Deep Half Guard BJJ Technique Guide: Master Sweeps & Entries

**Entry & Underhook**: From a standard half guard, shrimp heavily to create space and slide your body deeply underneath your opponent's hips, aiming to secure a strong underhook on their far leg. Your head should be glued to their hip or thigh, preventing them from posturing.
**Secure the Leg**: Control their near leg by either trapping it with your legs (quarter guard style) or by gripping their pant leg or ankle with your free hand. This prevents them from basing or easily extracting their leg.
**Create Off-Balance**: Use your underhook and body position to lift and shift your opponent's weight, creating an unstable base. Your goal is to get them to post their free hand on the mat or to lean heavily in one direction.
**Elevate & Sweep**: Once off-balanced, use a combination of your underhook, leg control, and hip elevation to lift their center of gravity and drive them over your shoulder or to the side for a powerful sweep. Common finishes include the Waiter Sweep or Old School Sweep.
**Transition to Top**: As they fall, be ready to transition immediately to a dominant top position, such as Side Control, mount, or even the back, maintaining control throughout the movement.

**The Underhook is King**: A deep, tight underhook on the far leg is crucial; it's your primary lever for control and elevation. Without it, your opponent can flatten you or escape.
**Head Position**: Keep your head glued to your opponent's hip or inner thigh to prevent them from crossfacing you or driving their weight down on your head.
**Weight Distribution**: Pay close attention to how your opponent distributes their weight. Use their reactions to guide your sweeps – if they lean forward, sweep them back; if they lean back, sweep them forward.
**Leg Control**: Maintain active control of their near leg, either by pinning it with your legs or gripping it, to prevent them from adjusting their base or stepping out of the position.

**Waiter Sweep**: A classic deep half sweep where you lift your opponent's far leg with your arm (like a waiter carrying a tray) and sweep them over your shoulder.
**Old School Sweep**: Involves elevating your opponent's near leg with your legs while driving their far leg with your underhook, often leading to a powerful forward sweep.
**Back Take from Deep Half**: Instead of sweeping, you can transition to their back by coming out the "back door" under their leg, especially if they try to flatten you.

When your opponent is standing tall and heavy over your half guard, making it difficult to sweep them from a shallow half.
Against opponents who are very base-heavy and difficult to off-balance with conventional half guard sweeps.
When you need to create a significant aMount of leverage and elevation to deal with a size or strength disadvantage.

**Preventing Entry**: The best defense is to prevent the deep half entry by keeping your hips heavy, maintaining a strong crossface, and not allowing your opponent to get their head under your hips.
**Head Control**: If they get deep, try to keep their head pinned to the mat with a strong crossface, preventing them from elevating you.
**Hip Out & Backstep**: If they achieve the underhook, try to backstep your far leg out and disengage your hips, or drive your weight down to flatten them out and escape.