Lucas Leite: halfguard

Any instructionals or books by Lucas?

I always recommend his half guard to people who want to play half guard, and today someone asked me if he had any videos 0_o

No DVD or book but a few YouTube videos by him and loads from other people showing his basic couple half guard sweeps. The knee torque is a huge part of his basic sequence that he doesn't explicitly mention but should be notes. Technique is basic but his perseverance and timing is awesome - eg recently at no GI worlds at spriggs

Lucas:

Issue #3 JiuJitsu Magazine - Pulling Half Guard: http://youtu.be/M_k_zElz4aU
Issue #3 JiuJitsu Magazine - Under Pressure: http://youtu.be/sdLGymM1F7U Phone Post 3.0

*against spriggs Phone Post 3.0

Ttt Phone Post 3.0

Thanks

Has anyone been able to successfully replicate it?

Man I been training with Lucas for Close to 7 years and that 1/2 guard is still deadly! His timing and feel is so unique. I know what's coming and still get swept or my back taken.

Replicaitng it is more about feel than the moves themselves. Still can't do it!

With that being said, we have a brown belt here who is getting pretty close :) 

SELVABJJ - 


Man I been training with Lucas for Close to 7 years and that 1/2 guard is still deadly! His timing and feel is so unique. I know what's coming and still get swept or my back taken.



Replicaitng it is more about feel than the moves themselves. Still can't do it!



With that being said, we have a brown belt here who is getting pretty close :) 


Any subtle details you'd be willing to share?

I am no Lucas, but here is a vid I made a little while back. If you watch the whole series, I show different elements of the knee torque.  

http://www.refinethebasics.com/2013/11/not-so-basic-half-guard/

. Phone Post 3.0

Later Phone Post 3.0

. Phone Post 3.0

In for 1/2 guard knowledge Phone Post 3.0

Nice video Rylan, though the thought of twisting knees like that in half guard makes me wince, especially as I've had training partners end up injured from exactly that twisting pressure that gets used in the first sweep on your video.

I did a private with Lucas a couple of years ago and the key thing that stuck out for me with his half guard was when hooking the trapped foot with your outside foot, that when you drag their foot/heel (creating that knee twist), that the opponent's hips change direction - they no longer face you or straight ahead, but now face away from you. If I can get that change of hip direction, then I'm golden.

James

Rylan's video is great.

I notice Lucas doesn't really do the more explosive single legs from half guard, or the kind that Bernardo Faria does.

Do you guys find Lucas' way to be less energy expending? Does it work better or worse against wrestlers?

One thing I don't understand about Lucas..., when he gets to his knees for the hg sweep, and the opponent starts to stand, he underhooks the far leg.  You can see it when he fought Tim Spriggs.  It seems like underhooking the far leg would make it more difficult to finish the sweep/td.  Can someone give an explanation of why this is more efficient?

Lucas would kill me lol.

The harder you smash the worse it gets.

The only person I have seen consistently pass his guard and control him is Marcel Louzado.

Muffinho - Rylan's video is great.

I notice Lucas doesn't really do the more explosive single legs from half guard, or the kind that Bernardo Faria does.

Do you guys find Lucas' way to be less energy expending? Does it work better or worse against wrestlers?


IMHO it would be more difficult to finish by standing and going after the single leg like Faria or Romulo does. In their case the opponents knee is facing more towards you. In Lucas' case the knee is facing away and the leg is bent so the opponent could try to push your head down/away and escape his foot as he turns away from you. He needs to keep the opponents hip tight so he doesn't lose the position.



The other thing is that due to using his outside leg, he's in a good position to get to side control on the sweep rather than the opponent's guard.

Meatgrinder - 
Muffinho - Rylan's video is great.

I notice Lucas doesn't really do the more explosive single legs from half guard, or the kind that Bernardo Faria does.

Do you guys find Lucas' way to be less energy expending? Does it work better or worse against wrestlers?


IMHO it would be more difficult to finish by standing and going after the single leg like Faria or Romulo does. In their case the opponents knee is facing more towards you. In Lucas' case the knee is facing away and the leg is bent so the opponent could try to push your head down/away and escape his foot as he turns away from you. He needs to keep the opponents hip tight so he doesn't lose the position.



The other thing is that due to using his outside leg, he's in a good position to get to side control on the sweep rather than the opponent's guard.


Yeah I find when I do the sweep how Lucas does it, it is very easy to finish in the smash pass position and finish the pass. Sometimes the bernardo way has me ending up in closed guard or half guard.

I do a single from sit up guard (DLR like Cobrinha) and I also find that puts me in a great passing position, but I want to learn Lucas' way.

His match against Spriggs was amazing. Watching the stream live you knew what was coming and were able to just watch him execute in almost slow motion.

Sir Taps - Nice video Rylan, though the thought of twisting knees like that in half guard makes me wince, especially as I've had training partners end up injured from exactly that twisting pressure that gets used in the first sweep on your video.

I did a private with Lucas a couple of years ago and the key thing that stuck out for me with his half guard was when hooking the trapped foot with your outside foot, that when you drag their foot/heel (creating that knee twist), that the opponent's hips change direction - they no longer face you or straight ahead, but now face away from you. If I can get that change of hip direction, then I'm golden.

James

Yeah, I do know other instructors that feel the same way- that you are putting unnecessary torque on your training partners knee just for a sweep.

I can see how it doesnt matter as much when you are competing, but just against your own friends in the academy?

- When you did a private with Lucas, did he do his half guard on you, and did you feel a ton of knee torque as well?