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Here is a description of the sweep:

  1. Attacker is in a sitting position, holding the opponent in guard, possibly, but not necessarily controlling the opponent's hands and preventing the opponent from blocking the sweep.
  2. Attacker then uses one's feet to push the opponents leg backwards, breaking their balance, and rotating the opponent on their back.

It's not much different from a scissor sweep, same principle. I've seen it in competitions and in training, and I do it myself. I've seen it in Judo and BJJ.

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You're describing the knee push variation of "Scissor Sweep." It's very common in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

There are two main ways to do it from full guard. Both involve getting control of one arm in either double wrist control, or arm drag position. For the sake of this example we'll say you have their right arm.

Method 1: Classic Scissor Sweep

While keeping your arm control, hip off so you're facing the side of the arm you have. You have their right arm, so you're on your left hip. Bring your right knee up to their chest (Z guard position). Drop your left leg to the ground. Three movements happen here at the same time.

  • Pull the arm toward you (ideally across the body, but not necessary)
  • Kick your left leg in hard, chopping out their leg
  • Kick your right leg to the left, moving their upper body over 180 degrees.

You will end up in mount or side control. Worst case is half guard.

Method 2: Knee Push Variation

This is the one you described. While keeping your arm control, hip off so you're facing the side of the arm you have. You have their right arm, so you're on your left hip. Bring your right knee up to their chest (Z guard position). Drop your left leg to the ground and put your foot on their knee. Three movements happen here at the same time.

  • Pull the arm toward you (ideally across the body, but not necessary)
  • Kick your left foot hard, pushing their knee backward. It will straighten backward causing them to lose balance.
  • Kick your right leg to the left, moving their upper body over 180 degrees.

The idea is you switch back and forth between threatening method 1 and 2. They defend method 1, you hit method 2, etc. It's an extremely effective sweep. The main danger you face is someone hopping over your sweeping leg when you drop it to the ground and them taking side control. Be prepared to bring you leg back into your body to recover guard if you fail.

As for the origin, most guard techniques are attributed to Carlos Gracie, as guard was not a common position in Judo until Carlos' adaptation to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

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    Great answer! I'd +1 you if I could. Maybe sometime soon. I'd never thought about alternating between them but it does make sense. Is it still the same technique if you transform it into an armbar instead?
    – user8472
    Aug 2, 2017 at 16:50
  • @user8472 Thanks. You can still mark it as the accepted answer! Are you talking about an arm bar from guard? Countless guard sweeps and subs start from single arm control (2 on 1) or an arm drag. So yes, the setup is similar to an arm bar. The differences are, you don't drop your leg to the ground, you don't get Z guard (because you're throwing the leg over their face), and you need to stay in TIGHT, rather than creating space with Z guard.
    – coinbird
    Aug 2, 2017 at 17:01
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    Got it. I understand the arm bar isn't the best thing around. Here's what I meant: I kick the leg back, but instead of going for the mount, I rotate myself under the opponent and place my leg over their throats (yes.) while controlling the arm, and I then either roll the opponent over (if I have momentum and a good grip) or flatten them down (if something hits the fan), the latter being rather dangerous as the opponent may rip their hand off and attack me from the back, but I know when to retreat.
    – user8472
    Aug 2, 2017 at 17:23
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    Most of this answer is good, but the guard position was in fact a common position in some forms of jujutsu and judo some time ago.
    – mattm ♦
    Aug 3, 2017 at 1:56
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    I suggest investigating Kosen Judo, which predates Carlos Gracie and had a total emphasis on groundwork. Although most modern jujutsu and judo may train the guard as an afterthought, this neither historically nor exclusively the case. I see trying to attribute "most" guard techniques to Carlos Gracie as a form of ancestor worship that does not consider his teachers or contemporaries. Yes, the best guard work may currently be in BJJ, but there is plenty of evidence of substantial guard work in its predecessors and siblings of the martial arts tree.
    – mattm ♦
    Aug 3, 2017 at 15:03
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I think the sweep technique in question is similar to those in this image from Higher Judo: Ground Work by Moshe Feldenkrais published by Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd, 1952:

sweep

And closer to this example in Mifune's The Essence of Judo (1955):

enter image description here

I do not know a judo name associated with this sweep, however Kashiwaziki in his Fighting Judo names a similar technique ude-kakae:

enter image description here

As for origin, I would suggest Japan and probably some form of jujutsu, but almost certainly predating BJJ.

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    According to Japanese Wikipedia, sweeps from guard ("reversals") are known as kaeshi in Judo. It lists a number of specific names for different sweeps, though I don't know how long these terms have been in use in this context or how widespread/canonical they are.
    – brazofuerte
    Sep 19, 2019 at 8:40
  • Mifune further describes this and a similar sweep in his Canon of Judo, and Kashiwaziki calls a similar looking sweep ude-kakae in his Fighting Judo (technique #30, p.70).
    – brazofuerte
    Sep 29, 2019 at 16:00

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