Overhead Sweep

The Overhead Sweep is a powerful and dynamic technique used to sweep your opponent by elevating them over your body and redirecting their center of gravity. This sweep is typically executed from Butterfly Guard, Closed Guard, or X Guard, using Hooks, leverage, and momentum to flip your opponent over your head and transition into a dominant position, such as Mount or Side Control. The sweep is particularly effective against an opponent who applies forward pressure or leans heavily into you.

Key Principles

Hooks and Elevation

  • Your legs act as levers to lift and redirect your opponent's weight, making their base unstable.

Grip Fighting

  • Secure grips on their arms, collar, or legs to control their posture and prevent them from posting.

Momentum and Timing

  • Use your opponent’s forward pressure and momentum to assist the sweep.

Angles and Control

  • Adjust your body angle to maximize leverage and ensure the sweep is smooth.

Steps to Perform the Overhead Sweep

Set-Up in Guard

Secure Grips

  • Use your hands to grip their sleeves, collar, or pants to control their upper or lower body.
  • The grips help guide their movement and prevent them from regaining their base.

Create the Angle

  • Shrimp your hips slightly to create space and adjust the angle of your body under your opponent’s center of gravity.
  • Stay connected to their hips with your legs to maintain control.

Lift Your Opponent

  • Use your legs or hooks to elevate your opponent’s hips off the ground.
  • Simultaneously pull with your grips to direct their weight over your head.

Redirect Their Weight

  • As you elevate them, use your legs to guide their movement in a controlled arc.
  • Redirect their weight over your head and to the side or forward, depending on your grips and positioning.

Follow Through to a Dominant Position

  • As your opponent lands, maintain control and follow their momentum to transition into Mount, Side Control, or another advantageous position.

Variations of the Overhead Sweep

Butterfly Overhead Sweep

  • From Butterfly Guard, use both hooks to lift your opponent and redirect their weight overhead.

Closed Guard Overhead Sweep

  • Open your guard and elevate their hips with both legs while pulling their upper body with grips.

X Guard Overhead Sweep

  • Use your X Guard hooks to elevate their leg and execute the sweep by redirecting their weight forward or sideways.

Overhead to Back Take

  • If your opponent counters the sweep, transition into a Back Take by controlling their hips during the inversion.

Common Applications

Against Forward Pressure

  • Use the sweep when your opponent leans heavily into your guard, making their base unstable.

To Counter Guard Passes

To Transition to Dominant Positions

Submissions and Combinations

Submission Threats

  • Threaten submissions like a Triangle Choke or Guillotine to force your opponent into a posture conducive to the sweep.

Transition to Back Control

  • If the opponent defends by rolling, follow the movement to secure Back Control.
Tip

The Overhead Sweep works best when your opponent applies forward pressure or their base is compromised. Precise grips, explosive hip movement, and smooth coordination are critical for success.

By mastering the Overhead Sweep, you gain a dynamic and versatile tool to reverse positions, disrupt your opponent’s game, and assert control from a variety of guard positions.

Positioning

The Overhead Sweep can be executed from several positions where you can create elevation and leverage to lift your opponent over your head. Below is a breakdown of the key positions where the Overhead Sweep is most effective:

Primary Positions

Butterfly Guard

  • The Overhead Sweep is highly effective from Butterfly Guard, where you use your hooks to elevate your opponent while controlling their posture with grips.

Closed Guard

  • Open your Closed Guard and use both legs to lift your opponent’s hips while pulling with grips on their sleeves, collar, or pants to execute the sweep.

Guard Variations

X Guard

  • From X Guard, elevate your opponent’s leg with your hooks and transition their weight overhead to perform the sweep.

Single-Leg X Guard

  • Use the Single-Leg X Guard hook to elevate their leg while controlling their posture, allowing for a modified overhead motion.

Spider Guard

  • If your opponent stands in Spider Guard, use your feet on their biceps or hips to lift them and redirect their weight overhead.

Open Guard

  • Use grips on their pants, sleeves, or ankles to lift and sweep them when their base is compromised in Open Guard.

De La Riva

  • Transition to an Overhead Sweep when your opponent’s weight shifts forward, replacing your De La Riva hook with a lifting motion.

Defensive and Counter Positions

Opponent Standing in Guard

  • The Overhead Sweep can be applied when your opponent stands in your Closed Guard or Open Guard, especially if they are leaning forward.

Opponent Attempting a Toreando Pass

  • Counter their forward momentum by lifting and sweeping them overhead.

Counter to Guard Passes/Knee Cut Pass

  • If your opponent drives forward with a Guard Passes/Knee Cut, use your legs to elevate their hips and execute the sweep.

Dynamic Transitions

From a Failed Butterfly Sweep

  • If your opponent resists the Butterfly Sweep by posting or leaning back, transition into an Overhead Sweep by lifting their hips.

From Submission Attempts

  • If your opponent defends a Triangle Choke or Guillotine, transition into an Overhead Sweep by using their forward momentum against them.

During Guard Retention

  • If your opponent pressures forward while you are recovering guard, use the sweep to regain control and reverse the position.

Scramble Situations

In a Scramble

  • Use the Overhead Sweep when your opponent’s base is unstable during a dynamic exchange or scramble.

Combat Base Counter

  • If your opponent kneels with one leg up (combat base), you can lift their hips and sweep them overhead using hooks and grips.

Submission and Sweep Combinations

Back Take

  • If your opponent counters by rolling forward during the sweep, follow through to transition into Back Control.

Submission Setups

  • Use the sweep to set up submissions like the Armbar or Triangle Choke by isolating an arm during the motion.
Tip

The Overhead Sweep thrives in positions where your opponent’s base is compromised or their weight shifts forward. Effective grip fighting, tight connections, and smooth hip movement are critical to its success.

By understanding these positional setups, the Overhead Sweep becomes a versatile and effective tool to reverse positions, disrupt your opponent’s balance, and transition into dominant positions.

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