Scissor sweep

Brazilian jiu-jitsu / Popular

The fundamental closed-guard sweep every white belt learns.

What coaches agree on

  • Pull your opponent's weight onto you through your grip as you kick your legs — it's the shifting weight, not leg strength, that tips them over.
  • If your opponent's base is too strong to pull over, plant your foot on their near knee and drive through it to break their base, then finish the sweep.
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Common mistakes

  • Letting the base leg drift up off the mat instead of staying flat — even a small lift stalls the sweep.
  • Dropping your top knee flat near their hip instead of angling it diagonally toward their chest lets them collapse their weight on top of you and kill your kicking power.
Scissor Sweep-The Basics!
Beginner

Scissor Sweep-The Basics!

Coach's take: Best one in the batch — shows you the shortcut that gets you hurt, not just the sweep that works.

4.0
Scissor Sweep by Henry Akins
Intermediate

Scissor Sweep by Henry Akins

Coach's take: The single best explanation I've seen of why your scissor sweep feels weak even when the mechanics look right.

3.6
Scissor Sweep by Jamie Cruz
Beginner

Scissor Sweep by Jamie Cruz

Coach's take: Gets the steps right but doesn't explain the feel — decent refresher, not a real lesson.

2.2