John Marsh: Sweep Single System for Jiu-Jitsu
John Marsh's sweep single as a decision tree: set it up on his lead leg, shoot it, stay moving on the leg, then beat the sprawl and the ankle whizzer to get behind him. Finishes from the feet are in the companion flow. Every card is from his Single Leg Takedown Series and free lessons, with links to the lessons.
Flow outline
Neutral: attack his lead leg
- Always attack the leg he leads, stepping with your own lead leg. If his leg is back, circle so he has to switch stance; crossing his feet is bad for him. His stance only changes the finish.
- John: “You can either make the man move or still hit it. It just changes your finish a little bit.”
- In his courses
- Setting Up Your Shot Regardless Of Opponent's Stance (Single Leg Series)
- When Double Leg Isn't An Option (Double Leg Series)
Circle, circle, pull
- From the inside tie, circle away from the leg you want and pull on two, just as he's about to step. Don't wait for the step and then pull. Keep his arm until you have the leg.
- John: “I want to circle, circle, and I want to pull at the same time that he's about to step.”
- In his courses
- Inside Tie Sweep Single Takedown (Single Leg Series)
- Inside Tie Vs. Outside Tie Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
Arm drag sideways
- Drag the arm on your lead-leg side straight across his body, not into you: from the wrist, a chop from the shoulder, or a circle from the inside tie. Then step, get low, and turn in.
- John: “I don't want to pull his arm into me. I want to pull it straight sideways.”
- In his courses
- Arm Drag To Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- How To Arm Drag (Takedown the World)
Fake the high crotch
- Make the fake real so he moves the leg back. Fake with a one-two step that sets your back leg sideways for the sweep, so there's no wasted step, then snake the leg.
- John: “The trick is I'm positioning my back leg for the next movement.”
- In his courses
- Fake High Crotch Sweep To Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
Head snap or head club
- Snap the head just enough for his eyes to come up and change levels in that blink. Off the whistle, club the head to the floor as he expects to tie up and drop both knees into the sweep.
- John: “They blink and their eyes come up, but you've changed the level at the same time.”
- In his courses
- Head Snap To Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- Head Club Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- Single Leg From The Head Snap (I Shoot I Score)
Off his grips
- Break his post, collar tie, or wrist grip, and if it was on your lead-leg side, it's the sweep single. See the Hand Fighting flow.
- In his courses
- Against Collar Tie (Single Leg Series)
- Two Arm Clear To Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- Russian Tie To Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- Underhook Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
- Elbow Pass Sweep Single (Single Leg Series)
Shoot the sweep single
- Step outside and level change. As your knee lands, spin your back leg behind you and hit his hip with your head, head facing in. Snake the leg below the knee with straight arms, like a straight-arm pulldown, so he can't kick it back.
- Head on the outside gets you guillotined; leaving your leg forward lets him drive you over.
- John: “The hardest thing with a sweep single is spinning behind your leg.”
- In his courses
- Sweep Single Details (Double Leg Series)
- Drilling The Sweep Single (Double Leg Series)
- Overview Double Leg And Sweep Single (Double Leg Series)
On the leg: never stand still
- Keep pushing or pulling him so he holds you for balance instead of working his defense. Elbows in, head up and pushing, knees pinched. Never let go of the leg to reach up for his back.
- Stand still and he gets a Kimura trap, pushes your head out for a guillotine, or whizzers you into a throw.
- John: “I want him hanging on to me because he needs to hang on for balance so he doesn't fall.”
- In his courses
- Don't Stand Still When You Have Single Leg (Single Leg Series)
Read: does he sprawl?
- Expect it. Most of his low finishes start from the sprawl.
Post a hand, build back up
- Break your grip and post one hand on the mat, other hand on the leg. Lift your feet and drive into him like mountain climbers, head high, then build back up to the middle and finish.
- John: “It's just like I'm doing mountain climbers, and I'm driving through.”
- In his courses
- Arm Post Single Leg Finish (Single Leg Series)
Cut the corner
- Shoot shallow and stay in front of him. Sweep, step, spin: duck under, switch your knees, pull his leg with your far hand, and cover. Look up the whole time to stay out of the guillotine.
- John: “Your head is a weapon. You need to look up.”
- In his courses
- Cut The Corner Finish (Single Leg Series)
- Cut The Corner Single Leg Finish (Single Leg Series)
Cut back double
- Post on your arm and turn into him. Step, lift, and run into him with your knee sliding underneath, head up and pushing, then punch your arm across and pull him through.
- John: “I post and I use running into him as a way to help lift, get him through.”
- In his courses
- Cut Back Double Finish (Single Leg Series)
Shoulder roll
- Snake his leg and keep it straight. As he sprawls, lift your knees and drop your shoulder to the mat so his sprawl turns you out, then sit back on your feet and pop up to cover.
- John: “When I drop my shoulder to the mat, there's nothing for him to sprawl on.”
- In his courses
- Shoulder Roll Finish (Single Leg Series)
Snake the leg, sit back on your foot
- Your head's down, so you can't post or cut under. Snake the leg tight so he can't spin into you, post on your elbow or head, and circle behind until your knee meets your wrist. Sit back on your foot, not your hip, and don't stop.
- John: “The only way I can get myself up is to sit back on my foot.”
- In his courses
- Snake The Leg Single Leg Finish (Single Leg Series)
Circle behind and limp arm
- Push down on his leg and limp arm out. If he circles away, straighten your arm and keep circling.
- John: “He's going to defend all day, but once I sit back, he has no more power.”
- In his courses
- Circle Limp Arm Finish (Single Leg Series)
Stack the leg and build up
- Knee behind his leg, sit back so you have the power to lift it, shoulder right behind his butt, crunch down. Then slide up without ever releasing pressure. If he's long and flexible and you can't reach around, slide your hand back and swim until you find his leg, keeping the pressure on.
- John: “Never pressure the man down, release, and come up. I always keep constant pressure.”
- In his courses
- Circle Stack Limp Arm Finish (Single Leg Series)
- Circle Stack Build Up Finish (Single Leg Series)
- Circle Stack Reverse Grab Finish (Single Leg Series)
Stack his leg on yours
- He hooks your ankle so you can't spin behind. Keep circling into him so he can't drive your head down, slide your knee under his shin, and when he sits back, pull his leg up onto yours.
- John: “Once I stack his leg, his weight is now ineffective to me.”
- In his courses
- Cradle Ankle Wizzer Finish (Single Leg Series)
Cradle
- Post your outside hand and stay low. Grab his chin and turn his head sideways so he can't bridge, pin your elbow and crank up. Standing tall opens your legs to leg locks.
- In his courses
- Cradle Ankle Wizzer Finish (Single Leg Series)
Run through to his back
- Stay low on the stack, break your grip and swim your arm up, shoulder to shoulder as you run through. Head on his head until he's flipping, then underhook the head and trap the far arm.
- John: “I like to keep my head right against his head the whole time until he's flipping towards his back.”
- In his courses
- Run Through Ankle Wizzer Finish (Single Leg Series)
He stands up with you
- Go right away. Hesitate and he jumps guard or a triangle.
Lift and club
- Step in with your outside leg and circle into him, post your foot by his standing leg, and club his whole head like a collar tie, turning it sideways. Step through and cover as he falls.
- John: “I want you to grab the whole head like you're doing a collar tie.”
- In his courses
- Lift And Club Ankle Wizzer Finish (Single Leg Series)
Trip and push
- Lift his leg high and turn into him, step in with a bent leg, hook his standing leg and pop your leg straight. Too far away: step in and push instead.
- John: “I'm going to step in with a bent leg, right, hook here, and I pop my leg.”
- In his courses
- Trip And Push Ankle Wizzer Finish (Single Leg Series)
He stays up: finish from the feet
- Get back to the middle with his leg, get outside it, and finish. See the Sweep Single Finishes flow.
Behind him or on top
Spin behind off the shot
- Shoot straight in and rotate your hips as you hit him, not a wide outside spin, so he can't sprawl. Take his leg back so he splits, or stack it, and slide your arm underneath to climb up.
- John: “I want you guys to get used to sliding the arm underneath.”
- In his courses
- Spin And Split Them (Single Leg Series)
- Spin And Leg Stack (Outside Grab) (Single Leg Series)
Branch conditions
- inside tie
- he grabs you
- he moves the leg
- you can post
- you expected it
- you're deep under him
- he extends you
- your head's down
- he ankle-whizzers
- he stays up
- he whizzers
- you have his leg hooked: stack it
- he stays down
- your arm is free
- your arm is stuck
- he faces you