Butterfly Guard

Position
Also known as:
Butterfly Hook Control

Butterfly guard is the seated guard built on two hooks: your insteps placed inside the opponent's thighs, ready to lift. It is one of the most honest positions in jiu-jitsu, with almost no fabric or entanglement to hide behind, just elevation, angles, and timing. When a butterfly player connects to the opponent's upper body and lifts with a hook, grapplers of any size leave the ground.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · The hooks (insteps inside the thighs) must stay active and engaged to elevate and off-balance the top player.
  • · An upright seated posture with head position above or equal to the opponent's head is critical for maintaining leverage and sweep angles.
  • · Upper body control through underhooks, overhooks, or collar ties dictates which sweeps and transitions are available.
  • · Keeping your hips close to the opponent eliminates space they need to pass and maximizes the power of your hooks.
  • · Anticipate the top player's weight distribution shifts to time elevations and sweeps as they commit their base.

Execution

  1. 1 Sit up with both feet inserted as hooks (insteps) inside your opponent's inner thighs, knees flared outward.
  2. 2 Establish upper body control by securing at least one underhook and gripping the opposite collar, sleeve, or wrist.
  3. 3 Keep your hips scooted tight to the opponent, maintaining an upright posture with your chest against theirs.
  4. 4 Use your hooks and upper body grips to constantly off-balance your opponent by pulling, pushing, and elevating.
  5. 5 React to their weight shifts by loading them onto one hook and driving in the direction they are off-balanced to initiate sweeps or back takes.

Common mistakes

  • × Leaning back or lying flat removes the power of your hooks and allows the top player to smash and pass with ease.
  • × Placing hooks too shallow (only toes) instead of deep instep hooks results in weak elevation and easily stripped feet.
  • × Allowing excessive distance between your hips and the opponent gives them room to stand, disengage, or initiate passes around your legs.

From the bottom

What the bottom grappler is working toward from Butterfly Guard.

Arm Drag To Back transition Butterfly Guard To X-guard transition Butterfly Sweep sweep
6 less common
Arm Drag transition Butterfly Guard To Deep Half transition Guillotine Setup transition Omoplata Sweep sweep Overhook Sweep sweep Single Leg X Entry transition

On top

The top grappler's options against Butterfly Guard.

Butterfly Pass pass Butterfly Smash pass Smash Pass pass
9 less common
Folding Pass pass Hip Drag Pass pass Knee Cut Pass pass Leg Weave Pass pass Long Step Pass pass Over-under Pass pass Pressure Pass pass Stack Pass pass Toreando Pass pass

How you get here

Techniques that land in Butterfly Guard.

Jailbreak escape Open Guard To Butterfly Guard transition