Knee Shield Sweep
Sweep · Half Guard
Half guard bottom to top for when the opponent leans his weight onto your knee shield. Stay on your side with the shin diagonally across his chest and take a cross grip on his far sleeve or wrist; if you can, add a grip on his far leg at the pants or behind the knee, so neither his far hand nor his far leg can post. Let him load the shield, then fall to the shield side, pull the sleeve across your body and lift with the shin as he comes forward: his own pressure rolls him over. Follow the roll to the top, holding the sleeve until he lands. Flat on your back the shield collapses. If he steps the leg back, wrestle up to the single leg; if he crossfaces, go to deep half.
How to do it
- Keep your knee shield diagonally across their chest, on your side, and take a cross grip on the far sleeve or wrist.
- If you can, add a grip on their far leg, the pants or behind the knee, so that leg cannot post either.
- Let them lean their weight onto the shield; their pressure is what you will lift.
- Fall to the side of the shield, pulling the sleeve across your body, and lift with the shin as they come forward, rolling them over.
- Come up on top, following the roll, without letting go of the sleeve until they land.
Key details
- Their pressure on the shield is what lifts them: the harder they lean, the easier they go over.
- The far sleeve grip takes away the hand they would post with, and a grip on the far leg takes away the post with the leg.
- Stay on your side; flat on your back, the shield collapses.
- If they drive their shoulder down to the mat to stop it, the backroll (Shaolin) sweep is there.
- It only works while they are coming forward into the shield; if they sit back, recover guard instead. As you tip them, if they catch themselves with a hand on the mat, they have turned their back: come out and take it.
Common mistakes
- Sweeping without the sleeve. — They post the free hand and stay on top. — Grip the far sleeve or wrist before you fall to the side.
- Lying flat on your back. — There is no angle and the shin only pushes them away. — Turn to your side with the shield diagonally across their chest.
- The shield is too low. — They slide their hips over your knee and pass. — Keep the shin diagonally across the chest, knee toward their shoulder, never low across the stomach.
How to drill it
Knee shield: partner leans on, you sweep, 8 each side.
What comes next
Where it comes from