechanic: straight-line up first (not flare-out), then spin and catch. Flare-out is what damages the LCL.

22. Shin-to-shin entry (with straight-back alternative)

1:09:49–1:14:51 · ▶ Watch

Standing partner — one leg forward, one back. Shin-to-shin works.

Standing partner — feet parallel. Hook behind both legs and push. If partner falls over, come up and attach. Even if they just step back with one leg, that resets to one-leg-forward and gives a clean shin-to-shin.

Coming in. Don't telegraph by putting hands on the mat — partner grabs the legs. Come in with hands fighting first, in case partner reacts.

If partner is tall with arms up, go straight to the leg first; otherwise control the arms first.

The entry — two on one path. Foot inside on the shin, other foot up in front of the hip, pull forward, lift with the left foot to lift partner's foot. Pulled up — single leg X position.

Other variant: get shin-to-shin, two-on-one grip, foot on the hip, pull out to the side to make the leg light. Lift, let it fall over the top — now single leg X.

Underhook variant. Anytime there's a grip on the arm, partner pulls back. End up attached with the arm around the leg. Shin/foot inside, knee flat outside, grip around the knee.

Critical: don't sit too flat — partner gets a good underhook, shoulder in front of the defender. Block the shoulder.

Block the far leg, fall to the right hip — that makes the trapped leg light. Lift, pull into the armpit, right knee pulls tight. As partner tries to mount, the blocked leg + tight knee stops it. Shoot up into single leg X.

The pull-straight-back alternative. If partner squats down low, underhooks, has a heavy base — can't elevate. From shin-to-shin, pull everything straight back and make partner's hands post on the mat. Once partner posts, single leg X is available.

The hook brings partner's hips over the top to elevate. Once partner is forward and stretched, single leg X locks in.

23. Single X to outside Sankaku via the sweep

1:14:51–1:16:48 · ▶ Watch

First move from single leg X — reach the far leg. Both partner's feet are caught, balance is poor; sweep straight backwards. Leg entanglement is easy after that.

To reach the far leg, loosen the trap slightly to get angle. Lift the hips, push centered with the knee — partner goes down.

Once down, ankle-lock grip in hand. Step over with the right leg. Cross the feet right in the middle so partner can't immediately attack or drive forward to get up. Take the leg to the other side — directly into outside Sankaku for the finish.

Sequence: enter single X → reach far leg → hips up, knock back → step middle, cross feet → grab the foot, pull across → outside Sankaku → finish.

24. Single X to outside Ashi

1:18:02–1:20:08 · ▶ Watch

Don't transition to outside Ashi when partner is heavy on the trapped leg — too hard to take weight off it.

Make partner step away. Reach for the far leg. Partner steps back to defend; the front leg gets lighter. Now the leg can be moved.

Shoot across, lift the hips, feed the leg to the far side. Capture the knee line — reach to the top of the knee so if partner tries to run away, the attachment holds.

Sequence: single X → reach far leg (partner steps) → front leg lighter → shoot across, lift hips → feed to far side → 50/50, swing the arm around.

If partner is heavy: clear the knee first with the hip lift. Pull the foot in. Make partner step on the ground (heavy on the leg again) so they can't wrap away.

25. Single X to X-guard

1:20:08–1:23:18 · ▶ Watch

When nothing works from static single X, upgrade by underhooking the leg toward X-guard.

Force the step first. If partner has good base, don't go directly. Reach for the far leg, make partner step away, off-balance.

The left elbow goes through the gap underneath the leg. This gets to X-guard. Right hand holds the knee to stop partner from turning out or running. Squeeze the legs tight.

Elbow first usually; can be hand first. Catch elbow at the ankle. Drop the foot down — X-guard.

X-guard structure. Right foot to the knee, left foot in front of the hip.

Use X-guard to stretch partner out. This makes the leg easy to pass across. Get partner's hands to the mat — pull the knee down, stretch with the legs. Tension: left knee behind the hamstring pushing forward, right foot hooked at the knee. Flare it out if open (partner could step and push down).

Stretch partner out, hands to the mat, then take the leg across into 50/50.

26. Single X to K-guard

1:23:18–1:25:00 · ▶ Watch

A more recent addition to Lachlan's game.

Single leg X position. Pummel under the legs, reach for the far leg, elbow first (better than hand first here). Elbow right at the ankle, other hand at the knee, pull and twist — the more twist, the easier the transition.

Take the left foot inside next to the hip, knee behind partner's knee helping the twist.

Extend and shoot the right leg over the top — K-guard entry into the heel.

Why this works: once it's caught, partner has a hard time defending it.

27. Single X to reverse X to the saddle

1:25:00–1:28:06 · ▶ Watch

Single leg X — try to get partner's hands on the mat any way available (key throughout single leg X work). Block the knee, step on the ground, kick partner up the butt. Or pull on the arms.

Upgrade the leg position. Single X → X (left leg high, right leg low near the knee) → reverse X.

Reverse X. Top leg slides down toward the knee; right leg goes behind the hips. Excellent leverage — lifting tilts partner forward and helps posture up.

Right foot right under the butt, left shin leverages off. Lift up — combined with pulling on partner's arm, partner comes forward. Partner's foot floats.

Sequence: single X → X (stretch) → drop the hook, shoot the right foot underneath → tight with the shin so both legs work together → under the butt/hip → pull arm, hand to ground → lift hips high → drop the knee between legs → drop, shoot underneath, shin supports the ankle → lift → grab the leg → two legs trapped in the saddle.

From the saddle, attack from there, or work the legs into outside position. Easier if partner is moving; here, the saddle is the preferred end position.

28. Final summary: inside-position entries

1:29:06–1:32:02 · ▶ Watch

Partner on knees → butterfly. Good upper body attachment, bring partner forward, hands to mat, elevate. Single leg X.

Partner standing → shin-to-shin. Hug the shin or step on the far shin, get hip in, elevate, single leg X.

Single leg X → reach far leg. Knock down, feed across to outside Sankaku, finish.

Can't knock partner down → standing outside Ashi. Reach far leg first, make them step. Leg light, come above the knee, lift hips, get the leg across into 50/50.

X-guard transition. Reach far leg, make stretch, elbow inside, leg on the shoulder. Hands to mat. Shoot the leg across into the entanglement. Sometimes hip out and get the entry over the top.

K-guard. Pummel under, reach for the far leg, shoot the elbow through, elbow down at the ankle, pull the knee in. Left foot inside, knee behind the knee, right foot kicks away, shoot over the top into K-guard. Into 50/50 with a K-guard entry. Hard to defend once caught.

Saddle entry via reverse X. Don't keep the overhook. Change to X. Stretch. Get hands to mat (knee up the butt). X → shoot right leg over the top high to the hip, left foot hooking reasonably high. Lift, capture the far leg, pull through. Up into the saddle, or open the gap into outside Sankaku.

High Percentage Leg Locks — Volume 05: Defending the Saddle and Outside Ashi, and Inside-Position Entries to 50/50

Contents