Muscle Sweep

Sweep · Closed Guard

A closed guard sweep from bottom to mount for the moment the opponent stands up tall and leans away while your ankles are still crossed behind his back. Keep the guard locked tight with the glutes squeezed and the hips high: if your feet slip, the sweep has no power. Hold a cross grip — his collar in the gi or his arm — so he has no post on that side. Reach the other arm under his leg and scoop behind the heel, elbow deep, flexing the biceps hard: that curled arm is the "muscle". Drop slightly so your hip is level with his knee, not his thigh, and drive the outside of your hip into the knee to turn it outward while the arm chops the heel off the mat. Pull your heels to your butt, come up on your shoulder (post the free hand for height if needed), look back over that shoulder and take him diagonally to the corner with your weight over his thigh, then follow him straight to mount. Pushing into the thigh or forgetting to pull with the arm leaves him standing; if his knee stays in and drives down over your hip, the sweep will not go — attack something else. If he pulls the leg back out, go to the double ankle sweep; if he drops back to his knees, the hip bump sweep.

How to do it

He stands up tall in your closed guard. Keep the ankles crossed tight, squeeze the glutes and keep the hips high so you hang from him instead of lying flat.
Take a cross grip — his collar in the gi or his arm — so he has no post on that side.
Reach the other arm under his leg and scoop behind the heel, elbow deep; flex the biceps hard and pull the heel in.
Drop slightly so your hip lines up with his knee, then drive the outside of your hip into the knee to turn it outward while the arm chops the heel along the mat.
Pull your heels to your butt, come up on the shoulder (post the free hand if you need height), look back over that shoulder and take him diagonally to the corner, your weight over his thigh; keep the hips high and climb straight to mount.

Key details

A strong locked guard is the base: ankles crossed, glutes engaged, hips high; slipping feet kill the sweep.
Hip into the knee, not the thigh: the outside of your hip turns his knee outward.
Push and chop together: the hip drives the knee out while the flexed arm pulls the heel off the mat.
Take him to the corner, not straight back: look over the shoulder and bring your weight over his thigh.

Common mistakes

Pushing into his thigh instead of his knee. — There is no pressure on the knee, it does not turn out and he keeps his base. — Drop the hips slightly until your hip lines up with his knee.
Driving with the hip but not pulling with the arm. — The heel stays planted and he stays standing. — Flex the biceps and chop the heel toward you as the hip drives.
Taking him straight back. — His other leg steps back and catches the fall. — Look over your shoulder and take him diagonally, your weight over his thigh.

How to drill it

Partner stands tall in your locked closed guard; scoop a heel, hip into the knee, sweep to mount, reset. 6 reps each side, everyone sweeping in the same direction for space; then the partner sometimes pulls the leg out so you switch to the double ankle sweep.

Safety

The partner falls backward from standing: he should not post a hand, and should tuck the chin so the head does not hit the mat.

What comes next

RhizoBJJ

EN