There is no question: Leandro Lo is one of the very best jiu-jitsu athletes of his generation. 

 "Buchecha" calls him the GOAT (though, if asked, Leandro would probably return the favor to his friend), and the NS Brotherhood leader has amassed an astonishing list of titles and accolades that span the breadth of the jiu-jitsu world.

In light of this, we thought it would be a beneficial exercise to study one of Leandro’s best performances: the 2017 IBJJF European Championships, where he took double gold after winning performances against the likes of Tanner Rice, Claudio Calasans, Mahamed Aly, and more.  

Statistical Analysis Reveal Patterns Of Success

The raw data from all nine of Leandro's matches don't reveal the whole story – which is just fine – because we've also included a "highlight" video of all the critical moments from Leandro's outing. Highlight being in quotations, as it is a bit different from what one might normally see: it includes guard pulls, non-action, and even the rare occasions where Leandro himself is scored upon. 

As you see the watch the footage you should notice a few key patterns:

1. Leandro likes to pull guard, but he isn't in a rush about it. He'll often tie up with his opponents, let them shoot, and pull guard instead of attempting a counter shot. He may not even pull guard first,  but in every match we reviewed, Lo did pull guard at some point. 
2. Leandro heavily favors three types of guards: Single Leg X (SLX) De La Riva, and the open guard / Knee shield variants. Leandro will often use the knee shield guard to set up the SLX on the left side.  
3. Leandro is a scoring machine – he averages nearly nine points per match, and once he secures a sweep to top position he never returns to bottom unless they match returns to the feet and he opts to pull guard again. He was never swept once. 
4. The kneecut is Leandro's weapon of choice, and he loves to combo a successful pass with two more points from knee-on-belly control. If he's feeling particularly confident he will stick his leg back inside of half guard and repeat the combination again for five more points.
5. Leandro is one of the very best at "wrestling-up," or basically exploding from the bottom into a single or double leg takedown, from guard to secure a sweep.

Data Points

• Matches studied: 9
• Methods of victory: 78% points, 22% submission
• Total points scored: 80
• Most points scored in one match: 24
• Average Points per Match: 8.8
• Total Points Scored Against Leandro: 4
• Quickest match: Andreas Perales – 5:45 (Armbar Submission)
• Average Match Length: 9.39 Minutes
• Points scored via sweeps:  20 (Favorite  techniques include 'basic' Sweep from SLX, 'wrestling up’ from SLX, collar drag from the kneeshield)
• Points scored via passes:  30
• Points Scored Via Kneecut: 24
• Points scored via positional control (Mount, Back Control): 30
• Submissions obtained: 2 (Armbar, Cross Collar)

Watch All Of Leandro Lo's Matches from the 2017 European Championships