Australian grappling phenom Lachlan Giles has been doing his homework. With an upcoming match against legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Marcelo Garcia on the horizon, Giles has been meticulously studying his opponent’s game and focusing on one of Garcia’s most effective weapons which is his unique approach to securing the underhook and tight waist position.
In a detailed breakdown, Giles revealed what he believes will be
“one of the key battles”
of their match which is whether Marcelo can successfully implement his signature underhook passing strategy. What makes Garcia’s approach distinctive according to Giles is how he achieves this position compared to most contemporary grapplers.
Garcia’s system revolves around obtaining a low tight waist underhook that serves as the foundation for his entire half guard passing game. What sets him apart is his willingness to secure this underhook even from positions that resemble closed guard where most passers would hesitate. From there he climbs over the body to advance his position.
Giles identified a crucial technical detail. Marcelo often forces a butterfly hook momentarily by dropping to the hip. This strategic approach prevents him from getting caught in closed guard because dropping with the opponent’s foot on the outside would typically lead to that outcome. By forcing the hook first Garcia gains immediate access to the hip and can work toward beating the knee line.
Perhaps most interesting is Garcia’s deceptively tall posture before entering. Unlike many passers who telegraph their intentions with a low stance Marcelo often stands quite upright before suddenly dropping to secure the underhook. Giles notes this makes the entry particularly unexpected and difficult to defend.
When the legs open Garcia also employs a
“near knee through”
variation, dropping his knee forward to access the tight waist. As the opponent addresses the knee threat this creates an opening for him to step over and establish his dominant half guard position with an arm over the head.
Giles examined footage from Garcia’s matches against elite competitors as well as his own roll with Marcelo from over a decade ago. The analysis revealed consistent patterns in how Garcia forces these positions across different opponents and situations. Marcelo Garcia faces Lachlan Giles at ONE FN 38 on Friday, December 5, live in U.S. primetime, from Bangkok, Thailand.
