need help with leg sweep

[WanderingMonk]

I would like to be able to sweep my opponent off balance as soon as he put his weight on his front leg.

1. Where should I target my sweep?
2. What training method should I consider to develop the leg power for this ?

suggestion appreciated.

[SevenStar]

what type of sweep are you doing? Also, don't worry about power - worry about timing.

[Meat Shake]

Hmm..... A sweep on the front leg... The only time full weight is really on the front is when someone is throwing a power punch with the rear hand....
IMHE, sweeps work a bit better on the back leg the second they pick up their front leg... Drive them back agressively, and as soon as the front leg comes off the ground, sweep the rear leg.

[MasterKiller]

Target the foot as low as possible. The higher up on the leg you make contact, the less likely you will sweep the leg out from under the guy. Make sure your foot is flat on the ground (sole of the shoes should be on ground) when you make contact, also.

[Meat Shake]

Yeah, ideal contact would be the.....
Hmmm...I guess its just time for an IF style picture diagram.
:D
FUXORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! paint doesnt work anymore for some strange reason. :(

Oh well... Anyhow, the best place to make contact would be your instep? I dont know what its called, the area where your foot meets your shin.
That should make contact with your opponents achilles heel.
Hope that helps....
Another option to get weight on the front leg would be to pull his lead hand with your rear hand, then sweep and use your front arm to drive his head/neck the opposite direction as the sweep. Feel free to put your whole hand on his face or if your partner is testy about that, just use your forearm across his upper chest to drive him back.

[Buddy]

As has been said it depends on the sweep. I will assume you are setting it up with an entering technique. So given a particular arm and leg forward there are only eight positions for your move. Lets say his right leg and arm are forward. You can have either of your legs on the inside or out side of his forward leg (four positions). You can also have either hand on the inside or outside of his arm (four more). Then obviously you opt for using the other arm or leg (as in a cross). This brings it to sixteen. That's really about it. Where you are in each of these positions will determine the type of sweep.
If you use, let's say, a back sweep (a beset for you silat fans) turn 45 degrees or more to make the sweep easier and more effective. Also get his shoulders to a different angle to his hips. Even better go to one knee but be prepared for grappling or some sort of breaking technique.
Try these positions and tell me what you think.

[unkokusai]

Two points made so far that I agree with:

1) timing is much more important than power in this case

2) it's better to do when he is backing up

[SifuAbel]

A front leg sweep of the weighted leg can be done with after a knee to side of knee push . This will buckle the knee and force the weight off and then you can scoop it. Works well from the outside buckling in.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by Meat Shake
Hmm..... A sweep on the front leg... The only time full weight is really on the front is when someone is throwing a power punch with the rear hand....
IMHE, sweeps work a bit better on the back leg the second they pick up their front leg... Drive them back agressively, and as soon as the front leg comes off the ground, sweep the rear leg.

you don't want full weight on the leg at all. you want to catch him as he is stepping forward. See judo's de ashi barai and hiza guruma for examples. Also, you can have him uprooted and drive him backward, a la judo's o uchi gari.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by MasterKiller
Make sure your foot is flat on the ground (sole of the shoes should be on ground) when you make contact, also.

that will depend on the sweep as well. if you are sweeping as he is stepping forward, you will use a hook foot, or monkey foot to sweep the leg from under him. the sides of your shoe will be what drags the ground.

[Buddy]

"Make sure your foot is flat on the ground (sole of the shoes should be on ground) when you make contact, also."

This isn't neccesary. For instance you can (in a back sweep) put your foot, heel up, deep into and behind the opponants leg and simply straighten that leg (while turning at an angle)
In Bagua we would (in a front sweep) hook around the leg toe up (koubu) then thurn the leg outward (baibu) and pick the leg and grab it.

[SifuAbel]

monkey too

[WanderingMonk]

wow, a lot of responses. I'll try to answer most of them. and thanks for all the help.


Originally posted by 7*

what type of sweep are you doing?
...

that will depend on the sweep as well. if you are sweeping as he is stepping forward, you will use a hook foot, or monkey foot to sweep the leg from under him. the sides of your shoe will be what drags the ground.


7*,

thank you.

I am thinking something akin to a very low round house kick. The goal is to keep my opponent from moving in. some front kicks to the front knee (when he put his weight on it) and a sweep once a while to keep him off balance.

the monkey foot is a interesting idea.


Originally posted by Meat Shake
A sweep on the front leg... The only time full weight is really on the front is when someone is throwing a power punch with the rear hand....

...

Another option to get weight on the front leg would be to pull his lead hand with your rear hand, then sweep and use your front arm to drive his head/neck the opposite direction as the sweep. Feel free to put your whole hand on his face or if your partner is testy about that, just use your forearm across his upper chest to drive him back.


Meat shake,

thank you.

I am thinking about countering something like a straight right with a right "arrow" stance. basically someone coming into your space with his weight (70%) on his front right leg and he is much bigger than you. I am want to avoid going directly in for the throw because I am crafting this for opponent mucher bigger than me.


Originally posted by MK
Target the foot as low as possible.


MK,

Thanks. Using the level principle to tip him over. hence the lower the better.

Buddy,

Thank you.
Your suggestion is a bit "abstract" for me. I get dizzy when someone describes spatial relationship verbally. I need to draw some pictures to get everything down.


Originally posted by SifuAbel
A front leg sweep of the weighted leg can be done with after a knee to side of knee push . This will buckle the knee and force the weight off and then you can scoop it. Works well from the outside buckling in.


Sifu Abel,
" after a knee to side of knee push "


Thanks, but can you reword that?

[SevenStar]

Now I see why you were concerned with power - that's not gonna work too well - it's not easy to just kick someone's leg out from under them like that. If he's already in a bow and arrow stance and you want to sweep him, you need to attak him where his balance and structure is weakest - the diagonals. Other than that, you need to kick his foot out BEFORE he plants on it.

[Buddy]

"Buddy,

Thank you.
Your suggestion is a bit "abstract" for me. I get dizzy when someone describes spatial relationship verbally. I need to draw some pictures to get everything down."

The 16 positions or the sweep? Abel can probably descibe the sweep better.

[SifuAbel]

Ok. His front foot , lets say the right leg, is bearing weight and is bent.

Your left foot steps in just behind his foot from the outside using your knee you push his knee inward. Knee buckles and angle of support changes, this forces a weight change. you then can scoop it out.

[omarthefish]

Here's a way to get at what I think Buddy was trying to describe:

Face off with a partner in a loose clinch somewhat square to each other. You don't need to be squared off for the sweeps but it makes it easier to get the concept.

Use your right leg first.

1. Hook his left leg from the outside.

2. Hook his left leg from the inside.

3. Hook his right leg from the outside.

4. Hook his right leg from the inside.

Repeat the excercise with your left leg makes 8 potential ways to sweep.

Then there are your grips. Are you pulling his upper body from the outside or pushing it from the inside. That's 2 variations on the 8 basic sweeps just menitoned bringing the total up to 16.

The are 2 main things I have found critical to being able make these effective.

1. Learning to bounce back and forthe between them. If you go for one and he senses it and counters, shifting his weight to prevent you from hooking you go with it and spin into another variation. You mix it up. Just like punching combos, there are sweeping combos.

2. Ingraining opposing circular movement in the top and bottom. Don't sweep straight. Hook sweep the leg with a gentle circular movement and simultaneously pull the upper body in a circular movement in the opposite diection from what your leg is doing. If you get the hang of moving you hands and feet in opposite circles then a firmly planted lead leg is easy to sweep.