Grapplearts

  • Home
  • Video Store
    • All instructional Products
    • NEW No Gi Pin Escapes
    • NEW! BJJ Games
    • Rolling Backtakes for Everyone
    • 2 for 1 Sale on BJJ For Old F***s!
    • NEW! Cutting Edge Leglocks
    • 30 Second Fight Finishes
    • BJJ for Old F***s – Passing the Guard
    • BJJ for Old F***s – The Guard
    • Omoplata 2.0, Your Complete System for the Most Versatile Submission in Jiu-Jitsu
    • NEW! BJJ Foundations
    • The Closed Guard System
    • The Arm Drag and 2 on 1 Formula
    • The Gripfighting and Kuzushi Formula
    • Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu Book by Brandon Mullins and Stephan Kesting
    • Open Guard System with Jon Thomas
    • No Gi Leglocks with Oliver Taza
    • The Guard Retention Formula with Rory Van Vliet and Stephan Kesting
    • The Submission Formula, with Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting
    • Fabio Gurgel’s Pressure Passing System
    • No Gi de la Riva Formula
    • Self Defense Guard
    • The Modern Leglock Formula
    • The BJJ Formula 2.0
    • Roadmap for BJJ Package
    • The Single Leg X Guard Masterclass
    • Spider Guard Masterclass
    • Non-Stop Jiu-Jitsu
    • Defeat Bigger, Stronger Opponent
    • Defeat Bigger, Stronger Opponent 2
    • Defeat Bigger, Stronger Opponent No Gi
    • Black Belt Concepts Course
    • The Precision Kickboxing Masterclass
    • Guard Sweeps Package
    • Leglock DVD Package
    • Unorthodox Positions and Sneak Attacks
    • High Percentage Leglocks
    • The Dynamic Half Guard
    • My Mixed Martial Arts
    • Grappling Drills
    • Dynamic Guard Sweeps
    • Dynamic Kneebars
    • Yoga for Martial Arts
    • The Complete Grapplearts Anthology
    • BJJ Shirts
    • Property of Grapplearts T Shirts
    • Keep Calm and Armbar On BJJ Shirts
  • Articles & Tips
    • All Articles
    • Featured
    • Podcasts
    • Instructional Videos
    • Grappling Techniques
    • Training
    • Mixed Martial Arts
    • For Beginners
    • Competition
    • Conditioning
    • Female Grapplers
    • Self Defense
    • Health & Nutrition
    • Miscellaneous
  • My Podcast
  • Mobile Apps
    • FREE Roadmap for BJJ App
    • FREE Grapplearts BJJ Master App
  • Online Instruction
  • Contact
  • Free Reports
    • Roadmap for BJJ Books
    • Grapplearts Newsletter
    • The Most Powerful Guard
  • Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu

Techniques, Tutorials and Gear for BJJ, MMA and Submission Grappling

Search the Grapplearts website:
Home » Guard Sweeps

Guard Sweeps

Situational Sparring and Positional Drilling

April 14, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

situational sparring and positional drilling

Situational sparring and positional drilling is a training method used by virtually every single black belt and high level BJJ competitor. In this type of training you start out in a certain position or situation and define specific end points where you reset and start again. For example, if you were to start in the sitting guard then you might stop if the guy on the bottom gets the sweep or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: Drills, Guard Sweeps, Sitting Guard, Sparring, Training, Turtle Position, Video

How to Set Traps for Your Opponent in BJJ

April 6, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

Thomas Lisboa - setting bjj traps

Today I want to talk about setting traps for your opponent in BJJ. The idea is that you force your opponent into a position or a situation where he only has a limited number of possible responses. Because you already have a pretty good idea of what he's going to do as soon as he uses one of those responses you spring your trap and go to the next pre-programmed move. This concept allows you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: BJJ, Counter, Fabio Gurgel, Guard Passes, Guard Sweeps, Positions, Strategy, Techniques, The Mental Aspect, Thomas Lisboa, Training, Video

A Three Step Open Guard Strategy

January 29, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

3 Step Guard Strategy

Are you flailing around in your guard, trying to react to your opponent, without a clear plan of what to do?  If so then this video and podcast episode is for you! When you're using the open guard there's a definite series of steps and strategies you should be using. Here Rob Biernacki of No Gi de la Riva Formula fame, taking you through the 3 stages of open guard and shows you specific … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Grappling Techniques, Podcasts Tagged With: BJJ, Butterfly Guard, Competition, de la Riva Guard, Gripfighting, Guard Sweeps, No Gi, No Gi de la Riva Guard, Rob Biernacki, Strategy, Submission, Submission Grappling, Techniques, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Video

The Critical Importance of ‘Kuzushi’ in the Guard

December 20, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Of all the articles and tips I've shared this year, today's might be the most important one... This concept and strategy has the potential to completely revolutionise your guard game. Ready? Good! Here it is... Use 'Kuzushi' (which is Japanese for 'offbalancing') before every single guard attack you launch! Here's a video on the topic of using Kuzushi from guard that you really should … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Concepts, de la Riva Guard, Drills, Guard Sweeps, Kuzushi, No Gi de la Riva Guard, Rob Biernacki, Techniques, Video

The 4 Directions for X Guard Sweeps

December 14, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

the 4 directions for X guard sweeps

Every guard position relies on action-reaction. You fake a sweep in one direction, your opponent reacts, and then you take advantage of that reaction and take them the other way. This is true of every type of guard, but it's very easy to illustrate this with the X guard. In the video below I break down the 4 directional options for X guard sweeps... The sweeps are covered in a bit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Guard, Guard Sweeps, Video, X Guard

The ‘Soft One, Hard Two’ BJJ Gripfighting Strategy

November 28, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

side control arm trap gripfighting 2

Have you ever heard the story about the old bull and the young bull, standing at the top of a hill, watching some cows? The young bull turns to the older bull and says, "Hey, let's run down there and each make sweet, sweet love to one of those cows!" The older bull retorts, "Why don't we just walk down there, nice and slow, and make sweet, sweet love to ALL the cows?" The original … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Baseball Choke, BJJ, Chokes, Gi, Gripfighting, Guard Passes, Guard Sweeps, Strategy, Techniques, Video

How to Make It MUCH Harder to Pass Your Single Leg X Guard!

October 6, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Single Leg X Guard

I love the Single Leg X Guard position! It's relatively easy to get to, offers you many powerful sweeps, gives you the option to upgrade into other forms of X guard, and - if you want to go that way - it dovetails very nicely with the leglock game (seeing as it's basically the same as the 'ashi garami' leglock position). But a lot of people get a key element of the Single Leg X Guard position … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: BJJ, Guard Retention, Guard Sweeps, No Gi, Ritchie Yip, Single Leg X Guard, Video, X Guard

The Butterfly Sweep from Half Guard

September 6, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

half butterfly guard sweep

The half butterfly guard is a variation of half guard where you entangle one of your opponent's legs with your inside leg and then insert a single butterfly hook under his thigh with your outside leg. As such this position combines aspects of both the traditional half guard AND the butterfly guard. Two of the most popular attacks in the half butterfly position are Sweeping your opponent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: BJJ, Butterfly Guard, Gripfighting, Guard Sweeps, Half Butterfly, Half Guard, Leglocks, Rob Biernacki, Submission Grappling, Techniques, Video

Podcast Episode 80 – When Should Leglock Training Start?

June 12, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

What belt level should you start training leg locks at?  It depends a little bit on what your goals are and whether you're doing gi or no gi, but it's a lot sooner than you think EVEN if you're competing only in the IBJJF rule set.  This podcast episode is excerpted from a 17 minute long Youtube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GQZPtpsg_U which takes you through how to do the actual … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Podcasts, Training Tagged With: BJJ, Grapplearts, Guard Sweeps, Leglocks, Stephan Kesting, Techniques, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training

A 3 Step Process for Making an Angle (and Getting a Big Advantage) in the Closed Guard

May 26, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

making angles in closed guard

When you’re fighting your opponent in the Closed Guard, you don’t want to be facing straight towards your opponent creating a big rectangle. Ideally, you want to be doing a Closed Guard with him off the side.  This is analogous to being to the side of your opponent in a boxing match: all all of his weapons aren't aimed at you and all your weapons are pointing straight at him! If you can make … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: BJJ, Closed Guard, Concepts, Drills, Guard Sweeps, MMA, No Gi, Shrimping, Submission, Techniques, Video

Combining BJJ and Wrestling with ‘Chewy’ from Chewjitsu

May 3, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

wrestler vs bjj guy on his back

Wrestling is a fantastic background for anyone who wants to train BJJ.  The powerful takedowns, the determined scrambling, the level of conditioning and a tough mindset are a winning combination that work in any combat sport. But transitioning from wrestling to BJJ and combining the best of both arts isn't necessarily an easy process... In fact it can be downright difficult and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Beginners, Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: Americana, BJJ, Chewy, Closed Guard, Fundamentals, Guard Sweeps, Kimura, Takedowns, The Mental Aspect, Video, Wrestling

Getting the Underhook in BJJ

April 13, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Getting the Underhook in BJJ

Getting the underhook in the guard, especially in positions like the Butterfly guard and the Half guard, is incredibly important. Entire matches have changed momentum just because the guy on the bottom got this one grip! The underhook gives you a huge amount of control over your opponent's body and also gives you a route to his back. But your opponent won't just give you this grip - he'll … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: BJJ, Butterfly Guard, Double Underhooks, Eddie Cummings, Gripfighting, Guard, Guard Sweeps, Half Guard, No Gi, Techniques, Underhook, Video

3 Spider Guard Drills to Improve Your Sweeping and Submissions

September 25, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

spider guard drill

The last time I had a filming session with my friend and training partner Ritchie Yip who runs a BJJ school in Vancouver, BC, he showed me something really cool... It was a series of 3 drills to improve your spider guard sweeps and submissions. The first drill is a relatively easy one to that develops hip mobility and leg dexterity.  Spider guard is NOT a static position; as your opponent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: Armbar, BJJ, Drills, Gi, Guard Sweeps, Omoplata, Open Guard, Spider Guard, Submission, Video

de la Riva guard Basic Grips

June 8, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

de la riva guard basic grips

The de la Riva guard is a super-powerful position in modern jiu-jitsu, and many competitors use it as their primary open guard option, especially when they need to control a standing opponent. But this position is very  grip dependent.  Different grips open up different attacks. Want to dump him on his face with the ball and chain sweep?  Better get your hands on that far sleeve!  Want to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Brandon Mullins, de la Riva Guard, Gripfighting, Guard Sweeps, Strategy, Techniques, Video

The Styles of X Guard

April 21, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

The 5 Types of X Guard

I'm a huge fan of the family of guards known as the X Guard. This type of guard has saved my butt so many times it's not even funny, and has allowed me to sweep opponents that were otherwise almost entirely unsweepable. But there are still some people out there who haven't heard about the X Guard position. And there are other people who might not know that there are actually different styles … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: BJJ, Guard Sweeps, No Gi, Single Leg X Guard, Spider X Guard, Submission Grappling, Techniques, Video, X Guard

Four de la Riva Guard Grips You Need to Know

March 7, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

basic de la riva leg position

  The de la Riva guard is very powerful and effective form of guard, often used in modern BJJ.  It can be an intimidatingly complex position though, with a large number of grips, variations, sweeps, attacks and other techniques available for you to use. The point of today's article is to simplify the de la Riva guard for you.  The way we're going to do that is by breaking it down on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Beginners, Grappling Techniques Tagged With: BJJ, de la Riva Guard, Gi, Gripfighting, Guard Sweeps, Jeff Meszaros, Ricardo de la Riva, Techniques, Video

The Training and Competition Strategies of Bernardo Faria

February 3, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

  Bernardo Faria is a 5 x BJJ World Champion (and a good friend) so I was very excited to sit down with him and have an in-depth conversation about his competition, training and conditioning routine. The full transcript, audio and video are below on this page, but here's a quick preview of some of the things talked about: Exactly what a world champion's day to day training regimen … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Interviews Tagged With: Bernardo Faria, BJJ, Competition, Conditioning, Gi, Guard Passes, Guard Sweeps, Half Guard, Injuries, Sparring, Strategy, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training

A Strategy for Getting 15 Points in a BJJ Tournament Fast

November 10, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

BJJ tournament point system

The ultimate goal of BJJ competition is to tap your opponent out, not to win by points.  That being said, the point system is still a very important part of the game and you have to understand how to use it! Here's why... First of all, the point system in BJJ tournaments generally reflects what would work in a real fight. For example, its better to be on top than on bottom in a fight, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: BJJ, Competition, Guard Passes, Guard Sweeps, Half Guard, Kimura, Knee Mount, Mau Mau, Mount, Points, Rear Mount, Sidemount, Strategy, Submission, Video

Here’s Why Your Guard Attacks Don’t Work

July 11, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

When you first learn an sweep or a submission from the guard you usually learn the steps in a 1, 2, 3 manner. "First grab the sleeve and lapel like this... Then open your legs and escape your hips... Now put your foot on the hip and pull him forward...." And so on Then you go ahead, learn all the steps, and get your repetitions in.  You do all the prep work. But then, when you try to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: Closed Guard, de la Riva Guard, Guard Sweeps, Rob Biernacki, Strategy, Submission, Techniques, Video

Butterfly Guard Sweep Counter

June 22, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

Butterfly Sweep Counter

The Butterfly Sweep is one of those fundamental moves that you see everywhere. In every dojo and at every major tournament there's someone who specialises in the Butterfly Guard. And every Butterfly Guard specialist uses the basic Butterfly Sweep as one of their bread and butter moves. This sweep just plain works.  It can be used in gi or no gi.  It can be used against small, fast people or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Butterfly Guard, Counter, Guard Sweeps, Rob Biernacki, Techniques, Video

« Newer Articles
More Articles »

*Search Our Articles*

Grapple Arts Facebook Page
Grapple Arts X (formerly Twitter) Account
Grapple Arts YouTube Channel
Grapple Arts TikTok Account
Grapple Arts Instagram Account
Grapple Arts' Strenuous Life Podcast

How To Learn BJJ Fast!

Download a FREE digital copy of Stephan Kesting's book on learning BJJ as fast as possible

Get 'A Roadmap for BJJ' for free and also receive the Grappling Tips Newsletter by entering your email below


Facebook

BRAND NEW RELEASE: THE BJJ FORMULA

The most scientific and systematic approach to learning BJJ...

Brand new 4 DVD set reveals the secret adjustments, tweaks and strategies used by the BJJ pros The BJJ Formula with Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting.

Free Shipping. Click here for more info

© 2025 Stephan Kesting. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2025 · Grapplearts on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in