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Lapel Guard: What Stops the Entry

Guard SystemAdvanced

20 related references (techniques and positions)

A guard player can hold a lapel and still lack enough loose fabric to form the intended entanglement. Jiu Jitsu X’s article featuring Keenan Cornelius explains that distinction from the passer’s side. It also covers approaches outside the legs and foot control, showing how a passer can obstruct the setup before a lapel guard develops.

Is this for you?

• You obtain a lapel grip but struggle to establish the guard around it.

Also consider

Jonathan Thomas: Double Sleeve Guard — For a full gi guard course built around fabric control, Thomas develops double-sleeve, lasso and spider attacks.

Coverage and limits

• Lapel slack and length as entry requirements.
• Outside-the-legs approaches and foot control as obstacles to establishing lapel guard.

Limits

• The source focuses on denying entries. It does not provide a full worm- or squid-guard attacking curriculum.

Related guides and principles

These related references are not a claim about what the course teaches or evidence of practical mastery.

Grips

Collar Control

Defensive Concepts

Hand Fighting

Connection Principles

Posture

Position Chains

Kuzushi

Roger Gracie’s Closed Guard

Understanding Guard Changes

Jonathan Thomas: Double Sleeve Guard — A gi guard alternative organized around sleeve control and lasso/spider branches.

Review related technique cards

• Worm Guard (Position)

• Squid Guard (Position)

• Lapel Guard (Position)

• Collar Sleeve Guard (Position)

• Spider Guard (Position)

• De La Riva Guard (Position)

• X-Guard (Position)

• Single Leg X-Guard (Position)

• Back Control (Position)

• Lasso Guard (Position)

• Collar Drag (Transition)

• Berimbolo Entry (Transition)

• Triangle Setup (Transition)

• Omoplata Sweep (Transition)

• Guard Pull (Transition)

• Lasso Guard Pass (Transition)

• Back Take (Transition)

• Triangle to Back (Transition)

• Triangle Choke (Submission)

• Omoplata (Submission)

Sources Expand for evidence and notes

Independent BJJGraph guide. Not authored or endorsed by the instructor.

How To Pass Lapel Guards: Keenan Finally Comes Clean — Cristiano Del Giacco — public instruction; checked 2026-09-16. Read the public Jiu Jitsu X article presenting Keenan Cornelius’s lapel-denial concepts: available lapel slack, outside positioning and the calamari grip. Embedded demonstrations not reviewed.

Double Sleeve Guard by Jonathan Thomas — official listing; checked 2026-09-16. Verified basic control, De La Riva, lasso/spider defenses, Spider-X and opponent-posture sections. Listing inspected; course video content not reviewed.