Meregali Closed Distance Open Guard – In-Depth Review

Get underneath efficiently from outside DLR and lasso to sweep, back take, or finish against bigger passers.

The Bottom Line

You will learn entries that place your hips under theirs. You will connect collar-pants and DLR to single-leg X dilemmas. You will not rely on random tricky inversions.

⚡️ Quick facts

Best for: Bigger-opponent problem solvers

Skip if: You only play long-range

Tech focus: Outside De La Riva, Single Leg X, Sumi Gaeshi

Biggest takeaway: Under the hips first

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What You'll Learn

This set teaches the under-the-hips approach: get underneath from collar-pants, outside DLR, sumi gaeshi, and single-leg X dilemmas, then sweep, back take, or submit. It is the counterpart to the frontal open-guard set and gives you answers when opponents shut down long-range grips.

Primary Techniques You'll Drill

  • Under The Hips
  • Outside De La Riva
  • Single Leg X
  • Sumi Gaeshi
  • Back Takes
  • Collar Pants Control

Format & Level

  • Instructional style: System Based, Conceptual
  • Skill level: All Levels
  • Format: Gi
  • Runtime: 3 hours and 26 minutes
  • Volumes: 6

Should You Buy It?

Wait for daily deal. I saw why turning to the side in X makes off-balances stick and prevents re-centering.

Why Nicholas Meregali?

Elite competitor whose open guard scales well to heavier athletes through under-hips angles and frames.

Community feedback

Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.

😍 Why People Love It

  • Posters praised his X-guard detail about angling your torso, calling it a game changer.
  • A few said the system simplifies getting underneath bigger passers.
  • Collar-pants entries were highlighted as practical at hobbyist level.

🤔 Common Criticisms

  • Some feel open guard without connection is risky if you do not bias your hips.
  • A small group prefer no-gi-focused underhook wrestle-ups instead.

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Sources & References

Video Breakdowns

Official listing: View Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu: Closed Distance Open Guard on BJJ Fanatics

Additional References

Your next step

You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.

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