Smash Pass from Butterfly Guard

Smash Pass from Butterfly Guard is a passing sequence that clears the legs built around a handful of repeatable controls. Top player is in butterfly guard top with the bottom player loading a hook to elevate. Another common starting shape: the top player is at slight distance from a butterfly partner with the head able to dip under the chin and the legs ready to be folded. The ideas that hold it together are use the elevation moment as a smash trigger, slight distance and head-under-chin make the smash entry safe from sweep counters, and grip fighting first.

The smash pass chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Shoot one underhook and one overhook on the bottom thigh as the lift starts. Drive forward and to the side to smash both legs to the mat. Walk the hips around to consolidate the pass once the legs are pinned. Place the head under the partner's chin and gently tilt them back without any sweep risk because the head is low. Use the hand and the inside knee to pull the near foot toward the centre of the partner's hips. Once the foot is centred, get the chest onto the outside of the leg and sprawl the weight onto it. Move the legs to the smash side, grip the hip, and place the head down in front of the partner on the near side. Two-on-one the smash-pass grip and strip it off using a sharp hip turn. Top player has shot an over-under, smashed the bottom legs to one side, and settled in a stacked passing position.

Later in the smash pass, elevation mechanics tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Standing tall to defend the lift, losing the over-under window. Trying to smash from chest-to-chest distance, where there is no room to fold the leg. Leaving the head across to the far side, which lets the partner work back to recovery. Trying to elevate before the smash grip is removed. The high-percentage version of smash pass from butterfly guard is the one you can still chain when the bottom player recovers a hook.