Plan B Sweep
Sweep · Half Guard
The follow-up to the old school sweep in half guard: you go from bottom to his back or to the top. It comes when he stops the old school with a whizzer on your underhook arm and drives his weight down onto your shoulder. Stop pushing into the whizzer: duck your head under his whizzer arm, moving it back toward his hip, and come out the other side of his body with your chest glued to his side, not into open space. As you come out behind him take the back, or come up on top if he turns to face you, and settle at once before he recovers guard. Ducking before he commits to the whizzer just gives up the underhook, and any gap lets him turn in. If he crossfaces, go back to the old school sweep.
How to do it
- Go for the old school sweep: underhook on the side of the trapped leg, you on your side, grip on the foot of their free leg, driving forward into them.
- They stop it with a whizzer on your underhook arm, clamping it and driving their weight down onto your shoulder.
- Stop pushing into the whizzer: their weight is now going down, so duck your head under their whizzer arm, moving your head back toward their hip.
- Keep your chest on them through the whole duck and come out on the other side of their body, chest to their side, not into open space.
- Take the back as you come out behind them, or come up on top if they turn to face you. Settle at once, before they can recover guard.
Key details
- A one-two: the harder they drive the whizzer to stop the old school, the more their weight is committed and the easier the Plan B.
- Wait until they commit to the whizzer; ducking too early just gives up the underhook while they are still balanced.
- Stay in contact through the whole duck: a gap between you lets them turn to face you.
- Disguise it: it has to look like the old school until the last moment, so their reaction feeds the switch.
- The rule is direction: whichever way their weight braces, go the other way. Braced against the old school, get your shoulder under their hip and roll them over to the opposite side; braced both ways with the arms wide, they are no longer holding you and the back is open.
Common mistakes
- Ducking before the whizzer is committed. — They are balanced, so instead of falling forward they simply crossface you. — Sell the old school first; duck when you feel their weight come down.
- Coming out too far. — You lose the connection and the scramble starts from zero. — Come out chest to their side, not to open space.
- Not settling on top. — While you emerge without control they recover guard. — Take the back or settle the top at once, chest on them.
If they defend
- They turn with you to face you. → Come up on top in the scramble.
How to drill it
Old school to plan B: partner whizzers on a signal, 8 reps each side.
What comes next