These days in MMA it’s pretty gosh darn tough to get sweeps anymore. A few things play into this, one being that fighters are getting better and better on the ground. Even the mostly stand up kickboxing types have some idea of basic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and submission holds. So what you see now is a lot of ground and pound inside the guard, and that’s mostly because guys on bottom don’t know how to use an effective half guard game.
The half guard game from the bottom is one of the most high percentage sweep games you can use for MMA and BJJ yet it’s not used much at all. Who are some of the top MMA fighters using it today? Minotauro, Matt Hughes and Wilson Reis are a few to name. It’s no surprise that they’re also the few that get sweeps on guys in fights.
Here are a few of the half guard techniques that I’ll be covering in my upcoming DVD:
- Barrel Roll
- The Saulo Push
- The waiter sweep
- The Askren sweep
- Funk roll defense to passed legs
- Many many more!
What makes half guard(HG) work? Well, it’s a hard position to not end up in for one and the other is that you have many different options to choose from that work great for MMA or BJJ (gi or nogi). The reason you don’t see more guys doing HG is because they don’t understand it. The ones that do use it use it well. I’m hoping with my new website I’m building, www.bjjhalfguard.com, I’ll be able to share with you guys the secrets to winning with this amazing sweep system.
One of the other things I love about Half Guard is that it works well for big and small guys alike. Some techniques and skills only work for certain body types but not so with half guard. It works if you’re the big bully on the playground or the little shy kid. With big guys having a good half guard is a must! You’ll find out more about that on my website, www.bjjhalfguard.com
Alright enough of my writing, check out some of the videos below. In time I’ll be making some new BJJ half guard videos for my site. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when that is…
Master Danny Ives going for the "Reis" sweep from Half Guard