BJJ Graph

Butterfly Half Guard

Jun 15, 20257 min read

Butterfly Half Guard

bjjstateguardhalfguardbutterflyhybrid

State Properties

  • State ID: S021
  • Point Value: 0 (Neutral with offensive options)
  • Position Type: Hybrid offensive guard
  • Risk Level: Medium
  • Energy Cost: Medium to High
  • Time Sustainability: Medium

State Description

Butterfly Half Guard is a powerful hybrid position that combines elements of both butterfly guard and half guard. The bottom player controls one of the opponent’s legs in half guard while simultaneously inserting a butterfly hook under the opponent’s other leg. This creates a versatile position with strong sweeping mechanics from the butterfly hook combined with the stability and control of half guard. The position offers exceptional offensive capabilities while maintaining reasonable defensive security.

Visual Description

You are positioned on the mat in a seated or slightly reclined posture, facing your opponent who is typically on their knees or in a combat base, attempting to pass your guard. One of your legs traps their near leg in a half guard configuration, securing it between your thighs to control their movement, while your other foot is inserted as a butterfly hook under their far thigh, creating leverage for elevation or sweeps. Your upper body is actively engaged, often with an underhook or collar tie on the side of the butterfly hook to control their posture and prevent them from applying pressure or standing tall. This hybrid setup allows you to dynamically shift your hips to off-balance the opponent, combining the sweeping potential of butterfly guard with the positional security of half guard, creating a strong platform for attacks while maintaining a defensive barrier against passes.

Key Principles

  • Trap one of opponent’s legs in half guard configuration
  • Insert butterfly hook under opponent’s free leg
  • Establish upper body control through underhook or collar ties
  • Maintain seated posture rather than lying flat
  • Create and exploit leverage through active butterfly hook
  • Control opponent’s posture to prevent passing
  • Generate elevation through coordinated leg drive and upper body pull

Prerequisites

  • Hip mobility and core strength
  • Understanding of both butterfly and half guard mechanics
  • Ability to maintain seated posture
  • Familiarity with sweep mechanics and leverage points

State Invariants

  • One of opponent’s legs trapped in half guard
  • Butterfly hook inserted under opponent’s free leg
  • Upper body connection through grips or clinch
  • Relative upright posture (not flat on back)
  • Active hip movement and positioning

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Views butterfly half as a powerful hybrid position that offers strong sweeping mechanics with reduced risk compared to full butterfly. Emphasizes the mechanical principles of combining the elevation capabilities of the butterfly hook with the control aspects of the half guard, creating a position that amplifies the strengths of both while mitigating their weaknesses.
  • Gordon Ryan: Utilizes butterfly half extensively, particularly as a transitional position within his bottom game system. Emphasizes the importance of upper body control and grip fighting to create advantageous angles for sweeping, and often connects butterfly half to leg entanglement entries.
  • Eddie Bravo: Incorporates butterfly half principles into the 10th Planet system with unique configurations that connect to the lockdown and rubber guard systems. Emphasizes unorthodox control mechanisms and transition pathways not commonly seen in traditional BJJ.

Common Errors

  • Error: Passive butterfly hook
    • Consequence: Leads to ineffective elevation, limiting your ability to off-balance or sweep the opponent using the butterfly side.
    • Correction: Keep the butterfly hook active by driving your foot under the opponent’s thigh to create constant upward pressure.
  • Error: Lying flat on back
    • Consequence: Results in reduced sweeping leverage, making it easier for the opponent to apply pressure and pass your guard.
    • Correction: Maintain a seated or slightly reclined posture with your core engaged to maximize leverage and defensive capability.
  • Error: Poor upper body control
    • Consequence: Increases vulnerability to passing as the opponent can control your posture and collapse your structure.
    • Correction: Establish strong upper body grips like an underhook or collar tie to break their posture and limit their passing options.
  • Error: Disconnected hook and half guard control
    • Consequence: Creates a fragmented position where neither the butterfly hook nor half guard control is effective, leading to positional loss.
    • Correction: Coordinate your butterfly hook and half guard leg to work together, ensuring both are actively controlling the opponent.
  • Error: Overcommitment to single attacks
    • Consequence: Leads to predictable patterns, making it easier for the opponent to anticipate and counter your moves.
    • Correction: Chain multiple attacks together, using feints or misdirection to keep the opponent guessing and create openings.

Training Drills

  • Butterfly Half Maintenance: Practice maintaining butterfly half guard against increasing pressure, focusing on keeping the hook and half guard control active.
  • Transition Flows: Drill transition flows between butterfly half and related guards like full butterfly or X-Guard to improve fluidity.
  • Sweep Combinations: Work on sweep combinations with progressive resistance, chaining multiple attacks to increase offensive options.
  • Upper Body Control Sequences: Focus on upper body control and grip fighting sequences to maintain posture control and create sweeping angles.
  • Defensive Recovery: Practice recovery to butterfly half from defensive positions, ensuring you can re-establish control after being pressured.

Decision Tree

If opponent stands with weight on trapped leg:

Else if opponent drives forward with pressure:

Position Metrics

  • Position Retention Rate: Beginner 55%, Intermediate 65%, Advanced 75%
  • Advancement Probability: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 60%, Advanced 75%
  • Submission Probability: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 30%, Advanced 45%
  • Position Loss Probability: Beginner 40%, Intermediate 30%, Advanced 20%
  • Average Time in Position: 20-45 seconds

Optimal Paths

Primary sweeping path: Butterfly Half Guard → Butterfly Half Sweep → Top Position → Side Control → Mount → submission chain

Back-taking path: Butterfly Half Guard → Hook Sweep to Back → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Leg entanglement path: Butterfly Half Guard → Butterfly Half to Single Leg X → Single Leg X Guard → Ashi Garami → Inside Heel Hook → Won by Submission

Computer Science Analogy

Butterfly Half Guard represents an elegant composite data structure in the BJJ state graph, combining properties of two fundamental guard types to create a hybrid with enhanced capabilities. It implements principles of both butterfly and half guard, creating a position with the elevation mechanics of butterfly and the stability of half guard. This hybridization creates a state with advantageous properties of both parent states while mitigating their individual weaknesses, similar to how composite design patterns in software engineering combine objects to create structures with enhanced functionality.

Graph View

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