by Great Grappling | Nov 2, 2011 | Uncategorized | 1 comment

The Balloon Sweep is an intermediate to advanced sweep to utilize but an important concept builder for beginners.Against a skilled opponent this sweep can be very, very difficult but the setup is important because it builds perception of weight distribution. Specifically your opponents weight rocking forward onto your hips.If you hit this sweep correctly it should feel almost effortless. The problem is the window of success is so small that often people will practice this 200-300 times without getting a single good rep in.As with many things in BJJ, your success is going to be determined by your practice, mat time, and transfer learning. The good news is, even if you put in 300 reps with this move and you never reach a level of proficiency the practice will still help your other sweeps.Make sure to reference the video to see how I control both sleeves and pull with my whole body. At first ask your partner to cooperate with you. Have him/her lock out their body and avoid putting their hands on the floor. This will help with the feeling of the sweep. Once you have moderate success doing it this way you should encourage your opponent to relax and then it will be your job to make sure their hands dont hit the floor and pull them off balance with your thighs and abdominal muscles.It is all about building perception here. It's difficult but absolutely necessary.