Easy A/B SWEEP Systems | BJJ Fundamentals
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Sweep·Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu
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Sweep
Groupスイープ(Suīpu)
Translation: Sweep
Overview
The Sweep group encompasses all ground-based reversal techniques where the bottom player uses leverage, momentum, and leg work to reverse the top and bottom positions — the primary offensive tool for guard players in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. [1] Sweeps are mechanically distinct from standing throws: they are executed from the ground (typically from guard positions) and use hooks, grips, and hip movement to off-balance and topple the top player, putting the sweeper into a dominant top position. [1],[2] In BJJ competition, a successful sweep scores 2 points (IBJJF/ADCC), reflecting its strategic importance as the path from bottom to top. [2],[3] The sweep game has expanded enormously since the 1990s, with each guard variation (closed guard, half guard, butterfly, De La Riva, X-guard, spider guard) contributing its own sweep systems. [3]
Ground SweepGrappling SweepGuard SweepReversal
History & Origin
While ground reversals existed in wrestling and judo ne waza, the sweep as a systematic offensive tool from guard was developed primarily in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. [1] The Gracie family established fundamental sweeps (scissor sweep, flower sweep, hip bump) as core techniques in their self-defence curriculum. [1],[2] The sweep game expanded dramatically in the 1990s–2000s through the innovations of Marcelo Garcia (butterfly guard sweeps), Roberto Gordo (half guard sweeps), and Ricardo De La Riva (DLR guard sweeps), transforming the bottom position from defensive to offensive. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Sweeps are the most important offensive technique for guard players — they reverse the positional hierarchy and score points in competition. [1] In IBJJF competition, sweeps account for a significant percentage of points scored, with many matches decided by a single sweep. [2] Marcelo Garcia's butterfly sweep game was so effective that he won 5 IBJJF World Championships and 4 ADCC titles primarily through sweep-to-back-take sequences from the bottom position. [3]
Lineage
Competition Record
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Off-balancing the top player and reversing their position using leverage from the bottom, ending with the sweeper on top
Joints Involved — Hips (the primary engine — hip elevation, hip bumps, and hip escapes generate the sweeping force), legs (hooks under the opponent's legs create lifting leverage, feet on hips create pushing leverage), arms (grips control the opponent's posture and prevent posting)
Force Vector — Diagonal and upward — most sweeps elevate the opponent in one direction while pulling or pushing them in another, creating a rotational force that tips them over; the sweeping direction is always toward the side where the opponent cannot post a hand or foot
Sweep Mechanic — All sweeps follow three phases: (1) off-balance (load the opponent's weight onto one side by breaking their base), (2) elevate/displace (use hooks, butterfly hooks, or hip bumps to lift the loaded side), (3) come on top (follow the opponent over as they fall and establish top position)
Position & Entry
From closed guard (scissor sweep) — Control the opponent's sleeve and collar, place one shin across their belly as a frame, kick the bottom leg through while pulling the top grip — the opponent tips sideways over the shin frame [1]
From butterfly guard (hook sweep) — Sit up with double underhooks, load the opponent's weight to one side, elevate with the butterfly hook on the loaded side while falling to the opposite side — one of the highest-percentage sweeps in all of grappling
From De La Riva guard — Hook the far leg with the DLR hook, control the near sleeve, off-balance the opponent forward and to the side, then use the hook to elevate and sweep them over
From half guard (old school sweep) — Secure an underhook from half guard, come to the knees while controlling the opponent's far leg, and drive forward to reverse position
Videos
Effective way to 100% SWEEP!
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Sweep·TeachMeGrappling Coach Brian
http://teachmegrappling.com This video unveils the NEW "200% Sweep". Its the 100% sweep with a better grip to it that ma…
2 videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
2
Low2/10
Sweeps are among the safest grappling techniques; the movements are ground-based with minimal impact; primary risk is the opponent landing on you during a failed sweep or the opponent countering with a submission during the sweep attempt
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— no leg attacks below waist
UWW International Wrestling Rules, January 2026PDFLegal
— IJF — Legal throwing technique
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— Unified MMA — Legal throwing technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Master 2-3 sweeps from your primary guard before expanding your sweep repertoire — competition champions typically have a small number of highly refined sweeps rather than dozens of mediocre ones (Marcelo Garcia's approach) [1]
✓Timing is critical — the best moment to sweep is when the opponent is attacking (their weight shifts forward for submissions, backward for posture); learn to sweep into their movements
✓Grip control determines sweep success — control the opponent's posting hand (the hand they would use to prevent the sweep) before initiating; without grip control, most sweeps fail
✓Train sweep-to-submission combinations — if the sweep is defended, immediately transition to a submission (e.g., hip bump sweep defended → triangle choke); if the submission is defended, immediately transition back to a sweep
✓Hip movement is the engine of all sweeps — drill hip bumps, hip escapes, and inversions as fundamental movement skills [2]
✓In MMA, sweeps earn 'effective grappling' credit on the judges' scorecards and can turn a losing round into a winning one
✓Drill sweeps against progressive resistance — start with a cooperative partner, then add resistance until training at full intensity
✓The angle of the sweep must remove the opponent's posting ability — sweep toward the corner where they have no hand or foot to post
Common Mistakes
!Sweeping without removing the post — the opponent's hand or foot on the sweeping side must be controlled; sweeping while they can post freely is nearly impossible
!Attempting to sweep a postured-up opponent — break the opponent's posture first (pull them forward), then sweep; sweeping against a fully upright opponent fails
!Using arms instead of hips — effective sweeps use the hips and legs as the primary power source; arm-only sweeps lack sufficient force
!Not following through — a sweep that tips the opponent but doesn't end with the sweeper on top is wasted effort; immediately come to top after the sweep
!Telegraphing the sweep direction — looking toward the sweep direction, shifting weight obviously, or pausing before the sweep signals your intent
!Only sweeping to one side — predictable sweepers are easily countered; develop sweeps to both sides
!Not chaining sweeps — if the first sweep is defended, immediately chain to a second sweep in the opposite direction
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Base and Posture — maintaining wide base and low centre of gravity makes sweeping difficultPost — placing the hand or foot on the sweeping side to prevent being tippedStand Up — standing up in guard removes the sweep angleGrip Strip — removing the guard player's grips eliminates their sweep controlPass the Guard — initiating a guard pass forces the guard player to defend rather than sweep
Setup Chain
1Establish Guard — pull guard or recover guard from bottom position
2Break Posture — use grips to pull the opponent's head and shoulders down
3Control Posting — grip or trap the opponent's hand on the sweeping side
4Off-Balance — shift the opponent's weight to the sweeping side using pull/push
5Execute Sweep — apply the sweeping force (hip bump, hook elevation, leg kick)
6Come on Top — follow through to establish top position immediately after the sweep
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) on sweep fundamentals [2] The Guard (Beneville & Moreira, 2003) on guard offensive systems [3] X-Guard (Garcia, 2008)
2BookThe Guard (Beneville & Moreira, 2003)
History sources — [1] The Gracie Way (Kid Peligro, 2003) [2] BJJ competition evolution [3] Marcelo Garcia, Roberto Gordo, Ricardo De La Riva career records
3BookX-Guard (Marcelo Garcia, 2008)
4BookAdvanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Danaher, 2007)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) on sweep fundamentals [2] The Guard (Beneville & Moreira, 2003) on guard offensive systems [3] X-Guard (Garcia, 2008)
6CitationThe Guard (Beneville & Moreira, 2003)
History sources — [1] The Gracie Way (Kid Peligro, 2003) [2] BJJ competition evolution [3] Marcelo Garcia, Roberto Gordo, Ricardo De La Riva career records
7CitationX-Guard (Marcelo Garcia, 2008)
8CitationAdvanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Danaher, 2007)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip mobility and power (the engine of sweeping), grip strength (controlling the opponent's posting), core strength (bridging and rotation)
Favours
strong hips, flexible guard, good timing sensitivity
Key muscles
hip flexors (elevation), core (rotation and bridging), forearms (grip), hamstrings (hooking and pulling)
Sub-techniques
10th Planet Sweep
FamilyThe 10th Planet Sweep family covers sweeping techniques developed within Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system — sweeps executed from the system's proprietary guard positions (Lockdown half guard, Rubber Guard, Truck) that are unavailable in traditional BJJ. [1] The most notable 10th Planet sweeps include the Electric Chair sweep (from Lockdown — using the figure-four leg control to stretch and sweep), the Old School from Lockdown, and various Rubber Guard-based sweeps that use flexibility to control posture before sweeping. [1,2] These sweeps are designed exclusively for no-gi grappling, replacing gi-dependent sweeping grips with body entanglements (Lockdown, butterfly hooks combined with overhooks) that provide sweeping leverage without cloth grips. [2,3]
5 subfamilies·5 techniquesExplore
Guard Sweep
FamilyThe Guard Sweep family within the Throw class covers sweeping techniques from guard that reverse the top and bottom positions — classified under Throw because sweeps achieve the same outcome as throws (reversing who is on top) but from the ground rather than standing. [1] This family overlaps significantly with the Guard Sweep family under the Position class but is categorised here because sweeps are mechanically related to throws — both use leverage, off-balancing, and momentum to reverse the opponent's position. [1,2] Guard sweeps are the primary offensive tool for bottom players in BJJ and score 2 points in competition (IBJJF/ADCC), making them among the most strategically important techniques in grappling. [2,3]
5 subfamilies·5 techniquesExplore
Notes
Sweeps from guard — butterfly sweep, scissor sweep, hip bump, flower sweep — reverse bottom position to top. Sweep appears in 2,629 passages across our corpus. In IBJJF, sweeps score 2 points. Marcelo Garcia's butterfly sweep game is considered the benchmark. (200+ books; Garcia, Advanced BJJ Techniques; IBJJF Rules v6.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the key to making the inside knee work during a sweep?
The inside knee does most of the work by creating a tipping motion that knocks your opponent over. According to Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu, you should shoot your hips underneath your opponent's hips while controlling their posture to prevent them from posting out.
How do I set up a sweep by controlling my opponent's grip?
Jordan Teaches Jiujitsu explains that if your opponent commits their grip to you, you can keep that grip in place and use it to your advantage—such as in the half guard flower sweep—by turning both your knees to execute the technique.
Why should I pull my opponent forward instead of away when sweeping?
People naturally resist being pulled forward by pulling back and away from you, which works against them. By pulling your opponent forward toward you and getting their hips above your hips, you can then straighten your legs to complete the sweep.
What should I do if my opponent resists the 100% grip sweep?
Coach Brian teaches that when someone counters the 100% by spinning through, you can upgrade to the 200% grip by locking palm-to-palm with a rear naked choke grip, which allows you to both push and pull to prevent their rotation and maintain control.
How does the Sweep work?
The Sweep group encompasses all ground-based reversal techniques where the bottom player uses leverage, momentum, and leg work to reverse the top and bottom positions — the primary offensive tool for guard players in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Sweeps are mechanically distinct from standing throws: they are executed from the ground (typically from guard positions) and use hooks, grips, and hip movement to off-balance and topple the top player, putting the sweeper into a dominant top position.
Where does the Sweep come from?
While ground reversals existed in wrestling and judo ne waza, the sweep as a systematic offensive tool from guard was developed primarily in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Gracie family established fundamental sweeps (scissor sweep, flower sweep, hip bump) as core techniques in their self-defence curriculum.
Is the Sweep legal in competition?
IJF: legal — Legal throwing technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels; UWW: restricted — Legal in freestyle, banned in Greco-Roman (no leg attacks below waist); Unified MMA: legal — Legal throwing technique; ADCC: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Sweep?
Danger rating 2/10. Low — sweeps are among the safest grappling techniques; the movements are ground-based with minimal impact; primary risk is the opponent landing on you during a failed sweep or the opponent countering with a submission during the sweep attempt
How do I set up the Sweep?
The standard setup chain: Establish Guard → Break Posture → Control Posting → Off-Balance → Execute Sweep → Come on Top.
How do I defend against the Sweep?
Standard counters include: Base and Posture — maintaining wide base and low centre of gravity makes sweeping difficult / Post — placing the hand or foot on the sweeping side to prevent being tipped / Stand Up — standing up in guard removes the sweep angle / Grip Strip — removing the guard player's grips eliminates their sweep control.
What are the variants of the Sweep?
Common variants: Scissor sweep (from closed guard, using one shin as a frame across the o…); Hip bump sweep (explosive hip thrust from closed guard to knock the oppon…); Butterfly hook sweep (from seated butterfly guard, elevating with one hook whil…); Flower sweep (pendulum sweep) (from closed guard, swinging the leg like a pendulum to ge…); Half guard sweep (using the underhook and leg control from half guard to co…); De La Riva sweep (using the outside leg hook to off-balance and sweep from …); X-guard sweep (from underneath in X-guard, standing up while controlling…).
How effective is the Sweep in competition?
Sweeps score 2 points in both IBJJF and ADCC, making them a primary scoring mechanism. Multiple IBJJF and ADCC champions have built careers primarily on sweeping ability — Marcelo Garcia's butterfly sweep game is the most famous example.
What are common mistakes when doing the Sweep?
Top errors to watch for: Sweeping without removing the post — the opponent's hand or foot on the sweeping side must be controlled; sweeping wh… / Attempting to sweep a postured-up opponent — break the opponent's posture first (pull them forward), then sweep; swee… / Using arms instead of hips — effective sweeps use the hips and legs as the primary power source; arm-only sweeps lack… / Not following through — a sweep that tips the opponent but doesn't end with the sweeper on top is wasted effort; imme….
What are other names for the Sweep?
The Sweep is also known as Suīpu, Ground Sweep, Grappling Sweep, Guard Sweep, Reversal.