Russian Leg Lasso Bottom represents one of the most technically sophisticated open guard positions in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, offering the guard player exceptional control and offensive potential through a complex system of grips, leg positioning, and mechanical advantages. From the bottom position, the practitioner establishes a deep lasso configuration by threading their leg through the opponent’s arm, creating a binding effect that serves as the foundation for all subsequent offensive and defensive actions. What distinguishes the Russian variation from standard lasso guard is the incorporation of additional control points - typically involving strategic collar grips, precise sleeve control, and supplementary leg positioning that creates a web of controls difficult for opponents to escape. The mechanical principle underlying this position is elegant yet powerful: the lasso creates a fulcrum point around which the guard player can generate rotational force, while the collar and sleeve grips provide the means to control the opponent’s posture and break their base. Success in this position requires coordinating multiple elements simultaneously - maintaining proper distance to prevent the opponent from establishing pressure, managing grip configurations to maximize control while preserving energy, and recognizing opportunities to transition between sweeps and submissions based on the opponent’s defensive reactions. The position offers multiple offensive pathways including powerful rotational sweeps, overhead sweep variations, and submission entries into triangles, omoplatas, and armbars. However, this offensive potential comes with energy cost considerations - maintaining the Russian Leg Lasso requires active engagement and can be fatiguing if held too long without transitioning to attacks. Elite practitioners understand that this guard works best as part of a dynamic open guard system, transitioning fluidly between Russian Leg Lasso and complementary positions like De La Riva Guard, Spider Guard, or Collar Sleeve combinations based on opponent reactions. The technical sophistication required makes this an advanced position, but for practitioners who master its mechanics, it becomes a powerful tool for controlling opponents who have developed defenses against simpler guard systems.
Position Definition
- Guard player on their back with one leg threaded through opponent’s arm creating the lasso configuration, with the foot positioned near or past the opponent’s shoulder to maximize binding effect and prevent easy extraction
- Collar grip maintained with the hand opposite to the lasso leg, providing crucial posture control that prevents opponent from establishing upright pressure passing positions and enables breaking of opponent’s base for sweep entries
- Sleeve grip on the lasso-side arm controlling opponent’s trapped limb, preventing them from creating proper angles for lasso escape and amplifying the rotational force generated by the lasso mechanism itself
- Non-lasso leg positioned strategically either as De La Riva hook, butterfly hook, shin-to-shin contact, or extended for distance management, creating secondary control point that prevents opponent from circling away from lasso
- Hips positioned at proper distance from opponent - close enough to maintain grip effectiveness but far enough to prevent opponent from establishing smash passing pressure that negates the lasso’s mechanical advantages
Prerequisites
- Opponent standing or in combat base with one arm exposed for lasso entry
- Guard player has established or can immediately secure collar and sleeve grip combination
- Sufficient space and angle to thread leg through opponent’s arm for lasso creation
- Opponent has not yet established dominant passing grips or pressure that would prevent lasso setup
- Guard player has broken opponent’s initial passing posture or maintained open guard positioning
Key Defensive Principles
- Lasso effectiveness depends on creating and maintaining proper angle with leg positioned high and tight to maximize binding effect on opponent’s arm
- Collar grip controls opponent’s posture and provides the lever through which rotational sweeps generate force and break opponent’s base
- Non-lasso leg must remain active and positioned to prevent opponent from circling away or establishing alternative passing angles
- Distance management is critical - too close allows opponent to pressure pass, too far loses grip effectiveness and lasso control
- Recognize that Russian Leg Lasso is energy-intensive and works best when transitioning actively between sweep attempts and submission entries
- Hip movement and adjustment are essential for maintaining optimal lasso angle as opponent attempts to defend or change position
- Grip fighting must be dynamic - when opponent attacks sleeve grip, immediately transition to alternative attacks rather than purely defending grip
Available Escapes
Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Triangle Setup → Triangle Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Omoplata Sweep → Omoplata Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 28%
- Intermediate: 43%
- Advanced: 58%
De La Riva Sweep → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 32%
- Intermediate: 47%
- Advanced: 62%
Lasso Guard Sweeps → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Armbar from Guard → Armbar Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Back Take Generic → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains distance and attempts to break collar grip:
- Execute Triangle Setup → Triangle Control (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount (Probability: 40%)
If opponent drives forward with pressure attempting to smash pass:
- Execute Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Omoplata Sweep → Omoplata Control (Probability: 45%)
If opponent circles away from lasso attempting to disengage:
- Execute Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount (Probability: 50%)
- Execute De La Riva Sweep → Back Control (Probability: 45%)
If opponent establishes strong base and begins systematic grip breaking:
- Execute Guard Pull → Closed Guard (Probability: 40%)
- Execute Transition to Omoplata → Omoplata Control (Probability: 35%)
Escape and Survival Paths
Direct triangle from lasso
Russian Leg Lasso Bottom → Triangle Setup → Triangle Control → Triangle Choke
Omoplata sweep to back attack
Russian Leg Lasso Bottom → Omoplata Sweep → Back Take Generic → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke
Sweep to mount armbar
Russian Leg Lasso Bottom → Lasso Guard Sweeps → Mount → Armbar from Mount
De La Riva combination to back
Russian Leg Lasso Bottom → De La Riva Sweep → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 35% | 40% | 25% |
| Intermediate | 50% | 55% | 40% |
| Advanced | 65% | 70% | 55% |
Average Time in Position: 30-60 seconds before transition
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The Russian Leg Lasso represents a fascinating evolution in open guard technology, taking the already effective mechanical principles of lasso guard and augmenting them with additional control layers that create compounding defensive and offensive advantages. The fundamental principle you must understand is that the lasso itself functions as a mechanical pulley - your leg threaded through the opponent’s arm creates a fulcrum point around which you can generate rotational force far exceeding what pure strength would allow. What makes the Russian variation superior to standard lasso is the strategic addition of collar control which gives you the ability to break the opponent’s posture precisely when you need it for sweep entries, and the deliberate positioning of your non-lasso leg which prevents the circling escape that defeats simpler lasso configurations. However, this position’s effectiveness comes with a critical caveat - it is energy intensive and time limited. You cannot hold static Russian Leg Lasso and expect sustained success against elite opponents. Instead, you must view it as a dynamic launching platform, establishing the position and immediately transitioning through your offensive sequence: sweep attempts, submission entries, and alternative guard variations. The position works best when you create what I call a ‘technical dilemma’ - if the opponent defends your sweep by maintaining strong base, this creates the posture and positioning ideal for triangle or omoplata entries. Conversely, if they prevent submissions by staying tight and heavy, they compromise their base making sweeps highly effective. Your task is recognizing which door they’ve closed and immediately attacking through the one they’ve opened.
Gordon Ryan
Russian Leg Lasso is one of those guards that can really frustrate passers if you know how to use it right, but I’ll be honest - it’s not one of my primary guards because it requires specific gi grip configurations that aren’t always available in the highest-level no-gi competition. That said, in gi competition it’s extremely effective, especially against opponents who have good passing fundamentals but haven’t specifically trained against modern lasso variations. The key thing I learned from using this guard is that your success rate is directly tied to how quickly you attack - if you establish the lasso and immediately hit them with a sweep attempt or triangle setup, they’re usually not ready and you get high success rates. But if you take even three or four seconds to settle into the position, good passers will start their systematic escape and then you’re fighting an uphill battle trying to maintain controls while they’re breaking your grips. When I use Russian Leg Lasso, I’m usually coming into it from collar-sleeve or spider guard, and I’m already thinking two moves ahead - I know that if my first sweep doesn’t finish, I’m transitioning to omoplata or triangle immediately based on how they defend. The grip fighting aspect is crucial - you absolutely must maintain that collar grip because without it, the whole system loses probably 60-70% of its effectiveness. If someone’s attacking my collar grip hard, I’ll often just transition to different guard rather than burning energy fighting for a grip I’m going to lose anyway. The other thing is your non-lasso leg has to be active and engaged - I see a lot of people establish the lasso but then their other leg just kind of sits there doing nothing, and any competent passer will just walk around that side and pass easily.
Eddie Bravo
Russian Leg Lasso is some seriously technical stuff, man - it’s like they took regular lasso guard and added a bunch of upgrades to make it even more annoying for the top guy. In 10th Planet we’ve definitely integrated elements of this into our guard systems, especially for guys who compete in gi tournaments, because it creates this really complex problem for passers where they’ve got multiple things to deal with simultaneously. The thing I love about this guard is how it creates options - you’ve got sweeps, you’ve got triangles, you’ve got omoplatas, and all of them are setting each other up. It’s like a web where the opponent is stuck and every direction they try to escape just leads them into another trap. Now, where I think a lot of people mess up with Russian Leg Lasso is they treat it like a destination instead of a gas station - you know what I mean? They get to the position and then they just chill there like ‘okay, I’ve got lasso guard’ but that’s not how it works. You gotta be attacking constantly, flowing between threats, making them react so you can counter their reactions. In our system we teach it as part of a larger guard retention framework where you’re combining it with rubber guard concepts, lockdown ideas, and electric chair setups. The lasso becomes one tool in a bigger toolbox. One variation we mess around with is using the lasso to set up twister side control - if they defend your sweeps by basing hard on one side, you can sometimes catch that leg and transition into truck positions. It’s unorthodox but it works if you time it right. The main thing with any of these gi-dependent guards is recognizing that they’re energy intensive, so you gotta be strategic about when you use them and how long you maintain the position before transitioning to something else.