A sweep is either of two categories of

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

s techniques. From standing, sweeps are

throws Throwing is a physical action that consists of mechanically accelerating a projectile and then releasing it into a ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of impacting a distant target. ''Throwing'' typically refers to hand-throwing by ani ...

or takedowns that primarily use the legs to attack an opponent's legs. On the

ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the solid terrestrial surface of the Earth * 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 circ ...

, 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'' ...

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 A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of at ...

'' 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 martia ...

, is a technique used to transition from a neutral or inferior

position Position often refers to: * Position (geometry), the spatial location (rather than orientation) of an entity * Position, a job or occupation Position may also refer to: Games and recreation * Position (poker), location relative to the dealer * ...

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 ...

full mount The mount, or mounted position, is a dominant ground grappling position, where one combatant sits on the other combatants torso (usually lower) with the face pointing towards the opponent's head. This is a favorable position for the top combata ...

, 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. 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. .

Standing

Illustration in kick boxing

Ground work

Push sweep

References

See also