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BJJ Fundamentals

Lesson 21 – Knee Shield Sweeps

Warm Up (5min)

Solo Drills

  • Hip Escape
  • Backwards Roll
  • Forward Roll
  • Granby Roll

Lesson (25min)

Knee Lever

  1. Start in half guard bottom with a knee shield on uke’s hip
  2. Establish double sleeve grips on uke and pull their wrists in front of your stomach
    • Don’t let uke control your hips; stay on your side and keep uke’s wrists on the “inside” in front of you
  3. Place both feet next to uke’s knee on the outside (one on top of the other) and pinch your knees together
  4. Tilt uke to the side while controlling their arms to knock them down
  5. Come up on your elbow and establish top position

Back Roll Sweep

  1. Start in half guard bottom with a knee shield on uke’s shoulder
  2. Control uke’s far side sleeve and punch it towards their stomach so that it cannot post on the mat
  3. Bring your upper body forwards, so that you’re under uke’s center of gravity
  4. Roll onto your back and kick your legs up, bringing uke’s weight on top of your chest
    • Realistically, the roll should be attempted when uke pushes forward into you, with the momentum helping to complete the roll
  5. Continue rolling backwards until you are on top of uke

Kimura Sweep – Submission Threat

  1. Start in half guard bottom with a knee shield on uke’s shoulder
  2. Frame against uke’s shoulders and bicep so that they cannot flatten you out
  3. Control uke’s far side wrist and quickly lock up a kimura grip
  4. Bring your hips towards your hand and lie back to elevate their hand
  • Note that it’s easy for uke to “hide” their hand inside their leg if you lie back without moving your hips
  1. Place uke’s wrist behind their back to threaten the kimura submission

Kimura Sweep – Butterfly Hook Finish

  1. Continue from half guard with a kimura grip
  2. Uke defends by hiding their hand inside their leg
  3. Hip out and insert a butterfly hook on the same side as your half guard
  4. Use your second leg to push off the mat, tilting uke to the side where their arm is trapped in your kimura grip
    • Note that uke cannot base out with their leg to stop the sweep without giving up their defense against the kimura submission threat
  5. Come up to top position, keeping the kimura grip for extra control