Throwback Sweep: Mastering the Old School Sweep in BJJ

The Old School Sweep is a fundamental sweep that every BJJ practitioner should learn. It’s a sweep that can be done from the closed guard, and is effective against opponents who have a low posture. In this article, we’ll break down the steps for executing the Old School Sweep and discuss some common mistakes to avoid.

Establish a Strong Closed Guard

Before attempting the Old School Sweep, you need to have a strong closed guard. Your legs should be wrapped around your opponent’s torso with your ankles crossed and your feet tucked behind their thighs. Your back should be straight and your arms should be controlling your opponent’s posture.

Break Your Opponent’s Posture

The Old School Sweep relies on breaking your opponent’s posture. To do this, you need to use your arms to pull your opponent down towards you, while at the same time lifting your hips off the ground. This will make it difficult for your opponent to maintain a strong base, and will create an opening for the sweep.

Secure Your Opponent’s Arm

Once your opponent’s posture has been broken, the next step is to secure their arm. Use one of your arms to wrap around your opponent’s arm and grab their wrist. Your other arm should be controlling their posture and preventing them from posturing back up.

Create the Angle

To complete the Old School Sweep, you need to create an angle to sweep your opponent to the side. You can do this by extending your legs and pushing your opponent’s arm across your body. At the same time, use your hips to pivot to the side and create the necessary angle for the sweep.

Sweep Your Opponent

Once you have created the necessary angle, you can then sweep your opponent to the side. This can be done by using your legs to scissor sweep your opponent’s legs out from under them. Use your hips to drive into your opponent to complete the sweep.

Take a Dominant Position

After sweeping your opponent, it’s important to take a dominant position. You can do this by coming up to your knees and establishing side control, or by moving into the mount position.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not having a strong closed guard: Without a strong closed guard, it will be difficult to execute the Old School Sweep effectively.
• Failing to break your opponent’s posture: If you can’t break your opponent’s posture, it will be difficult to create the opening for the sweep.
• Not securing your opponent’s arm: Without securing your opponent’s arm, they may be able to posture back up and defend the sweep.
• Failing to create the necessary angle: If you can’t create the necessary angle, it will be difficult to sweep your opponent to the side.
• Not using your hips: Your hips are key to executing the Old School Sweep effectively. Use them to drive into your opponent and create the necessary momentum for the sweep.
  
  
  

The Old School Sweep is a fundamental sweep that every BJJ practitioner should learn. By breaking your opponent’s posture, securing their arm, and creating the necessary angle, you can sweep your opponent to the side and establish a dominant position. Remember to focus on maintaining a strong closed guard, breaking your opponent’s posture, and using your hips to execute the sweep effectively. With practice, the Old School Sweep can become a powerful tool in your BJJ arsenal.