Sweeps for a Big Guy

Discipulus

Discipulus

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Got swept all over the place by a four stripe white belt with less weight but more strength than me just the other day. I'm about 250 at six feet, with great big legs. This guy had a phenomenal (at least as far as I could tell) hip bump that, even when I managed to bridge him over out of mount, put me right back on my back a number of times. Against another guy my size, I got scissor swept right into bottom mount. Both of those were eye openers for me, and they seem to be sweeps from guard that are favored by the bigger guys in the gym.

Are these good ones for me to focus on at this very early stage of my training? And are there any other basic sweeps (half guard would be appreciated too!) that you could recommend to me?

Thanks, everybody!
 
Scissor sweep and the hip bump are fundamental moves, which means you're problem isn't your lack of knowledge about "special moves for big people". I think your problem is you need to work on your base and guard passing.
 
Two things I can contribute: first, work on your posture. There's a tendency by new guys to lean over an opponent while in their guard. This means your weight isn't centered over your base and your center of gravity is high, both recipes to be swept. Either stay upright, or if you're passing tight, stay low and tight.
Second, when passing (especially in gi), don't waste your energy holding down their arms when it's their legs you're trying to pass. Get your grips on their pants, isolate their legs and either use your weight to get past, or maintain control to do a standing pass.
 
Pendulum sweep. Just practicing the hip movement alone will pay huge amount of dividends later.
 
In NO GI I use the hip bump as my go to. In GI the Scissor and Pendulum seem to work better for me. Since I tend to dominate more on the feet, my favorite thing from guard is a technical stand up and its dead simple to pull off even against tough dudes.

The key for the hip bump for me was making the opponent carry my weight when I sit up and using a leg to create enough power to execute it.

For the scissor, creating a solid block with your lower leg and working in unison was a key.

Pendulum is different for me as I love to sit on the opponents arm and base out when someone tries it on me. Dynamic hip and finding the right moment seem to work best for me.

Timing, setup and baiting are the best ways for me to find an advantage.
 
All good advice here, but sweeps for a big guy tend to come from half-guard. But realistically the best 'big guy' competitors in the world are using the sort of sweeps little guys pull off.
 
I don't get swept with the scissor or hip bump much, because I can feel them coming and can adjust by base. You just hip into the hip bump. You offset your base in the opposite direction of the scissor sweep.

Now, I can hit these sweeps on larger guys, but it's hard. It's so much easier for me to open guard and start working spider, DLR, RDLR and knee shield half guard in order to keep their weight OFF of me.
 
Since BJJ was more designated for the small guy to have an advantage using leverage, I don't think there are really any "big guy" sweeps other than just muscling your way out of stuff, but you should try not to do that.

Like others have said, just try to learn all sweeps you can come across. I've been going into halfguard often and whatever side leg I have trapped, I trap the concurrent arm and then go for a sweep to that side.

Best of luck and be patient. : )
 
If you're pretty new, then getting hit by sweeps a lot isn't surprising. Base takes a long time to develop. As for whether those are good sweep to work on...yes, for everybody regardless of size. Those are very basic sweeps that encapsulate good BJJ principles, I've practiced them both a great deal.
 
If you're having trouble or getting your sweeps stuffed, then it's because you are missing details on the set-up and telegraphing.

For example the scissor sweep, your knee goes across their hip bone, you can go higher but I have the most success across the hip-bone, and them pulled up onto my knee, so they are almost, if not, floating when I sweep them. Try floating them for a second or two, you'll feel it.

I like the flower sweep and butterfly sweeps because they are both high-percentage and are easy to transition into. Work your sweeps when rolling or drilling, tell your instructor you feel you've been having difficulty in that area of your game, and ask if he has any pointers. Ask the guys or gals who throw you around the mats for pointers.
 
Positioning and posture Discipulus.....remember your boxing.....
In all seriousness, check this video for half guard sweep:

Pay attention especially the basic attack part because a few of them are relatively simple to try.
 
Last roll at class I found myself getting caught in a bunch of sweeps. My instructor pointed out that I was giving up to much base when I was in guard. He suggested that I keep more weight on over my feet and close the gap by pulling them in or sliding in closer, not by reaching in and over.

I go from having good base to getting focused on working a technique and forgetting about my base. I assume my main cure is just time and practice.
 
Fuck sweeps. Armbar and triangle from guard all day.

Hip movements for submissions needs to be more precious than sweeps. Once you can submit people from guard, learning some sweeps will be easier.
 
Thanks everybody so far. I realize I'll probably come across as someone who's overthinking things for a newbie, but that's just how I approach martial arts training. Since I started I've always been one to try and learn things outside of class and approach things from an... intellectual standpoint, I guess? So if it's too soon for me to be asking about moves that work particularly well for my build, forgive me. :wink:

I have a small question regarding the Scissor Sweep. I mentioned that we worked on using the set up to transition into a triangle. The way we did this was to throw the shin over the arm (across the biceps) rather than under it, then pushing off the hip with the opposite foot to make a little space and sliding the shin-across leg up and over the shoulder for the triangle. My question is, is it possible to actually get the scissor sweep with the shin over the arm, or does it have to be low and tight against the hips? I realize it might be a bit of a sacrifice in efficiency to have it over the arm, but it would make the triangle set up work even better, i.e. if they manage to pull the arm trapped by your shin out, then you can hit the sweep. If they don't, you've got the triangle. And either way, you've got a trapped arm and room to breathe, right?
 
deadlizard said:
Fuck sweeps. Armbar and triangle from guard all day.

Hip movements for submissions needs to be more precious than sweeps. Once you can submit people from guard, learning some sweeps will be easier.
Click to expand...

Man, I found it so damn hard to lock in the triangle on my drill partner, who was about as big as me in the shoulders. I'd try to get the angle to the side and then, having done that, the simple action of pulling my foot under my knee would slide my whole body right back under him. Thick legs ftl.
 
deadlizard said:
Fuck sweeps. Armbar and triangle from guard all day.

Hip movements for submissions needs to be more precious than sweeps. Once you can submit people from guard, learning some sweeps will be easier.
Click to expand...

Disagree. Sweeping hip movements are very different than subbing ones, everyone should practice both. I think the OP names the two most basic sweeps from closed guard, it's be silly not to work on them. I also think hip movements need to be as precise for sweeps as subs, especially against better guys.
 
Discipulus said:
Thanks everybody so far. I realize I'll probably come across as someone who's overthinking things for a newbie, but that's just how I approach martial arts training. Since I started I've always been one to try and learn things outside of class and approach things from an... intellectual standpoint, I guess? So if it's too soon for me to be asking about moves that work particularly well for my build, forgive me. :wink:

I have a small question regarding the Scissor Sweep. I mentioned that we worked on using the set up to transition into a triangle. The way we did this was to throw the shin over the arm (across the biceps) rather than under it, then pushing off the hip with the opposite foot to make a little space and sliding the shin-across leg up and over the shoulder for the triangle. My question is, is it possible to actually get the scissor sweep with the shin over the arm, or does it have to be low and tight against the hips? I realize it might be a bit of a sacrifice in efficiency to have it over the arm, but it would make the triangle set up work even better, i.e. if they manage to pull the arm trapped by your shin out, then you can hit the sweep. If they don't, you've got the triangle. And either way, you've got a trapped arm and room to breathe, right?
Click to expand...

The motion is different. If you're using the top leg to sweep, you're pushing up into them somewhat, which lifts them out of their base and helps tilt them over. If you push down, you won't get the sweep (this is with the arm over, the normal scissor sweep position). If you're trying to setup the triangle as you described, you're pushing down on the arm slightly to prevent them from raising their arm as you transition and passing to your back side. You're probably not going to get the sweep that way. I do find this sort of combo works well from the spider guard when they're on their knees, in terms of combining the scissor style sweep with the triangle, since the motions are more similar in that case.
 
ive noticed that big gues find succes with scissor sweeps, pendulum sweeps and of course, hip bumps. as for subs, front chokes and kimuras also seem to be common from what Ive seen
 
Well, I managed to pull off a scissor sweep in a roll after class tonight--actually it was only most of the sweep, and I bailed to reset before taking mount, since I would have ended up sweeping him right off the mat onto the hard floor. I'm finding that I like the knee-across position of the scissor sweep a lot. You can threaten with the sweep, and it gives you some space to think and plan, which is good for me as someone who doesn't have the muscle memory for the techniques at all yet.

And I got stuck in half guard time and time again, yet again. So Nuke, I'll be watching that half guard sweep video to have some ideas for next class.
 
I am a big guy, six foot six and 240 lbs and I find the hook sweep to be my best sweep, works on everyone no matter the weight, that I try it on. It took practice, but with long, powerful legs, it is a great sweep
 
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