A martial arts and wrestling idiom referring to a specialized maneuver designed to trip, buckle, or otherwise destabilize an opponent through the use of an extremity against the opponent's base.

Inflected Form(s):

Sweeping (adjective), Sweeps (plural), Swept (past tense)

Comments:

Sweeps differ from buckles in that a sweep is not specifically employed against a joint.

Sweeps differ from trips in that a sweep is an active maneuver against the opponent's base that may result in a trip - where trips may be passive.

Sweep is a general term and may sometimes be used interchangeably with buckle, trip, or potentially Take-down, but this is highly dependent upon context.

Sweeps are most commonly enacted with the leg against (a) leg(s), but that is not a requirement.

Related Definition(s):

Base, Buckle, Trip

Related Term(s):

Angle of Balance, Angle of Disturbance, Center of Gravity, Colliding Forces, Counter Balance, Method of Disturbance

Basic(s):

Front Roundhouse Sweep, Reverse Roundhouse Sweep, Take-down