### Spider Guard Sweep **Position:** Open Guard Spider Guard is a versatile guard position that allows a practitioner to maintain distance and control an opponent. With the Spider Guard Sweep, the practitioner's goal is to off-balance the opponent and ultimately sweep them, transitioning to a more advantageous position on top. --- #### **Step-by-Step Instructions for the Spider Guard Sweep:** 1. **Establish Spider Guard: ** - Begin from an open guard position, lying on your back facing your opponent. - Secure sleeve grips on both of your opponent's sleeves. Ensure your grips are firm but relaxed. - Place the soles of your feet on your opponent's biceps, keeping tension to control their posture. - Your legs should be bent, maintaining constant pressure against their arms to prevent them from smashing passed. 2. **Create Angles and Off-Balance: ** - Start by extending one leg, applying pressure against your opponent’s arm on that side. Simultaneously, bend the opposite leg to pull yourself closer. - Your hips should begin to rotate, creating an angle between your torso and the floor. This angle disrupts your opponent’s base. 3. **Sweep Execution:** - With your free leg (the one bent in), hook around behind the opponent’s knee on the same side you extended the leg. - Push with the extended leg while pulling the hooked leg in a circular motion; this disrupts their base. - As your opponent begins to tip, maintain tension in the grips to keep them from stabilizing. - Finish the sweep by using momentum and leverage to roll them over as you come up on top. 4. **Transition to a Dominant Position:** - As they fall, roll with the motion, keeping your grips until you're fully on top. - Establish top control, ideally transitioning to a position like Side Control or Mount for better dominance. - Release the spider guard grips and stabilize your position fully. --- ### **Key Tips:** - **Control:** Balance your pressure evenly on both arms while maintaining constant leg engagement. - **Timing:** Wait for your opponent to push or try to pass; using their momentum can make the sweep easier. - **Awareness:** Keep an eye out for alternative positional advances or submissions during the transition. --- This Spider Guard Sweep is a fundamental part of open guard systems in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, famous for its use in both gi and no-gi settings. Mastering its nuances allows practitioners to maintain control and leverage to improve positional advantages swiftly.