A sweep is a technique used from the bottom position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to reverse your opponent and end up on top. Sweeps are how guard players turn a defensive position into a dominant one.
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a sweep is any technique that takes you from bottom position to top position. The person on the bottom uses leverage, timing, and hip movement to off-balance the person on top and reverse the position, ending up in a dominant spot like mount or side control.
Sweeps are fundamental to Jiu-Jitsu's philosophy that being on your back does not mean you are losing. With a strong guard and good sweeping ability, you can be just as dangerous from the bottom as from the top. In competition, a successful sweep earns 2 points, the same as a takedown.
Every sweep follows a basic mechanical principle: remove your opponent's base (their points of support on the mat) while applying force in the direction they cannot resist. If someone posts their right hand on the mat, you sweep them to the left. If their weight is too far forward, you use their momentum to roll them over. This concept of breaking the base is the key to every sweep in Jiu-Jitsu.
These four sweeps form the foundation of guard offense. Master these and you will have an answer for the most common passing attempts you encounter:
The scissor sweep is often the first sweep taught to beginners. From closed guard, you open your legs, place one shin across your opponent's midsection (the "cutting" leg) and the other foot on the mat near their knee. You grip their sleeve and collar (in gi) or wrist and neck (in no-gi), then simultaneously chop with your top leg while kicking out with your bottom leg. The scissoring motion takes away their base and rolls them to the side. You follow them over into mount.
The hip bump sweep works when your opponent sits back and creates distance in your closed guard. You sit up explosively, posting on one hand behind you, and drive your hip into their chest while your other hand reaches over their shoulder. Your momentum and hip drive pushes them backward, landing you in mount. This sweep is especially effective because if your opponent bases out with their hand to stop it, they expose their arm for a triangle choke or kimura.
The butterfly sweep uses butterfly guard (sitting with both feet hooked inside your opponent's thighs). You control an underhook on one side and their arm on the other, then elevate with the hook on the underhook side while falling to the opposite side. The combination of the hook lifting and your body weight pulling creates a powerful off-balancing force. This sweep works in both gi and no-gi and is one of the highest-percentage sweeps at all levels.
The flower sweep uses the momentum of your legs swinging like a pendulum. From closed guard, you grip the sleeve on one side and reach under the same-side leg, grabbing their pant leg or heel. You open your guard, swing both legs to the side, and use the pendulum motion to flip them over. This sweep is powerful against opponents who keep a low, tight posture in your guard.
What makes sweeps truly dangerous is how they connect to submissions. In high-level Jiu-Jitsu, sweeps and submissions work together as a system:
This interconnection is central to how Jiu-Jitsu works. Your opponent is constantly choosing between getting swept and getting submitted. The more sweeps you know, the more submission opportunities open up.
Regardless of which specific sweep you are attempting, these principles determine success:
Sweeps are worth 2 points in IBJJF competition, making them a reliable scoring tool. Beyond competition, sweeps are critical in self-defense. If you find yourself on your back in a real confrontation, the ability to reverse position and end up on top can be the difference between staying safe and being in danger. During rolling at Current Jiu Jitsu, you will develop the timing and instinct for sweeps that only comes from live practice with resisting partners across all belt levels.
Explore more key concepts in Jiu-Jitsu.
The foundation for all sweeping attacks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
When opponents defend the sweep, they often expose themselves to armbars.
The hip bump sweep and triangle choke are one of BJJ's classic combinations.
The dominant position you earn after completing many successful sweeps.
A sweep is worth 2 points in IBJJF and most BJJ competitions, the same as a takedown. To earn the points, you must start from guard, reverse your opponent, and hold the top position for at least 3 seconds.
The scissor sweep and hip bump sweep are typically the first sweeps taught to beginners because they are mechanically simple and highly effective. The scissor sweep teaches you how to use opposing forces with your legs, while the hip bump teaches explosive hip movement.
In BJJ, a sweep specifically refers to going from a guard position (where your legs are engaged with your opponent) to a top position. A reversal is a broader term for any time you go from bottom to top. Sweeps score points in competition, while reversals from non-guard positions (like escaping mount to top position) typically do not score sweep points.
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