.
.

Drilling The Berimbolo Sweep

hqdefault

Written by Dan Faggella for BJJ Eastern Europe.

As any good grappler knows, there is no such thing as becoming an effective force on the mat by just taking it easy and relaxing all day.  Even if you practice every day, after a while your skills will stay stagnant and you will not see much progress.

Being able to add variety to your training schedule is very key no matter which sport you practice.  When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, one must never become complacent and always see where the sport is going next.

Berimbolo Drills Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPaVc4c1VRI

Ever evolving, BJJ demands its competitors to always enhance their game and to take the next step forward.  One of the major waves that has taken over BJJ recently has been the introduction of the Berimbolo sweep.

Highlighted by many smaller grapplers such as The Mendes Brothers and Caio Terra, this sweep is super effective when trying to get your opponents back.  However, the move itself is extremely difficult at first, and calls for some serious drilling time before it can become an effective tool in your arsenal.

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

The first major step of the Berimbolo is to get upside down with your opponent in close proximity.  This calls for your body to work in ways it may not be used to doing, hence the title ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable.’

As you will see in the video I threw in here, there are ways to get used to rolling over and adjusting to all of the body movements.  It may seem funky at first, but after a while, it becomes second nature! And if you’re a No – Gi grappler…or want to learn how to do the Berimbolo without the gi, I filmed a special video and broke it down on the BJJ ORG Website

Once you get used to this motion of being upside down for a little while, you will soon be able to go through the setup with ease.  After drilling it on your own, grab a partner and incorporate them into the drill so you can find the proper range as you roll with someone in front of you.

The Benefits Of The Berimbolo

If you have never see the Berimbolo sweep in action, you may be wondering why it’s so useful and what it is exactly.

It’s a unique move that allows smaller, quicker grapplers to get the upper hand on their opponents.  Utilized mainly from the De La Riva guard, the Berimbolo sweep—when done properly—allows you quickly, and effectively take the back of your opponent.

It’s a tricky move at first, so when you first start learning it, don’t expect to hit it over-and-over again in competition or even in a live rolling situation.  This will take some getting used to, but trust me, it’s worth it to take the time to learn this sweep.

Before you know it, you’ll be taking the back of every guy that steps on the mat with you, leaving them scratching their heads asking, “what happened?”

Dan Faggella is a BJJ Academy Owner, No Gi Pan Am Champion at 130 pounds, and recognized expert in the area of lightweight grappling and sweeps. Dan writes or Jiu Jitsu Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style, MMA Sports Mag, and more – find more of his Berimbolo articles and resources at www.microbjj.com/berimbolo