The Sweep from New York is a high-percentage reversal within 10th Planet’s Rubber Guard system that converts the bottom player’s overhook-and-shin control into a direct path to mount. The sweep exploits the structural asymmetry created by New York control: one of the opponent’s arms is completely trapped in an overhook, their posture is broken forward by the shin across their back, and their base is already compromised on the trapped-arm side. This creates an ideal platform for a modified hip bump that the opponent cannot post against because their primary posting arm is neutralized.
The mechanics center on releasing the shin grip at the precise moment you generate an explosive hip bridge angled toward the trapped-arm side. The overhook serves dual purpose: it eliminates the opponent’s ability to post with that arm and provides a lever to pull them over your centerline as you bridge. The sweep works best when the opponent attempts to recover posture or create distance, because their upward movement combines with your bridge to generate maximum rotational force. The timing window is narrow but highly reliable once recognized.
Strategically, the Sweep from New York creates a critical dilemma within the Rubber Guard decision tree. If the opponent remains passive to avoid the sweep, they remain trapped in New York where the bottom player can advance to Invisible Collar, Zombie, or Chill Dog for submission attacks. If they actively attempt to escape by posturing, they expose themselves to this sweep. This binary forces the top player into a lose-lose scenario where both defensive and offensive movement carry significant risk, making New York one of the most oppressive bottom positions in no-gi grappling when the sweep threat is credible.
From Position: New York (Bottom) Success Rate: 43%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Mount | 43% |
| Failure | New York | 37% |
| Counter | Open Guard | 20% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Wait for the opponent to initiate posture recovery before ex… | Widen base laterally before attempting any posture recovery … |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Wait for the opponent to initiate posture recovery before executing—their upward momentum is your greatest ally
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The overhook arm pulls while the bridge pushes, creating rotational force the opponent cannot resist without a free posting arm
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Bridge direction must angle toward the trapped-arm side at approximately 45 degrees, not straight upward
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Shin grip release timing is critical—release too early and you lose control, too late and the bridge loses power
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Commit fully to the sweep once initiated; half-committed attempts waste energy and telegraph the technique
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Immediately consolidate mount upon landing—the transition from sweep to settled mount must be seamless
Execution Steps
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Confirm control points: Verify that your overhook is deep with shoulder tight against the opponent’s armpit and your shin gr…
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Load weight toward overhook side: Subtly shift your hips toward the overhook side to pre-load the bridge direction. This small adjustm…
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Wait for posture recovery attempt: Maintain pressure and offensive threats from New York while monitoring the opponent’s movement. The …
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Release shin grip and plant feet: The moment you feel the opponent committing to posture recovery, release your shin grip with the con…
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Explosive bridge toward trapped arm: Drive an explosive hip bridge angled at 45 degrees toward the overhook side while simultaneously pul…
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Follow the sweep momentum: As the opponent rolls, follow the rotational momentum by turning your body and climbing on top. Do n…
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Establish mount control: Land in mount with your knees tight against their hips and immediately establish heavy hip pressure…
Common Mistakes
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Attempting the sweep while the opponent is settled with a stable base
- Consequence: The sweep fails against a properly based opponent, wasting energy and potentially losing the overhook during the failed attempt
- Correction: Wait for the opponent to initiate movement—posture recovery, weight shift, or escape attempt—before executing the sweep to combine their momentum with your bridge
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Bridging straight upward instead of angling toward the trapped-arm side
- Consequence: The opponent can post with their free hand on the opposite side, stopping the sweep dead and wasting the explosive effort
- Correction: Angle the bridge at 45 degrees toward the overhook side where the opponent has no posting ability, directing all force toward their structural weakness
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Releasing the shin grip too early before planting feet
- Consequence: Losing control of the opponent’s posture before the bridge is ready, allowing them to posture up and escape New York entirely
- Correction: Maintain shin grip until the exact moment of bridge initiation, releasing and planting feet as a single coordinated movement
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Widen base laterally before attempting any posture recovery to remove the sweep angle
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Recover posture incrementally rather than explosively—sudden upward movement is the primary sweep trigger
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Keep hips heavy and low rather than rising—the sweep requires your center of gravity to be above the bridge pivot point
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Address the overhook before moving—if the arm remains trapped, posture recovery creates sweep vulnerability
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Monitor the bottom player’s shin grip hand—release of this grip signals imminent sweep attempt
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Free hand must post proactively, not reactively—by the time you feel the bridge, it may be too late to post
Recognition Cues
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Bottom player releases shin grip while maintaining overhook—this is the primary pre-sweep indicator
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Bottom player’s hips shift subtly toward the overhook side, pre-loading the bridge direction
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Bottom player plants both feet flat on the mat after releasing the shin control
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Bottom player’s free hand moves to your far hip or belt line rather than threatening submissions
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Sudden increase in overhook pulling pressure combined with hip elevation initiation
Defensive Options
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Widen base and drop hips before the bridge completes - When: When you feel the shin grip release and recognize the sweep is about to be attempted
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Post free hand firmly on the mat toward the overhook side - When: The instant you feel bridge initiation or see the bottom player plant their feet
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Drive forward aggressively to flatten the bottom player - When: Preemptively, when you sense the bottom player is loading the sweep rather than advancing submissions
Position Integration
The Sweep from New York occupies a critical branch point in the Rubber Guard attack tree. From Mission Control, the bottom player advances to New York and faces a strategic choice: progress deeper into the attacking chain toward Invisible Collar, Zombie, or Chill Dog for submissions, or use the sweep to reverse position entirely and claim mount. The sweep threat forces the top player to remain passive and accept the guard position rather than actively fighting to escape, which in turn makes the submission pathways more accessible. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where each threat amplifies the other, making the complete New York game greater than the sum of its parts. Competition data shows that practitioners who credibly threaten both sweeps and submissions from New York achieve 25-30% higher finishing rates than those who rely on only one avenue of attack.