Sweeps are one of BJJ’s most lethal weapons. You must become comfortable in using them if you desire to win more fights. Your BJJ skills will skyrocket once you begin mastering the art of sweeps.
What they do to you is allow you to attain a superior position over the opponent, such as Back Mount, Full Mount, and Side Control. We’ll see how they help us do that in the following section.
This article will be about the best ones you want to learn first. Knowing which ones to focus on and learn—can be the difference between a slow and a fast progression rate. So it’ll be worth it to stay tuned for the list in this article.
This article will also focus on allowing you to skip many experiments. Instead, I’ll present you with the data and the most common mistakes that both novice and advanced grapplers make.
You can implement these tips in your BJJ journey and get more results—sooner. As a result, you’ll see more results and experience more wins, further motivating you to hone the art of sweeps.
I hope you’re ready, as we’re up for a bumpy ride!
| Scissor Sweep | Butterfly Sweep | Elevator Sweep | Flower Sweep | Lumberjack Sweep | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Simplicity | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| Overall | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
#1 – Scissor Sweep
The first sweep we’ll discuss is the Scissor Sweep. This is one of the most powerful and effective ones on this list, so I’ve decided to list it as the first. It’s also relatively simple, making it more attractive to white belts. So let’s dive into the steps to performing it properly:
You want to start in the Closed Guard position to perform the Scissor Sweep. Then, you want to grab the opponent’s lapel and the Gi around his wrist. The next step is to pull the opponent and knock him off balance. Finally, you bring your chest to the mat and scissor your legs.
The final step isn’t actually to scissor your legs; it’s to get a superior position over the opponent, such as Side Control and Full Mount. From there, you can go for many submissions, such as the Kimura and Guillotine Choke, and finish the fight.
If you want to learn about the best submissions from Side Control, follow this link.
You want to focus on the grips, as this is the leading cause preventing novice grapplers from getting this sweep successful more often. You can’t expect to knock the opponent off-balance and turn him upside down if your grips aren’t firm.
Another ninja tip is to keep your feet on the mat. You won’t be able to generate much force if your feet are hanging in the air. Think about it; you’re turning someone (maybe heavier than you) upside down. You want to have as much force as possible. So keeping your feet on the mat will give you the leverage you want.
Read more about the Scissor Sweep and a complete breakdown of it by following this link.
#2 – Butterfly Sweep
The 2nd sweep we’ll review is the Butterfly Sweep. This is one of my favorites, as it’s pretty simple to execute and allows you plenty of options. But, again, BJJ is all about control, which is precisely what it gives you.
You want to start in the Butterfly Guard to perform the Butterfly Sweep. Next, you grab the opponent’s right arm and insert your other hand below the opponent’s shoulder and onto his back. You then pull him toward you while using the mat for leverage and sweeping him over.
The Butterfly Guard, if you don’t know, is when each of your legs is on the opponent’s inner thigh. You’re essentially in the open guard but with leg contact. It allows you plenty of control, which is always what you want to have.
The most common mistake I see with the Butterfly Sweep is not using all the leverage you can generate. You’d be able to launch your opponent upward if you use the mat for leverage. Hence, push your legs down and don’t extend them.
Implementing this into your Butterfly game will improve your success ratio by a long shot. So try it, experiment with different grips, and choose a preference. You’ll start to build muscle memory if you perform it correctly often!
Follow this link if you want to read a complete breakdown of the Butterfly Sweep.
#3 – Elevator Sweep
#3 on our list is the Elevator Sweep. It’s one of the most beautiful sweeps you’ll see, especially in BJJ. It allows you to attain Full Mount from the Spider Guard elegantly. You’ll achieve this dominant position almost too quickly. But it’s not as tricky; here’s how it goes:
You want to start in the Spider Guard to perform the Elevator Sweep. Then, place your right leg on the opponent’s hip. Next, you implant your hips on the mat while sliding your hips forward (below his hips.) Finally, you straighten your legs, push his hands in, and attain Full Mount.
You never want to have both your feet on the opponent’s hips if you’re not going for the Elevator Sweep or another technique, for that matter. Thus, you want to quickly remove your right leg from the opponent’s biceps and place it on the hip. So you now have less control, meaning you want to perform this technique as soon as possible.
The most common mistake grapplers make with this move is trying to pull the opponent toward them. Unfortunately, if the opponent is strong enough, you won’t be able to pull it off.
What you want to do instead is to slide your hips below the opponent’s hips; move forward, in short. Then, you have more leverage to ensure the opponent will fly above you!
It’s all about leverage.
The Elevator Sweep is a technique you want to master. Follow this link to read a complete breakdown of how to master the Elevator Sweep quickly.
#4 – Flower Sweep (Pendulum)
The next sweep we’ll review is the Flower, AKA the Pendulum Sweep. Again, we’ll see how you can perform this move from the Full Guard position. Hopefully, you’ve understood the fundamentals of performing each of these techniques.
You can follow the link after each section to read a complete breakthrough on each sweep. I recommend bookmarking this article and returning to it when you want to master another one since the best way to go about it is learning and mastering them individually, not all simultaneously.
Anyways, let’s see how to perform the Pendulum Sweep.
You want to start in the Closed Guard position to perform the Flower Sweep. Then, you grab the opponent’s right knee and his left Gi on the wrist area. Once the opponent breaks your closed guard, you place your right leg on the opponent’s hips while pushing him sideward. Finally, you roll with him and attain Side Control/Full Mount.
Learning this technique will be a milestone in your BJJ journey. Unfortunately, I don’t see this one as often as the others. However, I believe it can be more than effective if you learn and master it properly.
Just by knowing its fundamentals, you’ll become a more dynamic grappler, capable of threatening the opponent, which is what you want to strive for.
I have another article just on the Flower Sweep on my website. Follow the link to read it.
#5 – Lumberjack Sweep
The 5th and last one we’ll cover is the Lumberjack Sweep. It’s a favorite of mine because of one reason: it’s simple. It’s perhaps the most straightforward one on this list. So you can learn it first if you desire to start sweeping your opponent and attain a dominant position.
You want to start in the Closed Guard position to perform the Lumberjack Sweep. Then, you cross-grip the opponent’s Gi on the wrist and wait for him to stand (perhaps trying to break your guard.) Next, you insert your right hand under his leg, pull his ankle, and twist your hips to the side.
The final step here is to attain the Full Mount position. Again, you want to keep a firm grip on the opponent’s wrist. That will help you gain more control and finish the fight after you sweep him. You’ll also be able to follow him when you knock him off-balance and roll.
So the cross-grip is critical here. It’s probably the #1 mistake novice grapplers make, which stops them from getting it successful more often.
Follow this link to read about all the variations of the Lumberjack Sweep and how to master it effectively.
So this has been this part of the article. Hopefully, you’ve learned something new or familiarized yourself with one of these highly effective sweeps.
I encourage you to bookmark this article and learn each technique individually. Please don’t try to learn them simultaneously, as that will not be as effective as investing the time in each to build proper muscle memory.
Now let’s dive into the Q&A section, which will give you further details about sweeps in BJJ.
When should I sweep in BJJ?
The best times to sweep your opponents in BJJ is when you’re in Closed Guard and wish to transition into either the Full Mount or Side Control positions. Sweeping your opponent will give you more control over the fight, potentially allowing you to finish the fight by going for a submission.
The best sweep to learn first (BJJ)
The Lumberjack Sweep is the best sweep to learn first, as it’s the simplest but effective one. As a result, you can learn and start getting results with it in no time. Another reason is motivation; getting more results means more motivation, which equals eagerness to keep learning and practicing.
What is the best sweep from the guard?
The Scissor Sweep is the best from the guard, as it utilizes practical steps with a high success percentage. As a result, you’d be able to attain Full Mount or Side Control quickly if you perform it correctly. However, it’s not as simple as other sweeps like the Lumberjack.
How do I get better at sweeps?
Learning as many sweeps as possible, one by one, is the best way to improve your sweeping ability. What many grapplers do is learn 3 to 5 moves simultaneously. However, this will prevent you from building a solid foundation for the future of your BJJ journey. Instead, focus on one move at a time.
Final Words
These are the 5 best sweeps you want to learn, as they’re both effective and suitable for beginners (white belts.) Nonetheless, they’re also ideal for blue, purple, brown, and black belts.
So it’ll be worth it to invest your precious time into learning these sweeps. Your technique roster will grow, which is critical to your long-term grappling skills. If you desire to become a better BJJ practitioner, you want to familiarize yourself with as many techniques as possible.
And again, please don’t focus on all of them together. Instead, concentrate on learning each sweep one by one. This will allow you to build a solid long-term foundation for your muscle memory.
And if you enjoyed reading this article, you’d also enjoy reading about the Knee on Belly position, one of BJJ’s superior positions you want to know and use.