A sweep is either of two categories of
martial arts techniques. From standing, sweeps are
throws or
takedowns that primarily use the legs to attack an opponent's legs. On the
ground
Ground may refer to:
Geology
* Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water
* Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth
Electricity
* Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...
, sweeps are techniques for reversing a
grappling position
A grappling position refers to the positioning and holds of combatants engaged in grappling. Combatants are said to be in a neutral position if neither is in a more favourable position. If one party has a clear advantage such as in the ''mount'' t ...
from a guard position.
Standing
When standing it is a technique used to take an opponent to the ground by knocking their legs out from under them, so is classed as a throw or
takedown. The force of the sweep either runs perpendicular to the opponent's leg or rises as it strikes the leg, lifting the foot from the ground. A sweep can be used to take the opponent to the ground or it can simply disrupt the opponent's balance long enough to make an opening for a punch or kick. In Japanese it is known as ''ashi-barai''.
Illustration in kick boxing
Image: balayage_cuillère.jpg , '' 'Spoon-type' Sweep''
Image: Crochetage3.svg , ''Using a hook kick''
Image: balayage_retourné.jpg , ''Using a spinning kick''
Ground work
A sweep, when referred to in the context of
ground fighting
Ground fighting (also called ground work or ground game) is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground. The term is commonly used in mixed martial arts and other combat sports, as well as various forms of marti ...
, is a technique used to
transition from a neutral or inferior
position to a dominant position, such as a practitioner moving from in an opponent's
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
to
full mount, hence the alternative term 'reversal' as the dominance of positions have been reversed.
Push Sweep
A Push Sweep is one of the
guard sweeps described in
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
. The main characteristic of the Push Sweep is the practitioner pushing the opponent's knee out from under them with their foot, when the practitioner has the opponent in their
open guard. The Push Sweep is similar to the Scissor Sweep, which uses a scissor motion of the legs to sweep the opponent, but adds the detail of pushing the opponent's knee out from under them. This additional detail is required when the opponent keeps a wide base to prevent the Scissor Sweep.
References
* International Brazilian jiu-jitsu Federation
Rules ''www.cbjj.com.br''. URL last accessed February 11, 2006.
* Kyuzo Mifune. ''The Canon Of Judo.'' Kodansha International, 2004. .
* Renzo Gracie and Royler Gracie. ''Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Theory and Technique.'' Invisible Cities, 2001. .
Grappling
Martial art techniques
Kicks
Kickboxing terminology
Articles containing video clips
{{martialart-term-stub