[Gsoares2]

I actualy open my legs and rock my outside leg to generate the momentum for getting the sweep. I rock it out and down toward the ground.. And just follow the momentum it creates.

I havent tried just getthing my hips under him. I use this rocking motion with my legs to generate a lot of sweeps, and to get on the back from the armdrag position.

[JarMan]

Originally Posted by Aesopian

One more note. This one is probably the most important, since it has to do with why this game has yet to feel natural.

When I slide down the leg and go really deep, it feels like their leg is barely being trapped. I have to stretch my legs and even open them sometimes to get the momentum to rock down and get deep. I worry their leg will slide or pop out. I end up with my ankles crossed way down at the bottom of their leg, and I worry their knee is too free to drive through. They're looming over me and it seems like they should be able to crush me.

But despite all of these "feelings" it works. And it works surprisingly well. The angles of our bodies, the rocking motions, the simple crossing of the ankles and putting hooks in the right spots, getting the right grips, and it all works out fine.

Just need to keep insisting on it and accept that it feels unlike anything I've done before. It'll come with time and experience.

I've been having a lot of success with this sweep recently. A purple about 20 pounds lighter was unable to stop it, even after I showed him what I was doing. But today I was rolling with another blue about 30 pounds heavier and super strong, and his leg kept coming out just as I was getting the sweep. The first time he pulled it out fairly early in the sweep while I was rocking side to side. (I like to rock one way and then the other and I will eventually either take him straight to his back or come out the back door.) Anyways, he went for an armbar and almost had it. I was lucky to pull out of it and get to a neutral position. Another time he pulled his leg out just as I was coming to the top. He immediately went for the triangle since I had one arm in and one arm out. I immediately postured out and felt relieved that I got the sweep and avoided the submission, but a higher level guy would have triangled me.

So I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong today to almost get caught twice doing this sweep. I'm thinking that maybe I wasn't grabbing his hand and pulling it to his trapped leg, but honestly I can't remember if I did that or not. Another option I'm considering is "hiding" my hand behind his leg. If I have his right leg in my half guard, my left arm was the one almost armbarred and the one trapped in the triangle attempt. But if I reach my left hand under his thigh and grab the outside of his right leg, that might prevent the armbar and the triangle in case his leg gets free. Then again, maybe I won't have enough control of that leg to get it to work in the first place. What I'm talking about would be similar to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOiFBC-Mmq4 The difference is that my right hand would be grabbing his thigh or controlling the sleeve at the thigh instead of grabbing the belt. Also I wouldn't go straight to that sweep, but only transition into it if the leg started to get free. I will work on this Friday at class and let you know what I find out.

[NeelyWCU]

ttt

[Gsoares2]

Just staying tight to that leg with your elbows low should avoid the triangle, and the armlock.

You just have to KNOW your going to be fine. i Agree the position feels like the guy is about to get out, or he is about to armlock you. but his angle is abd, and ive always been able to come under his legs and just pass the guard.

[JarMan]

Okay, I was able to work my half guard game today. I rolled for about 30 minutes with a really tough black belt. When I roll with really high level guys my game consists of half guard and turtle with an occasional sweep. But then I'm swept back and it's half guard and turtle some more. Let me explain a little bit. Once they are able to pass my half guard I immediately turtle instead of getting stuck in side control. This is almost 100% successful against even the toughest guys unless they pass right into mount. Then I'm looking elbow escape back to half guard. Once in turtle I'm looking to turn in or roll out back to half guard again. Then the cycle repeats itsself. So here's what I did today from half guard.

I got a really nice sweep off of the brabo choke counter. I was on my side and he was passing with the knee across while at the same time going for the brabo. I clamped that arm, grabbed his pants at the knee with my other hand, scooted my hips in and executed one of the prettiest sweeps I've ever done. I was so proud of myself. . . but about 30 seconds later I was back on the bottom.

The only other sweep I got was from the super deep half guard where both legs and arms were on his one leg. Guys often try to armbar me from there, but this guy actually went for the kimura. I hid that arm by reaching under his leg and grabbing the pants on the other side. But I couldn't roll him from here because I didn't have the arm trapped and he was able to post with it. He was scrambling quite a bit to get his leg free but I held on for dear life knowing that I would be in danger as soon as he got his leg free. At one point I was completely upside down on my head with my feet in the air still wrapped tightly around his leg. I don't know how we got there. Eventually he scrambled out and tried for the armbar. I was able to twist so that he still had the arm trapped but my palm was toward his chest and I was on his back. I pulled it out eventually and had his back for a second. Can't remember what happened next but I know I didn't get any hooks in or anything.

I was submitted about four times during the session. I am ashamed to admit that one of those times was from the half guard. He was able to get my arm across my face and finish an arm triangle. I was countering by answering the phone and trying to tuck my chin. Eventually he pulled his leg out of half guard and submitted my while I was still answering the phone. He really didn't need to pass, though, as I could already tell it was coming soon. I've never been choked out while answering the phone before but I think he got his bicep under my chin and that is what caused the choke, not my own arm.

[Zankou]

In the interests of further debate ---

I have most recently been practicing and applying a very deadly sweep combination from z-guard that I learned from the Jen DVD and the Rigan DVD set. It's been discussed in this thread, but here it is: The z-guard scissor sweep to backroll sweep.

Now, this is a *difficult* sweep combination to practice, because it requires a lot of coordination and details. However it is a super-powerful sweep, very difficult to stop. The intro is easy enough: You cross grip the sleeve opposite of the trapped leg with one hand, and grab the pants at the knee with the other hand. You then get up on your elbow and drive into the guy for a scissors sweep. You will not likely get it unless he is asleep at the wheel; ordinarily he will push back against the scissor hard. That's where the magic happens.

Taking your cross grip and knee grip, you move your arms like a clock to spin him over you. Don't just jerk his arm across; you must move your hands like a wheel, parallel to the ground. This will spin him over you.

At that point, you "whip up" with both legs and grips. Whip up hard, going into the backroll. Make damn sure you are rolling over your shoulder, not your neck, or you are going to hurt yourself.

Now a Rigan tip: At a point in the backroll, you are likely going to need to "horsekick" with both legs to really kick him over. You may feel a stall at the height of the sweep, and that is the point to horsekick. It is imperative that you very carefully practice the backroll so that you do not horsekick against your neck, otherwise you are likely to hurt yourself.

Done right, the guy will go absolutely flying, and you will feel like a magician. This is a really fun sweep to perform, but it requires a LOT of drilling to get the pieces to all work in coordination. I just spent considerable time drilling the movements solo, over and over again, particularly making sure to get the "whip up" integrated properly with the backroll and horsekick, while keeping the neck safe. Once you do get it down though, it's very difficult to stop it. Absolutely beautiful BJJ. Gets the chicks.

[Aesopian]

I've been doing that, but instead of attempting a scissors sweep, I arch my back (so I'm up on my shoulder) and drive my knee into their chest. It's similar to the scissor but I'm trying to drive them backwards more, since I'm stretching my entire body out. When they fight back and try to stay up, I fold and pull them in then roll back for the awesomeness.

[Zankou]

I know what you mean. Rigan shows that as an alternative approach to the initial sweep. You are bridged out against the arm, a lot like a hip bump sweep. In fact I believe this combination also works well even without the z-knee, in which case you have to do the initial sweep as a bump type sweep instead of scissors. Have not tried that yet though.

Either way, you are sure to get oohs and aaahs for it.

[codemonkey76]

i gotta see a video of this sweep... i gotta add it to my "Big Bag 'O' Tricks R Us" Jiu-Jistu

[Zankou]

Only place I've seen it shown online:

http://www.aesopian.com/164/jorges-half-guard/

Check out "Jorge's sweep #2." He doesn't show the combination, but he does show the backroll sweep portion. Also he is doing it without the knee, but it works better with the knee I think.