What is Lachlan Giles Body Lock Passing System?
The Lachlan Giles Body Lock Passing System connects torso control, hip restriction, knee clearance, and final leg extraction into a close-range route through the guard.
Body-lock passing makes it useful to separate holding the opponent from clearing the legs. A tight connection can still stall if the near knee remains between you. This study plan asks you to identify the first barrier in each exchange, work on that barrier, and continue until the final leg is free.
The Body Lock Pass by Lachlan Giles is the matched instructional. The course organizes body-lock entries, pinning, knee clearance, and finishing, with narrated sparring to show those stages in context. The drills, sequence, and assessment criteria below are an original BJJGraph study plan; use them to organize practice alongside the course and feedback from a coach.
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The Body Lock Pass
with Lachlan Giles
Who it suits: No-gi players who prefer close contact and want a staged passing project. This page focuses on the main pass rather than the course's closed-guard opening material.
The course organizes body-lock entries, pinning, knee clearance, and finishing, with narrated sparring to show those stages in context.
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Core Principles
- Check whether the hips are controlled before trying to clear a knee.
- Distinguish the near-knee barrier from the final trapped leg.
- Keep a usable base as the defender tries to elevate or turn.
- Rebuild the connection when a grip change opens space.
- Finish each practice pass with a defined control objective.
Key Components
Torso connection (Separate reaching the opponent from establishing useful control.) Begin with the defender seated and work only to a coach-checked body lock, then pause to test whether the hips can freely turn.
Near-knee barrier (Make the first leg-clearing task observable.) Start with the grip already established and let the defender preserve one knee between you; work on clearing that single barrier.
Final-leg extraction (Avoid treating partial clearance as a completed pass.) Begin just beyond the near knee and continue until the remaining leg is free or the defender recovers guard.
Control after clearance (Connect the passing finish to stable top control.) Once both legs are free, let the defender attempt one immediate frame-and-hip recovery before resetting.
Implementation Sequence
- Torso connection: BJJGraph study task: Begin with the defender seated and work only to a coach-checked body lock, then pause to test whether the hips can freely turn. Key points:
- Separate reaching the opponent from establishing useful control.
- Near-knee barrier: BJJGraph study task: Start with the grip already established and let the defender preserve one knee between you; work on clearing that single barrier. Key points:
- Make the first leg-clearing task observable.
- Final-leg extraction: BJJGraph study task: Begin just beyond the near knee and continue until the remaining leg is free or the defender recovers guard. Key points:
- Avoid treating partial clearance as a completed pass.
- Control after clearance: BJJGraph study task: Once both legs are free, let the defender attempt one immediate frame-and-hip recovery before resetting. Key points:
- Connect the passing finish to stable top control.
- Connect and review: Link the first two practiced tasks in a constrained round, then add the next stage only when both partners can identify the cue and stopping condition. Record the earliest control failure and return to that stage for the next set.
Where to begin in the instructional
Study the entry and pinning material first, then knee clearance and finishing; use the narrated rounds to identify where a stage changes.
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How to Measure Your Progress
Torso connection: Separate reaching the opponent from establishing useful control. Proficiency indicators:
- Can describe the starting condition for torso connection.
- Recognizes the agreed defensive response without prompting.
- Can identify where the task broke down and select a relevant reset.
Near-knee barrier: Make the first leg-clearing task observable. Proficiency indicators:
- Can describe the starting condition for near-knee barrier.
- Recognizes the agreed defensive response without prompting.
- Can identify where the task broke down and select a relevant reset.
Final-leg extraction: Avoid treating partial clearance as a completed pass. Proficiency indicators:
- Can describe the starting condition for final-leg extraction.
- Recognizes the agreed defensive response without prompting.
- Can identify where the task broke down and select a relevant reset.
Control after clearance: Connect the passing finish to stable top control. Proficiency indicators:
- Can describe the starting condition for control after clearance.
- Recognizes the agreed defensive response without prompting.
- Can identify where the task broke down and select a relevant reset.
Take one idea into your next session
BJJGraph practice suggestion: Begin with the defender seated and work only to a coach-checked body lock, then pause to test whether the hips can freely turn. Then connect it to near-knee barrier. Compare the first lost control point after each round.
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Check the sample and current price on BJJ Fanatics: The Body Lock Pass →