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TechniqueGuardFoundation

Scissor sweep

A sweep that uses a knee shield and a scissoring leg action to tip a kneeling opponent.

How to read it

What this entry helps you see

The scissor sweep combines grips, a knee across the body, and a low leg to tip a kneeling opponent to the side. It works best when you have off-balanced the top player before scissoring. The reward is a transition to a top position such as mount.

Key steps

  1. From guard, take a collar grip and a sleeve grip on the same side.
  2. Turn onto your hip and place your top knee across the partner midline as a shield.
  3. Drop your bottom leg low across the mat near the partner knees.
  4. Pull the grips toward you to break the partner balance forward.
  5. Scissor your legs, driving the knee shield across while sweeping the low leg.
  6. Follow the motion up and settle into a stable top position.

Study cues

  1. Secure a collar and sleeve grip before moving
  2. Load the top player weight onto the knee shield
  3. Scissor the legs and pull the grips in the same direction

Common errors

  1. Scissoring the legs without first breaking balance
  2. Losing the sleeve grip during the turn
  3. Staying flat instead of turning onto the side