Push Pull Sweep

Student Objectives:

  1. The student will perform the Push/Pull sweep from Open Guard with a compliant partner.
  2. The student will associate the stretching and off balancing as an effective way to break the posture.  
  3. The Student will develop the transition between knocking their opponent down and coming to the standing position.

Teaching Cues:

  • Sleeves and Stand
  • Stretch
  • Cross Grip and Angle
  • Grab the Ankle
  • Push Pull

Lesson: Push Pull Sweep

The practicing student will start in the Closed Guard with their back flat on the floor and their legs wrapped around the waist of the assisting student.  The practicing student will take control of both sleeves by using the Cat Grip.  

The assisting student will place their hands on the chest of the practicing student and use the hands to help stand.  During the transition to standing, the practicing student will open their legs and place both feet on the hips.  The toes should be angled out, with the soles of the feet firmly set against the belt area.  

Once the feet are in place the practicing student should immediately stretch the assisting student by pushing with the feet and pulling with the grips on the sleeves.  This should pull the assisting students shoulders past the front of their toes.    

After off balancing the assisting student and compromising their base, the practicing student will transition one grip into a Cross Grip.  Immediately upon gaining the cross grip on the sleeve, the practicing student will base the foot corresponding to the Cross Grip on the floor to give a modified Shrimp.  This body angle change is to allow a grabbing of the assisting student’s ankle which should be readily available.  Make sure when grabbing the ankle that the practicing student is using a Sloth Grip.  

Next the practicing student will take the posted foot and hook under the assisting student’s other ankle.  This should be chocking both ankles (one with the hand, and one with the foot) and prevent adjustments of the base during the sweeping portion of the technique.  

Now that the practicing student has prevented an adjustment of the practicing student’s base it is time to complete the sweep.  The sweep is executed by pulling with both hands and the foot behind the ankle while also pushing with the foot on the hip.  This has a lot of feel to it depending on how far they are bent over and the size difference between the participating students.  Allow the students some time to build the perception of the sweep.  

It is very important for the student’s to come into a top position after knocking down the assisting student, otherwise it’s not a sweep.  There are many ways to get on top, but the most efficient is to use the sleeve grip to pull yourself up as the assisting student is falling.  This also happens to be the most difficult part of the movement.    

When coming to the standing position try to have the practicing student maintain control of the sleeve and the ankle.  This will allow a Horse Step of one of the legs out of the guard and into Side Control.  Make sure to reference the video to gain an understanding of this portion of the technique.  

Possible Extensions:

  • As students become savvy with the execution of the sweep and riding the sleeve grip to standing, they can immediately Knee Cut to Side Control.  This looks great and is a fantastic transition, but takes a lot of body control.  
  • Sometimes the person standing has a very strong sense of balance and it is difficult to knock them down even though you have stretched them out.  Moving into the Koala, and variations of the Koala that use the sleeve grip can be easy and effective.
  • The Hook and Sickle Sweep pairs very well with the Push Pull Sweep.  While this move is not in the curriculum it is an easy to find sweep and can make for some good drills.

Possible Refinements:

  • During the stretching portion of this technique make sure the practicing student leaves slight bend in their legs.  This will allow them to more aggressively challenge the base in some instances while also allowing them to remove a foot from the hips if the assisting student inadvertently belly flops.
  • Make sure when placing the second ankle that the toes and knees are pointed out.  Also make sure the foot is touching the floor and trapping at the ankle and not behind the Knee Pit.  I have seen many students practicing this movement with the back of the knee pit and this will allow future opponents to peel the hook by pushing down on the ankle and pinning it to the floor as they step back.  If the foot traps at the ankle there will not be an opportunity to create space by pushing it to the floor, because it will already be on the floor.
  • The tension on the sleeve grip is very important in pulling up the practicing student as the assisting student falls.  Make sure the practicing student is keeping tension across that sleeve by pulling back with the elbow that is controlling the sleeve.

Reference materials:

Teaching Reflections:

  • How did I do teaching?
  • What could I do better next time?
  • Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?

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