What is Brian Glick Half Butterfly System?
The Brian Glick Half Butterfly System is an independent BJJGraph guide to half butterfly decisions, connecting positional control, opponent reactions, and a practical route into offense.
Half butterfly combines a trapped leg with an inside lifting hook. The interesting question is not whether the hook can lift someone in isolation, but whether the upper body gives it a useful direction. A crossface or a lost inside frame can make a technically familiar sweep unavailable. This guide separates restoring structure from using that structure to attack.
The published course connects inside position and head alignment with sweeps, upper-body attacks, and leg entries. This guide emphasizes the sweep-and-recovery branch; the wider course includes advanced leg attacks. Under Pressure: Half Butterfly Mastery by Brian Glick is the optional instructional companion. The drills, stages, and assessments below are original BJJGraph study suggestions; use the course demonstrations and coaching for the detailed mechanics.
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Explore a relevant instructional alongside this guide. Check the syllabus and sample on BJJ Fanatics to decide whether it suits your training.
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Under Pressure: Half Butterfly Mastery
with Brian Glick
Who it suits: No-gi guard players with basic positional familiarity who want to study half butterfly. This is a focused companion rather than a complete beginner curriculum.
The published course connects inside position and head alignment with sweeps, upper-body attacks, and leg entries. This guide emphasizes the sweep-and-recovery branch; the wider course includes advanced leg attacks.
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Core Principles
- The lifting hook needs useful upper-body connection.
- Restore inside frames before attacking through a settled crossface.
- Respond differently when weight comes forward and when it retreats.
- Distinguish elevating the opponent from controlling the landing.
- Keep a half-guard recovery available when the hook is cleared.
- Study leg entries separately from the initial sweep drill.
Key Components
Inside structure (Recover room before loading weight.) Identify the arm and knee connections that preserve room for your butterfly hook to work.
Hook loading (Match the attack to the weight available.) Compare how the same lifting hook behaves when the opponent is close and when their hips withdraw.
Upper-body attachment (Keep the torso connected to the elevation.) Choose a familiar underhook or other coached control and observe whether it supports the sweep direction.
Sweep continuation (Treat the landing as part of the sweep.) Follow the reversal until you have balanced top position or have clearly returned to guard.
Implementation Sequence
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Rebuild space: Begin in half guard and establish the butterfly hook without letting the head and shoulders become flattened.
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Check the attachment: Pause and identify the upper-body control that supports your intended sweep direction.
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Read the pressure: Have the partner alternate advancing and withdrawing so you can explain when elevation is available.
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Follow the reversal: Complete one coached sweep and remain connected until the resulting top position is stable.
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Recover the hook: Allow the partner to remove the hook and practise recovering half guard before starting again.
Where to begin in the instructional
Begin with volume one's inside-position and head-position material, then compare the reactive and proactive sweeping lessons in volume two.
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Explore the course contents on BJJ Fanatics: Under Pressure: Half Butterfly Mastery →
How to Measure Your Progress
Inside position: Review this specific decision during constrained positional rounds. Proficiency indicators:
- Names the frame that preserves space
- Can identify the contact or reaction that changed this decision.
- Uses the observation to choose the next focused repetition.
Pressure reading: Review this specific decision during constrained positional rounds. Proficiency indicators:
- Distinguishes forward load from withdrawal
- Can identify the contact or reaction that changed this decision.
- Uses the observation to choose the next focused repetition.
Hook recovery: Review this specific decision during constrained positional rounds. Proficiency indicators:
- Rebuilds half guard when the hook is cleared
- Can identify the contact or reaction that changed this decision.
- Uses the observation to choose the next focused repetition.
Landing control: Review this specific decision during constrained positional rounds. Proficiency indicators:
- Maintains balance after the reversal
- Can identify the contact or reaction that changed this decision.
- Uses the observation to choose the next focused repetition.
Take one idea into your next session
BJJGraph drill: Start with one butterfly hook in half guard. Let the top player alternate light forward pressure and withdrawal; identify whether to load the hook, sit up, or rebuild a frame before attempting a sweep.
BJJGraph earns a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the graph teaches.
Check the sample and current price on BJJ Fanatics: Under Pressure: Half Butterfly Mastery →