Guard Retention, Pin escapes, clamp guard
If you train jiu-jitsu long enough, you realize two truths:
Everyone thinks they have good guard retention… until they don’t.
You will get passed — but that doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck.
In our latest free instructional on YouTube, Luke Martin walks you through a structured approach to guard retention, side control escapes, and how to turn a bad spot into an omoplata sweep that lands you on top.
You don’t need a Sydney West Online membership to watch this one — just hit play.
🔁 GUARD RETENTION: KEEP YOUR FEET BETWEEN YOU AND THE BAD GUY
We kick things off with fundamental guard retention concepts:
How to track your opponent with both your legs and hands
When to use inside vs outside leg frames
Why your feet are like a second set of hands
And how to stay square even when your opponent creates an angle
This section is gold for beginners and a great reminder for experienced grapplers: retention isn’t reactive — it’s layered structure.
🧱 SIDE CONTROL ESCAPES: FRAME, PROP, RECOVER
Next, Luke breaks down incremental side control escapes, including:
Self-framing and hand positioning to prevent deep pins
Marcelo Garcia–style elbow props and hip escapes
A lesser-known elbow pass escape that resets the fight and gets you back to guard before the pin is fully locked in
It’s practical, repeatable, and designed for real-life rolls — not just theory.
🧲 CLAMP GUARD → OMOPLATA SWEEP
Once you've escaped and re-guarded, the lesson goes deeper — showing how to use clamp guard to isolate an arm and threaten the omoplata.
Luke covers:
Proper angle, posture, and control to keep the omoplata tight
What to expect from common opponent reactions
How to use the omoplata for a clean sweep and land in a dominant top position
“We’re not teaching omoplata just to submit — we’re using it to sweep and win back the fight.” – Luke Martin
📚 WHY THIS VIDEO MATTERS
This class teaches one of the most important ideas in jiu-jitsu:
Even if you lose the first exchange, you don’t have to lose the match.
You’ll learn how to stay in the fight — guard > retention > escape > counter-sweep — using structure and timing, not athleticism or explosiveness.
💻 Watch, Drill, Improve
📺 Click here to watch the full class on YouTube
📌 Free for all. No login. No paywall. Just clean technique.
📩 Drop a comment and let us know what part helped your game the most.
Want more?
👉 Become a SydneyWestOnline.com member for the full curriculum.