BJJ Graph

Basic Butterfly Sweep

Jun 15, 202511 min read

Basic Butterfly Sweep

bjjtransitionsweepbutterfly

Transition Properties

  • Transition ID: T401
  • Starting State: Butterfly Guard
  • Ending State: Top Position or Side Control
  • Success Probability: Beginner (60%), Intermediate (80%), Advanced (90%)
  • Execution Complexity: Low
  • Physical Attributes: Core Strength (Medium), Leg Drive (Medium), Timing (Medium)

Transition Description

The Basic Butterfly Sweep is a fundamental technique that uses the butterfly hooks under the opponent’s thighs to elevate and off-balance them, allowing the bottom player to come on top. This sweep leverages mechanical advantage through proper hook placement, upper body control, and coordinated timing to efficiently reverse positions. It serves as the foundation for the entire butterfly guard sweeping system and is considered one of the highest-percentage sweeps in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The technique is accessible to practitioners of all levels due to its simplicity and effectiveness, making it a staple in guard play strategies.

Visual Execution Sequence

Detailed description for clear visualization of the transition in action:

From a seated butterfly guard, you sit with a strong base and good posture, facing your opponent who is on their knees attempting to control your legs or pass. You insert your butterfly hooks by placing your feet inside their thighs, ensuring active control, while securing an underhook on their right side with your left arm and gripping their left sleeve or collar with your right hand. As they lean forward to apply pressure, you pull them down with your grips to break their posture, simultaneously elevating their weight with your butterfly hooks by driving your feet upward. Your head posts on the mat to the right side as a fifth point of base, creating an angle toward the underhook side, which off-balances them further. Using your core and leg drive, you continue the motion to roll them over to your left, maintaining control of their right arm with your underhook. Finally, you come on top, establishing side control or a combat base position as they land on their back, unable to recover their guard due to your persistent control.

Template: “From seated butterfly guard, maintain strong base facing opponent on knees. Insert butterfly hooks inside their thighs, secure underhook on right, grip left sleeve. Pull them down to break posture, elevate with hooks by driving feet up. Post head on mat to right for angle, off-balancing them. Roll them over to left with core and leg drive, keeping arm control. Come on top, establish side control or combat base.”

Execution Steps

  1. From butterfly guard, establish a solid seated base with good posture to maintain balance.
  2. Insert butterfly hooks by placing your feet inside opponent’s thighs for active control.
  3. Secure an underhook on one side (e.g., left arm under their right) for primary control.
  4. Grip opponent’s opposite sleeve or collar with your free hand to assist in posture breaking.
  5. Pull opponent forward with grips to compromise their posture and limit their base.
  6. Elevate opponent’s weight with butterfly hooks by driving feet upward while pulling with upper body.
  7. Angle toward the underhook side, posting your head on the mat as a fifth base point for leverage.
  8. Use core strength and leg drive to roll opponent over to the underhook side, maintaining arm control.
  9. Complete the sweep by coming on top, establishing side control or combat base to consolidate position.

Key Details

  • Hook Placement: Feet actively inside opponent’s thighs for elevation and control
  • Upper Body Control: Underhook on one side, sleeve/collar grip on the other for posture breaking
  • Posture Breaking: Pull opponent forward to disrupt their base before elevating
  • Head Positioning: Post head on mat to create angle and additional base point
  • Hip Connection: Maintain close hip proximity to opponent for effective leverage
  • Leg Drive: Use feet/hooks to drive upward, lifting opponent’s weight off their base
  • Angle Creation: Shift body to underhook side for optimal sweep direction
  • Follow-through: Maintain arm control during roll to prevent defensive recovery

Success Modifiers

Factors that influence the success rate of the transition:

  • Posture Breaking: Effective pulling to compromise opponent’s base (+15%)
  • Hook Elevation: Strong upward drive with butterfly hooks (+10%)
  • Timing Precision: Executing when opponent’s weight is forward (+10%)
  • Upper Body Control: Secure underhook and grip to limit posting (+10%)
  • Experience Level: Familiarity with butterfly guard mechanics (+5% per skill level)

Common Counters and Counter-Attacks

Analysis of opponent responses with success rates for counter-attacks:

Decision Logic for Opponent Behavior

If [opponent posture] is forward and compromised:
- Execute [[Basic Butterfly Sweep]] (Probability: 80%)

Else if [opponent base] is widened with knees out:
- Attempt [[Arm Drag Butterfly Sweep]] (Probability: 50%)

Else if [opponent pressure] is heavy forward for smash:
- Transition to [[X-Guard Entry]] (Probability: 60%)

Else if [opponent arm] escapes underhook to stand:
- Adjust to [[Single Leg X Entry]] (Probability: 55%)

Else [maintain control]:
- Re-establish posture break with grips (Probability: 50%)

Variants

  • Two-on-One Butterfly Sweep (double underhooks for stronger control)
  • Arm Drag Butterfly Sweep (focusing on back exposure before sweeping)
  • Gi-Specific Grip Variations (collar/sleeve combinations for posture control)
  • No-Gi Control Variations (wrist/neck control for underhook alternatives)
  • Single Butterfly Hook Variation (half butterfly for quicker angle creation)

Expert Insights

  • John Danaher: “The Basic Butterfly Sweep embodies the ‘elevator principle’ where hooks simultaneously elevate while upper body controls prevent defensive posting. The key is precise angles and head positioning to maximize mechanical advantage. It forms the foundation of a ‘sweep chain’ where this basic move connects to multiple follow-ups based on defensive reactions.”
  • Gordon Ryan: “I often add a subtle detail of momentarily releasing the underhook during elevation to reestablish it at a better angle as I land on top. This ensures I prevent defensive scrambles immediately after the sweep. The butterfly sweep is a high-percentage move that sets up my entire bottom game.”
  • Eddie Bravo: “In 10th Planet, I incorporate unique gripping variations, often using overhooks rather than traditional underhooks for the butterfly sweep. It connects directly to immediate submission attacks like the guillotine and darce as the opponent defends. This sweep is a dynamic entry into unorthodox control positions.”

Common Errors

  • Error: Poor posture breaking
    • Why It Fails: Opponent maintains strong base, resisting elevation
    • Correction: Pull opponent forward with grips before elevating with hooks
    • Recognition: Opponent easily posts hands to resist sweep
  • Error: Inactive butterfly hooks
    • Why It Fails: Lack of elevation, opponent stays grounded
    • Correction: Actively drive feet upward inside thighs to lift opponent
    • Recognition: Opponent’s weight remains on knees during attempt
  • Error: Incorrect angle creation
    • Why It Fails: Sweep direction is inefficient, opponent recovers balance
    • Correction: Angle toward underhook side, post head for base
    • Recognition: Sweep stalls or opponent lands in balanced position
  • Error: Weak upper body control
    • Why It Fails: Opponent escapes or posts to prevent roll
    • Correction: Secure strong underhook and grip to limit posting
    • Recognition: Opponent pulls arm out or creates space easily
  • Error: Delayed follow-through
    • Why It Fails: Opponent scrambles back to guard after sweep
    • Correction: Maintain arm control and establish top position quickly
    • Recognition: Opponent recovers guard or initiates scramble post-sweep

Knowledge Assessment Questions

5 technical questions with multiple choice answers:

  • Control Understanding: “What is the primary control mechanism in a Basic Butterfly Sweep?”
    • A) Opponent’s head
    • B) Butterfly hooks and upper body grips (Correct)
    • C) Opponent’s legs only
    • D) Opponent’s far arm
  • Strategic Application: “What is the main advantage of a Basic Butterfly Sweep over other guard sweeps?”
    • A) Directly sets up submissions
    • B) High mechanical advantage and simplicity (Correct)
    • C) Focuses on static control
    • D) Targets opponent’s balance indirectly
  • Error Recognition: “What is the most common mistake when executing a Basic Butterfly Sweep?”
    • A) Poor posture breaking before elevation (Correct)
    • B) Using too much leg strength
    • C) Moving hips too late
    • D) Securing hooks first
  • Defensive Awareness: “How can you prevent an opponent from countering with forward pressure during a Basic Butterfly Sweep?”
    • A) Elevate faster with hooks
    • B) Break their posture strongly before sweeping (Correct)
    • C) Focus on their far leg instead
    • D) Avoid controlling their near arm
  • Transition Knowledge: “Which position is most commonly accessed after a successful Basic Butterfly Sweep?”
    • A) Back Control
    • B) Side Control or Top Position (Correct)
    • C) Mount immediately
    • D) Knee on Belly

Performance Tips

  • Focus on breaking opponent’s posture before attempting elevation for higher success
  • Maintain active butterfly hooks to ensure consistent lifting power
  • Use head posting strategically to create optimal sweep angle
  • Keep upper body grips tight to prevent opponent from posting or escaping
  • Drive with legs and core simultaneously for maximum elevation effect
  • Transition quickly to top control after sweep to avoid scrambles

Timing Considerations

  • Execute when opponent’s weight is forward for easier elevation
  • Time with opponent’s movement or breathing rhythm for surprise
  • Perform immediately after breaking opponent’s posture to capitalize
  • Use when opponent is attempting to establish their own grips
  • Implement as a counter to aggressive forward pressure or pass attempts
  • Capitalize on opponent’s delayed reaction to posture breaking

Setup Connections

Follow-up Options

Training Approaches

  • Static practice with cooperative partner to perfect hook placement and grips
  • Adding progressive resistance to simulate real defensive reactions
  • Troubleshooting common defensive reactions like base widening or crossface
  • Integrating into specific sparring scenarios from butterfly guard
  • Connecting to follow-up techniques in combinations for chaining attacks
  • Drilling with focus on timing and posture breaking under pressure

Competition Application

The Basic Butterfly Sweep has proven highly effective in competition contexts across all levels:

  • Lower belt divisions: Successful due to straightforward mechanics and high success rate
  • Higher belt divisions: Requires precise timing and posture control to counter advanced defenses
  • Gi competition: Leverages gi grips for enhanced upper body control with collar/sleeve
  • No-gi competition: Relies more on wrist and neck control for underhook alternatives
  • MMA crossover: Useful for reversing position to avoid ground-and-pound scenarios

Historical Context

The Basic Butterfly Sweep has been a cornerstone of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since the early development of guard play, evolving from basic open guard sweeps in the mid-20th century. It gained prominence through practitioners like Marcelo Garcia, who showcased its effectiveness in chaining butterfly guard to dominant top positions. Influenced by judo principles of off-balancing (kuzushi), the sweep reflects the sport’s focus on technical efficiency over brute strength. It remains a fundamental technique taught to beginners and refined by black belts alike.

Conceptual Framework

The Basic Butterfly Sweep exemplifies core BJJ principles of leverage, timing, and positional reversal. By using the opponent’s weight against them through elevation and angle creation, it transforms a defensive guard position into a dominant top position. This represents technical jiu-jitsu at its finest: using mechanical advantage and anticipation to overcome stronger opponents. The sweep demonstrates how coordinated body mechanics can shift the entire positional hierarchy with minimal energy expenditure.

Computer Science Analogy

The Basic Butterfly Sweep represents a highly efficient edge in the BJJ state graph, with exceptional success probability (weight) connecting the Butterfly Guard node to the advantageous Top Position node. This transition has one of the highest expected values in the open guard subsystem due to its mechanical efficiency and the limited defensive options it allows. In computational terms, it acts as a heuristic optimization, prioritizing a direct path to a high-value state (top control) over exhaustive exploration of less favorable paths, with built-in branching logic for follow-up attacks based on defensive reactions.

Validation Checklist

Every transition file must include:

  • All required properties with specific values
  • Detailed visual execution sequence (minimum 4 sentences)
  • Complete execution steps list (minimum 5 steps)
  • Success modifiers with specific percentages
  • Common counters and counter-attack analysis with success rates
  • Decision logic for opponent behavior
  • Expert insights from all three authorities
  • Minimum 5 common errors with corrections
  • 5 knowledge test questions with answers
  • Training approaches and timing considerations

Example Implementation

See Scissor Sweep for a complete example implementing all standard requirements.

Notes for Developers

This standard ensures:

  • Consistent transition data for state machine implementation
  • Detailed execution mechanics for realistic modeling
  • Rich content for comprehensive technical documentation
  • Educational value through expert analysis
  • Technical depth for authentic understanding
  • Structured counter-attack analysis for complete coverage
  • Knowledge assessment integration
  • Training progression guidance

Updates to this standard should be reflected across all transition files to maintain consistency and educational value.

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