2 Part Technique - It can be easy to secure Half Guard, yet difficult to pass the position if the opponent uses a Lock Down Half Guard. Immediately use the Under Hook and Head Control to prevent him from going underneath you for the sw...

2 Part Technique - Immediately counter the lockdown by forcing your heel upwards, swiping your foot away by twisting your hips, and switching your hips again to bring your foot close. Pummel for the Over Under Control Pass vs Half Guar...

2 Part Technique - Sometimes your opponent will hook your ankle with his foot while he holds onto a figure-four half guard, preventing you from sliding your knee through for the pass. Countering this lock is a matter of analyzing which...

2 Part Technique - Marcelo prefers not to submit with an arm-in Guillotine, but he will use this headlock position to pass an opponent's half guard on his right-hand side. Extend his body with the hold to make space by his hip, and cli...

2 Part Technique - Marcelo's Over/Under Pass versus Half Guard consists of a few, important details; firstly, one must establish an underhook, gripping onto the gi, but distribute his shoulder-weight through the side of the overhook, a...

3 Part Lesson - Marcelo explains the moment to retract your legs from oncoming danger.

2 Part Lesson — Marcelo uses a Sumo-esque technique to avert Deep Half: [I] Sprawl your leg back when your opponent reaches for your outside leg in Half Guard for a transition to the Deep Half Guard. The key to pummeling back either an...

2 Part Lesson - Marcelo explains how to Hand Fight in Half Guard against your opponent's reach towards an Under Hook. Posting, pushing, and pummeling for space, while sprawling away keeps you positioned to own Half Guard.

2 Part Lesson — Marcelo finds a pass against a Deep Half Guard Pull: [I] If your opponent launches underneath your base and collects your hips in a Deep Single Leg Half Guard (aka Deep-Shallow, Gordo-Half, et al.), push yourself backwa...

2 Part Technique - Recognize the opponent's Deep Half Guard intentions and sprawl away to counter. If the opponent enters Deep Half, sit over and control his upper body with an Under Hook to win the position. As the opponent uses his H...

5 Part Lesson — Marcelo gets himself out of trouble and resets from a bad imposition: [I] You want to give yourself the option of breaking out of your opponent's guard for many reasons; perhaps, you're not ready to attack, or you're st...

2 Part Lesson — Marcelo reiterates his prophylactic approach toward defending leglocks: [I] If your opponent attacks your leg from underneath the Knee-On-Belly Position, try sprawling your leg laterally until his loses his grip around ...

2 Part Lesson — Marcelo bypasses the Lockdown: [I] If your opponent looks to entangle your leg inside of his Half Guard with the Nijugarami or Lockdown, immediately draw your heel away from his feet to avoid the grapevine. If it is loc...