Guard Offense – Half Guard – “Plan B Sweep”

You’re going for the “Old School” Sweep from Half Guard Bottom when your opponent throws in an overhook around your far arm, commonly known as a Whizzer. They may or may not also post up on their opposite side foot, to remove your ability to grab the foot to apply the clamp down to enact the “Old School”. What do you do? You need a response, a Plan B.

If you were trying to apply the “Old School” Sweep then you should already be on your side. The opponent may or may not be trying to apply a crossface to your melon. Many students in the beginning, including myself, make the mistake with this follow up. Allow me to elaborate a little to hopefully make this technique work a little better.

Normally you have a Lockdown (leg entanglement) on the opponent’s “top” leg. Release this, because you need to get up to your knees, essentially straddling the opponent’s leg. Use your top leg on the opponent’s leg to pull yourself up. Post on your bottom hand to assist with the get up and to maintain the position. Now you should be in what most grapplers call the Dog Fight position, when both players are kneeling next to one another. One will have an underhook while the other has an overhook.

From Dog Fight you need to push into the opponent as if you are trying to push them over. This normally causes a reaction from the opponent to push back. When this happens it’s your job to give in, rolling under the opponent, as you put the palm of your post hand to the inside of the opponent’s far knee. Finish by rolling the opponent over your body onto their back which will get you the sweep. Block their hip with your arm/hand as you come up into Top Side Control.

Anyone playing Half Guard needs the Old School and Plan B sweeps in their repertoire. They are the beginning techniques every student needs to make the position more offensive than defensive.

Learn. Drill. Roll. TRANSFORM!