How to Stop the Half Guard Sweep
Posted by Ismail Safi on
The basic half guard sweep is one of the best ways for a half guard player to get on top. For grapplers with a strong base or wrestling background, using half guard to get on top is a no brainer. One example of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert that uses this sweep extensively to defeat very high level grapplers is Bernardo Faria.
Dealing with guys that play half guard exclusively or attack this sweep a lot can be frustrating. I guarantee that if you go up against someone like Bernardo or Tom Deblass, you will get swept with this simple technique.
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Not only is it very difficult to stop this sweep against a tough half guard player, you also have to focus on passing the guard too without exposing submissions. This can be extraordinarily difficult when the guard player has good frames and uses their leg as a shield.
Defending the basic half guard sweep isn’t impossible, as long as you have the proper knowledge. In the following video, Australian black belt and Absolute MMA instructor Lachlan Giles gives a lesson on how to stop this move. Check it out below:
=Since the half guard sweep requires the guard player to set up an under hook first, it can be predicted that if they establish and under hook, they are probably trying this move. As long as you are aware of the under hook, you should be able to respond to it quickly before the guard player gets up.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that you don’t actually have to sit in anyone’s half guard. In fact, I usually just stand up and attempt standing passes rather than half guard passing unless I am confident that I can pass their half guard.
Although the basic half guard sweep is one of the more technically simple sweeps in Jiu Jitsu, its still quite difficult to defend. With the proper knowledge, it is possible to prevent this. What is pretty cool about this is that by defending the sweep, you end up in a superior position that you can pass from or attack submissions.
Check out Lachlan's DVD "The Half Guard Anthology", and get to work on improving your half guard! BJJ Fanatics has it! Check it out here!
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