An interesting old-blood-new-blood matchup, these two met in 2017 with Meregali coming out on top via advantage. Competition footage is a great source for figuring out what works and what doesn’t. In this case, we’ll be looking at a grip sequence and a pass.
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Cross-sleeve grips
There’s a lot to be said about the effectiveness of the guard by watching Meregali. The cross collar grip is perhaps the most versatile grip in BJJ, at the same time giving you choking and sweeping options and the ability to transition between guards. A leftie, Meregali grips a cross-collar grip with his left hand, right hand on Mr. Xande’s left-hand sleeve.
Cross-Collar Spider-De la Riva hybrid
Whenever your opponent stands up, you have to be looking to destabilize him. I doubt Mr. Meregali even thinks about what guard to go for. I guarantee he does it by feel. One thing that’s not an option if you’ve got these grips is a spider hook on the sleeve-hand, or, rather, it’s not an effective hook. You’ll be disrupting your stretching capability if you hook the sleeve hand. Feet on hips or knees, shin to shin triangles and all leg entanglement guards, however, are an option. ‘Alright, cool. But, how do I do this?’ you ask. Well, go drill. Get the collar-sleeve grips and have your partner stand up at regular intervals while you transition between spider hooks (You can threaten the triangle by fighting the hand you’re not gripping with your foot), De la Riva hooks, reverse De la Riva hooks, shin to shin, foot on hips or knees and X-guards.
The Loop Choke
The loop choke is a great technique to keep your opponent guessing and Mr. Meregali goes for it a couple of times in the match. In fact, he finished a match using the loop choke in a matter of seconds.
Double Under Pass
Mr. Xande understands the danger of standing. That’s probably why he opted for the double under passing position. Truth is, Mr. Meregali’s pants were a tad bit short which is quite an advantage for the spider guard player. Nevertheless, the match could easily be a draw, triangle attempts notwithstanding.
