One of the most beautiful parts about training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the sheer number of available techniques. Over the years, some black belts have even compared this to a ‘buffet’, where you can pick and choose over thousands of techniques and moves.
In this article, we shall be going through every sweep that is possible when training BJJ. Obviously, you don’t need to learn all these sweeps as doing so in-depth would take too long. As a result, it’s probably best to train only a handful of sweeps to get comfortable with them first.
After this, you can start branching out and building your own game. Nonetheless, it’s still nice to learn the names of everything, and even if you have no interest in using specific sweeps, it’s still good to learn them when thinking about passing the guard (and how to avoid getting swept) at the same time.
In other words, it’s good to familiarise yourself with the sheer number of sweeps that are available on offer. The good news is that there’s also a lot of crossover between guards. For instance, if you can do an arm drag sweep from half guard, then you’re more likely to be able to hit the same move from the closed guard as well.
As well, you will also learn what guard has the most sweeping options. On a final note, just because a guard has a lot of sweeps on offer compared to others, it doesn’t mean it’s particularly better than other guards. For example, although the butterfly guard doesn’t have too many sweeps available, it’s still one of the best guards around due to its simplicity and effectiveness. If it’s good enough for Gordon Ryan and Marcelo Garcia, it’s good enough for everyone else!
Closed Guard Sweeps
- Pendulum Sweep
- Flower Sweep
- Scissor Sweep
- Muscle Sweep
- Lumberjack Sweep
- Hip Bump Sweep
- Omoplata Sweep
- Helicopter/Elevator Sweep
- Double Anklepick Sweep
- Star Sweep
- 100% Sweep
- K-Guard Sweep
- Rubberguard Sweep
Half Guard Sweeps
- Dogfight Sweep
- John Wayne Sweep
- Lasso Sweep
- Roll Under Sweep
- Half Butterfly Sweep
- Faria Lapel Sweep
- Knee tap/Ankle tap Sweep
- G-Roll Sweep
- Arm Drag Sweep
- Octopus Sweep
- Tornado Sweep
- Shaolin Sweep
Deep Half Guard Sweeps
- Waiter Sweep
- Bridge Sweep
- Homer Simpson Sweep
- Single Leg Sweep
- Turkish Get-up Sweep
- Technical Standup Sweep
Lockdown Guard Sweeps
- Double Unders Sweep
- Electric Chair Sweep
- 5-O Sweep
- Arm Triangle Sweep
Butterfly Guard Sweeps
- Overhook Sweep
- Bodylock Sweep
- Collar Drag Sweep
- Armdrag Sweep
- Shoulder Crunch Sweep
- Arm Triangle Sweep
- Headlock Sweep
Lapel Guard Sweeps
- Worm Guard Sweep
- Lapeloplata Sweep
- Wormrider Sweep
- Wormaconda Sweep
- Squid Sweep
- Canero Sweep
SLX Guard Sweeps
- Tilt Sweep
- Leandro Lo Gi Sweep
- Over Head Sweep
- Double Ankle Pick Sweep
- 50/50 Sweep
- Knee Reap Sweep
X-Guard Sweeps
- Technical Standup Sweep
- Ball and Chain Sweep
- Tilt Back Sweep
- Backward Roll Sweep
- Saddle Sweep
De La Riva Guard Sweeps
- Hammer Sweep
- Tripod Sweep
- Single Leg Sweep
- Lasso Sweep
- Backward Roll Sweep
- Caio Terra Ankle Lock Sweep
- Meregali Sweep
- Spider-Lasso Sweep
- Berimbolo Sweep
- Cradle Sweep
- Matrix Sweep
Reverse De La Riva Guard Sweeps
- Spiral Sweep
- Kiss Of The Dragon Sweep
- Shin Sweep
- Single Leg Sweep
- Deep De La Riva Sweep
Spider Guard Sweeps
- Knee On Belly Sweep
- Stomp Sweep
- Balloon Sweep
- Spider-Lasso Sweep
- Scissor Sweep
- Ankle Pick Sweep
Lasso Guard Sweeps
- Lasso Sweep
- Balloon Sweep
- Meregali Sweep
- Slicer Sweep
- Side Control Sweep
- Omoplata Spin Sweep
Turtle Guard Sweeps
- Trap and Roll Sweep
- Lean Back Waist Grip Sweep
- Omoplata Roll Sweep
- Single Leg Sweep
- Octopus Sweep
If you want to learn more about BJJ and improve faster, then check out this awesome book – Jiu Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro.
