Master the BJJ Closed Guard Sweeps for Jiu Jitsu White Belt

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), the closed guard is considered one of the best positions. It is the cornerstone, as one cannot regard oneself as a grappler without it. No alternative position exists on this subject. Since a closed guard will help you dominate your opponent, it will lead you to victory on several occasions.

If you want to assume the closed guard position, you have to lie on your back and lock your legs around your opponent's lower back. Your main aim should be to take control of the opponent’s legs during the fight. That will also allow you to employ submissions, such as Triangle and Guillotine, to be unleashed.

Now, let it be noted that for the professional consideration of other people as grapplers, one is called upon to acquire this skill. There is a reasonable probability of being introduced to this closed guard position during your preliminary BJJ class. Therefore, be ready.

This is the reason why we will focus on the closed guard position in this write-up. You want to exercise it as much as you can. And so you should be able to do so by training outside of your regular BJJ gym. That will also help you to evolve quickly.

Well, they are minor details, indeed, and that is where the catch lies. We suggest that you read this article carefully to the last letter so that you master the closed guard position.

This article is meant to assist you as far as the closed guard position is concerned. You want to reach a level of proficiency that is second nature to you. And this can be achieved by doing extra practice sessions elsewhere from your usual BJJ academy. That will also help you catch up quickly.

We suggest taking time and reading each and every word of this article to equip yourself with skills on how to infiltrate the closed guard position effectively.

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the methods of sweeps are defined as broad movements that help to change the position into a comparatively different one or, in other words, to get a better one. While performing jiu-jitsu, the sweep is the essential component.

On the other hand, in BJJ, the guard's position plays a significant role. Of course, the positon of the closed guard is often regarded as a high guard position for the defender who possesses it. Still, BJJ is a fluid sport that constantly demands its athletes to try to advance to better positions, which help in finishing the bout with better scores.

In this way, it is extremely important to know to do the movements of sweeps in to any position. But, before going into the depth, the other thing we have to grasp is that break the posture, it is very crucial part to proceed in the further process.

In BJJ, the closed guard is a powerful position that enables the player to dominate the opponent and go for submissions and sweeps. In this article, we will only look particularly at the closed guard sweeps, which are crucial to anyone willing to enhance their ground game.

While performing sweeps from a closed guard position, many degree of factors like timing, leverage, along with technique are critical. Mastering the sweeps requires practice, but once you can do so, you'll advance your BJJ game further.

One of the first moves you should learn, the closed guard sweep, is crucial in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for anyone who is looking to improve their ground sport. This is way, if you have mastered the techniques, then you will be able to control the movement of your opponent, do a sweep on him, and set up the submission method.

Make sure to practice these techniques in your free time and use them in live rolling sessions in order to improve. Think about the play and the smart choice by the coach, the fighters need to have an offensive mind and keep a forward-focused approach on a regular basis.

If you are just a zero-stripe white belt in BJJ, then you should concentrate on the basics for now. That is, if you have one technique that accesses each major position, you can realize your potential if you are able to put time into it.

You would see the highest success rate if you were able to break down your opponents' posture before attempting the sweep of them.

But what is the reason for it? In the simplest form, a more skilled athlete would have a better chance if he is in a rounded-back and forward-weight position such that a deficient and off-balance position occurs.

Consequently, the opponent will use more energy to comply with the requirements to defend his sweeps and attacks than if he holds a stronger position.

Regarding body positioning in relation to sweeping, remember that, just like in almost all Jiu-Jitsu-related things, try to keep the opponent away from the mat. In this way, the fighter can avail the opportunity to apply the sweep.

In addition, angles play a significant role in BJJ, as it helps you to get the opportunity to deal with an opponent that is even bigger in size and weight.

• Upsetting balance on your opponent using only the entanglement of the lower body.

• Use your base and the strength in your legs to upset the opponent's balance.

• To get the opponent's own leg, the fighter is required to determine the exact placement of the angles.

• The fighter needs to do it by staying in the same direction. Remember, the execution of the sweep needs attention; the BJJ fighter is not required to utilize his leg to finish the sweep.

The aim of your first arm is to bring your opponent in such a direction that he does not find the place to move or to execute any submission. The target is to disrupt the balance of the opponent so that there will be maximum chances for the application of the correct sweep.

Primarily, this is performed in these conditions: the fighter needs to trap the upper body of an opponent, with the approch of attacking the arms. This step is done after the appliction of the pressure over the opponent, the arms are targeted with both of the hands. The fighter needs to have a firm grip over the opponent's wrist.

Breaking the posture of the opponent requires special attention that needs to work on the angles. The proper placement of the body or the maintenance of the posture is extremely essential.

Let us find out the variations of the sweeps that are extremely helpful and essential for the white belts of BJJ. 

Pendulum Sweep is the versatile sweep that is highly recommended for the white belts in BJJ. The fighter can do the transitions from the bottom position. It is also considered as the most dominant and remarkable position.

• The fighter needs to approach the opponent from the bottom position of the closed guard.

• The next step is to approach the opponent's wrist or sleeve.

• The white belt needs to underhook the opponent's opposite side leg.

• The momentum is created with the perpendicular motion of the leg.

• The main target is to off-balance the opposite. 

The flower sweep is a popular technique that is also regarded as the pendulum sweep, as it works on the same principle as the pendulum. It has a very unique setup that can be applied from the closed guard position. Flower sweep has a unique variation that requires the motion of the legs.

• The BJJ grappler needs to begin with the closed guard position.

• The next step is to target the arms, wrist (BJJ Gi sleeve), or the leg of the opponent.

• The crucial step is to move the leg in the to and fro motion, just like the pendulum movement.

• You need to repeat the motion until you get the required position of the mount or full mount.

The flower sweep has certain variations that increase the possibility for the fighter to target the opponent. There are three important variations of the flower sweeps:

• This is the unique variation that requires the grip of the lapel instead of the sleeves or the wrist.

• It is a versatile move that restricts the motion of the fellow fighter.

• It provides the benefit of off-guarding the opponent.

• After the application of the sweep, the fighter needs to incorporate the movement of the arm to finish the sweep.

• It requires the use of the arm for doing the transition, which is why it is often called the armbar variation.

• The BJJ fighter needs to put the foot over the knee to disrupt the balance of the fighter.

• The best part is that it provides the maximum control over the opponent.

It is yet another interesting BJJ closed-guard sweep that allows the fighter to do the sweep with the control of the arm. The fighter targets the shoulder and foot to make the transition of the sweep.

• Take the hand and secure the grip of the opponent's sleeve or wrist.

• The crucial step is to create the underhook with the opposite leg.

• The significant step is to take the leg and put it over the shoulder of an opponent.

• Lock the target in place by restraining the motion.

• Secure the dominant position when you are doing the transition.

Omoplata sweep provides you the opportunity to apply the submission method as you go for the sweep.

Scissor sweep is the fundamental part that is learned by every beginner of BJJ. It also began with the closed guard position.

• In this scissor sweep move, the fighter takes the grip of the collar or lapel with one hand and uses the other hand to secure the grip of the wrist or the sleeve.

• The next step is to keep the leg over the torso in a way that the shin is over it.

• The other leg is placed on the mat; this helps to maintain the position over the ground.

• Use the rapid motion of the legs to create a scissor-like motion for the sweep.

• Maintain the grips so that you can keep the fighter close to you. (This helps to restrict the motion after reducing the space)

• Finish the sweep to get the dominant position.

It is a simple yet effective position to do the sweep in BJJ. It requires targeting the arm of the opponent, a similar grip as used in the kimura lock. The control is taken on the same side foot to disrupt the balance of an opponent.

• The fighter is on the mat, where his back is in contact with the ground.

• The initial step is to get in the sitting position.

• Hold the arm of the opponent while the other hand is placed on the mat to secure the grip.

• Move the hips in the upward direction to bump the opponent.

• Finish the sweep with the movement.

The white belt of BJJ needs to keep in consideration that sweeps are the main idea to get you in a position where you are at an advantage over the opponent at every stage.

Note that there is a limited number of positions that a fighter need to keep in concentration before the application of the sweeps. He needs to be in a position for the upper hand or to score some extra points.

Speaking of BJJ closed guard sweeps, we will be focusing to get in to the dominant position. It requires practice to get perfect the execution of the sweeps.

The fighter can take the position of the mount that is considered as a highly dominating in order to take the control over the opponent. We will catch a glimpse of briefly in the sweeps along with the variations in this article, but we will also find out the number of sweeps that we can perform from the position of the closed guard.

The close guard position brings you the best possibilities to take advantage of the applications of the sweeps. The key factor is to maintain the pressure and weight distribution over the opponent’s body. This can be applied from the position of the ground or even from the standing position. The weight is applied over the body in three different ways:

• Backward

• Upward

• Forward

You are moving the body weight up from you. The fighter can use any sweep according to the position of the opponent to disrupt the body weight of the opponent.

In BJJ, a sweep can be described broadly as a large movement, the main aim of which is to switch from one position to another in order to improve the position of the fighter. While engaging in jiu-jitsu, the use of sweeps is the primary area of focus in this movement.

However, it must be remembered that even though the closed guard is a low guard position for the one positioned dominantly. As an evolving sport, Jiu Jitsu improves its positioning at any given time to prevent submissions from happening or to score additional points.

This is the reason learning to do the sweeps from any position is very important, and this includes when the opponent is in the position of closed guard. We need to be aware of another thing: one more detail is breaking the posture of the opponent, which is extremely important in sweeps.