Scissor series

I'm going to take a look at a position that most people learn the first week of class: the scissor sweep. I don't think of this as a single attack, but more of a position with multiple attacks. A lot of people consider the scissor sweep too basic or simple. I don't. Its great for countering aggressive fighters because they tend to lean into, making the first sweep happen easily. I do apologize for the clip, its a little grainy and the audio isn't the best. I kind of froze up towards the end but don't tell anyone.

Here's the breakdown of the clip:

Scissor Sweep: This is the basic sweep. I establish my grips on sleeve and collar first. Second, I straighten my legs and turn to the side with my grips. I keep my feet off the ground as I move my hips out enough to let my top knee slide through. I do this so he carries my weight. My top knee stops on his sternum. I like to have it there for a few reasons: 1st, it keeps my top foot at his hip. I don't think the camera has a good angle on it but I pull my toes up to make a hook and catch his hip. Your leg length will determine where you have to place your leg. The other reason is so I can push into him and make him uncomfortable. I'll pull with my collar hand and push with the knee and he's locked in tight (try it sometime and let me know how it works for you). I then pop up to my elbow. This will make sure I'm on my side and give me a little mobility if I need it. One of the points I was trying to make but I'm not sure if it came through on the clip too well is that I don't want to be square on him. I shade to the side away from the sweep (i.e. sweeping to the right, my body is more left of center). This will give him a "hole" to fall in. I keep my low leg foot on his hip to maintain space and mobility. If I need to stretch him out, I can use that as well. For the actual sweep, I drop my foot off his hip and use my whole body to rock him forward - that's arms and legs. I want his hips above his knees or in front of them. The top leg pushes and the bottom leg reaps backward. Once he's over, I'm not through yet. My top leg hooks onto his hip and I "catch a ride" to bring myself to mount. Practice sweeping him close so its easier to mount. If you throw him far away, you have a tougher time mounting.

Variation #1 - Push Knee: A common counter is for him to catch himself with his far leg. Usually he just widens it out. My foot drops from his hip and catches right at the knee, a little inside. From there, I'll push it straight back and then in somewhat. This J-shape will help turn his hips just a little. The push makes the sweep, the J shape helps. Once his leg is pushed back, I kick over with the top leg again and catch a ride to mount.

Variation #2 - Shin Wrap: I couldn't think of another name for this one. This time, he slides his leg over my bottom leg. This usually happens if I get lazy or if his timing is really good. If he slides over my shin, below my knee, he's not really controlling the leg and I can just recompose my guard. If he slides over my thigh, I have this sweep. I pull my trapped leg to his butt. In the clip you can see how it binds his foot. For the sweep, pull at an angle perpendicular to his shin. I extend my hip to generate the power. I follow him up and end up in a weird 1/2 guard situation. The easiest way out is to check his leg and backstep out of it.

Variation #3 - Wing Sweep: In the case of him reaching over my leg to control my collar, I arm drag him so I'm on his side, reaching over his back with my knee still in. Its important to keep my body tight to him so he cannot pull his arm back. I prefer to grab his belt if I can reach it. I also need to make sure my leg isn't too flat. If I don't have a proper angle in there, his weight will collapse my frame. I rock back and start turning to my side as I rock. If I wait till I'm flat, then I'll never get him over. His weight is supported on my leg and he drops nicely to my side. I simply keep my grips and continue the roll to side control.

Wing Variation - Taking the back: This is the last of this series. This time, instead of sweeping, I straighten my leg so my knee is no longer between us. Keeping my grips, I climb to his back. I didn't do very good job in my example, but your bottom leg will slide out and form your first hook. You can make the harness grip and do whatever you need to do for your 2nd hook.

Happy training.