If you ask a BJJ practitioner what’s his favorite move, then there are big chances they’ll tell you that it’s a sweep. Sweeps can be used to effortlessly improve your position and get to side-control or mount. Below you will find some information on the best basic jiu jitsu sweeps that you can implement in your game with great success.

Basic Jiu jitsu Sweeps

The lumberjack sweep

This is a classic BJJ sweep that can work out in many different scenarios – and even in real combat. The sweep is performed from the bottom guard position. If your opponent manages to stand up in your guard then it will become increasingly difficult for you to keep your guard closed due to gravity working against you. But if your opponent makes the critical mistake of not controlling one of your arms, then you can sweep him. All you need to do is to grab the ankles of both your opponent’s legs, put your knees together, and at the same time pull the ankles with your arms while pushing the mid-body of your opponent with the knees. When performed properly you will push your opponent down and perhaps even get to the mount position.

The scissor sweep

The scissor sweep is also a very powerful sweeping technique in BJJ that works at all levels. You do this technique from bottom guard. You start by grabbing the opposite cuff of your opponent’s gi. Then you unlock your guard and put your knee between you and your opponent. You put your foot on your opponent’s knee while he’s still in the guard – he is now in a pretty destabilized position. You can increase the destabilization by scooting a bit to the back and pulling your opponent towards you. Then all you need to do is to push your opponent’s knee with your foot and use your other leg to push your opponent on his back – you will get to mount in this way.

The hip-bump sweep

This is one of the most useful and effective sweeps in the game. And it’s pretty simple to perform – it can be done by white belts and black belts alike. You do this move from bottom closed guard. What you need to do is to post with one elbow and then throw your arm over your opponent’s opposite arm – like you would go for a kimura. After you do this – you will need to use an explosion of your hips and push your opponent to the mat. If done properly – you will get to mount, just like that. But if you don’t manage to finish the sweep – then you can either go for a Kimura or for a guillotine as backup options.

The flower sweep

If you learn how to do this sweep correctly, then your knowledge will transfer to many other moves in the BJJ arsenal. You start in the bottom closed guard position and you grab the cuff of the same-side arm of your opponent. You also grab the end of the pants of your opponent with your other arm. Then you unlock the guard and use one of your legs to push your opponent at his midsection (while helping the completion of the move by pulling the bottom of the pants of your opponent in the direction that you want to push him in.) If done properly, you will get to the mount position.

The Elevator Hook Sweep

The elevator hook sweep is very effective against people in real-life combat situations – especially when they don’t know the proper fighting technique. You start in the bottom closed guard and your opponent tries to squash you by putting all of his weight towards your head. During this, he will likely post on one of his legs. You then unlock the guard and hook his posted leg from the inside while also using your same-side arm as an underhook. Then you use the underhook arm and the hooked leg to sweep your opponent to the opposite side – getting to mount.

The butterfly sweep

The butterfly sweep can seem a bit complicated for the beginners in BJJ – but with practice, everyone can master it. You start in the butterfly guard position on the bottom, and you grab the cuffs of your opponent’s arms. Make sure that you control the arms well. Use one of your arms to grab your opponent’s gi at the area of the knee – your palm should be facing upwards for this. If your opponent tries to push at you, then you can now use his push to load him on your legs and finish the move by pulling out one of your legs and throwing your opponent over you. You will be able to place your knee on the belly right after this for a great degree of control.

There are many other BJJ sweeps that you can try out – but these are some of the most basic jiu jitsu sweeps you can do. Make sure that you do them justice and try to learn them as well as possible.

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