Butterfly Guard
Butterfly guard is a seated guard where you place both hooks inside the opponent's thighs and use them to elevate and off-balance. It is one of the most reliable sweeping positions in BJJ and a staple of no-gi.
Browse Butterfly Guard flowcharts in ExploreElevation and angle
The hooks let you lift and tilt the opponent while your upper body wins an underhook or a two-on-one. The sweep comes from combining the hook with an angle change, so footwork and hand-fighting matter as much as the legs.
The butterfly sweep game
The hook sweep and the arm-drag to the back are the core threats, and they feed each other: defend the sweep and you give up the back, defend the back and you get swept. That two-way pressure makes butterfly a natural fit for a sweep-and-counter flowchart.
Frequently asked questions
What is butterfly guard?
A seated open guard with both shins hooked inside the opponent's thighs. You use the hooks to elevate and off-balance them for sweeps.
What is the best butterfly guard sweep?
The classic hook sweep with an underhook is the highest-percentage option. The arm-drag to the back is its main companion, since the two threats cover each other.
Is butterfly guard better for gi or no-gi?
It works in both but shines in no-gi, where the lack of grips makes a seated, hook-based guard easier to play than grip-dependent open guards.
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