Scissor Sweep

The scissor sweep is probably the first sweep from the guard that every beginner learns when he first comes to a bjj academy.

I have to say I love this move because it is so effective against most beginners and sometimes intermediate level guys.

Often of course it does not work perfectly since the guys often have a very good base and understand this move very well. Opponents that are heavy are of course good at using the opportunity to pass the guard.

The scissor sweep I understand is always criticized for being one of these moves that only works on beginners, but I think it is always worth exploring your opponents base and taking advantage when he is off balance to try to go for a submission like the triangle from there.

My personal favourite is kind of a modified scissor sweep where you try to push away your opponent's leg which he uses to stabilize himself. Alternatively you can underhook your own leg under his and take advantage to take him off balance to the other side. I have found that this one does not always work however.

If you have a great defensive guard then I think you should always be able to recover your guard if the move does not work and then go for something else.

The hip bump sweep and the flower are two alternative sweeps which I try to use but these are harder to implement in my personal experience. The hip bump depends on how tied up you are and you really need to find the timing. In a no-gi situation I have had better success with the hip bump becuase your opponent cannot control you as much and make sure your back remains on the ground.

So go for the scissor sweep first. If it does not work and your opponent keeps his base, look for the submission. Check out the armbar here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9042427621842584977#

If that fails recover back to closed guard and try something else.

Judo and jiu jitsu are similar I think in one thing. Both standing and on the ground, your opponent will proceed to try to defend against any technique you will do and therefore it is a combination of techniques and how well you can do it that is going to make the difference.

The scissor sweep on its own may not work but if this is your position from which you regularly work from, then you will practice regularly a combination of moves which will give you a game that will allow you to be prepared from any situation.

If you take the scissor sweep, all too often your opponent will try to defend by stabilizing his base and then trying to pass your guard. Consider how you would counter this situation and practice it over and over again.

One option could be to stay in control and proceed to pull your opponent into a loop choke as you can see below:



Too many times you see the loop choke being performed with rolling but this is a more simple variation which is more practical I think and has been performed successfully at a higher level. The key I understand is not to make the grip too deep as this will not allow you to gain the appropriate position to make the hold tight enough to submit your opponent.

Top-10 Submission Moves

So many different articles are featuring the top-10 submission moves used these days that I thought I would give you my list based on popularity. There are so many different submissions that you can use and so many small details which can change as to how effective a submission is. The arm-bar is a good example. There are so many different variations that it is almost like several techniques.

So in reverse order here we go:

10. Ankle lock – a basic and very effective move that can really kill your ankle. The main problem is of course that there are many ways to get out of it and that it is difficult to apply it in the heavier weight divisions as there is too much muscle there on bigger guys. Classic example is when Roger Gracie submitted Shinya Aoki with this move in ADCC.

9. Knee bar - knee bars are actually very effective techniques but are considered easy to get out of unless you are facing top jiu jitsu practitioners. Unlike the ankle lock, the opponent cannot take the pain here. Classic examples are Mauricio Shogun Rua submitting Kevin Randelman and Frank Mir submitting Brock Lesnar.

8. Kimura – a great technique named after the greatest Japanese judoka of all time, Masahiko Kimura, who defeated the grandfather of Brazilian jiu jitsu Helio Gracie with this move.

7. Omoplata – popularized by Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioners, this shoulder lock is relatively popular nowadays. Royce Gracie, the victor in the early UFC events beat the sumo wrestler Akebono Taro (who weighed 500 pounds) with this move in the first round.

6. Arm triangle – known also as scarf hold, a popular bjj and judo technique which restricts blood flow to the brain causing loss of consciousness. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Valentijn Overeem is only one example of this nasty choke applied in competition.

5. Heel hook – considered to be a high percentage leg lock, the heel hook requires a lot of care as it can easily cause serious injury in multiple joints running from the heel to the knee. Shinya Aoki defeated Eddie Alvarez with the technique or if you saw the early UFC fights, Ken Shamrock eliminated Patrick Smith with this one in UFC 1.

4. Triangle choke – truly a great submission that defines Brazilian jiu jitsu. Only too many wrestlers have been submitted with this move. The truth is that it is impossible to escape it (unless your name is Roger Gracie). Take a look at how the legendary MMA fighter Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro submitted Gary Goodridge or at the highest level Eddie Bravo vs. Royler Gracie in ADCC.

3. Arm bar – although the arm bar is a high percentage move in all submission arts, Fedor Emelianenko is perhaps one of the best specialist here submitting Mark Coleman (twice), Hong Man Choi, Naoya Ogawa, Kerry Schall and Matt Lindland. Judo and Sambo practitioners adore this move and it certainly deserves the number three spot.

2. Guillotine choke – the guillotine choke, although relatively basic at first sight is extremely effective and has details that make it so effective. An example would be Cro Cop (a feared striker) submitting Kevin Randelman to everyone's surprise.

1. Rear naked choke – it just so happens that the human body works in such a way that the most vulnerable position you can be is being choked out with this move. Almost impossible to escape, the move is extremely effective both in submission wrestling, mixed martial arts or gi ground fighting. Take a look at BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian. My favorite moment with this move is Roger Gracie vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza in ADCC Absolute finals of 2005.

Honorable mentions for the Americana, the Toe hold and for the Anaconda choke, both worthy to be somewhere on this list as well.