Closed Guard Sweep Techniques
6 TECHNIQUESClosed guard sweeps reverse your opponent from bottom to top using your leg control and hip movement.
Browse 6 sweep techniques from closed guard below. Each technique includes video demonstrations from world-class instructors.
Kimura sweep from closed guard
Scissor sweep
Flower sweep
Lumberjack sweep
Hip bumb sweep
Pendulum sweep
Kimura sweep from closed guard OPEN | NA Nick Albin |
Scissor sweep OPEN | EK Eli Knight |
Flower sweep OPEN | JJM Jean Jacques Machado |
Lumberjack sweep OPEN | JD John Danaher |
Hip bumb sweep OPEN | JD John Danaher |
Pendulum sweep OPEN | NA Nick Albin |
More from Closed Guard
About closed guard sweep techniques
Sweeps from closed guard are some of the highest-percentage reversals in BJJ. Your locked legs give you a stable platform to off-balance your opponent and come up on top. Hip bumps, scissor sweeps, and flower sweeps are the fundamentals.
The key to effective closed guard sweeps is breaking your opponent's posture first. Once their weight shifts forward or they post a hand, you have a window to sweep. If they resist one direction, attack the other. Closed guard sweeps work best in combinations.
Pair your sweeps with submission threats. When your opponent defends a triangle or armbar, they often give you the angle you need to sweep. This push-pull dynamic is what makes closed guard so dangerous from the bottom.
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