What's this deep half variation?

[rmongler]

i'm very familiar with phillipe. but one thing that always stands out to me when i see that video of the rafa match is how phillipe has to use so much creative and well-applied technique to sweep rafa, but rafa is able to sweep him right back each time in like 2 seconds. i know rafa's rafa, but it reinforces my personal aversion to deep half guard as a primary weapon: i can sweep somebody much easier without having to suffer a dogfight or having to rely on an element of surprise.

Or can you?

It's an honest question i think, but also a question thats difficult for someone on their own to test with various things, simply due to the nature of the practice necessary to build any given skill up to a competitive level, to make felicitous comparisons.

So of course, as in many things in life, either you get the right answers from the start through a received tradition, a trusted authority figure, or have to more or less be able to use your own good sense, to look at many different examples, and be able to recognize validity when you see it.

Well there's an easy way to start with this case; I'd wonder how many examples you could find of Rafa being swept at all, and if where so, how long it usually takes him to get those points back.

You said it yourself after all: to play deep half of most any stripe is essentially to play reverse half guard, either voluntarily, or involuntarily. But, is it actually as good a position for the man on top as some might think, given how commonly players tend to go to it? My gut feeling is, actually no.

 

[trustdoesntrust]

Or can you?

It's an honest question i think, but also a question thats difficult for someone on their own to test with various things, simply due to the nature of the practice necessary to build any given skill up to a competitive level, to make felicitous comparisons.

So of course, as in many things in life, either you get the right answers from the start through a received tradition, a trusted authority figure, or have to more or less be able to use your own good sense, to look at many different examples, and be able to recognize validity when you see it.

Well there's an easy way to start with this case; I'd wonder how many examples you could find of Rafa being swept at all, and if where so, how long it usually takes him to get those points back.

You said it yourself after all: to play deep half of most any stripe is essentially to play reverse half guard, either voluntarily, or involuntarily. But, is it actually as good a position for the man on top as some might think, given how commonly players tend to go to it? My gut feeling is, actually no.

sweeps are by far the most common scoring move in bjj; i just don't personally see the need to accept a bad position to grind out a sweep when there are plenty of clean, high-percentage sweeps where i can dominate a weak plane (like x guard). reverse half is actually one of my favorite offensive hubs as the top guy (i play it like marcelo garcia where i post on my opponent's chest) so it's not exactly where i want to be as the bottom guy.

 

[JagRoss]

sweeps are by far the most common scoring move in bjj; i just don't personally see the need to accept a bad position to grind out a sweep when there are plenty of clean, high-percentage sweeps where i can dominate a weak plane (like x guard). reverse half is actually one of my favorite offensive hubs as the top guy (i play it like marcelo garcia where i post on my opponent's chest) so it's not exactly where i want to be as the bottom guy.

I'm trying to quit half guard as well.
I feel like the potential to get smashed is too high, especially with bigger people.

It's hard to break old habits though and my old passing very reliant on being super close.
One good thing about half guard sweeps is that you very commonly come up in very good position to pass.

 

[JagRoss]

i'm very familiar with phillipe. but one thing that always stands out to me when i see that video of the rafa match is how phillipe has to use so much creative and well-applied technique to sweep rafa, but rafa is able to sweep him right back each time in like 2 seconds. i know rafa's rafa, but it reinforces my personal aversion to deep half guard as a primary weapon: i can sweep somebody much easier without having to suffer a dogfight or having to rely on an element of surprise.

I'm just watching Rafa X Phillipe at the moment.
I think Rafa X Ryan Hall was very similar. I haven't watched in a long time, but I think Rafa gets swept by Ryan, then sweeps right back and takes the back from the weak 50/50.