Heist Sweep
Heist sweep — from X-guard; hip-under entry and leg-lift finish disrupts the opponent’s base.
Adapted from the original page. Grappling.Games did not write this. Sources.
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The heist is the primary finishing mechanism from X-guard. With both hooks under the top player’s lead leg — the X-guard configuration — the bottom player elevates that leg and simultaneously pulls the standing leg out from under the passer, forcing a fall to the hoisted side. It is fundamentally a single-leg takedown executed from the floor upward rather than from standing.
The mechanic is straightforward: the X-guard hooks elevate one leg, removing it from ground contact. Without that support base, the passer’s remaining weight is committed to a single standing leg. The bottom player then pulls that standing leg toward them — or pushes the passer’s hip away from it — completing the base collapse. The passer falls to the side of the lifted leg.
The heist is distinguishable from the back-step sweep, which also originates from X-guard. The back-step releases the X-hooks and threads behind; the heist keeps the hooks throughout. This distinction matters practically: the decision to heist or back-step is made based on which action the passer’s reaction opens, not a predetermined plan.
INV-G04Invariant "Destabilising the top player to their hands removes their ability to pass and creates submission opportunities. Forcing a hand post is the transition from defensive guard to offensive guard."
Why it works hereIn X-guard the legs do most of the destabilisation, but the hand on the passer's far hip or thigh blocks the standing leg's escape route — without it the passer simply slides the standing foot away from the pull. With the hand denying that exit, the passer's base options collapse to a hand post once the lift commits. The hand fight is therefore the offensive bracket: lock the standing leg in place, then sweep the elevated one.
See full invariant page → In X-guard, the legs are the primary disruptors — but the hands are still active. The bottom player’s hand on the passer’s far hip or thigh prevents the passer from stepping their standing leg away from the pull. Without that hand disruption, the passer simply slides the standing foot out of reach. The hands make the leg pull unavoidable by blocking the exit route.
INV-G05Invariant "The bottom player's hips must remain mobile. A flattened bottom player cannot generate the movement needed to recover guard, sweep, or attack."