Harpoon Sweep

The Harpoon Sweep is a dynamic sweep executed from Half Guard or Deep Half Guard, using a deep underhook and leverage from your legs and hips to off-balance your opponent and reverse their position. The sweep is named for the deep, piercing motion of the underhook, which secures control of your opponent's body and creates the leverage needed for the technique. It is particularly effective against opponents applying forward pressure or attempting to pass your guard.

Key Principles

Deep Underhook Control

  • A Deep Underhook on your opponent’s far side is critical for controlling their upper body and preventing them from posting or sprawling.

Hip Movement and Angle Creation

  • Proper hip positioning allows you to maximize leverage and ensure the sweep is effective.

Leverage and Momentum

  • Use your legs to elevate and redirect your opponent’s weight, creating instability in their base.

Timing

  • The sweep works best when executed as your opponent commits forward pressure or shifts their weight.

Steps to Perform the Harpoon Sweep

Set-Up in Half Guard or Deep Half Guard

  • Start in Half Guard, with one of your legs trapping your opponent’s near leg.
  • Establish a deep underhook on their far side, reaching as far across their body as possible to gain control.

Secure the Grips

  • Use your underhook to control their far side, wrapping tightly around their back or torso.
  • Your free hand can assist by gripping their pant leg, belt, or hip for added control.

Create the Angle

  • Shrimp or scoot your hips underneath your opponent to position yourself at an angle beneath their center of gravity.
  • Keep your head close to their hip on the underhook side.

Elevate with Your Legs

  • Use your inside leg to lift their trapped leg while simultaneously driving with your hips and pulling with the underhook.
  • Your outside leg assists by framing or pushing against their body to generate additional leverage.

Redirect Their Weight

  • Drive their weight over the direction of your underhook, forcing them to fall onto their side or back.
  • Use your grips and legs to guide their movement and prevent them from recovering their base.

Follow Through to a Dominant Position

  • As they fall, transition to Side Control or Mount by maintaining control of their upper body and following their momentum.

Variations of the Harpoon Sweep

From Deep Half Guard

  • If your opponent pressures forward, use a Deep Half Guard setup to elevate their hips and transition to the Harpoon Sweep.

Counter to Guard Passes/Knee Cut Pass

Lapel or Belt Variation

  • Use your free hand to grip their lapel or belt for added control, enhancing your ability to redirect their weight.

Common Applications

Against Forward Pressure

  • When your opponent leans heavily into Half Guard to pass, the Harpoon Sweep allows you to exploit their momentum.

As a Counter to Passing Attempts

To Transition to Deep Half Guard

  • If the initial setup fails, adjust to Deep Half Guard and continue attacking with the sweep.
Tip

The success of the Harpoon Sweep relies on a deep, tight underhook and proper hip movement to position yourself beneath your opponent’s weight. Timing your sweep with their forward pressure will maximize its effectiveness.

By incorporating the Harpoon Sweep into your Half Guard game, you can create dynamic opportunities to transition from defense to offense, securing dominant positions and controlling the pace of the match.

Positioning

The Harpoon Sweep can be executed from several positions where you can establish a deep underhook and leverage your legs and hips to off-balance your opponent. Below are the key positions where the Harpoon Sweep is most effective:

Primary Positions

Half Guard

  • The Harpoon Sweep is commonly executed from a deep Half Guard position, where you control your opponent’s near leg while using the Deep Underhook to manipulate their upper body and redirect their weight.

Deep Half Guard

  • This sweep works exceptionally well from Deep Half Guard when your opponent’s weight is forward, allowing you to use the underhook and elevation to execute the sweep.

Guard Variations

Z Guard

  • From Z Guard, you can transition into the Harpoon Sweep by removing the knee shield, diving deep for the underhook, and angling your hips to attack their base.

Butterfly Guard Transition

From Open Guard

Passing and Defensive Positions

Countering a Guard Passes/Knee Cut Pass

Countering a Smash Pass

  • If your opponent pressures forward aggressively in a Smash Pass, use the underhook and hip positioning to redirect their weight with the Harpoon Sweep.

Dynamic Transitions

Opponent in Combat Base

  • When your opponent is in combat base (one knee up and one knee down), you can dive under their raised leg, establish the underhook, and perform the sweep.

Failed Butterfly Sweep

Failed Scissor Sweep

  • If the opponent defends the Scissor Sweep, transition into Half Guard and use the deep underhook to execute the Harpoon Sweep.

Scramble Scenarios

Opponent Pressuring Forward During a Scramble

  • If your opponent leans forward aggressively during a scramble, secure the underhook and transition into the Harpoon Sweep.

Guard Retention

  • Use the Harpoon Sweep to recover control or transition to a dominant position when defending guard passes.
Tip

The Harpoon Sweep thrives in positions where you can establish a deep underhook and get under your opponent’s center of gravity. Focus on tight connections and proper hip movement to maximize the sweep's effectiveness.

By understanding these positions, you can seamlessly integrate the Harpoon Sweep into your game, making it a versatile and reliable tool for sweeping opponents and transitioning to dominant positions.

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