Is John Wayne Sweep the easiest Half Guard sweep

Check the technique video, bjj matches footage videos, explanation and how to do it here: John Wayne Sweep

Yes, it is ridiculously easy to hit once you have the timing down (which is the tricky part). There are also lots of good follow-ups for when the sweep isn't successful. 

Probably. It’s got the least moving parts (i.e. grip exchanges, leg switches etc), but requires quite a lot of sensitivity to the timing of it.

James

I’ve struggled to pull his off so no 

half guard is my favorite position. saw this sweep and tried it out for a bit. didn’t work out for me.

I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that’s required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn’t move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he’s bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

Yes, it’s very similar to the ‘hip shovel’ movement Ryan Hall describes on his half guard DVD. Incidentally, that’s where I first leaned this, except Hall calls it the twist sweep. I’ve been using this sweep for years now. It took me a while to get the feel for it, though. 

The first time I saw this was in Andre Galvao’s mma fight with Luke Stewart. Luke swept Galvao a couple of times with this.

I recall I learned this from Shawn Williams when he first came out to LA, so obviously I associate the move with him.

But, is the move more widely associated with him? Did he give it that name? I looked online and there seemed to be a lot of stuff connecting Shawn Williams and that sweep.

Anyone know? Just curious.

Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

This concept is exactly why I:

  • shrimp under an opponent before most sweeps (primarily flower)

  • I do NOT trap the foot during bridge/roll mount escape, which essentially moves the axis of rotation the wrong way.

I probably have more success with doing a similar thing to counter the wizzer, but a switch both feet to the inside. Capturing the wizzer arm and expanding your chest (or putting your shoulder blades together) really pulls your opponent over before you do any real work.

shen - I recall I learned this from Shawn Williams when he first came out to LA, so obviously I associate the move with him.

But, is the move more widely associated with him? Did he give it that name? I looked online and there seemed to be a lot of stuff connecting Shawn Williams and that sweep.

Anyone know? Just curious.

Twist sweep

John Wayne sweep

Bridge sweep

Paul Schreiner has 3 variations of this type of sweep on his half guard dvd.

Giggler is another name. 

I use a version where you place the outside foot on top of the inside leg's foot.  This works well before the opponent is smashed on top.  No shovel hook movement.

I also use a version if the opponent is smashed on top, where I use the outside leg over hooks the opponent's leg.  Then shovel underneath and steer over.

The 1st one doesn't get the sweep all the time, but is crucial for getting them to base out and taking the underhook they give up when posting.

Meatgrinder -
Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

This concept is exactly why I:

  • shrimp under an opponent before most sweeps (primarily flower)

  • I do NOT trap the foot during bridge/roll mount escape, which essentially moves the axis of rotation the wrong way.

I probably have more success with doing a similar thing to counter the wizzer, but a switch both feet to the inside. Capturing the wizzer arm and expanding your chest (or putting your shoulder blades together) really pulls your opponent over before you do any real work.

Im confused by what you said about the flower sweep . Isn’t that a guard sweep ? Or am I confusing this with pendulum?  

Meatgrinder -
Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

This concept is exactly why I:

  • shrimp under an opponent before most sweeps (primarily flower)

  • I do NOT trap the foot during bridge/roll mount escape, which essentially moves the axis of rotation the wrong way.

I probably have more success with doing a similar thing to counter the wizzer, but a switch both feet to the inside. Capturing the wizzer arm and expanding your chest (or putting your shoulder blades together) really pulls your opponent over before you do any real work.

Can you please elaborate how you do the bridge/roll (upa) mount escape without trapping the foot?

purplehaze - 
Meatgrinder -
Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

This concept is exactly why I:

  • shrimp under an opponent before most sweeps (primarily flower)

  • I do NOT trap the foot during bridge/roll mount escape, which essentially moves the axis of rotation the wrong way.

I probably have more success with doing a similar thing to counter the wizzer, but a switch both feet to the inside. Capturing the wizzer arm and expanding your chest (or putting your shoulder blades together) really pulls your opponent over before you do any real work.

Im confused by what you said about the flower sweep . Isn’t that a guard sweep ? Or am I confusing this with pendulum?  

I think you’re referring to the same sweep…

Say that you are trying to drag your opponent’s arm and go towards the back but don’t make it. You’re off the the side of your opponent a little. A lot of people try to flower sweep. This is really difficult because you end up trying to lift your opponent over you, then drop them to the other side. Where as if you just shrimped directly under them you are moving the axis of rotation under them, then you only need to do the dropping part

…and I can drop anyone of any size…Here’s my vid on flower sweep with arm bar, but I do explain what I’m talking about at the 2:30s mark…

Excellent detsil meat grinder.   Ill be adding this to this week's practice list.

Fast Pitch - 
Meatgrinder -
Sir Taps - I think one of the key details that gets missed is the reverse shrimp that's required. Everyone focuses on the crowbar element, and then gets pissed off when the opponent doesn't move. Watch the Paul Schreiner video above and you can see that he does a reverse shrimp as he's bringing his inside leg up.

What this does is actually make the crowbar movement smaller. Instead of the inside leg trying to go from a 2 o’clock position to 10 o’clock while pushing the opponent’s leg, it’s now going from 12 to 10. This combined the fact that your hips have moved away from where the opponent will be landing means a lot less force is required - instead of sweeping the opponent over you, you’re actually dropping them into the space you were previously occupying.

James

This concept is exactly why I:

  • shrimp under an opponent before most sweeps (primarily flower)

  • I do NOT trap the foot during bridge/roll mount escape, which essentially moves the axis of rotation the wrong way.

I probably have more success with doing a similar thing to counter the wizzer, but a switch both feet to the inside. Capturing the wizzer arm and expanding your chest (or putting your shoulder blades together) really pulls your opponent over before you do any real work.

Can you please elaborate how you do the bridge/roll (upa) mount escape without trapping the foot?

sure…Not exactly how deep into the physics weeds you want me to get.

Anytime you’re sweeping someone, there’s an axis of rotation like a chicken on a rotisserie or if you tied a pig to a spit. The pig always wants to hang below the spit. It would be difficult to balance it on top. Which side it falls depends upon which side most of the weight is relative to that spit, which is the axis of rotation. If the spit is on the left side, there’s no way the pig falls to that side because all the weight is on the right. You would need to lift the pig over the spit to the other side where it could then fall. The further away from the middle that the spit is, the more work that requires.

When you are escaping mount via bridge/roll to your left, you are creating an axis of rotation. You don’t want that axis of rotation to be something that you need to lift your opponent over before you drop him and the further outside your opponent that that axis is, the more lifting/moving that you need to do. That axis is a line along a line from your left foot to your left shoulder. As a matter of fact, if you roll on the outside of your shoulder rather than the top you are going to make it worse, since your shoulder’s point of contact with the mat will move to the left, moving the axis line as you’re trying to do the escape. But more importantly, if you move your left foot towards the left, you’re moving axis line and making things more difficult for yourself! When you move your left foot outside your opponent foot to trap it, you’ve made the mechanics of the bridge and roll much more difficult just so he can’t post his foot?! You can mitigate that by keeping his posture broken. It’s tough for an opponent to post a foot in time if his posture is broken, but even if he did, he’s relinquishing half guard escape anyways.

So this might lead someone to ask, why don’t you move your foot the other way?!

It is possible to a little of that if your opponent is off balanced by bucking them over your head, but with too much of that, I find that your left hip becomes disconnected from your opponent and you start to rotate without him almost exposing your back.

Now if you wanted to talk about the posture of your opponent, it is mechanically is easier escape if your opponent’s posture is broken down close to you. This is due to the conservation of angular momentum, which is similar to the conservation of momentum (mass x velocity), but for objects rotating around an axis. With angular momentum we talk about moment of inertia instead of mass. It’s basically the average distance of that mass from the axis of rotation. The closer to the axis, then the mass is essentially lighter, so it spins faster and easier. That’s why when you sit on a spinning bar stool and pull your arms in, you spin faster, because the mass is essentially light, so the speed has to increase in order to keep the angular momentum the same (ie conserved).

Here’s a vid of what I’m talking about on the bridge/roll escape:

^^Thank you Meatgrinder, excellent post. I will be trying this.