The Sickle Sweep is a fundamental attacking technique from the De La Riva Guard that leverages the hook control to off-balance and sweep your opponent. Named for its characteristic leg hooking motion that resembles a sickle cutting through grass, this sweep exploits the opponent’s base when they attempt to pass or establish their posture. The technique combines precise leg positioning with upper body control to create a powerful sweeping motion that drives the opponent backward and allows you to come on top.
This sweep is particularly effective against opponents who are standing or have elevated their posture in your De La Riva Guard. The sickle motion of your hooking leg combined with a collar or sleeve grip creates a powerful lever system that makes it extremely difficult for the opponent to maintain their balance. Unlike some sweeps that require explosive power, the Sickle Sweep relies on proper timing and technical execution, making it accessible to practitioners at all skill levels.
The Sickle Sweep serves as a cornerstone technique in modern De La Riva Guard systems and chains naturally with other attacks including back takes, leg entanglements, and submission attempts. Understanding this sweep provides essential insight into how the De La Riva hook functions as an offensive weapon rather than just a defensive control mechanism.
Starting Position: De La Riva Guard Ending Position: Mount Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Maintain strong De La Riva hook with toes pulled toward you
- Control opponent’s posture with collar or sleeve grip to prevent posting
- Create diagonal sweeping angle rather than straight backward
- Use your bottom leg to push opponent’s far leg while hooking near leg
- Time the sweep when opponent’s weight shifts forward or they step
- Maintain constant tension in your hook throughout the entire motion
- Follow through by coming up on top immediately after the sweep
Prerequisites
- De La Riva hook established on opponent’s near leg
- Strong collar grip or sleeve control to manage posture
- Bottom foot positioned on opponent’s far hip or thigh
- Opponent is standing or has elevated posture in your guard
- Your hips are angled to create proper sweeping leverage
- Sufficient space to extend your legs for the sweeping motion
Execution Steps
- Establish De La Riva control: Secure your De La Riva hook by threading your right leg behind opponent’s left leg with your foot hooking around their thigh. Pull your toes toward your body to tighten the hook. Simultaneously, place your left foot on their right hip or thigh for distance management and establish a strong collar grip with your right hand. (Timing: Setup phase - maintain until opponent commits weight forward)
- Grip the collar and control posture: Establish a deep collar grip with your right hand, getting as far behind the neck as possible. Your left hand should control the opponent’s left sleeve at the wrist or elbow. These grips work together to prevent your opponent from posting their hands when swept and keep their posture broken forward. (Timing: Continuous control throughout technique)
- Create the sweeping angle: Shift your hips to your right side to create an angle approximately 45 degrees from the opponent’s centerline. This angle is critical as it allows your De La Riva hook to function as a powerful lever. Your body should form a ‘C’ shape with your head moving away from the opponent’s hooking leg. (Timing: Immediately before initiating sweep motion)
- Execute the sickle motion: Simultaneously perform three coordinated actions: (1) Extend and scythe your De La Riva hook in a wide arc away from the opponent’s base, (2) Push strongly with your left foot on their far hip to drive them backward and across, (3) Pull down and toward you with your collar grip to break their posture completely. The hooking leg should sweep in a motion that resembles a sickle cutting through grass. (Timing: Explosive execution when opponent steps or shifts weight forward)
- Drive opponent backward: As the opponent begins to fall backward, maintain strong pulling pressure with your collar grip while continuing to extend your De La Riva hook. Your hip push leg should fully extend, creating maximum distance and preventing any last-moment posting attempts. Keep your hips elevated off the mat to maintain sweeping pressure. (Timing: Continuous pressure throughout sweeping motion)
- Come up on top: As the opponent hits the mat, immediately release your hook and use the momentum to come up into mount or side control. Your collar grip helps pull you forward as you establish top position. Drive your chest forward and establish heavy shoulder pressure immediately to consolidate your position before the opponent can recover their guard. (Timing: Immediate follow-through as opponent lands)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent posts hand on mat to prevent being swept backward (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Switch to taking the back by following their posted arm and climbing up their body, or transition to an omoplata attack on the posted arm
- Opponent steps back with far leg to widen base (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Immediately transition to X-Guard or Single Leg X-Guard by collecting the near leg with your bottom leg and adjusting your hook position
- Opponent drops weight down and pressures into you (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Switch to Kiss of the Dragon by inverting under them or transition to Reverse De La Riva Guard and attack the back from underneath
- Opponent grabs your pants to control your hooking leg (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Use the grip to load them more onto that leg, making the sweep even more effective, or transition to berimbolo by inverting toward the grip
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary mechanical difference between the Sickle Sweep and other De La Riva sweeps? A: The Sickle Sweep uses a wide, arc-shaped sweeping motion with the hooking leg (resembling a sickle cutting) rather than a linear push or pull. This scything action combined with a diagonal angle creates a more powerful off-balancing effect that’s harder to defend with posting. The wide arc also removes the opponent’s near leg entirely from their base structure.
Q2: Why is creating a 45-degree angle with your hips crucial for the Sickle Sweep’s success? A: The 45-degree angle allows your De La Riva hook to function as an effective lever by positioning your body perpendicular to the opponent’s primary base leg. This angle ensures that when you execute the sickle motion, you’re sweeping the opponent diagonally backward where they have the weakest base structure. Sweeping straight backward allows them to easily post hands or step back with their far leg, but the diagonal angle compromises both defensive options simultaneously.
Q3: What should you do if your opponent posts their hand on the mat to prevent the sweep? A: When the opponent posts their hand, immediately transition to attacking their back by following the posted arm and climbing up their body while maintaining your De La Riva hook. Alternatively, you can attack an omoplata on the posted arm or use the posting moment to transition to Single Leg X-Guard. The key is recognizing the post as an opportunity rather than a successful defense.
Q4: How does the collar grip function during the Sickle Sweep execution? A: The collar grip serves three critical functions: (1) it prevents the opponent from posting their hands by controlling their upper body posture, (2) it creates additional sweeping force when pulled down and toward you during execution, and (3) it provides the primary grip to pull yourself up into mount or side control after the sweep completes. A deep collar grip behind the neck is most effective as it gives maximum control and prevents escape.
Q5: What is the timing window for executing the Sickle Sweep most effectively? A: The optimal timing is when the opponent shifts their weight forward onto the leg you’re hooking, typically when they step forward to begin a pass or when they adjust their stance. This weight commitment makes it nearly impossible for them to step back to recover base. Additionally, the moment they lift their far leg to step is ideal as they’re temporarily on one leg. Advanced practitioners can also force this timing by using their grips to pull the opponent’s weight forward before sweeping.
Q6: Why is it important to maintain active toe flexion in your De La Riva hook throughout the sweep? A: Active toe flexion (pulling toes toward your shin) creates rigid structural tension in your hook, preventing it from slipping off the opponent’s leg during the dynamic sweeping motion. A passive hook with relaxed foot muscles will collapse under the resistance of the opponent’s weight and base, causing the sweep to fail at the critical moment. The flexed toes essentially lock the hook in place around the opponent’s thigh.
Q7: How should you coordinate your hip push leg with your hooking leg during the sweep? A: Both legs must extend simultaneously in coordinated fashion - the hook scythes in a wide arc while the hip push leg drives the opponent’s far hip backward and across. If you push with the hip leg first, you create space that allows the opponent to step back and escape. If you hook first without pushing, you lose the power generated by the hip extension. The simultaneous extension creates opposing vectors that eliminate all defensive base options at once.
Safety Considerations
The Sickle Sweep is generally a low-risk technique when practiced correctly, but certain safety considerations should be observed. When drilling with a partner, communicate clearly about resistance levels and ensure they know how to fall safely backward when swept. The person being swept should practice falling with proper breakfall technique, keeping their chin tucked and slapping the mat with their arms to dissipate impact force. Avoid executing this sweep explosively during initial learning phases as uncontrolled falls can cause head or spine injuries. When your partner posts their hand to defend, do not force the sweep as this can result in wrist, elbow, or shoulder injuries to the posted arm. Instead, transition to alternative attacks. Ensure adequate mat space behind your partner before attempting the sweep to prevent them from hitting walls or other practitioners. In training environments, tap if you feel your balance completely compromised rather than risking an uncontrolled fall. When practicing at higher resistance levels, both partners should be warmed up properly with particular attention to hip flexibility and leg strength preparation.
Position Integration
The Sickle Sweep is a cornerstone technique in the modern De La Riva Guard system and serves as a fundamental attacking option that connects to multiple advanced positions. From a strategic perspective, it represents the primary sweeping threat that prevents opponents from staying static in your De La Riva Guard, forcing them to make decisions that open up other attacks. When combined with berimbolo entries, back takes, and leg entanglement transitions, the Sickle Sweep creates a complete offensive system from De La Riva.
This sweep integrates seamlessly into a broader guard retention and advancement framework. If the sweep succeeds, you achieve mount or side control and advance through the positional hierarchy. If the opponent defends by posting their hand, you can take the back. If they widen their base, you can enter Single Leg X-Guard or X-Guard. This creates a true dilemma where every defensive option opens a different offensive pathway, embodying the concept of forced reactions that modern BJJ emphasizes. The technique also teaches fundamental concepts about leverage, angle creation, and timing that apply across multiple guard positions, making it an essential skill for developing a complete bottom game.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Sickle Sweep exemplifies perfect mechanical efficiency in guard work through its exploitation of fundamental leverage principles. The sweeping motion creates what I call a ‘rotational vector’ that is perpendicular to the opponent’s primary base structure, making recovery essentially impossible once proper angle and timing are achieved. The critical technical detail that separates effective execution from failure is the practitioner’s ability to maintain rigid structural tension in their hook while simultaneously creating hip mobility to generate the sweeping arc. Most students make the error of treating this as a push-pull movement when it’s actually a sophisticated rotational leverage system. The 45-degree angle isn’t arbitrary - it represents the mathematical optimal angle where the opponent’s defensive options (posting hands, stepping back, or dropping weight) all become neutralized simultaneously. When you understand the biomechanical reasoning behind each component, you can adapt the sweep to different body types and defensive strategies with precision. This sweep should be viewed as a foundational lesson in how to convert static control into dynamic positional advancement through leverage multiplication.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the Sickle Sweep is one of my highest-percentage techniques from De La Riva because it directly addresses the modern passing meta where opponents stay standing and mobile. What makes this sweep so effective at the elite level is that it forces the opponent into a true lose-lose scenario - if they stay heavy on the hook leg to resist the sweep, they’re vulnerable to back takes and leg entanglements; if they lighten their base to avoid being swept, they expose themselves to the full sickle motion. I’ve scored countless sweep points with this technique by focusing on one key detail that most people miss: you need to make the opponent commit their weight to the hooked leg before executing. I do this by pulling them slightly forward with my collar grip and using my hip push to create the illusion I’m going to invert under them. The moment they base heavy on that leg to prevent the inversion, I hit the sickle sweep and they have no counter. The timing component is everything - drill this sweep ten thousand times until you can recognize that weight commitment moment instinctively. In my passing system, I specifically avoid this sweep by never allowing my weight to load onto the De La Riva hook, which shows how dangerous competitors consider this technique at the highest levels.
- Eddie Bravo: The Sickle Sweep is sick because it embodies that beautiful principle of using your opponent’s defensive instincts against them - they think they’re defending by posting or widening base, but they’re actually walking into your trap. In the 10th Planet system, we chain this directly into our leg lock game and back attack sequences because modern BJJ is all about creating those decision trees where every path leads to you winning. What I love teaching about this sweep is the inversion option - when they sprawl their weight down to stop it, you can go underneath them Kiss of the Dragon style and still come out on top or on the back. That’s the kind of creative flow that keeps BJJ evolving. We also do a sick variation where instead of finishing the sweep to mount, you use the momentum to come up into a leg drag position or even straight to the truck position if they’re really committed to defending. The key thing I tell my students is don’t be married to completing the sweep exactly as taught - use it as one entry point in a larger system of attacks. If they defend the sickle, you should already know your next three moves. That’s how you become a complete guard player who’s dangerous from every position, not just a guy who knows individual techniques. This sweep is also money in no-gi with the ankle grip variation because you get that same powerful lever without needing the gi fabric.