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.

Step by step

  1. 01

    Guard with sleeve & collar grips

    Take a collar grip and a same-side sleeve grip, and break their posture toward you.

    Scissor Sweep step 1 of 4: Guard with sleeve & collar grips
  2. 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.

    Scissor Sweep step 2 of 4: Load the shin & off-angle
  3. 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.

    Scissor Sweep step 3 of 4: Scissor the legs
  4. 04

    Come up on top

    Follow them over, keep your grips and post up into mount or top control.

    Scissor Sweep step 4 of 4: Come up on top

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.

Related techniques

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