Scissor Sweep
Also known as: Hasami Gaeshi · Scissors Sweep · Knee Shield Sweep (adjacent)
The first sweep in nearly every gi curriculum: load your opponent onto your shin, then scissor your legs to tip them sideways into mount.
Sweep · Gi only · Difficulty 1/5 · Usually learned at White belt
Starts from Closed Guard as the guard player → lands in Mount.
The details that make it work
- Collar-and-sleeve grips; hip out and place your shin across their torso like a shelf, bottom leg flat on the mat.
- PULL them up onto the shin first — an unloaded scissor kicks a parked truck.
- Chop the bottom leg against their knee as the top leg drives; steer with the collar grip into mount.
Where it goes wrong
- Scissoring without breaking their posture and weight forward first.
How opponents counter it
- Post the free knee wide and pressure through the shin
- Strip the sleeve grip before the load
Is the Scissor Sweep legal in competition?
Legal in all major rulesets at all levels (IBJJF, ADCC, sub-only). Rules change — always confirm against the current official rulebook for your event.
Related techniques
All moves from Closed Guard · Back to Grapplepedia