The Waiter Sweep Made Easy by Lucas Valle

Effective Deep Half Guard Sweep Sometimes Ignored

Deep half guard has become a position after many years, that I'm finally becoming a bit more comfortable with.  As a bigger grappler, it never seemed like it made much sense to dive beneath and between someone's legs to try to set up the deep half.  So I committed one of the mistakes Tom DeBlass often points out at his seminars and classes.  When a move doesn't work right away, it's common to say, this move doesn't work or won't work for me for whatever reason we use to justify abandoning it.  DeBlass is fond of saying that it isn't the move that sucks, it's us.  What he means is that for any move to be effective, it must be practiced dozens if not hundreds of times before it becomes smooth.  Entering into deep half guard was that move for me.

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Now as I begin to become more comfortable entering into the position, I am beginning to explore different types of sweeps.  The waiter sweep is a technique that I've always been fascinated by, but could not really see myself using.  First I had to get into deep half and you know how that worked in the beginning.  The opponent would smash and stuff my entry and leave me in a horrible spot on the bottom.  Now I'm there much easier simply from practicing different entries into the position.  I'm able to protect myself better from their adjustments, so now I find it safe to chill and look around for the sweeps.

Waiter Sweep can be a smooth addition to deep half game with these details

The waiter sweep breakdown offered in the video below is one of the clearest I've seen.  Lucas Valle, recent black belt winner of the Boston Open demonstrates his efficient waiter sweep on Bernardo Faria.  Check it out below!

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There are several extremely important and easy to miss details that Bernardo points out in this video.  The first is the way that Lucas Valle uses the under hook and grip to drive Bernardo or the opponent sideways to shift their weight and create the space to go enter into the deep half.  The second is how he uses his legs and thighs which are trapping Bernardo's leg to swing up towards the hand.  In my earliest attempts at the waiter sweep, it always seemed to be a struggle to get the hand under the foot to control the leg and prevent them from basing.

Implementing these two details will go a long way to smoothing out the execution of the waiter sweep for you and have your deep half guard game that much more dangerous.  Give it a try and don't forget what Tom DeBlass says regarding giving the move some time and some practice to make it effective.

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