Hip Bump Sweep
Hip bump sweep — sit-up, wrist control, and hip explosion from closed guard. Creates immediate sweep or kimura entry.
Adapted from InGrappling, Hip Bump Sweep. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 2 positions across 2 relationshipsOpen in the map →12←Enters from
The hip bump sweep is the most direct offensive sweep from closed guard and the entry point to the sit-up series. It requires no grip system beyond wrist control and no elaborate setup — it is built on one mechanical truth: if the bottom player can drive their hip through the passer’s midsection while pulling the passer’s arm across, the passer rotates over that hip and lands on their back.
From closed guard, the bottom player sits up, establishes a grip behind one of the passer’s arms — at the wrist or elbow — and drives their hip explosively into the passer’s torso while pulling the arm toward them. The passer’s base on that side is eliminated and they are rotated over the hip. The bottom player follows to top position, arriving in mount or a mount-adjacent position.
The hip bump is foundational for a second reason: it connects directly to the kimura. When the passer posts their free hand to prevent the sweep, they have placed that arm in the exact position the bottom player needs to attack the kimura. The hip bump attempt creates the kimura entry, and the kimura threat forces the posture that makes the hip bump work. These two techniques are structurally linked — learning the hip bump means learning the first half of the hip bump / kimura combination.
Ruleset context This technique is legal in all major competitive formats.
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 hereThe hip drive forces the passer to post their free hand to the mat to keep from being rotated over — and that post is the exact straight-armed configuration the kimura attacks. Every defensive response to the hip bump produces a hand to the floor; the bottom player simply chooses whether to ride the rotation up to mount or to attack the post itself. The sweep and the kimura are not alternatives — they are paired exits from the same forced hand post.
See full invariant page → The hip bump operates in both directions of this invariant. The bottom player’s sit-up posts pressure against the passer’s chest, destabilising their upright posture. When the hip drives through, the passer must post a hand to survive — and that hand post is the opening for the kimura. Every defensive action the passer takes in response to the hip bump creates a new offensive opportunity for the bottom player.