{"slug":"lapel-guard","name":"Lapel Guard","aliases":["worm guard","lapel lasso","squid guard"],"category":"guard","format":"gi","level":"advanced","summary":"A family of gi guards that routes a lapel around the legs or hips to create unusually strong control for sweeps and back takes.","overview":["Lapel guard is an umbrella for systems that feed a jacket tail around one or both athletes' legs. The cloth becomes a long-distance connection that can limit the passer's rotation, anchor the guard player's hips, and create leverage beyond ordinary sleeve or collar grips.","Well-known expressions include worm guard, reverse De La Worm, squid guard, and lapel-assisted 50/50. The family rewards methodical setup and grip literacy, but can become vulnerable if the player focuses on the cloth while losing head, knee, or hip position."],"keyPrinciples":["Secure the lapel path without surrendering basic guard retention.","Use the cloth to control hip rotation, not merely to hold an ankle.","Keep track of which leg is inside the lapel loop.","Have a sweep or back-take direction before investing in a complex wrap."],"entries":[{"label":"De La Riva","description":"Feed the lapel around the controlled lead leg while preserving the outside hook."},{"label":"Seated guard","description":"Collect the jacket tail and route it as the passer steps into range."},{"label":"50/50","description":"Add a lapel connection to stabilize the mutual leg entanglement."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Worm-guard sweep","description":"Use the lapel to rotate the passer's hip away from their available posts."},{"label":"Back take","description":"Follow the trapped hip as the opponent turns to relieve pressure."},{"label":"Leg drag","description":"Come on top while keeping the lapel connection and redirecting the legs."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Early lapel control","description":"Keep your jacket tail managed before the guard player completes a wrap."},{"label":"Trace the loop","description":"Identify the actual controlling segment before pulling against the grip."},{"label":"Recover hip alignment","description":"Square the hips and free the knee line before driving forward."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["de-la-riva-guard","fifty-fifty","berimbolo","leg-drag-pass"],"athleteSlugs":["keenan-cornelius","diego-pato","levi-jones-leary","gutemberg-pereira"],"rulesetNote":"Scoring and permitted grips vary by promotion and division. Check the current organizer rules before competing.","historyNote":"Keenan Cornelius became strongly associated with the modern worm-guard family, while many competitors have since developed distinct lapel systems.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/lapel-guard","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/lapel-guard.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/lapel-guard","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"de-la-riva-guard","name":"De La Riva Guard","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/de-la-riva-guard"},{"slug":"fifty-fifty","name":"50/50 Guard","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/fifty-fifty"},{"slug":"berimbolo","name":"Berimbolo","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/berimbolo"},{"slug":"leg-drag-pass","name":"Leg-Drag Pass","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/leg-drag-pass"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"keenan-cornelius","name":"Keenan Cornelius","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/keenan-cornelius"},{"slug":"diego-pato","name":"Diego Pato","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/diego-pato"},{"slug":"levi-jones-leary","name":"Levi Jones-Leary","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/levi-jones-leary"},{"slug":"gutemberg-pereira","name":"Gutemberg Pereira","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/gutemberg-pereira"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}