Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) mastery is built upon a foundation of basic techniques that every legend, like Royce Gracie, Marcelo Garcia, and Gordon Ryan, all had to learn before honing their skills to achieve greatness. One such foundational technique is the scissor sweep, a powerful move that can turn the tide of a match even when you’re exhausted and you think your back is against the wall.
When done correctly, this move allows you to transition quickly from a defensive to a dominant mount position, setting you up to execute a series of offensive moves without leaving you vulnerable to submissions. Let’s get into the mechanics of the scissor sweep, discuss some common mistakes associated with this move, and talk about some drills that will help you improve on the mat.
Understanding the Scissor Sweep Technique
The scissor sweep technique is used primarily from the closed guard position. The first step is to set your grip on their sleeve and then quickly move your hand to their collar. Grab as much material as possible with your fingers positioned near their front deltoid. If you can, trap their hand with your grip. The point of this grip is to break and manipulate the opposing fighter’s posture by pulling them towards you.
With your other hand, grab their sleeve close to the elbow and move into the scissor sweep position. Squeeze your knees as your feet come to the mat. With your hips, move gradually away in small movements to avoid going too far, and try to get your knee in the middle of your opponent’s body, not across it. Keep your other leg flat on the mat so you can generate the muscle power to execute the sweep.
Straighten your right knee and cross your legs, sweeping your opponent, all while pulling the opponent’s arm near you. As your opponent falls to the side, drag their arm towards you and use the momentum to transition to the mount or side control position.
Benefits and Use in BJJ
The scissor sweep is the epitome of what makes BJJ such a great martial art for self-defense. Because you rely on leverage and timing, not physical strength, it’s effective against even the biggest and strongest opponents. Even seasoned fighters can be thrown off by the scissor sweep because it forces you to react and defend, which can disrupt your base and balance.
Most importantly, the sweep is an essential way to change the tide of a match and move from defense to offense. The sweep leads to advantageous positions like mount or back control and
opens up opportunities for submission holds such as arm locks and chokes. It’s also extremely versatile and can also be used from the closed guard, open guard, and half guard.
Common Mistakes
The scissor sweep is a particularly good technique for novice fighters to learn because it teaches the importance of establishing good control of your opponent’s posture. That said, it is easily countered when not done properly. Some common errors BJJ practitioners make include:
Gripping Errors: Avoid reaching for the collar first from the closed guard because if you do, your opponent can grab your arm and gain control. Instead, grip their sleeve first until you have an opening to shoot your hand to their collar.
Creating too much space: When transitioning from close guard into the sweep, you don’t want to move your body too far out, or else you make yourself vulnerable to a pass.
Wrong use of force: If your opponent is sitting back with all their weight, it may feel natural to try to lift them upwards. Don’t. Instead, direct your force diagonally towards the ground, angling your knee slightly downward and extending your legs to push your opponent sideways, making it easier to off-balance them.
Drill and Training Tips
You won’t learn how to execute a scissor sweep in one sitting. It requires a combination of strength, muscle memory, and technical precision to do this move well, and you will only build these things up through repetitive training.
Solo Drills to Improve Leg Extension
Lateral leg raises primarily target the hip abductor muscles, such as the gluteus medius and minimus, which are crucial for maintaining stability and generating power during the scissor sweep. Strong hip abductors also help you control your opponent’s movement from closed guard. Incorporate these into your warm-up or strength training routine, aiming for three sets of 15-20 repetitions on each side.
Resistance band exercises help improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips and legs, which is vital for so many moves in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They also build muscle endurance and stability.
Partner Drills for Timing and Coordination
There is no better practice than rolling with a partner. Simulating the live sparring situations will help you understand the precise moments and movements required to execute the sweep effectively. We recommend beginning by working through the move slowly, focusing on timing, and coordinating the leg extension and hand push. Over time, you can have your partner gradually increase resistance until the simulations become more realistic and emulate a real competition.
Practical Drill Examples
- Flow Drills: Practicing the scissor sweep in a flowing sequence with a partner, transitioning between guard passes and sweeps to build fluidity and timing.
- Positional Sparring: Starting from the guard position and focusing solely on executing the scissor sweep against a resisting partner.
- Reaction Drills: Partners take turns attempting to pass the guard while the other practices timing the scissor sweep in response to the pass attempt.
Conclusion
The scissor sweep is a reliable way to transition from defense to offense. It’s also a foundational technique emphasizing the core BJJ principles of leverage, timing, and control. By understanding its mechanics and avoiding common mistakes, practitioners can significantly enhance their grappling skills.
As a versatile move from various guard positions, the scissor sweep is crucial for both sport and self-defense. Every great practitioner starts with this basic move, and through diligent training, you too, can become a master grappler.
