Lapel Games

[Bratch]

We worked a lapel game in class yesterday using the lapel to tie up the far side arm for various chokes and armbars from side control/knee on bell. While drilling it I was trying to think of it in a self defense light and how it would translate. A jacket and maybe a tshirt could be wrapped over for a control point but it’s still a one on one control that’s reinforced with the fabric. I know that some games that were originally considered “sport” jiu jitsu have found their way into a more defensive arena (looking at you spider
guard).

What’s the group say any redeeming traits to the various lapel games?

[45dotACP]

Not gonna lie, I don't play much lapel anything, so I'm interested in hearing what others say.



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[Bratch]

Not gonna lie, I don't play much lapel anything, so I'm interested in hearing what others say.



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Yeah, I play about zero lapel games too. They are annoying and can be effective if someone knows what they are doing but are a bit more specialized than I usually try to use.

[Cecil Burch]

If I have the time (which does not happen often) in my seminars, I work a section on using the person's t-shirt the same way people use the lapel, both on the ground and standing. Not only are t-shirt chokes highly viable, so is wrapping them up to diminish their movement capability often easily accessible.

What using the lapel in some the current fashions teach you is that I can use many different handles and avenues to control another person and help establish dominant positional control. Going too deep down the lapel game can be too much, as in some of the controls - for example where you have the lapel wrapped around your foot and are really stretching the guy. That probably is beyond the scope for most types of everyday clothing, so it may be a bit wasteful to work. But the majority of "lapel guard" is useful as hell.

One of my regular black belt training partners will wrap my lapel around my wrist when I am in his guard, and he has some tricks to attack. So I have to be very careful and I cannot just smash through on a pass. I started playing with a similar idea with the other guy's t-shirt in street clothes, and it has opened up a couple of interesting attack possibilities. I never would have seen them without feeling that lapel game.