I liked these spider guard sequences very much. Because I have short legs, it’s sometimes hard for me to close my guard around big guys. Spider guard seems like a good option for me.

Spider guard sweep to bicep crank

1. Establish sleeve control
2. Hip out while pointing toes to side
3. Carve knee across chest and plant foot on opponent’s hip
4. Plant other foot on opponent’s other hip
5. Bring right foot over opponent’s arm and secure hook in opponent’s armpit
6. Pull elbow tight to your belt
7. Plant left foot on opponent’s bicep
8. Pull opp down to left
9. As opp tries to posture up, extend left leg and pull opp diagonally over head
10. End up with left leg behind you and right leg hooked in crook of opponent’s arm
11. Lean foward to finish bicep crank

Spider guard sweep to arm bar variation

1. Unhook right foot and swing around in big circle underneath opponent’s base
2. Pull opp diagonally over head
3. End up with left leg over opp’ s chest and right leg behind you
4. Lean towards opponent’s knees and swing right leg across opponent’s chest to secure arm bar

Fun guard drill
This was fun but tricky. I kept flopping over on my side.

1. In guard with opponent’s hand on gi
2. Cross grip opponent’s sleeve and with other hand grab pant leg
3. Hip out and point toes toward arm
4. Swing leg around as though going for arm bar
5. But shoulder roll so you have opponent’s arm between your legs
6. Don’t release grips
7. Swing back around into Omo Plata or Triangle

Standing Guard pass

1. Duck under head
2. Plant hand in collar choke armpit and push down to posture up
3. Grab both lapels with right and plant left on opponent’s hip with elbow tight to body
4. In a coordinated movement:
   1. Step up with right
   2. Step out with left
   3. push down on stomach with right hand
5. pry open leg with with left elbow
6. Then swim hands inside to stacked guard and pass as described on 10/15
7. Remember when you put hips down to mat, look up and opponent’s leg will flop over

Starting a lawnmower pass variation

1. Opponent hooks your right leg
2. Drive your right knee into opponent’s chest
3. Reach up with right while driving hips forward
4. Control opponent’s right leg with your hand
5. Sprawl down into hip heavy position with arm under opponent’s head

Double leg take down
Here are some pointers for the double

• Step out with right
• Step across with left
• Don’t lock hands
• Hands on back of elbows
• Shuffle sideways while pushing with your head

Sweep from guard
I saw Renzo Gracie demonstrate a no-gi version of this sweep on IFL.

1. You start out with your opponent pinning you by your biceps
2. Reach over head and swim underneath
3. Shoot arm straight up and grab back of neck
4. Point toes away from active arm
5. With opponent’s elbow gripped
6. Drop knee to ground in direction of toe point
7. Turn on shoulder so torso is perpendicular to ground
8. Carve knee across opponent’s chest and plant high at shoulder joint (so leg doesn’t get pinned)
9. Hook foot strong at belt line
10. Sweep by touching nose to floor. Don’t release belt line hook

Arm Bar variation

1. You can’t get sweep from above because opp postures up.
2. Replant left thigh on opponent’s thigh
3. Lift right leg up into opponent’s armpit with toe straight up
4. Launch off left thigh and point toes to right
5. Swing leg around and over opponent’s head
6. Drive heels to ground with opponent’s arm trapped

Arm drag over-the-shoulder throw

1. Opp has established collar and sleeve grip
2. Reach under opponent’s collar grip arm and grab his collar high at neck
3. Roll shoulder to posture opp down
4. Break sleeve grip with knee and return foot to same position
5. Pull your own collar and turn away to break opponent’s collar grip
6. Switch feet so your feet are in front of opponent’s feet
7. Without releasing opponent’s collar, shoot free hand high into opponent’s armpit
8. Drop to knees and throw opp over shoulders
9. Posture up while controlling opponent’s arm

Standing guard pass

1. In opponent’s guard and he has a cross-collar grip
2. Duck head under opponent’s arm so forearm is on the outside
3. Push biceps down and posture up. If necessary dig blades of hands into tendons at opponent’s armpits
4. Grab both collars with one hand and hip of pants with other
5. Keep pants side elbow close to body and pressed against opponent’s thighs so you can counter a triangle
6. Step high up with collar side foot
7. Step out and away with pants side foot while prying away opponent’s leg
8. Dip both hands down and inside opponent’s thighs
9. Drive forward to stack opp
10. Secure a cross-collar grab and hoist opponent’s knee next to your ear
11. With other hand reach under to grab opponent’s lower back
12. Step around towards the collar grab arm maintaining downward pressure
13. Drop hips to ground and continue driving perpendicular to opp
14. Lift head so opponent’s leg flops past your face
15. Secure side mount

These throws depend on collar control. Shawn emphasized that you must always have your foot forward on the same side as your collar grab. On the way home I puzzled over this for a while, and I can’t figure out why this is desirable. I have to remember to ask at the next class.

Collar throw to mount
When we were drilling this move, my partner had a deer-in-the-headlights look. I must have outweighed him by twenty pounds and the extra weight really worked to my advantage with this throw.

1. Grab collar and elbow
2. Step between opponent’s feet with left foot
3. Plant right foot on opponent’s hip while pulling him down
4. Use left foot to hook opponent’s inner leg
5. Throw over head and land in mount

Corkscrew drag to mount
I need to practice this one more. I kept getting tangled up in the legs and losing my balance.

1. Cross-collar grab and open kimono
2. Switch collar hands to secure collar and elbow
3. Pull opponent square to you
4. Hook lead leg down and around on elbow side
5. Hang heavy on collar
6. Overhook leg on collar side
7. Rotate down and around to mount