How to Do a Kick Sweep in Mixed Martial Arts
- 1). Realize that your opponent is trying to pass your guard. He will be up on one knee and working his arm underneath your leg on the same side as his raised leg. You must use the kick sweep immediately when his arm goes under your leg.
- 2). Grab your opponent by the elbow and the back of her neck. Use your hand on the same side as her raised knee to grasp the back of her neck. Use the hand on the opposite side to grab her same-side elbow. For example, if your opponent is raising her left knee, grab the back of her neck with your right hand and her elbow with your left hand.
- 3). Unhook your feet and release your guard. This frees you to use your legs for the kick sweep, but it also unleashes your opponent. You must act fast once you release your guard.
- 4). Hook your opponent's knee with your foot. Use the foot on the same side as his raised knee. Put your foot underneath his thigh and pull your toes back. This hook will prevent your opponent from raising your leg higher and moving around to side control. At the same time, press your other leg to the side of your opponent's shin that is on the floor.
- 5). Push, pull and kick. You will combine all three motions simultaneously to perform the kick sweep. Push your opponent's shin inward with your straight leg on the ground. Pull her hard toward you with both hands. Kick your opponent skyward with your leg that is hooking her thigh. All three actions together will propel her over his side and onto her back.
- 6). Follow your momentum and kick your leg over the top of your opponent. When you spring up, you will be sitting on top of his torso in a full mount. You can now transition to another technique or start a "ground and pound" bludgeoning.