Butterfly Pass

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The Butterfly Pass is a fundamental guard passing technique designed to neutralize and overcome the butterfly guard’s sweeping threats. This pass relies on superior base, weight distribution, and methodical pressure application to eliminate your opponent’s hooks while advancing to a dominant position. The technique represents the essential answer to butterfly guard retention, combining defensive posture with offensive advancement. Understanding this pass is critical because butterfly guard is one of the most dynamic and threatening guard positions in modern BJJ. The passer must simultaneously defend against powerful sweeps while creating angles to pass. Success depends on recognizing when butterfly hooks are vulnerable, maintaining proper base through strategic weight shifting, and exploiting the opponent’s reactions to secure dominant control. This pass serves as the foundation for all butterfly guard passing strategies.

From Position: Butterfly Guard (Top) Success Rate: 58%

Possible Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	Side Control	58%
Failure	Butterfly Guard	27%
Counter	Butterfly Guard	15%

Attacker vs Defender

	Attacker	Defender
Focus	Execute technique	Prevent or counter
Key Principles	Establish and maintain wide, stable base to resist sweep att…	Maintain upright seated posture with active core engagement …
Options	7 execution steps	4 defensive options

Playing as Attacker

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Key Principles

• Establish and maintain wide, stable base to resist sweep attempts

• Control opponent’s upper body posture through grips and weight distribution

• Systematically remove butterfly hooks through pressure and positioning

• Create angles to bypass guard recovery attempts

• Use opponent’s defensive reactions to advance position

• Maintain constant forward pressure while preserving base stability

• Secure crossface or underhook control before full commitment to pass

Execution Steps

• Establish wide base and grips: From standing or combat base, widen your knee position significantly beyond shoulder width. Secure c…

• Control upper body posture: Drive your chest forward and downward toward opponent’s upper body while maintaining collar grip or …

• Identify and address primary hook: Determine which butterfly hook poses the greatest sweep threat (typically the side where opponent ha…

• Remove primary butterfly hook: Using strategic hip pressure and base shifting, drive your hip down and across the butterfly hook, f…

• Secure underhook or crossface control: As the first hook is neutralized, immediately establish an underhook on that side or secure a strong…

• Address secondary hook and advance: With upper body control secured, address the remaining butterfly hook using similar hip pressure and…

• Complete pass to side control: Once both hooks are neutralized and your body is perpendicular to opponent, drop your weight fully o…

Common Mistakes

• Standing too upright or losing forward chest pressure during pass

  • Consequence: Opponent easily sits up, maintains hooks, and executes sweeps with proper posture and leverage
  • Correction: Maintain constant forward pressure with chest driving toward opponent’s upper body. Your posture should feel like you’re leaning heavily on them while keeping your base wide for stability.

• Base too narrow allowing butterfly hooks to generate sweep leverage

  • Consequence: Opponent successfully elevates you with butterfly hooks and completes sweeps to mount or top position
  • Correction: Keep knees spread significantly wider than shoulder width throughout the entire passing sequence. Your wide base should make it geometrically impossible for hooks to create sweeping angles.

• Attempting to pass both hooks simultaneously without methodical control

  • Consequence: Opponent maintains at least one hook and uses it to sweep or recover full guard position
  • Correction: Address hooks systematically one at a time. Neutralize the primary threat hook first with hip pressure, secure control, then address the secondary hook from a position of dominance.

Playing as Defender

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Key Principles

• Maintain upright seated posture with active core engagement to preserve sweeping leverage and prevent being flattened

• Keep hooks dynamically engaged with constant upward pressure against opponent’s inner thighs rather than passive foot placement

• Establish and fight for dominant upper body grips before opponent can secure collar control or crossface

• React immediately to any hook clearing attempt with counter-elevation or transition to alternative guard

• Use the passer’s weight shifts during passing attempts as opportunities for sweeps and back takes

• Maintain connection and distance control to prevent passer from creating space for standing passes

• Chain defensive guard retention with offensive counter-attacks to discourage repeated passing attempts

Recognition Cues

• Passer widens their knee base significantly beyond shoulder width while lowering their hips, indicating they are establishing the wide platform needed to resist sweeps during the pass

• Passer drives heavy forward chest pressure while simultaneously securing collar grip or head control, signaling they are beginning the postural breakdown phase before hook clearing

• Passer shifts weight laterally toward one side while their hip drops toward the mat on that side, indicating they are beginning to address and flatten your primary butterfly hook

• Passer breaks your sleeve or collar grip and immediately drives an underhook or crossface on the side where your hook is being cleared, signaling transition from hook neutralization to position advancement

• Passer’s knee begins sliding inside your thigh line on one side while maintaining chest pressure, indicating the critical moment where your hook is being bypassed

Defensive Options

• Sit up explosively and re-establish dominant grips while driving hooks deeper under opponent’s thighs to restore full butterfly guard elevation - When: Early in the passing sequence when passer begins applying forward pressure but before they have committed weight to clearing a specific hook

• Execute butterfly sweep toward the side where passer has shifted weight to flatten your hook, using their committed weight against them - When: When passer shifts weight laterally to address one hook, momentarily compromising their base on the opposite side

• Transition to deep half guard by scooping the near leg as passer clears your primary hook, establishing a new guard configuration before the pass completes - When: When first hook has been partially cleared and passer is driving crossface pressure, making butterfly guard recovery unlikely

Variations

Double Under Butterfly Pass: Instead of collar and sleeve grips, secure double underhooks on opponent’s arms while maintaining wide base. Drive forward with heavy shoulder pressure on their chest while systematically removing hooks. This variant provides superior upper body control but requires careful base maintenance. (When to use: Against opponents who rely heavily on sleeve and collar grips for their butterfly guard. Particularly effective in no-gi where fabric grips are unavailable. Best used when opponent sits relatively upright.)

Knee Slice Butterfly Pass: As you remove the first butterfly hook, immediately insert your knee across opponent’s centerline in a slicing motion toward their far hip. This creates a knee slice position while the remaining hook is being addressed. Combines butterfly passing with knee slice mechanics for faster completion. (When to use: When opponent’s butterfly guard is relatively shallow or when they lack strong upper body control. Effective against opponents who are slow to recover guard once hooks are compromised.)

Standing Butterfly Pass: From standing posture with opponent seated in butterfly guard, maintain strong collar and sleeve grips while using standing base to resist sweeps. Use strategic stepping and hip positioning to remove hooks from above before dropping into passing position. Requires excellent grip control and footwork. (When to use: Against opponents with extremely threatening seated butterfly guard sweeps. Useful when you want to maintain distance before committing to ground-based passing. Common in competition scenarios where standing creates strategic advantages.)

Smash Butterfly Pass: After removing first hook, immediately drive crossface and use heavy shoulder pressure to flatten opponent while sliding your body perpendicular. Focuses on crushing pressure and rapid position advancement rather than methodical hook removal. More aggressive and faster-paced than standard butterfly pass. (When to use: When you have significant weight or strength advantage. Effective in no-gi where slicker surface allows faster sliding movements. Best used when opponent is already partially flattened or defensive.)

Position Integration

The Butterfly Pass serves as a fundamental component of any complete guard passing system, representing the primary answer to one of BJJ’s most dynamic and threatening guard positions. This technique integrates seamlessly with pressure passing frameworks, as it relies on constant forward pressure and methodical advancement rather than explosive movements. In competition scenarios, the butterfly pass often chains with other passing strategies - if opponent defends the butterfly pass by transitioning to deep half or alternative guards, the passer can flow directly into position-specific passing techniques. The butterfly pass also connects to standing passing strategies, as many competitors begin their butterfly passing sequences from standing before committing to ground-based pressure. Understanding this pass is essential for anyone developing a top game, as butterfly guard appears frequently in both gi and no-gi competition across all skill levels. The systematic approach to removing hooks and establishing control translates directly to other guard passing situations where methodical pressure overcomes dynamic retention.

Related Techniques

• Butterfly Guard - Primary position being passed

• Butterfly Hook Control - Specific control being neutralized

• Double Under Pass - Alternative butterfly passing strategy

• Knee Slice Pass - Follow-up pass after hook removal

• Side Control - Primary target position after pass completion

• Deep Half Guard - Common counter transition by defender

• Butterfly Sweep - Primary attack being defended against

• Pressure Pass - Overarching strategic framework

• X-Guard - Alternative guard transition to prevent

• Half Butterfly - Related guard position variation

• Over-Under Pass - Complementary pressure passing technique

• Smash Pass - Alternative aggressive passing approach