BJJ Butterfly Guard: Attacks and Transitions

The butterfly guard is one of the most straightforward yet highly effective open guards in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It can be employed against opponents of any size by leveraging the power of the legs to pull, lift, and off-balance them. This guard is especially valuable because it allows you to elevate and sweep larger opponents even while in a seated position.

Starting from a seated open guard, the butterfly guard offers opportunities to establish hooks and various upper body control techniques as you engage with your opponent. These hooks, combined with different grips, help you manage your opponent's upper body, making it easier to bring them closer or destabilize them.

Using these hooks with upper-body grips can lead to Kuzushi, a concept in BJJ that refers to off-balancing your opponent. Hand fighting is crucial in the butterfly guard; effective connection with your opponent's upper body through grips and butterfly hooks is key. These elements help you maneuver your opponent, setting up attacks and creating openings.

The butterfly guard has gained increased popularity recently due to the integration of leg locks into modern BJJ strategies. It allows for transitions to single leg X-guard and leg attacks, and can be employed offensively from a seated position to set up takedowns for top control. Notably, practitioners like Gordon Ryan use the supine butterfly guard to execute the sumi gaeshi shoulder crunch for sweeping, a technique also favored by Marcelo Garcia.

BJJ in Bangkok presents four effective attacks and transitions from the butterfly guard.

In his match against BJJ legend Marcus Almeida at ADCC 2019, Gordon Ryan utilized the shoulder crunch sumi gaeshi sweep to secure top control. He initiated the sweep from the butterfly guard by first establishing hooks and performing an arm-drag that directed his opponent to the opposite side. This maneuver placed Gordon in a supinated position, a key aspect of his setup.

Once the opponent posts their hand in response to the pull, Gordon applies the shoulder crunch. To execute this effectively, it's crucial to keep your head close to your opponent, lock your hands, and position your elbow toward the ceiling. Maintaining a high elbow is essential as you apply the shoulder crunch. With this setup in place, you can then use the hook to kick and sweep the opponent to the opposite side.

Marcelo Garcia got famous for his exceptional submission grappling performances from the early 2000s through 2010, particularly for his skillful use of the butterfly guard. In the video, Marcelo demonstrates two techniques from this guard: a basic butterfly sweep and a guillotine choke.

For the basic butterfly sweep, Marcelo begins with one hand gripping his opponent’s neck (collar tie) and the other controlling the triceps. He then shifts to the side while using his butterfly hook to execute the sweep, landing in top half guard and dropping his weight to secure the position.

When his opponent bases their arms and drops their hips to counter the sweep, Marcelo switches to the guillotine choke. He advises snapping the opponent’s neck down to climb on top and apply the guillotine. Marcelo then completes the choke by transitioning from butterfly hooks to half guard.

In this video, Aaron Benzrihem demonstrates three entries into the single leg X-guard from the butterfly guard. The butterfly guard is highly versatile, offering an effective starting open guard position that facilitates various single leg X-guard entries and makes it easier to apply leg locks. Its simplicity allows for smooth transitions from a seated to a supine position by pulling the opponent and using kuzushi to secure the legs.

In conclusion, the butterfly guard is both simple to execute and highly effective for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. As Marcelo Garcia advises, use the butterfly guard proactively—take the fight to your opponent rather than waiting for them to come to you. Its versatility allows you to set up single leg X-guards, submissions, sweeps, crunches, and leg locks. Given the rise of leg locks in modern grappling, incorporating the butterfly guard into your game could significantly enhance your skills.