Uncle Skippy's Half Guard Bottom Thread

**Uncle Skippy** · Posted On: 12/11/2010 6:22pm

Originally Posted by Tinny Tim

Thanks Skipper, you're right now that I think about it I'm not keeping the guys hands on the mat and off of me. This video helped me picture it. Vinny gets under his base, and disrupts it enough to force his opponent to post. What's been happening with me is the top man (whos significantly strong) has been underhooking my arm.

YouTube - The Rocker: Deep Half Sweep to Pass to Side Control

That sweep is nice! I would think you'd have to control the same-side arm as the leg that is underhooked to prevent the post, but maybe the angle of the sweep prevents the arm from posting.

When the guy on top underhooks me, at that point it is late retention: the underhook of my top arm is a major step in him passing my half-guard. I will either shoot to deep half (my forehead directly to his opposite hip) and immediately pull my elbows to my body in the process, or big windmill of my underhooked arm to try to repummel to regain an underhook of my own, or failing those bail and turn to knees if he doesn't have my bottom leg controlled.

I'll move to lockdown, either greater (traditional lock-down) or lesser (lock-down on outside instead of inside) if he begins to flatten me. Usually in an effort to get out of lock-down, they'll start lunging up and drive their weight onto their hands in the process. I'll time the release such that they are already lunging forward and then 'assist' them with my knee in their tailbone.

That is just what works for me though. My limbs are long and the other guy can create a lot of leverage if he has that underhook on me. If he gets his head to the mat on the nearside of my head, I'm screwed.

**henno** · Posted On: 12/21/2010 7:14pm

Here's my favourite deep half sweep as demonstrated by Bernado Faria (he uses this constantly):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwfIJF2d8HY

I find that once you tuck your left hand under his right leg and get the lapel grip, the sweep is close to unstoppable. The extra benefit of the lapel grip is that it gives you great underhook control of his leg as you come up so the pass is usually pretty easy.

**Uncle Skippy** · Posted On: 12/22/2010 12:34am

Originally Posted by henno

Here's my favourite deep half sweep as demonstrated by Bernado Faria (he uses this constantly):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwfIJF2d8HY

I find that once you tuck your left hand under his right leg and get the lapel grip, the sweep is close to unstoppable. The extra benefit of the lapel grip is that it gives you great underhook control of his leg as you come up so the pass is usually pretty easy.

I like that one as well.

His left hand is reaching back to grab the pants (or belt). He then drives his hips up into the top guy's hips to disrupt his base and then kicks over to finish.

The one thing I like to do a little differently is try to get my bottom arm (which would be his left arm) under the ankle of the top guy and then try for his belt/pants/gi-skirt. The traps the leg which prevents him from trying to use a jailbreak hook when completing the sweep and gives you immediate hip control.

Bernado already had the top guy's leg trapped (had a GREAT deep half guard which put all of the top guy's weight on his bottom leg) so it was just a matter of hips up and over. I don't have that sort of timing yet :-P