Butterfly Guard
You'll use foot hooks to sweep, transition to leg entanglements, or recover your guard when passed.
Note
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Overview
Core Mechanics and Concepts
Alignment in butterfly guard
Four stages to the butterfly sweep
Who extends is vulnerable
Pick a side
Shoulders in front of hips
Reacting to opponent's posture
- Vs low posture
- Vs leaning back
- Vs shoulder post (elevate vs shoulder post, two-on-one)
Hook positioning and placement
Underhook vs overhook
- Underhook positioning
- Overhook positioning
Bottom leg positioning
Shoulder height
Getting to Butterfly
- Elevating from distance butterfly
- From half butterfly
- Pummeling hooks (guard recovery tool against outside passes and UTL passes)
Retention
- Vs smash pass
- Around the legs
- From flattened out butterfly
- From half butterfly
The Butterfly Sweep
- Getting the angle
- The butt hop (angle 2)
- Preventing the post
- Hopping vs leg post
- Recovering vs hand post
- Kicking the leg out
- The overhook butterfly sweep (sumi gaeshi)
Connections
Butterfly to X-Guard
Butterfly to Single Leg X
- Dealing with crossed feet
Wrestle-ups and back take entries
- Double underhooks to back take
- Arm drag threats
Passing Butterfly (Top Player Perspective)
Concepts and positioning
- Shoulder position
- Underhooks and overhooks
- Head position
- Tilting to the passing side
Defending attacks
- Late butterfly sweep defense
- Butterfly sweep defense
- Defend single leg X guard
Passing methods
- The sprawl pass
- Smash pass
- Chest-to-chest passing and step-overs
Summary
Coaching Guide
Common entries and sequences
Overhook butterfly sweep (sumi gaeshi). The bottom player secures an overhook and controls the opponent's far arm. By falling to the side of the overhook and using the butterfly hook to elevate the opponent's thigh, the player sweeps them over the shoulder to gain top position.
Transitioning to X-Guard or SLX. Butterfly hooks are frequently used as a bridge to enter deeper leg entanglements. If the opponent stands or creates space while defending the initial hook, the bottom player slides their hips underneath to transition into X-guard or SLX.
Guard retention via pummeling hooks. Butterfly hooks are a primary tool for guard recovery. When a passer attempts an outside pass or UTL pass, the bottom player pummels their foot inside to re-establish connection and reset to butterfly guard.
Wrestle-ups and back take entries. Because butterfly guard is a seated position, the bottom player can use double underhooks or an arm drag to snap the opponent's head down or clear an arm to go for a double leg or back take.
Chest-to-chest passing and step-overs (top player). The passer neutralizes hooks by closing distance, uses underhooks and head position to flatten the butterfly player, then steps over one of the hooks to force butterfly half guard before completing the pass.
Common problems and cues
Recommended games
Resources
- Butterfly Guard, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Passing Butterfly, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Low Body Lock Pass, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Half Butterfly, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Passing Half Butterfly, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)