Waiter Sweep
Chain finish · Half Guard
The change-of-direction sweep after the electric chair in half guard: bottom to top, but to the opposite side. It comes when the opponent posts his far hand to stop the electric chair and commits his weight to that side. Keep your arm deep under his free leg, the one you hooked for the electric chair, elbow past the knee, as a handle; push him sideways to make space and slide your shoulders under his hips, feet hooking the leg and arm tight to your body so he cannot catch a kimura. Extend your legs and rotate so his trapped foot turns outward and his base goes, lifting the leg like a waiter's tray, and tip him away from the first sweep. Going under without space, or with a loose arm, fails. If he sits on your legs, you are back in half guard; if he steps over your head, wrestle up to the single leg.
How to do it
- From the electric chair, keep the underhook on their free leg: your arm deep under it, elbow past the knee, so it works as a handle.
- When they post their far hand against the first sweep, change direction at once: use the underhook and your grip to push them sideways and make space.
- Slide under them with your shoulder, your feet hooking the leg and your arm tight to your body so they cannot catch a kimura on it. Get your shoulders under their hips.
- Lift the leg like a waiter carrying a tray: extend your legs and rotate so their trapped foot turns outward and their base goes.
- Tip them to the other side, away from the first sweep, and come up on top following them.
Key details
- Change direction the moment they post against the first sweep: their post commits weight to one side, so the other side is empty.
- Keep the arm deep under their free leg; it is the handle you lift with.
- Get your shoulders under their hips, so their weight sits on top of you and your legs can lift it.
- Extend your legs and rotate so their trapped foot turns outward: that takes away their base.
- Push them sideways first to make the space to get under, and keep your arm tight to your body when you go under, or they catch a kimura on it.
- As you tip them, drive your head up and over their hip; if your head stays down they can trap it between their legs in a triangle.
Common mistakes
- Switching too slowly. — They rebalance before the second sweep starts. — Chain the two sweeps as one movement, switching as soon as you feel their post.
- No underhook on the leg. — Without the arm under their free leg there is no handle to lift them with. — Keep your arm deep under the leg, elbow past the knee, so it works as a handle.
- Staying outside their center. — Their weight is not on you, so they sprawl and flatten you. — Walk your shoulders under their hips so their weight sits on top of you.
How to drill it
Electric chair to waiter and back, 6 reps each way; then the partner chooses which side to post.
What comes next
Where it comes from