Go Further Faster – Half Guard (part 5)

The setup for the roll through sweep is when you have a tight waist grip on the opponent and and under hook scoop grip on their leg. Your feet should start from an inside hook position around their leg.

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The lower leg shift

  • The lower leg shift is a switch from inside to outside position from around the opponent’s knee to their ankle
  • The opponent’s legs should be bent to 90 degrees or greater
    • The straighter the opponents leg the less control you have over your opponent.
      • If the opponent straightens their leg too much they can turn their knee into you, creating a frame on your hip.
    • To keep the opponents leg at 90 degrees, keep your foot towards your butt. Turning their foot outside of their knee.
      • The opponent’s leg will straighten during the sweep, it is only important to keep 90 degrees at the start of the sweep.

low_leg_shift

The knee lift

  • The knee lift is performed after the lower leg shift.
  • The opponent knee must be lifted off the mat, so you can shift your body under the opponent.
  • To perform from the lower leg shift:
    • Place your feet firmly to the mat and hip in and point your hips to the ceiling.
      • This should bring their knee off the floor allowing your inside leg to move freely under the opponent.
    • Reverse shrimp until you and under the opponent and keep forward shrimping until you bring the opponent all the way over.
      • While doing this bring the elbow of your arm with the cross waist grip to the floor.

the_knee_lift

The hip shift

  • The hip shift is the transition from one of your hips to the other while bring the opponent across your body completing the sweep.
    • A reverse shrimp bring you from your starting hip to your back.
    • A series of small sliding shrimps then brings you to your opposite hip.

hip-shift

The law of the elbow

  • The opponent posting with their hand is the primary way to stop the sweep.
    • It is possible to directly take their back if they are too focused on posting and do not move to defend the back take with a whizzer.
  • You can still sweep when the opponent is posting with both their hands on the floor.
    • To do this you need to sweep in the direction the elbow of your tight waist arm is pointing.
      • If the opponent tries to post against this you can bridge and force them to face plant.

law_of_the_elbow

Directionality of force for roll through sweeps

  • The opponent will be smart and be moving their hand to support themselves from getting swept.
  • The belt shows the direction that you should sweep the opponent.
    • The direction of force should be in or below this direction.
  • You should be continually be moving in a small circle under the opponent while applying a downward force on their leg.
    • You will find yourself going from reverse shrimping to shrimping as you continually circle and move from one shoulder onto the other.

direction_of_force

Details on the sweep

  • The most effective way to prevent this sweep is by resisting the knee lift by being heavy.
    • When you are unable to life the opponent knee lift yourself.
    • The opponent should put in a whizzer to keep you from taking the back…
    • You can then forward roll from here.
      • This may sweep them, but at a minimum it will lift their knee off the mat allowing you to hip shift under them allowing you to sweep.

details_on_the_sweep

Taking the back: The duck under

  • If the opponent does not have a whizzer, you can take the back using the duck under.
  • This can be done after threatening the roll through sweep and forcing the opponent hands to the floor.
  • Two methods of achieving, the first one requires more athleticism:
    • Using a whipper:
      • Bring your legs off the floor and throw them to the side, bringing yourself up behind the opponent.
    • Moving your body:
      • Move your head to the outside of their body to an angle by walking your feet.
      • Switch your feet
      • Keep your head away from the opponent to keep them from getting the whizzer in.
      • Keep pressure on the tight waist to ideally keep the opponent on their elbow
      • Bring yourself up, using your leg to generate momentum.

taking_the_back_whipper

moving_your_body_taking_back_duck_under

Taking the back from tight waist

  • When taking the back you need to make it difficult for the opponent to apply the whizzer.
    • When you are coming out from a failed roll through sweep. reverse shrimp out of the position.
    • Keep a tight waist grip pulling your opponent so they must put their weight into their hand basing on the floor.
    • Keep your ear on the opponent back. This prevents the whizzer.

taking_back_from_tight_waist

The limp arm

  • The limp arm is a way to take the back when the opponent has a whizzer in place.
    • Point your fingers on your base hand outward and drive into your opponent with your head.
    • Keep your shoulder of your arm with the tight waist lower than your arm.
    • Point thumb up and relax arm and move your head away from the opponent.
    • Pull your loose arm out.
    • Quickly take the back before the whizzer is applied again.

the_limp_arm

Return to: Part 4