Well, that didn’t take long! It’s barely a month after ADCC and a brand new and highly improved Lachlan Giles leglocks DVD is already out and about! I guess everyone’s new favorite Aussie grappler knew what he was going to do long before doing his heroics at the 2019 ADCC. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining at all at yet another leglocks instructional of the highest level. In fact, I was really looking forward to this review, mostly because this DVD only goes over just one position for leg locking: 50/50. Whether you call it a guard, or an Ashi Garami, I is undebatable that this position offers some of the nastiest heel hooks you can get in the entire sport of Jiu-Jitsu. So, much to my personal content, today’s review is all about the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 BJJ DVD. Enjoy!
People in Brazilan Jiu-Jitsu always love it when a David vs. Goliath story takes place. When that story involves three mammoth Goliaths, though, you can bet all of the community’s attention is turned towards “David”. Thow in leg lock submissions as our David’s proverbial sling and you’ve got a real show. And that’s exactly what th Australian David, in the form of black belt Lachlan Giles managed to accomplish in the 2019 ADCC Absolute division. And we all loved every little it of it. Luckily, there’s no need to wait and try to analyze all those matches to figure out what he did.
Instead, we got a Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD straight away. Is it any good, though? Given Lachlan’s previous record, I kind of knew what I was in for. I is safe to say that he Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 delivers, and in more ways than one. Well, that’s my humble opinion, anyways.
The Giant Slayer From Down Under
Lachlan Giles has really had a fantastic few months. And that’s before we even mention the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 DVD. To be honest, we can’t really claim he surprised by his performances at the ADCC. Well, ok, maybe he underperformed in the first match he had in his weight division. He did face the always challenging Lucas Lepri, though. However, it was Lachlan’s brave comeback that actually captivated the grappling world. But should we have been surprised, really?
A month before the ADCC took place, Uriah Faber’s brand new grappling tournament dubbed “Kinektic” took place. In the first edition, it hosted four teams of five grapplers in a unique Quintet-like ruleset. Among the teams was the “BJJ Fanatics” team, which featured Gordon Ryan and Lachlan Giles, among others. So, Giles was the first to represent his team. However, nobody expected him to actually beat an entire opposition team of 5 different people single-handedly. He did. And that should’ve set off alarm bells for everyone in the ADCC. It didn’t. And we’re al grateful for it.
At the ADCC, after his first match loss in his division, Lachlan had just one thought when he signed up for the absolute – perform good enough to get an invite back to the next edition of the tournament. So he went on and heel hooked the winner of the heavyweight division, Kaynan Duarte in the very first match. He went on to do the same to two more huge grapplers in Patrick Gaudio and Mahamed Aly. Suffice to say, that caught everyone by surprise. Now this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD really tops off the black belt’s best time period so far. Let’s just hope we’ll enjoy the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 as much as we enjoyed Lachlan’s displays lately.
Bringing Back The 50/50
Before I actually get to the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 DVD itself, I just like to say a few things about the 50/50. Before the ADCC, many would’ve been quick to dismiss the position as a legitimate spot to attack leg locks from. Despite it being probably the first high-percentage place for heel hooks, most people tend to give different Ashi Garami variations more attention nowadays./ And that played into Lachlan Giles’ hands perfectly. In fact, it was not that long ago when Ryan Hall was wreaking havoc in BJJ first, and then MMA using the 50/50 position to heel hook. Back then, everyone that was into leg locks (which was only a handful of people) was going crazy about the 50/50. However, that quickly subsided, and, when the leg lock revolution happened, people never really looked back to the 50/50.
Speaking of going back to old things that work, Lachaln certainly reinforced the notion that leg locks are the great equalizer. Moreover, he also did things in the most romantic way possible – using a crisp technique to beat not just some of the best grapplers in the world, but also people outweighing him by as much as 50 lbs. All of us smaller grapplers in BJJ will now be paying close attention to everything in the new Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD. I know I will.
“Leg Lock Anthology 50/50” – A Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD
Okay, a bit of technical jibber-jabber first. If you know one Lachlan Giles DVD, you know most of them. Actually it was his very first one (that I saw) on front headlock chokes followed the by now common BJJ DVD format of a four-volume release. His subsequent DVD’s however, came in a completely different and very unique fashion. His half guard (bottom and passing) instructionals, as well as the Bodylock Passing one, are 8 part wonders of modern BJJ digital content. He was I think the first to introduce the concept of narrated rolls and troubleshooting rolls. In any case, he is definitely going the extra mile to bring people literally everything he has to offer on certain subjects. And, he does have quite a lot to offer, particularly in the “Leg Lock Anthology 50/50” Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD.
Since the name of this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD says it all really, this is yet another Lachlan anthology edition. That means 8 volumes that have chapters neatly organized into different parts. As usual, the instructional’s systematization is very precise and specific. It takes us through pretty much everything that we’ll ever need when it comes to leglocks from the 50/50. From basic concepts and attacks in the opening volume, through 50/50 and outside Senkaku details, all the way to crazy Lachlan’s signature entries and plenty of narrated rolls. Plus, there are surprises in the final volume of the DVD, as is usual with Lachlan’s stuff. Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD
Volume 1
The organizational pattern of this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD is somewhat different from anything out there. There are three main chapters in it: general reflections, lots of positional studying of the 50/50 and entries. They all stretch across multiple volumes and are further divided into parts. As such, the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 begins with an introduction, which paves the way for basic leg lock concepts. Among those are classics like keeping the knee line, and retaining rotational control.
As the volume goes on, there’s a big portion on braking mechanics, with the heel hook as the star move. I personally found lots of new information in this portion, and I’ll be spending a lot of time digging really deep here. As the first DVD wraps up, Lachlan offers some heel hook defense tips, that are actually the basis of a counter-leg locking game which is Giles’ signature one.
Volume 2
This volume is kind of a bridge between two of the major chapters in this instructional. Here there’s still information on some of the basics, although in the form of countering common defenses for the most part. Since most people have already picked up on leg locks if you’re a long time leglocker this information is the next logical step. Plus, it is all organized neatly as beating early and late-stage defenses. Finally, Lachaln goes over several leg locking positions and all the strengths and weaknesses they bring along.
Midway through this bridging volume, Lachlan introduces the second part of this instructional which goes on all the way to volume 5. This is a portion of the position itself. In those terms, the 50/50 position can be seen as an Ashi Garami, as Lachlan explains. Moreover, it is a variation of outside Ashi Grami, or outside Senkaku, to be very specific. Given the position’s most common occurrence, Lachlan starts with the seated version. Things, like keeping the position and moving in and out of the 50/50, 80/20 and outside Senkaku, make up most of the material here. There are also a couple of chapters to help you unlock the opponent’s legs.
Volume 3
The third installment of this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD starts with non-heel hook attacks. While this might be a bit surprising, it is obviously a part of his meticulous approach to cover every possible detail. It is also where he introduces the nuances of the Outside Sekanku, along with all the strategies that come with it. There’s very useful information on leg lock staple like the double trouble and digging to expose the heel.
The one part I enjoyed the most in this volume is the one on linking things together. To be perfectly honest, there are chapters that help you link things together throughout the entire Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 instructional. They really help connect the dots and give you a step by step introduction to the entire system. A section on distal control sequences wraps part three up.
Volume 4
Halfway through, Lachlan takes things to a different perspective. Opening this volume is a portion of using the 50/50 against standing opponents. Of course, it is all about heel hooks, just like we saw at the ADCC. Concepts, attacks, troubleshooting and the unmistakable chapter on bringing it all together follow suit.
Moreover, covering just about every possible base, Lachaln leaves leg locks aside for a bit, exploring the sweeping options the 50/50 offers. This is probably a good place to mention that this is a No-gi instructional, in case you haven’t figured as much. That said, apart from sweeps Giles also has back takes on the menu, along with several non-leg locking attacks. Topping it all off is a cool little approach to disengaging the 50/50 in a non-scrambling sort of way.
Volume 5
Yet another transitional volume in the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 DVD. The first portion of this volume still covers the subject of positional details. However, the information here is what I personally found to be really priceless. There’s a lot of counter leg locking in this section. Lachlan offers options on staying safe even in the worst Ashi Garami spots, like the Saddle and reaping ones. Each Ashi Garami gets a different chapter where Giles identifies the weak spots and how to exploit them.
This brings us to the third huge chapter in this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD: entires. This is probably the one thing that Giles and his start student, Craig Jones were best known for as leg lockers. They’ve always had crazy ideas on entries, and this DVD is no different. The way Lachaln gets into entries is directly form other leg locking positions. This is the part that will teach already seasoned leg lockers how to add several very strong leg locking positions with almost no effort. Not far behind are a few interesting guard entires, that include the usual suspects like butterfly guard, seated guard, shin to shin and X- guard.
Volume 6
At this point in the instructional, I had to take a really long break. I’ll be honest this was not a DVD I could browse through in just a few hours. It is that interesting and captivating but it has lots of information to process. So, after a good night’s sleep, I was able to continue fresh. And I certainly did the right thing as Lachaln really unwinds here. He takes things up several notches, offering entires form spots like the K Guard. Furthermore, there are options against kneeling and standing opponents as well.
What most people are going to find very useful is Lachaln’s system of integrating the De La Riva as an entry point. I, like most people, never regarded this guard as a good leg locking entry point. This DVD showed me that it is time to correct that. Before the ever-present advice on linking things up, there’s an incredible drill that’ll help you get the hang of all the nutty entries Lachaln demonstrates.
Volume 7
This volume is the final technical one, sort to speak. As all of Lachlan’s other instructionals, it features a uniquely structured final volume, this is where he wraps his systems up. In this case, the volume simply continues with the Reverse De la Riva to build on the previous one. Once again, there are lots of details, concepts, and overviews, as well as a host of transitions. And, for all those that love to play the inverted game, there’s a section on inverted entries to wrap up leg lock hunting from the bottom.
The very final portion in this instructional is about entires form the top. Those include the ever-present leg drag, as well as backstepping and a few other miscellaneous options. One last set of drills actually wraps everything Giles has to say about the Leg Lock Anthology 50/50. At least for the time being.
Volume 8
But wait, there’s more! As if this Lachlan Giles Leglocks DVD was not already awesome, he includes his narrated drolls in the final volume once again. This time around there are 5 of them, where he goes through all the moving parts of his system as he rolls. But what makes the “Leg Lock Anthology 50/50” really special is that he has all his ADCC trials rounds in there as well, once again with complete narration. In other words, this DVD has aa technical portion, then Lachlan in a rolling setting and finally, him competing against some of the tops in the world, using his 50/50 leg locks system.
Conclusion
Will this DVD work for you? Who knows. I guess it’ll take months if not years to actually apply every moving part of this impressive system. However, the fact is that the resource is there. Moreover, access to the “Leg Lock Anthology 50/50” instructional is easily available worldwide. What remains is to see whether this Lachlan Giles leglocks DVD is going to re-shape how people approach 50/50 even further. In the meantime, a shoutout to every BJJ promotion out there: please organize a Lachlan Giles vs. Ryan Hall grappling match!
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Lachlan Giles – Leg Lock Anthology: 50/50
