Small Guy Half Guard Sweep From Dog Fight By Lucas Leite

Half Guard Sweep: Roll Variation From Dog fight by Lucas Leite

When you think of the most common positions to be in when training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the half guard will always come up. The half guard is one of the most common positions out there. What used to be seen as a “last ditch effort” to prevent your opponent from passing your full guard is now seen as a truly dynamic and powerful position to mount attacks, sweeps, and submissions from. Your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game will benefit greatly from becoming a good half guard player. It is something anyone can start training today, even if you have little to no experience.

So what takes a good half guard and makes it great? Having a good sweep from half guard will greatly help when it comes to evolving your half guard game. The simple answer is: sweeps. The dog fight position can be used with a high level of efficiency to sweep your opponent. The dog fight positioned is named as such due to the positioning of your legs. It is a common position to get into from half guard because it utilizes the under hook you often go for, allowing you to get up to your knees while controlling your opponent from the side of his body. As counterintuitive as it sounds, this is the best spot to control your opponent from. Let us take a look at a roll variation when sweeping your opponent from the dog fight position from half guard master Lucas Leite.

The Weird Techniques World Champion Lucas Leite Uses So Well That He Intentionally Chooses Opponents 30-40 Lbs Heavier.

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Who is Lucas Leite? Lucas Leite is high level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt competitor. Lucas is a black belt under Leonardo Vieira. Lucas is famous for his half guard skills. He currently represents the Checkmat BJJ Academy, one of the most successful teams among the juggernauts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Lucas has been a regular presence in BJJ and submission grappling podiums around the world competing sometimes as a heavyweight (under 94kg/221lbs), two weight categories above his natural weight (around 78-80kg). In 2007 Lucas Leite moved from his native Brazil to the United States where he formed one of the strongest Checkmat academy camps in the USA. The list of Lucas’ accolades is long. Some of his most notable titles are: World Champion (2007, 2005 brown belt), World No Gi Champion (2014, 2011, 2009), Pan American Champion, Grapplers Quest Pro Division Champion, Sao Paulo State Champion, and European Champion (2006).

Today Lucas Leite is here at BJJ Fanatics Head Quarters in Massachusetts to demonstrate a roll variation on his well known dog fight sweep. This is a great sweep to utilize when someone postures up strong during a half guard sweep.  Watch the video below and then we will break down Lucas Leite’s technique. Check it out now!

The first thing Lucas demonstrates is how to get into the dog fight position. Typically in bottom half guard you will be controlling both of your opponent’s arms with your grips, which will also help you avoid punches in a self defense situation. Lucas crosses his legs over his training partner’s calf before shooting in to get the under hook. Once he has an under hook to control his opponent’s back he uses his leg to hook his training partner’s leg and pull it out and away from his body, weakening his base. This allows Lucas to come up to the dog fight position. Lucas emphasizes that he can’t take his opponent’s back because he still has the whizzer to protect himself.

Once Lucas has come up into the dog fight position he feeds his hand through, gripping at his opponent’s opposite knee and rolling forward over his shoulder. This is a great method because your training partner will often times be able to resist your pressure from any angle. The roll forward uses your momentum to sweep your opponent at the same time you dismantle his base. Once you roll it is very important that you continue to keep hooking your training partner’s leg. This will allow you to completely roll through, ending up with side control on your opponent.

As you can tell, this is a great sweep from half guard. What I like the most about this one is how you first weaken your opponent’s base by pulling their leg away from their before and then roll through. This is the kind of opening that allows you to easily sweep an opponent. You will notice that Lucas Leite weakens the entire side of his opponent on the same side he is fighting from. This gives him tremendous advantage to sweep. If you love playing half guard this technique is just for you. So give it a try the next time you are in a live roll or in competition. It could be a great way to surprise your opponent with an amazing sweep, earning you points in the process. Thank you Lucas Leite for demonstrating this roll sweep variation from the dog fight position for us here today!

How To Sweep Bigger Guys With The Half Guard That Actually Works Better Against Heavier Opponents.

Lucas has developed a half guard that is so powerful that it works against anyone.  Once he gets his grips and gets into position he is unstoppable.  It doesn’t matter how big or strong a guy is, he is going to sweep them.

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