Master Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD Review [2025]

Master Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD Review
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Key Takeaways

  • A 3-volume Gi BJJ instructional offering two hours of material on scissor sweeps. 
  • Features super detailed mechanics on executing the scissor sweep.   
  • Contains different variations of the sweep and steps from a variety of Gi guards. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

SCISSOR SWEEP RYAN SCIALOIA DVD GET HERE

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FULL DVD TRAILER: Master Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD

The scissor sweep is a move you need to be good at BJJ. It is as simple as that. If you can’t at least threaten with a scissor sweep or a hip bump sweep then your guard sucks, no matter how good you are at tangling legs or wrapping lapels.

When all the trick-based JIu-Jitsu you’re doing doesn’t work anymore (and it never does at the highest levels), you’ll revert back to basic stuff that is reliably effective – such as the scissor sweep. So why not understand it as early as possible? Try the Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD. It has tons of great information and is easy to follow.

One of the Most Reliable Sweeps

I really hated the scissor sweep. I never really rated the sweep as effective until I got my black belt. It was one of those Gi moves that you learn on the first day and will never work, similar to the hip twist kneeling closed guard opening.

It is safe to say I have changed my mind. However, I still don’t think the scissor sweep is day-one material for BJJ newcomers. It is highly reliable, but at least equally as technical, and requires an understanding of balance, loading, weight distribution, and timing that new folks simply don’t have.

Teaching the scissor sweep as basic is like trying to teach a Uchi Mata on day one of Judo classes – people will fail miserably. That said, leading people to explore how to unbalance the top person using guards, and offering the scissors as an example, I’ve found does wonders.

It won’t only help people master the scissor sweep, it will enable them to figure out all sweeps by focusing on a highly reliable and applicable example. The Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD does a stellar job of presenting the scissor sweep in this manner.

Gracie Barra’s Ryan Scialoia

GB schools often get a bad rep, which is understandable given the model they are following. However, it is undeniable that there is a huge quality in GB, with some instructors able to provide their knowledge and expertise because that particular platform exists the way it does.

While I don’t like it personally (I was a part of a GB school for years, both training and teaching), there is a lot to learn from people like Ryan Scialoia, who found their home under the Red Shield. Ryan is a double black belt, holding a BJJ black belt and a Shotokan karate black belt. His dedication to martial arts dates back over 20 years, and he is still far from done.

Currently coaching at GB Orlando, he is not just dedicated to his students, but also trying to enable law enforcement officers to use BJJ for their own protection. Relentless with issuing high-quality, instructionals the Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD is a promising title even before we start looking into it.

Detailed Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD Review

The Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD is a three-part BJJ Gi instructional deconstructing the essentials of a staple technique in the sport, which is the scissor sweep. Over the course of almost two hours, Ryan offers different setups, detailed mechanics, and variations that will help you land the move:

Part 1 – Directions of Sweeping

The Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD starts off slow and very methodically, outlining the key details that make or break the scissor sweep. Ryan begins by covering weight distribution, a concept that is important for any sweep, but absolutely crucial for the scissor sweep.

The instructions Scialoia provides will help you understand where to look when you’re trying to scissor sweep someone, how to optimally place your grips, and how to figure out the hardest part of the puzzle – off-balancing a kneeling opponent. Ryan helps solve the number one mistake people make with this staple sweep, making it easy to build on it afterward.

Part 2 – Scissor Sweep Variations

One thing most folks don’t consider is that there are countless versions of the basics. There is no need to come up with new sweeps when stuff like the scissor sweep offers more than enough variability to work for anyone.

The second part of the Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD presents several different iterations of the scissor sweep, starting with the closed guard setup of the classic first-class sweep most people learn. As a big proponent of double-sleeve grips, I enjoyed the different ways of wrapping up the sweep using this control.

Ryan does not stop at the basics and provides several variations and directions of the sweep, including one-leg finishes and butterfly hook sweep follow-ups. The arm trap position is another great one to explore if you like playing closed guard, and the inclusion of the reverse scissor sweep really leaves no stone unturned.

Part 3 – Advanced Guard Setups 

As we reach the final portion of the Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD, more advanced Jiu-Jitsu appears, as Ryan starts to diversify the guards he uses to set the sweep up. This part sees him explore the spider guard, De la Riva guard, collar sleeve guard, and half guard for scissor-sweeping folks who are wary of the closed guard setup.

He also covers submission connections that appear as natural follow-ups to the sweep attempt, creating dilemma scenarios. I enjoyed the guard pull to sweep chatpers as well, offering a way to get teh match to the mats and earn top position without doing any takedowns.

Advanced BJJ Basics

Stuff like the scissor sweep is invaluable in understanding how to make people fall when you’re playing guard. The scissoring motion is used in all martial arts in some form on account of the undeniable mechanics that allow it to provide us with leverage.

In BJJ, scissor sweeping extends past just sweeping the legs and torso using your legs from the closed guard. You can use the motion against half-kneeling and even standing opponents as well, sweeping one leg, or even focusing on attacking an arm post with a scissor motion.

The basic idea of causing folding in the body with a scissoring motion is one of the key foundations of grappling control. So, when you’re thinking about the scissor sweep, try to think past just the two points and try to understand why so many people use this staple technique so often and with such great success. The Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD will help you clear up many scissor sweep-related questions.

Master Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD Free Sample
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First to Learn First to Master

It doesn’t matter if you think you know the scissor sweep because you did it on week one of your Jiu-Jitsu journey. You need to put in some time and effort to figure it out. While you’re at it, go for all the classics, such as armbars, triangles, arm-drag back attacks, and hip bump sweeps – they’re just as valuable in the long run. The Scissor Sweep Ryan Scialoia DVD is one of the resources that you’ll find extremely useful as you progress in BJJ.

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