Secrets from Brazil, pt. 2: Modified Waiter Sweep

Coach Dan Faggella Puts the “Brazil” Back in BJJ

If you’ve been following along here, then you know that Black Diamond MMA‘s owner, Dan Faggella, just got back from a trip to the fatherland of his sport: Rio de Janiero, Brazil. There, he met and trained with some of the very best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu experts in the world, and now Coach Dan’s lucky students can reap some of the benefits.

His “Secrets from Brazil” seminar happened on Friday, and if you weren’t there, you definitely missed out. But fear not; our (partial) recap on the event rolls on today.

In the last installment, we covered a clever calf crusher from butterfly guard. In the setup for that move, you’ll recall, it was important to get one leg in between your opponent’s legs. In today’s move, we’ll look at what you can do if the opposite happens – that is, if your opponent gets his leg between yours.

Attesting to the authentic Brazilian flavor of this technique, Coach Dan credits this move to Ari “Galo” Fernando A . Rocha (right), who’s still teaching in the original Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio.

The Modified Waiter Sweep from Butterfly Guard

The waiter sweep is typically executed from half guard. Not today, though. In this case, we’ll be executing it from more of a butterfly guard position. For reference, here’s a clip of Danny Ives demonstrating the more traditional waiter sweep:

Video: Ari Galo’s Modified Waiter Sweep

The BDMMA Walkthrough on the Modified Waiter Sweep

You’re seated in a butterfly-guard-like position. Your opponent, though, has stepped one foot between your legs. Here’s how it goes:

1. Grab your opponent’s ankle under your leg. You’ll grab with the arm that’s on the same side as your opponent’s stepped-up leg; following Coach Dan’s example, that’s your left arm.
2. Dive your other arm under your opponent’s far leg. As with the calf crusher, you’ll reach your free (right) arm behind your opponent’s far (left) leg. As before, swivel towards your opponent’s knee.
3. Plant your shin behind your opponent’s knee. In contrast to the calf crusher, you’ll get your right shin behind your opponent’s right knee.
4. Lift your opponent’s leg and take his foot. Push up with your right leg, forcing your opponent to shift his weight to his left knee as his right foot comes off the mat. With the pressure off that foot, scoop your left hand behind the ankle and hoist the foot up towards your head.
5. Push your opponent backwards over his trapped leg. Maintaining your grip on his foot, chop both your legs forward, elevating your opponent and forcing him backwards. Since he can’t post on that trapped leg, he’ll fall.
6. Disentangle intelligently. As Dan demonstrates, you don’t want to leap frantically for top position. Use your inside (right) leg to kick your opponent’s thigh away as you pull your other leg behind and underneath you.
7. Pass guard, finish the sweep. Once you’ve got both knees under you, you can lean into your opponent and work your double under pass. You’ll get your arms behind both of your opponent’s thighs, pull your head out, and shove his legs to one side. Pass and consolidate good side control.

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