The last blog was on Kata Heian Shodan. This one is on foot and leg sweeps. They are an effective way to knock over an opponent, and are used in most martial arts, especially in Judo and Karate. The key is to catch the opponent by surprise.

Sweeps often employ a kick or grappling technique to strike one or both of the opponent’s legs to cause the opponent to lose their balance and fall to the ground. The attacker can then grapple, kick, or strike the fallen opponent who will be in a disadvantageous position and possibly stunned by the fall.

Because sweeping involves catching the opponent off-guard and making them lose balance, the practitioner needs to have total balance; otherwise, there is a risk of losing balance and falling down and being an easy target for the opponent’s attack. This is why it is important for you to know your stances well before you practice the sweep.

We will learn about four types of sweeps in this blog:

• Back leg sweep: Begin in a forward/back stance, with your hands raised to cover your body. Now lift your back leg and use the flat of the foot to sweep the opponent, making contact just above his ankle
• Front leg scissor sweep: Begin in a forward/back stance, lift your back leg forward and jump with the front leg in parallel, using the front leg to perform the sweep
• Reverse sweep: This involves using the back of the ankle to sweep outwards, rather than using the flat of the foot. Begin in a back stance, cross your legs, turn your toes inwards, switch your weight to the back leg, and perform the sweep with the front leg in a semicircular motion
• Circle sweep: Begin in a back stance, turn around with your head looking back, cross your legs, turn your toes inwards, and perform the sweep in a full circular motion

Sweeps are generally used in combination with punches, kicks, back fists, or hammer fists, as an effective attack. These foot and leg sweeps now add to the set of Karate skills that you already know. Practice and get them right before you move on to add the next set of skills with our upcoming blog on the Back Kick in Karate.