Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escapes and Guard Defense

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escapes and Guard Defense

Half Guard: In the first position of the instructional video, Master Marcus Vinicius Di Lucia and his son, Vinny Di Lucia, break down the basic concepts of half guard detailing proper body placement to defend against an opponent’s pressure and to execute sweeps. They first show basic sweeps from the knee shield, half guard to x guard sweeps, variations from different sleeve grips and lapel control, then ending with a back take showing various submission finishes.

Escapes from Side Control: Vinny shows proper defense from this position to prevent being smashed with pressure or being put in the knee on the belly or mount. The first set of escapes starts with an inside underhook, bridging, and elbow escape going to either recover guard, back take, or takedowns. He then shows submissions and more escapes depending on how the opponent is holding side control and counters for when the opponent reacts to your movements during escape attempts.

Mount Escapes: They start off with a bridge and roll from a basic mount, push away when in a low mount, and elbow escaping to recover guard. Vinny also shows how to escape different types of mounts, like technical mount or high mounts, and then finishes with escapes from the north-south position.

Guard Defense: Master Di Lucia explains that you must always be defensive, thinking a move ahead of your opponent, and always be defending and ready to react in guard. He shows different recoveries, sweeps, and submissions off an opponent’s guard, passing attempts from different types of guards.

About the instructors:

Marcus Vinicius Di Lucia started training in Judo at the age of five. He won several titles, such as State, National, and International Championships. At the age of 17, he started to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Marcus received a black belt in Judo in 1986 from Master Alfredo Dornelles. He also received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1992 from Grand Master Francisco Mansur. He is presently a 6th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the owner of The Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club (https://www.bhjjc.com/).

Vinny Di Lucia grew up training Judo and Jiu Jitsu with his father, Master Marcus Vinicius Di Lucia. He also got a chance to train with all of the Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club instructors, picking up multiple disciplines such as Muay Thai, Wrestling, Krav Maga, and Mixed Martial Arts. He is a 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and frequently teaches classes and seminars.