Keenan Cornelius
IBJJF medalist · 2012–2022
Lineage
Cornelius's elite Guard Game (95) and strong Competition IQ (88) define this era.
Competition Record
Career grappling record
Gi
No-Gi
IBJJF medalist, lapel guard innovator
Mat Resume
Time on the mats in professional competition
68
Pro Matches
32
Mat Hours
25
Events
7.0 min
Avg Duration
45 sec
Fastest Sub
16
Sub-Only Matches
Style Analysis
The lapel guard innovator who created the worm guard, squid guard, and multiple other systems that changed modern gi competition.
Signature Submissions
Notable Matches
Key competition results
Did You Know?
Invented the worm guard and squid guard systems
Founded Legion American Jiu-Jitsu academy
Popular BJJ YouTuber and educator
Style Matchup Analysis
Where this game is vulnerable
Exploitable Patterns
Explosive passers who can blast through his lapel guard systems before they are established
Pressure passers who can pin his hips and deny the space needed for worm guard
No-gi specialists where his lapel-dependent guard innovations cannot be used
Nightmare Matchup
Lo's toreando passing speed and refusal to engage with lapel grips made him the worst stylistic matchup for Keenan. Lo could consistently pass before Keenan established his worm guard system.
Closest Calls
Lo passed Keenan's guard with speed and footwork, refusing to get drawn into Keenan's lapel guard web.
Buchecha's size and aggression overwhelmed Keenan's guard innovations with raw pressure.
Engine Insight
Relative weakness: Takedowns (72) is 11 points below their 83 average — opponents strong in this area have the best chance.
Trophy Case
Plus multiple IBJJF medals
Created worm guard and squid guard
Signature Moments
The Lapel Guard Revolution
Keenan Cornelius invented an entire family of guards using the opponent's own lapel as a weapon — worm guard, squid guard, and multiple variations. He open-sourced the techniques on YouTube while simultaneously competing at the highest level. His innovation changed competitive gi BJJ permanently.
He invented an entire guard system, named it, and then gave it away for free on YouTube. The lapel guard changed competitive gi forever.
4
Deep Guards Invented
4 distinct guard systems invented (worm guard, squid guard, ringworm guard, mantis guard) — more than any other competitor in history
Season Stats · IBJJF medalist
Engine Attributes
Data Coverage
FloGrappling / BJJ Heroes / IBJJF
8 of 8 profile sections complete
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