Spider and cross-grip guard
Learn spider guard and cross-grip guard: you control the arms with your hands and feet, then sweep. You will also learn the no-gi version.
Spider guard control
Spider guard: you hold both sleeves and put your feet on their biceps. Your hips lift a little off the mat.
One leg pushes and the other bends and pulls. This steers their arms and bends their posture.
Grips before sweeps
A free hand grabs your leg, and a passer holding your leg does not get swept. Win the hand back first.
- They free a hand: re-grip the wrist or sleeve.
- Their elbows tuck in and your feet slide off: re-set the feet or change guard.
- They stand tall and lean away: pull them back into range before you sweep.
- They push your knees to your chest: move your hips out and re-set the angle.
The tripod sweep
- Grip their lead ankle with your same-side hand. Hold a sleeve or wrist with the other.
- Put one foot on their far hip. Hook the other foot behind the lead ankle.
- Push the hip and pull the ankle until they sit down.
- Do a technical stand-up with the grip and come up on top.
Loading 3D view
They stand in your open guard, the start of the tripod sweep. Tripod Sweep in the library ›
Your left foot hooks behind their right ankle. Your right foot pushes their left hip. Your left hand holds their right ankle.
Cross-grip guard and the backroll
Cross-grip guard: you sit up on one hip. Your right hand grips their right sleeve and pulls it across your body. Your other hand holds the collar, and a foot stays on their hip.
It takes away the arm they would post with. When they lean in to stop you, hook their far leg and roll back over your shoulder.
Why does the cross grip help the backroll sweep?
Spider guard without the gi
No gi means no sleeves. Hold the wrist instead, with your foot still on the bicep.
When they stand tall, use a collar tie: a hand on the back of their head, elbow tight. It bends them forward like a collar grip.
| Gi | No-gi |
|---|---|
| Sleeve grip | Wrist grip |
| Collar grip | Collar tie |
| Tripod and backroll sweeps | The same sweeps |
You hold their wrist and they stand tall to pull it free. You collar tie with your free hand to bend them. Then your foot goes to their hip for the tripod sweep.
Common mistakes
- Both legs straight and pushing.
- In the tripod sweep, the pushing foot on the chest, not the hip.
- A tripod sweep with no sleeve or wrist grip: they post a hand.
- Keeping your feet on the biceps while your knees are pushed to your chest.
- Lying flat with the cross grip.
Train it on the Path
Reading is the first step. The Spider and cross-grip guard unit has 5 short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.
Spider and cross-grip guard is part of the Purple belt, included in Rolla Plus. Start free with Foundations and the white belt.