Lasso Sweep

Sweep Gi only

The lasso sweep is performed from lasso guard bottom, where one leg wraps around the opponent's arm from the outside and threads behind their shoulder. It exploits the trapped arm to compromise their base and drive them over, typically landing the sweeper in top side control or mount.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · The lasso leg must wrap deep behind the opponent's shoulder to fully control and immobilize their posted arm.
  • · Off-balancing comes from combining a pull with the lasso-side grip and a lift/push with your hips and lasso leg in the sweep direction.
  • · Control the opponent's opposite sleeve or collar with your free hand to remove their ability to post and recover balance.
  • · If they resist by stepping their far leg wide, transition to an omoplata or triangle by clearing the lasso and attacking the exposed arm or neck.
  • · Timing the sweep when the opponent drives forward or stands uses their own momentum against them.

Execution

  1. 1 Establish deep lasso guard by threading your shin behind the opponent's arm and across their shoulder while gripping their same-side sleeve tightly.
  2. 2 With your free hand, grip their far-side collar or sleeve to prevent them from posting on that side.
  3. 3 Load your hips underneath the opponent and angle your body slightly toward the lasso side to create the sweep trajectory.
  4. 4 Simultaneously extend your lasso leg upward and across while pulling their controlled sleeve toward your hip, elevating and tilting them over the non-lasso side.
  5. 5 Follow through by coming up on top, clearing your lasso leg, and establishing a dominant top position such as side control.

Common mistakes

  • × Wrapping the lasso too shallow around the bicep instead of deep behind the shoulder, which allows the opponent to easily retract their arm and kill the guard.
  • × Failing to control the far-side hand or collar, giving the opponent a free post that completely negates the sweep.
  • × Keeping hips flat on the mat instead of angling and loading underneath the opponent, resulting in insufficient leverage to elevate them.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Lasso Sweep shows up.

Lasso Guard Bottom