SLX Sweep

Sweep

The SLX sweep is the primary sweep from Single Leg X guard, where you off-balance your opponent by elevating their trapped leg while controlling their ankle and using your hooks to displace their base. It works in both gi and no-gi and typically leads to a top position or leg lock entries when the opponent resists.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Your inside hook across their hip and outside foot on their far hip create a unified lever to elevate and tilt their center of gravity.
  • · Controlling the trapped ankle tight to your chest prevents them from stepping free and gives you a fulcrum point for the sweep.
  • · Extend your hips upward while pulling the ankle toward you to create maximum off-balancing force.
  • · If they post with their hands, transition to technical stand-up or switch to X-guard entries to chain attacks.
  • · Angle your body slightly to the outside of their trapped leg rather than staying directly underneath to generate a more effective sweeping vector.

Execution

  1. 1 From SLX bottom, clamp the trapped leg's ankle tightly to your chest with both hands, keeping your elbows pinched.
  2. 2 Place your inside foot across their hip as a hook and your outside foot on their far hip or thigh to control their posture and base.
  3. 3 Simultaneously extend both legs and bridge your hips upward while pulling their ankle toward your chest, lifting them off the ground.
  4. 4 As they fall, follow them by coming up on top, maintaining ankle control to secure a passing position or transition to ashi garami.
  5. 5 If they resist by widening their base, use your outside foot to kick their far knee inward while sweeping to collapse their stance.

Common mistakes

  • × Holding the ankle too far from your chest creates slack, allowing the opponent to retract their leg and escape the guard entirely.
  • × Failing to elevate the hips and relying only on arm pulling results in insufficient force, letting the opponent maintain base and pass.
  • × Staying flat on your back after completing the sweep instead of immediately following up, which surrenders the top position advantage.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the SLX Sweep shows up.

Single Leg X Bottom