Scissor Sweep
- BJJ
- Sweeps
- fundamental
- Closed guard
- 4 steps
Load a shin across the body and scissor the legs to sweep the opponent and come up on top. Also known as the Hasami-gaeshi. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 4 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.
When to use it
Use the scissor sweep from closed guard when the opponent sits back on their heels or kneels tall. Get the collar and sleeve grips first and turn onto your side. It works best as they lean toward your collar-grip side.
Step by step
- 01
Guard with sleeve & collar grips
Take a collar grip and a same-side sleeve grip, and break their posture toward you.
- 02
Load the shin & off-angle
Turn to your side, slide one shin across their midsection and drop the other leg low as a base.
- 03
Scissor the legs
Pull with the grips, push with the top knee and chop the bottom leg across their base to tip them over.
- 04
Come up on top
Follow them over, keep your grips and post up into mount or top control.
Key details
- Off-angle first. Sweeping straight back into their base rarely works.
- The top knee and the chopping leg must move together like scissor blades.
- Keep both grips through the sweep so you ride up into a dominant position.
Common mistakes
- Trying to sweep without breaking their posture and creating an angle.
- Pushing only with the knee and forgetting to chop the bottom leg.
- Letting go of the grips and failing to follow up on top.
Common counters
Opponents post the leg on the sweeping side, widen their knees, or sit their weight back so you cannot load them onto your shin. Some strip the sleeve grip and post a hand. Get the off-angle and keep both grips through the sweep.
How to drill it
From closed guard, scissor sweep your partner and come up on top, then switch roles, ten reps on each side. Then do three rounds of two minutes where your partner tries to post out.
Related techniques
- Hip Bump SweepBJJSit up, reach over the shoulder and bump your hips to roll the opponent over into mount.
- Flower SweepBJJControl a sleeve and a leg and swing your legs like a pendulum to sweep them over and come up on top.
- Butterfly SweepBJJFrom seated butterfly guard, underhook and use a hook to elevate the opponent over to the side.
- Triangle ChokeBJJTrap the head and one arm and strangle with your legs in a figure-four around the neck.
- Armbar from GuardBJJIsolate an arm, swing a leg over the head and extend the hips to attack the elbow.
- Cross-Collar ChokeBJJFeed both hands deep into the collars and flare the elbows to strangle from guard.
Train it with the AI coach