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 07 closes the series and divides cleanly in half: the first 55 minutes are Reverse De La Hiva (bottom game), the last 28 minutes are top-position entries to leg entanglements. Two segments are duplicated in the source video — the intro at 0:00–3:43 is filmed twice (the repeat at 3:47–7:17 is identical), and the standing-opponent entry at 9:27–12:20 reproduces Volume 06 §3. Both are distilled once here; the doc stands alone.

Contents

Part I — Reverse De La Hiva Setup and Entries

1. Reverse De La Hiva positioning: foot at the ribs, framing, grip choices · 0:00–3:43
2. The inversion drill · 7:22–9:27
3. Entering Reverse De La Hiva vs. a standing opponent · 9:27–12:20
4. Transitioning from Reverse De La Hiva back to De La Hiva · 12:20–14:22

Part II — Attacking from Reverse De La Hiva

5. Inverting to 50/50: heel grip and overhook variants · 14:22–17:01
6. Knee-cut counter: catch the heel on the entry · 17:01–18:29
7. Full invert and the foot-off-the-ground when partner drops · 19:06–22:01
8. The underhook variant: extra grip for false reap and far-side K-guard · 22:01–29:35

Part III — Distance Adjustments

9. The false reap when partner steps back · 30:35–33:50
10. Distance sequence: invert, drop, false reap, change-grip · 33:50–39:02
11. Switch to K-guard on the other leg via inversion · 39:02–45:06
12. Saddle backup when 50/50 is blocked · 45:06–46:32

Part IV — Bottom-Game Recap and Late-Stage Inversion

13. Linking the Reverse De La Hiva techniques · 46:32–51:32
14. Inversion entries when partner starts to pass · 51:32–55:26

Part V — Top-Position Entries

15. Top-position entry overview and the passer's leverage · 55:26–57:19
16. Leg drag on retention: chest over thigh, catch the heel · 57:19–1:00:00
17. Forced leg drag: pin the leg low and step around · 1:00:00–1:03:19
18. Sit-down recovery when partner crosses feet · 1:04:05–1:05:45
19. Back step entry from half-guard (regular and fast variants) · 1:05:45–1:10:00
20. Straight ankle sit-down and under-the-legs entries to the saddle · 1:10:00–1:13:11
21. Linking the top-position techniques · 1:13:11–1:16:06

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Part I — Reverse De La Hiva Setup and Entries

1. Reverse De La Hiva positioning: foot at the ribs, framing, grip choices

0:00–3:43 · ▶ Watch

Reverse De La Hiva is where a lot of leg-lock entries come from. It excels at stopping the pass, lets you reset back to De La Hiva, and offers strong attacking lines.

The hook (right foot). As partner lifts the hips and comes forward, the right foot hooks under and in front of the far leg — toes curled around it.

The framing foot (left foot). Aim: keep distance. Get this foot in early. Anytime it's lost and partner pressures, frame the shoulder and get the foot back — pummel underneath or over the top.

Foot placement — the Ari Tabak detail. Lachlan credits this to Ari Tabak after roughly a decade of playing Reverse De La Hiva without it. Place the foot up near the armpit, heel against the ribs. Why this works: if partner wants to clear the foot, they have to move away to circle it — they can't just circle in place. Moving away costs balance and opens attacks.

Compared to the alternatives:

• Foot at the hip: partner can push it off without moving.
• Foot at the bicep: partner can circle it without having to move.
• Foot heel against the ribs: partner has to back away to clear it. That gives space.

Constantly work to pummel this foot back in.

The hands. The left hand is mostly a frame. Anytime partner clears the framing leg and closes the gap, block the shoulder so the foot can come back in. If partner leads with the other hand, block that shoulder. The right hand can block the head if partner reaches for it.

But usually the right hand wants to reach to the leg — that's where grips set up attacks. The grip depends on partner's shin angle:

• Shins horizontal. Reach to the heel. Makes backing away difficult, helps pull partner forward and invert underneath.
• Shins vertical. Underhook the leg, or get a regular grip that can become a deep overhook — sometimes elbow-deep.

The right foot's flexibility. Hooked under, but at any point it can come out to work back to De La Hiva. If partner pressures and the foot can be moved across, that opens a far-side K-guard attack.

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2. The inversion drill

7:22–9:27 · ▶ Watch

Inverting is important for Reverse De La Hiva — without it, Reverse De La Hiva is only a way back to De La Hiva or closed guard. With it, leg entries open up.

You don't have to be extremely flexible. Probably 80–90% of people can invert. It takes practice and correct technique.

The drill — starting from the back. Most people learn inverting from a seated position, which is easier, but in Reverse De La Hiva you'll need to do it from the back.

Reach the arm out of the way — usually it's the arm blocking the inversion pathway. Hand goes pretty much right next to the hip. Sit up a little, arm next to the hip.

From there:

• Go forward, bring the head toward the knee, get on the shoulder.
• Push off the ground with the right leg.
• Roll over the shoulders — right shoulder to left shoulder.
• Stay seated forward.
• Roll through.

Same on the other side: head toward the knee, push off the ground with the bottom leg, tuck the head, roll shoulder to shoulder.

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3. Entering Reverse De La Hiva vs. a standing opponent

9:27–12:20 · ▶ Watch

Note: this material is largely the same as Volume 06 §3 — the same standing-opponent entry shown again here for Reverse De La Hiva context.

Against a standing partner, target De La Hiva first. Reverse De La Hiva is the answer when partner pushes back and starts coming across.

Catching De La Hiva first. Fight the hands. With good control (two-on-one on the wrist or elbow), put the feet up toward the shoulder — triangle threat. Partner postures back to defend. Get the outside hook, grab the ankle — De La Hiva caught.

Alternative if partner keeps hands away. Reach outside the knee to the ankle, swing the hips up over the top.

Critical retention principle: never take the knees away from the chest. Don't reach for De La Hiva by stretching out — partner gets a passing gap. Knees stay at chest. Fall to the side, small angle, knees still at chest, lift them up, shoot through into De La Hiva. Almost rolling over on the elbow.

Reverse De La Hiva entry. If partner pushes back and starts coming across, immediately get the foot in front of the shoulder — the frame first, probably before the hook. Without the frame, partner has a good knee-cut. Block the shoulders, fall, look for the frame, then look for the hook. Without the Reverse De La Hiva hook the position is still recoverable; without the frame and stuck in there, in danger even with the hook.

Falling back to De La Hiva. If no immediate attack is available, switch up to a more distance-based guard. The grip is what lets you transition.

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4. Transitioning from Reverse De La Hiva back to De La Hiva

12:20–14:22 · ▶ Watch

Two grip changes get you from Reverse De La Hiva back to De La Hiva. The rule: never let go of the leg — releasing it gives partner a reset.

Via the ankle grip. Grip the ankle, change sides, pass through to De La Hiva.

Via the back of the knee. Sit up, switch the right hand to the back of the knee.

Critical detail — step on the far leg. When making this transition, step on the far leg. If partner steps over while you're trying to transition, they get pressure to pass. Foot on the outside stops the step-over.

Don't actually finish in De La Hiva. The aim isn't to settle into a clean De La Hiva — it's to keep transitioning. As soon as you reach the De La Hiva position, you should already be setting up the back-of-knee grip and the underhook, slipping through. Shouldn't fully end up at De La Hiva.

From either side angle: be here, already slipping through into the modified K-guard entry, straight through to 50/50. Or do it via the ankle grip variant — continue the invert through, catching here, shooting over the top to catch the heel.

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Part II — Attacking from Reverse De La Hiva

5. Inverting to 50/50: heel grip and overhook variants

14:22–17:01 · ▶ Watch

The invert-to-50/50 is the cleanest entry from Reverse De La Hiva.

Horizontal shin — heel grip. Partner pressuring forward, shins horizontal. Reach toward the heel, push and lift. As the spin starts, you can spin all the way through, or stop halfway for 50/50.

Mechanics: once the right hand has the heel, pull the knees to the chest — collect partner's weight on top. As the spin starts, take the right leg out, swap the left hand over quickly so partner can't run away. Right leg shoots back behind the leg. Now in 50/50 with an angle — usually the heel is catchable almost immediately.

Vertical shin — underhook or overhook. Sometimes partner is leaning away, circling the grips. Spin, take the right leg out — feels like just letting yourself fall to that side.

Underhook variant: spin and catch through. Have to take the right hand out to catch the heel.

Overhook variant (better): a deep overhook means the arm is already in position to catch the heel immediately as the spin completes. Slightly harder to spin with, but the immediate heel-catch is worth it.

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6. Knee-cut counter: catch the heel on the entry

17:01–18:29 · ▶ Watch

Partner comes in for a knee-cut. Left foot near the armpit (heel against ribs). Right foot hooked.

Common mistake: knees too far apart — partner passes through the gap. Keep the knees tight.

The entry. Shin forward — grab the back of the heel, sit forward, rock back to pull partner forward. Spin a little, take the right leg out through and behind partner's leg. Heel caught.

Vertical-shin version. Underhook ideally. To catch the heel immediately, the spin is a bit harder, but as the leg comes out and shoots behind, the heel is right there.

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7. Full invert and the foot-off-the-ground when partner drops

19:06–22:01 · ▶ Watch

Spin on entry — momentum from partner. The best Reverse De La Hiva players spin as partner enters. Partner's forward momentum becomes spin momentum. Get under already, look to capture the knee line, catch the heel. Waiting for a static position lets partner hold the entry down.

Full invert all the way to 50/50. A full invert all the way up to the side gets to 50/50.

When partner drops to a knee — foot-off-the-ground variant. Partner drops their knee (e.g., left knee) — hard to spin under and catch 50/50. A good option: take the heel off the ground and spin under it. Partner drops back, spin through, pull the heel away, foot off the ground, spin out to the far side. Take the right leg, shoot it underneath and back over the top.

Usually partner will be more facing upward — ends up in a 50/50 where partner is standing — take the leg lock from there. With a push-away, sometimes momentum from swinging the left leg helps. Foot in front of the near hip, shoot the right leg through.

Free-leg-stepped-too-far version. Reverse De La Hiva — partner steps the free leg too far forward. Hard to invert underneath in that case; partner is giving the leg. Reach underneath with a nice grip, scoot through, start doing the chopping-K-guard style entry — similar to the K-guard entry. Grip behind the side and back of the knee, elbow flare at the ankle, chop down. Shoot the right leg under for a moment to bring partner forward. Left leg comes over the top, pull through, look for the heel.

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8. The underhook variant: extra grip for false reap and far-side K-guard

22:01–29:35 · ▶ Watch

This is a longer section — Lachlan teaches the underhook-on-the-leg variant, then coaches its applications.

The setup. Reverse De La Hiva, partner pressuring with knee forward. Grip underneath the leg with the left hand from Reverse De La Hiva position. Gives extra options.

What this opens up:

• The same spin to 50/50.
• The false reap.
• The far-side K-guard.
• Distance management for the left foot (still keeping distance; have to frame to get the foot back if it's cleared).

Why it works. This grip stops partner from running away — pushing with the left leg, holding with the right leg, but if partner wants to run, holding the knee makes it very hard for them to disengage. Right leg can then scoot across and turn to the far hip.

Far-side K-guard via underhook. First instinct: invert. If partner blocks the invert by dropping toward the knee, can't get through that gap. Take the leg across the far hip. From there:

• Pull partner's knee toward you.
• Shoot the hips so they're on the inside of partner's foot — foot has gone pretty deep.
• Right hand reaches under the hip first.
• Spin under into K-guard on the far leg.
• Entry caught.

Critical detail — reach under the hip, not the knee. Previously reaching for the knee was the default. The knee is too far away — partner backs away and position is lost. Pull the leg like dragging it across, and reach under the hip (middle of the hips). Going under your own leg to the hips. When partner backs away, pulling underneath happens, then catch the knee. From right underneath now, knee on the inside, grab the leg, get the kick-up, get the heel.

Coaching cue from the demo. As partner tries to invert, partner might start gripping the inside of the knee to defend. From here: foot across the hip, scoot on the elbow as far across as possible, shoot deep, reach underneath, pull the knee toward you — keep that pull in. Reach to the hip with the right hand. Spin. Grab the knee. Shoot.

Far-side K-guard via grip-on-inside-of-knee. Get the frame, push away, left hand grips around the inside of the knee — ready to pull sideways. Step on the leg.

• If partner's weight is light: block the leg, shift the hips in, spin under for this leg.
• If partner pressures toward you: grab the leg, push it across to meet the other leg — lift partner up slightly and pull the leg across. The legs do the lift; the arm pulls across. Once stacked, hard for partner to stop the entry coming under the far leg. Ends in an X-guard-like shape that drops to K-guard.

The variant: grab the ankle, pull in, lift, push across to the outside. If partner comes forward with the foot on the outside, reach under the leg, get out on the side, drop through, take the entry. X-guard or directly to leg entanglement.

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Part III — Distance Adjustments

9. The false reap when partner steps back

30:35–33:50 · ▶ Watch

When partner backs away and steps back, the standard invert between the legs becomes difficult. The false reap is the answer.

The mechanic. Grip deep, partner not stepping too far yet. Arm deep, shoot the foot up over the top in front of the far leg. Now in a "false reap" — technically reaping partner's leg, but partner's leg is overhooked by the right arm, so the position is still legal. Lachlan notes this is technically IBJJF-legal in modern interpretation, though admittedly untested.

With the foot hooked, kick that foot to bring partner's weight forward. As that happens, face the ground. Right foot goes on the mat. From there, push, lift up, breathe through the leg — into the saddle.

Finish from the saddle. The heel is exposed — go straight for it. Don't need to change position to 50/50.

Sequence. Want to invert and catch K-guard. Partner has stepped back to stop that. Sit forward a little more, lift hips up, shoot through. Nice deep grip, lift up by back-heeling. Push back through the elbow and the leg. Hook the far leg — this is powerful — fall forward, invert facing the ground with hand on the mat pushing up. Free the leg, catch the heel.

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10. Distance sequence: invert, drop, false reap, change-grip

33:50–39:02 · ▶ Watch

A sequenced recap of distance variants, then coaching practice.

The ladder of distance responses.

1. Close — invert to 50/50. The base technique from §5.
2. Partner drops to knee — hip-inside K-guard entry. From §8.
3. Partner steps back further — false reap. From §9.
4. Partner steps back even further — change-grip and shoot to 50/50. The new one here.

The change-grip variant for the farthest distance. When partner is so far back that they don't have time to counter scooting underneath. Underhook the leg, take the right leg over and hook with the right arm. With partner so far back at this angle, can go from there, change to back-of-knee grip, top-of-knee with left hand, shoot the right leg through to 50/50.

Look at this side-on — partner has stretched the leg out more horizontal than vertical. (Vertical would be more difficult.) Shoot over the top, hug the back of the knee, keep grip there so partner can't come forward. Lift hips up, shoot through, spin under, catch the heel.

Coaching pass through the techniques. The coaching demo walks the student through the false reap (with rock-back and pull-forward), the change-grip-to-K-guard variant, the spin underneath, and a deeper grip when partner steps back. Key practiced cues: get deep with the grip, get up on the elbow, push off the ground (toes on the mat, push the leg through), if partner knocks you back grab the heel and pull, hold close to the knee to keep the grip secure.

Defender's grip-the-knee counter. When partner sits up and grabs the inside of the knee to defend, the techniques still work — practice spinning with that grip in place.

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11. Switch to K-guard on the other leg via inversion

39:02–45:06 · ▶ Watch

Another option: invert all the way through into a K-guard entry on the other leg.

Mechanic. Reverse De La Hiva, spin underhooking the leg (usually with an underhook — right underhook deep, elbow deep). Left foot cuts across — after pushing away, the shin stays across the hip because that becomes the K-guard entry. Head moves away to spin in front of the leg, catch the knee. With the left foot now in K-guard, do the K-guard entry.

Why use this: it's slightly more convoluted than the standard invert, but it ends in the K-guard finish position Lachlan prefers.

Sequence. Underhook, foot goes across the hip — head stays shallow (too deep hits partner's leg and stops the spin). Spin all the way through, catch the knee, shoot the knee underneath. K-guard position established.

Coaching variants in this segment. The coaching practice covers:

• Spinning through with the same grip used for invert-to-50/50 — when partner blocks the inside knee, the same spin gets to K-guard instead.
• Spinning when partner steps back further — go belly-down, push off the ground, keep the elbow as a hook to keep partner's weight forward.
• When partner steps even further back / pushes the foot off — take the right leg out in front, scoot deeper, shoot the false reap. Get the left foot on the ground for support.
• Grip changes mid-spin: back-of-knee for the spin, then take the right leg over and left hand to back of the knee — partner can't get the knee free.
• The K-guard entry via the spin: get the shin across the hip, spin in front of the leg.
• Distance-management variant: if the position is good but not perfect, put the foot on the thigh, left hand still holding back of knee.

Two paths to finish from this far-side K-guard position: pendulum to sit up and reach under your own leg to grab the ankle; or sit forward a lot, change sides, reach under the leg to the underhook directly.

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12. Saddle backup when 50/50 is blocked

45:06–46:32 · ▶ Watch

The saddle option when the 50/50 entry is blocked.

If partner blocks the right leg from going to 50/50: get the position, block from the inside, blocks that from coming through. Right leg can't shoot through. Instead, shoot the left leg through, hips up over the knee.

Now in the saddle. Look for the far leg, pull in, get the finish with double trouble.

Open or stay closed — up to preference. Open the leg if you want to change, or just keep attacking from the saddle for a pinch.

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Part IV — Bottom-Game Recap and Late-Stage Inversion

13. Linking the Reverse De La Hiva techniques

46:32–51:32 · ▶ Watch

A coaching-style recap linking everything from Part I–III.

Frame first. Always good positioning and good frames. Partner coming in — get the foot in front first, ideally heel against the ribs. Hip and bicep work but ribs is best.

Right leg can cross to the far leg — that lets you reset to De La Hiva. Make partner actively fight that; while they're fighting it, they're not focusing on your head — opens up spins underneath. Always working this leg across.

The leg can also be momentum for spinning underneath. Beginners — use this. Advanced — keep the foot at the hip for better distance.

The technique ladder.

1. Deep elbow grip → spin under, raise back of knee, shoot leg behind → 50/50, spin to catch heel.
2. Horizontal shin variant. Sit forward, grab back of heel, rock back to pull partner forward. Use the reach to pull them forward. Same entry over the top.
3. Leg too far forward — chop entry. Reach underneath, chop, catch the leg, over the top to far-side attack.
4. Partner drops toward knee — hip-inside far-side K-guard. Shoot hips to the side, foot across, reach under the hip. Swing the leg wide; partner often grips and hangs on — little swings and kicks to get under. Once inverted, partner floats — postural on the leg, good tension. Pull the leg up, off-balance forward, get the leg in front.
5. Can't get hips to the inside — leg-push detour. Grab the inside ankle, pull in, lift to make leg light, shoot foot across to the opposite leg. Now partner's foot on the outside — open out, shoot through, attach to far leg.
6. Partner steps back — false reap. Up on the elbow, deep with the left arm, shoot the leg through, kick under, invert. Toes on the mat, push off, lift partner's leg up, push it through, catch the heel.
7. Partner steps back further — change grip and shoot 50/50. Foot on near hip, shoot over, change to back-of-knee, come in close (armpit close to leg), shoot 50/50 leg up. Drop to 50/50 heel.
8. Transitioning to De La Hiva from this position. Step on the leg — either heel-to-heel grip change, or sit up and reach back of knee (seated transition). Practice for smoothness.
9. Right leg blocked — saddle option. Shoot through to saddle, catch the far leg.
10. Loose spin variant. Spin the head in front of the leg into a K-guard, foot across the hip, come underneath, catch from there.

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14. Inversion entries when partner starts to pass

51:32–55:26 · ▶ Watch

These are later-stage entries — when partner is starting to pass, invert not to recover guard but to get to leg entanglement.

Two inversion entries.

A — Invert under a knee-cut (or near-knee-cut) attempt. If partner steps around toward knee-cut but hasn't dropped their hips, you can invert underneath. Critical: keep partner's hips from dropping low — the gap between hips and mat is what you need.

Sequence: partner passes, hold their hips up. Hand right underneath. Spin yourself head-first — like spinning to north-south. Head between the legs, north-south. Outside leg chops through. Got 50/50. Either spin back to 50/50 or continue the invert to catch the heel.

If hips drop, can't get through the gap. Hold the hips up. Shoot legs through, catch the heel.

B — Invert from a north-south pass attempt. Partner passes toward north-south. This is the well-known guard-retention drill where feet cross over each side of the body, unlock, spin back to retain. But: you can get a K-guard entry off it instead.

Don't spin all the way back. Partner passes to north-south, keep them away with the hands. Get one leg across. Reach for that leg. K-guard entry. Partner is just standing away — if they put pressure in, as the leg comes across, turn — this is the K-guard entry. Pull through, get the foot inside, knee inside partner's knee. K-guard entry, attack.

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Part V — Top-Position Entries

15. Top-position entry overview and the passer's leverage

55:26–57:19 · ▶ Watch

The top-position entries to leg entanglements. Four primary types:

1. Leg drag entry — pulling the leg across, immediate inside heel hook.
2. Back step — step back from a near-pass and lock up the leg lock.
3. Straight ankle sit-down — sit down for a straight ankle, then pass to the heel.
4. Under-the-legs entry — step over the top into position.

Mix them up to keep partner guessing.

The most important precondition. Getting leg locks from the top is difficult unless you are a threatening guard passer. Without a real passing threat, partner just defends — keeps the feet in tight, denies access. If you genuinely threaten to pass, partner's legs come up to defend the pass — and now you have access to them.

If you're known as a leg-locker only, partner can shut this down completely.

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16. Leg drag on retention: chest over thigh, catch the heel

57:19–1:00:00 · ▶ Watch

Two ways to force the leg drag entry: force the leg drag itself, or force the guard pass and catch on the retention. Retention is the higher-percentage way. Both shown, but retention is the default.

The technique. Pull the leg across the hip. Just past your leg is enough.

• Grip the top of the knee with the left hand.
• Get chest over the top of the leg.
• Cover with the hands — in case partner locks feet together or hand-fights, block it.

The arm stops partner from pulling the knee back — if you don't block it, partner pulls the knee back and you lose everything. Block, or jam down over the leg. Make sure partner can't suck the knee free.

Chest up — block hand and foot fight. Chest forward makes hand-fighting and foot-fighting hard.

Catch the heel first. Once the heel is caught, sit down. Forward (nasty) or sideways (in training). False grip. Fall onto your side.

Two leg sequences. Shoot the left leg first or the right leg first, depending on which one partner blocks. Hard for partner to block both. If partner blocks one, the other shoots across. Even if partner gets a foot in, the heel is already caught — bridging still attacks the knee.

Sequence: jam it across, turn — quiet, side-on, now facing partner. Hard to dig the heel cleanly — pinch the chest on the shin, get the leg, catch the heel, drop, shoot through.

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17. Forced leg drag: pin the leg low and step around

1:00:00–1:03:19 · ▶ Watch

A different approach for forcing the leg drag — Lachlan's most common and most successful version.

Reverse the intent. Don't try to pull the leg up; make partner want to pull their own leg up. Put one hand on the hip, the other pins the leg a little wide. Push down and out — get the whole leg flat. At the same time, bring the knee and hip past the leg. Drop the knee to the ground. Hip really low.

Once low, put the knee underneath, step up on this angle. Foot on the outside. Up — knee pinched over the shin. Catch the heel.

Why it works. Threatening from this angle is real. Partner worries about being passed in front, so they want to lift the foot up to recover — which makes this easy.

Compared to the regular pull-the-leg approach: this version keeps the left leg away too, so partner can't reach under your leg and get positioning back.

If partner kicks away with the leg. If kicking isn't done well, pick the leg up, catch the heel. If positioned well, walk backwards and come around. Or come back — if partner tracks, come back for the original leg lock. Bring the knee in, keep this leg pinned and walk past the leg's line. Both legs available to attack. Keep one pinned, walk past until the foot is on the outside of your leg. If partner catches the foot in front, pick the other one up.

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18. Sit-down recovery when partner crosses feet

1:04:05–1:05:45 · ▶ Watch

If partner crosses their feet and the heel can't be dug immediately, sit down and work for the position from there.

The principle: sit first, then put the legs in position — not the other way around.

Common mistake: people step into their position first and lose the knee line. Free the knee line means losing it.

Be tight and drag partner onto you, then get the legs.

Sequence.

• Keep feet quite close.
• Sit butt close.
• Pull back here.

Now even without legs in position yet, partner's knee passes the knee line — the main escape route is gone. Get the leg position from here, work for the finish.

If partner locks the feet: grip what you can, sit down first (pushing down works), don't step over for position, sit close (both feet close, butt close), pull partner in, drag them along the mat. The sit pulls partner toward you — good hip connection.

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19. Back step entry from half-guard (regular and fast variants)

1:05:45–1:10:00 · ▶ Watch

Back step entry — usually gets you to the saddle, but can also enter from there.

Setup — want partner to underhook from half-guard. When back-stepping, make sure your knee is free first. If partner gets an underhook, knee comes free and over the top. Then work for the back step.

Defending positions. Keep the top knee high. With knee high, back-stepping doesn't work directly — partner can do the "Jedi mind trick" and take the back. (Covered more in the half-guard material.)

The timing. Partner can't get up while the foot blocks the hip. To get up they have to start changing the foot position. That's the timing for the back step. If partner is smart, wait for their leg-bump-up motion. If they don't know it's coming, they pinch their knees — easy back step anyway.

The mechanic. Partner puts knee high. Wait for them to pinch the leg to get up. As they bump forward to get the sweep, step back. Hands on the mat (don't get swept immediately). Scissor the legs — push, pull, pulling knees toward chest, particularly the left. Free the knee. Now partner's leg is stuck. Lock feet. Attack belly-down heel hook.

The saddle entry: post on the head, lift the ankle up, dig the heel. Dangling foot — that's the cue for the heel-hook finish.

Sequence. Partner goes for underhook → free knee → wait for partner to drop the leg → step back → pinch nice and tight → lock the triangle. Preferably don't sit back — more defense available to partner with a free leg. Stay forward, head down on the mat on this side, unlock, finish.

Fast back step. Sneaky version: cut the right leg across, don't wait for half-guard. Push the leg back and in a little as you step back and catch the triangle.

Can even jump the right leg forward and land in this position to lock up the legs. From the side: knee cut, swing the left leg back. The main aim — collect that leg and pull it in. Feet locked.

Or from here: shoot the right leg forward, land in the position, catch — already have the far leg trapped. Excellent for the finish.

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20. Straight ankle sit-down and under-the-legs entries to the saddle

1:10:00–1:13:11 · ▶ Watch

Straight ankle sit-down. Grab a straight ankle whenever the chance opens. Forearm sits below the heel — partner can't retract the foot. Hold the knee. Sit back and get legs in position. Probably cross the feet over, look to cross the foot to the far side, dig the heel.

The grip-the-knee detail: grip like a straight ankle, grip the top of the knee, sit down, then shoot the legs. Sit first, then position the legs — not the other way around. Don't try to get legs first. Feet over the top or cross them, feet to leg, catch.

Under-the-legs entry. From a stack pass, drop the shoulders low enough to grip below the knee. Right hand grips below the knee.

Take the left leg across this angle. Keep this tall. Cut the knee across, post on the mat if needed. Slide all the way through — gives the saddle. Stay open here.

Alternatively, shoot the left leg straight through to the outside of the cup. Works if partner is bowled up tight. If the knee is open with the rest bowled up, you can step over too — as long as your hips catch past the knee line, get the finish.

The bait-the-kick variant. Get under the leg here. Shoot in — threatening the leg entanglement on this side. But: kick the leg forward and come up, posting on the head. Wait for partner to try to hook or push with the leg. As they do, lift hips up, back step, collect the saddle.

Sequence: hold under the leg, under the knee with the right hand. Head on the mat in front of the leg. Right leg across. Threatening the leg — if partner does nothing, start going over the top and attack. They kick away to defend — back step and collect.

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21. Linking the top-position techniques

1:13:11–1:16:06 · ▶ Watch

This is the closing recap of the series. Final coaching pass through the top-position entries.

The truth about linking these: most of the linking isn't seamless technique-to-technique. The real link is threatening the pass, and when partner's legs come up to defend, you get the attack. You go for a pass — they feed you the leg.

The recap ladder.

• Leg drag. Pull the leg across — chest-to-thigh connection — hold the knee so partner can't retract — catch the heel.
• Just-catch-the-ankle. Sit and pull partner into you tight. Get the leg position, then finish. (Preferably catch the heel first.)
• Alternative leg drag — knee-on-inside-of-ankle. Sit knee and hip on the inside of the ankle as you pin, then work up, collecting the leg.
• Pinned-leg, other-leg-comes-in defense. If partner brings the other leg in, the push — come around, hold the top of the far knee, catch that leg.
• Back step from knee cut. Knee cut → partner brings the leg down to pinch a half-guard → back step → belly-down attack or pull back.
• Trap leg + over-the-top. With the leg trapped, head down, attack — can go over the top.
• Under-the-leg → knee across hip → saddle/outside Sankaku. Knee across the hip, sit through, come through to the saddle and outside Sankaku.
• Under-the-leg → bait the kick → back step. Get under, head down on the mat. Partner kicks away. Swing the right leg back, catch the leg in the saddle. Basically a back step from that position.
• Straight ankle entry. Sit down. From a Z-guard turn-around for example. Z-guard → grab the knee → drop the hip → shoot the leg across, lock the feet, feed the leg across into 50/50.