Butterfly Pass | BJJ Technique | BJJ Graph

Butterfly Pass

bjjtransitionguard-passbutterfly-guardfundamental

Visual Execution Sequence

From butterfly guard top position, you control your opponent’s upper body with collar or head control while preventing their underhooks. Your opponent has butterfly hooks controlling your hips and attempting to elevate. You establish a strong base with legs wide and hips low, preventing elevation. You then swim for an underhook or secure double overhooks while driving forward pressure. As they attempt to maintain hooks, you step your leg over their bottom hook, clearing it while maintaining forward pressure. Your weight drives them flat as you circle your hips around their remaining hook, sliding your knee across to secure side control with crossface and hip pressure.

One-Sentence Summary: “From butterfly guard top with strong posture and overhook control, you step over their bottom hook while driving forward pressure, circling to side control.”

Execution Steps

1. Setup Requirements: Establish strong posture with wide base, control opponent’s upper body with collar grips or overhooks, prevent underhooks
2. Initial Movement: Lower your hips and drive forward pressure to flatten opponent and reduce hook elevation power
3. Opponent Response: Opponent typically attempts to maintain butterfly hooks, establish underhooks, or sweep to the side
4. Adaptation: Step your leg over their bottom hook while maintaining pressure, use head control to prevent them turning away
5. Completion: Circle your hips around remaining hook, drive knee across their body toward far hip
6. Consolidation: Establish side control with crossface, chest pressure, and hip control before they can re-guard

Key Technical Details

• Grip Requirements: Collar grips or double overhooks to control upper body, prevent underhooks at all costs
• Base/Foundation: Wide stance with hips low, weight forward but balanced to prevent elevation
• Timing Windows: Pass when opponent’s hooks are shallow or after they fail a sweep attempt
• Leverage Points: Forward shoulder pressure combined with hip drive flattens opponent and neutralizes hooks
• Common Adjustments: If they maintain one hook, use it as pivot point to circle around rather than fighting it directly

Common Counters

Opponent defensive responses with success rates and conditions:

• Butterfly Sweep → Mount (Success Rate: 50%, Conditions: strong underhooks with good timing before pass begins)
• Hook Sweep → Top Position (Success Rate: 45%, Conditions: maintains hooks and elevates before leg step-over)
• Deep Half Guard → Deep Half Guard (Success Rate: 40%, Conditions: dives under during leg step-over)
• Half Guard Recovery → Half Guard Bottom (Success Rate: 55%, Conditions: catches passing leg with lockdown or knee shield)

Decision Logic for AI Opponent

If [setup quality] < 50%:
- Execute [[Butterfly Sweep]] (Probability: 50%)

Else if [opponent has underhooks]:
- Execute [[Hook Sweep]] (Probability: 45%)

Else if [leg stepping over is slow]:
- Execute [[Deep Half Guard]] entry (Probability: 40%)

Else [optimal passing conditions]:
- Accept transition (Probability: Base Success Rate + Applied Modifiers)

Expert Insights

John Danaher

“The butterfly pass succeeds through the systematic elimination of your opponent’s elevation power. The butterfly hooks are weapons of leverage - they multiply force through hip extension. Your job is to make hip extension impossible by controlling distance, lowering your hips below theirs, and maintaining forward pressure. Once elevation is neutralized, the hooks become mere obstacles to step over rather than offensive weapons.”

Gordon Ryan

“In competition, I focus heavily on preventing underhooks when passing butterfly guard. If they get even one underhook, their sweeping percentage increases dramatically. I use collar grips or double overhooks to pin their arms, then pressure forward to flatten them. The key is stepping over the bottom hook while keeping my chest heavy on them so they can’t create space. Most people try to fight the hooks directly - that’s a mistake. Step over, circle, pressure.”

Eddie Bravo

“The butterfly pass connects to everything in the 10th Planet system. If they’re playing butterfly, they might transition to deep half or X-guard during your pass. You need to be ready to counter their transitions. I teach students to use the Lockdown defense and calf slicer threats when they try to pass my butterfly. So when you’re passing, watch for their legs diving deep and be prepared to sprawl or switch to knee cut.”

Common Errors

Error 1: Standing too upright with high hips

• Why It Fails: Allows opponent to easily elevate with butterfly hooks and complete sweeps
• Correction: Lower hips below opponent’s hip line, maintain forward pressure with chest
• Recognition: Getting swept easily or feeling unstable on top

Error 2: Allowing opponent to secure underhooks

• Why It Fails: Underhooks provide superior control and sweeping leverage in butterfly guard
• Correction: Fight for overhooks or collar control, block underhook attempts immediately
• Recognition: Opponent has strong connection to your body and can control your posture

Error 3: Stepping over hook without maintaining forward pressure

• Why It Fails: Creates space for opponent to recover guard or sweep during transition
• Correction: Drive chest and shoulder pressure continuously while clearing hooks
• Recognition: Opponent creates space and re-establishes guard or transitions to deep half

Error 4: Fighting both hooks simultaneously

• Why It Fails: Wastes energy and creates scramble opportunities for opponent
• Correction: Clear one hook at a time while using pressure to neutralize the other
• Recognition: Getting exhausted or caught in extended battle in butterfly guard

Error 5: Failing to secure crossface immediately after passing

• Why It Fails: Opponent can turn to their side and escape or re-guard before control established
• Correction: Crossface and hip control must be immediate as you complete the pass
• Recognition: Opponent escapes side control easily or recovers guard after pass appears complete

Timing Considerations

• Optimal Conditions: When opponent has shallow hooks, after failed sweep attempt, or when you secure double overhooks
• Avoid When: Opponent has deep underhooks with strong posture, or when your base is narrow and unstable
• Setup Sequences: After defending butterfly sweep to off-balance them, or after collar drag brings them forward
• Follow-up Windows: Must establish crossface and hip control within 2-3 seconds to prevent guard recovery

Prerequisites

• Technical Skills: Understanding of butterfly guard mechanics, basic passing principles, crossface control
• Physical Preparation: Core strength for maintaining pressure, hip flexibility for circling motion
• Positional Understanding: Guard passing hierarchy, side control consolidation, hook neutralization concepts
• Experience Level: Intermediate - requires understanding of butterfly guard dynamics and timing

Knowledge Assessment

1. Mechanical Understanding: “What neutralizes the butterfly hooks’ elevation power?”

   • A) Standing up tall with straight legs
   • B) Lowering your hips below opponent’s hips while driving forward pressure
   • C) Grabbing and pulling the hooks apart
   • D) Jumping over both hooks simultaneously
   • Answer: B

2. Timing Recognition: “When is the optimal moment to step over the bottom hook?”

   • A) When opponent is actively sweeping
   • B) When opponent has deep underhooks
   • C) After establishing overhooks and driving forward pressure to flatten them
   • D) Immediately upon entering butterfly guard
   • Answer: C

3. Error Prevention: “What is the most critical mistake when passing butterfly guard?”

   • A) Taking too long to complete the pass
   • B) Allowing opponent to secure underhooks
   • C) Using collar grips instead of overhooks
   • D) Maintaining too much pressure
   • Answer: B

4. Setup Requirements: “Which grip configuration provides the best passing control?”

   • A) No grips, just pressure
   • B) Single collar grip
   • C) Double overhooks or strong collar control preventing underhooks
   • D) Grabbing both butterfly hooks
   • Answer: C

5. Adaptation: “How should you adjust if opponent dives for deep half during your pass?”

   • A) Continue the original pass ignoring the transition
   • B) Pull back and reset to standing
   • C) Sprawl your hips back and switch to knee cut or smash pass
   • D) Allow them to take deep half and work from there
   • Answer: C

Variants and Adaptations

• Gi Specific: Use collar and sleeve grips to control posture and prevent underhooks, lapel wraps can trap arms
• No-Gi Specific: Focus on overhooks and head control since grip options are limited, whizzer control is essential
• Self-Defense: Modified pass with strikes to prevent opponent establishing strong hooks, prioritize speed over technique refinement
• Competition: Combine with other passing attacks to create passing chains, use to score points and establish dominant position
• Size Differential: Smaller passers need superior pressure angle and timing, larger passers can use weight advantage more effectively

Training Progressions

1. Solo Practice: Hip switching and circling motion without partner, step-over footwork patterns
2. Cooperative Drilling: Partner maintains light hooks while you practice clearing sequence and establishing side control
3. Resistant Practice: Partner progressively defends with sweeps and guard retention as you develop timing
4. Sparring Integration: Implement pass during live rolling from butterfly guard, recognize optimal windows
5. Troubleshooting: Identify why pass fails in live training - usually underhook control or insufficient pressure

LLM Context Block

Purpose: This section contains structured decision-making logic for AI opponents, narrative generation, and game engine processing.

Execution Decision Logic

decision_tree:
  conditions:
    - name: "Underhook Prevention Check"
      evaluation: "opponent_has_overhooks OR strong_collar_control"
      success_action: "proceed_to_pressure_check"
      failure_action: "execute_butterfly_sweep"
      failure_probability: 50
 
    - name: "Forward Pressure Check"
      evaluation: "hips_low AND chest_pressure_active"
      success_action: "proceed_to_hook_clear"
      failure_action: "execute_elevation_sweep"
      failure_probability: 45
 
    - name: "Hook Clearing Check"
      evaluation: "step_over_timing_good AND pressure_maintained"
      success_action: "accept_transition_with_modifiers"
      failure_action: "execute_deep_half_entry"
      failure_probability: 40
 
  final_calculation:
    base_probability: "success_probability[skill_level]"
    applied_modifiers:
      - setup_quality
      - timing_precision
      - opponent_fatigue
      - knowledge_test
      - position_control
    formula: "base_probability + sum(modifiers) - sum(counters)"

Common Troubleshooting Patterns

troubleshooting:
  - symptom: "Getting swept repeatedly from butterfly guard top"
    likely_cause: "Hips too high or opponent has underhooks"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Are your hips lower than opponent's hips?"
      - "Does opponent have one or both underhooks?"
      - "Is your base wide and stable?"
    solution: "Lower hips immediately, fight to clear underhooks, establish overhooks or collar control, widen stance"
 
  - symptom: "Opponent easily maintains butterfly hooks during pass attempt"
    likely_cause: "Insufficient forward pressure or standing too upright"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Is your chest driving forward pressure?"
      - "Are you leaning back or staying upright?"
      - "Is your weight distributed forward onto opponent?"
    solution: "Drive chest and shoulder pressure forward, lower posture, pin opponent's upper body before clearing hooks"
 
  - symptom: "Opponent recovers guard after you clear hooks"
    likely_cause: "Not circling hips or failing to secure crossface immediately"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Are you completing the circular hip motion?"
      - "Is crossface established immediately after clearing hooks?"
      - "Are you maintaining pressure throughout the transition?"
    solution: "Circle hips completely around remaining hook, crossface immediately, maintain chest pressure, secure hip control"

Timing and Setup Guidance

timing_guidance:
  optimal_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent's hooks are shallow or poorly positioned"
      success_boost: "+15%"
      recognition_cues: ["Feet below knee line", "Weak elevation power", "Poor posture"]
 
    - condition: "After successfully defending sweep attempt"
      success_boost: "+12%"
      recognition_cues: ["Opponent off-balanced", "Hooks momentarily weak", "Reset moment"]
 
    - condition: "You secure double overhooks pinning their arms"
      success_boost: "+20%"
      recognition_cues: ["Arms controlled", "No underhook threat", "Limited sweep options"]
 
  avoid_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent has strong underhooks and good posture"
      success_penalty: "-25%"
      recognition_cues: ["Arms connected to your body", "Strong elevation capability", "Active sweeping threat"]
 
    - condition: "Your base is narrow with hips high"
      success_penalty: "-20%"
      recognition_cues: ["Feet close together", "Standing upright", "Easy to elevate"]
 
    - condition: "Opponent is actively sweeping with momentum"
      success_penalty: "-15%"
      recognition_cues: ["Hooks elevating", "Body rotating", "Your base compromised"]
 
setup_sequences:
  - sequence_name: "Double Overhook to Pass"
    steps:
      - "Secure double overhooks pinning opponent's arms"
      - "Drive forward pressure to flatten opponent"
      - "Step over bottom hook while maintaining overhooks"
      - "Circle to side control with immediate crossface"
    success_boost: "+15%"
 
  - sequence_name: "Collar Drag to Pass"
    steps:
      - "Use collar drag to bring opponent forward"
      - "As they post to defend, clear their bottom hook"
      - "Drive pressure and circle to side control"
    success_boost: "+10%"

Narrative Generation Prompts

narrative_prompts:
  setup_phase:
    - "You establish strong overhooks, pinning your opponent's arms and preventing underhooks."
    - "Your hips lower as you drive forward pressure, feeling their butterfly hooks weaken."
    - "You widen your base and prepare to clear their bottom hook while maintaining control."
 
  execution_phase:
    - "You step your leg over their bottom hook smoothly, maintaining heavy chest pressure."
    - "Your hips circle around their remaining hook as you drive your knee across their body."
    - "The hooks lose their power as your weight flattens them and eliminates elevation."
 
  completion_phase:
    - "You slide into side control, immediately securing a crossface and hip pressure."
    - "Your chest drives down, preventing any guard recovery as you consolidate position."
    - "Side control is locked in with superior positioning and total control established."
 
  failure_phase:
    - "They secure an underhook and use it to elevate you off balance with their hooks."
    - "Your timing is off and they sweep you as you attempt to step over."
    - "They dive to deep half guard as you try to pass, forcing you to adjust your strategy."

Image Generation Prompts

image_prompts:
  setup_position:
    prompt: "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu butterfly guard top position, top practitioner has double overhooks controlling opponent's arms, hips low with wide base, bottom practitioner has butterfly hooks on hips, both wearing blue and white gis, mat background, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Double overhooks", "Low hips", "Butterfly hooks", "Wide base"]
 
  mid_execution:
    prompt: "BJJ butterfly pass in motion, top practitioner stepping leg over bottom hook while maintaining forward pressure, circling hips, bottom practitioner's hooks being cleared, dynamic passing movement, technical illustration"
    key_elements: ["Step over", "Hip circle", "Forward pressure", "Hook clearing"]
 
  completion_position:
    prompt: "BJJ side control position after butterfly pass, top practitioner with crossface and chest pressure, hip control established, bottom practitioner flat on back, control secured, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Side control", "Crossface", "Chest pressure", "Secured position"]

Audio Narration Scripts

audio_scripts:
  instructional_narration:
    script: "From butterfly guard top, secure overhooks or collar control to prevent underhooks. Lower your hips and drive forward pressure to flatten your opponent. Step your leg over their bottom hook while maintaining pressure. Circle your hips around their remaining hook and drive your knee across. Establish side control immediately with crossface and chest pressure."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Moderate"
    emphasis: ["overhooks", "lower your hips", "forward pressure", "step over", "circle", "crossface"]
 
  coaching_cues:
    script: "Get those overhooks. Hips low. Drive that pressure. Now step over. Circle those hips. Crossface! Chest down. Lock it in. Beautiful pass."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Energetic"
    emphasis: ["overhooks", "hips low", "pressure", "step over", "crossface", "beautiful"]
 
  competition_commentary:
    script: "Watch the setup here. Double overhooks secured. Hips drop low. Excellent forward pressure flattens the opponent. Clean step over the bottom hook. Smooth hip circle. Crossface locks in. Side control established. Textbook butterfly pass execution."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Fast"
    emphasis: ["Double overhooks", "Excellent forward pressure", "Clean step over", "Textbook"]

Competition Applications

• IBJJF Rules: Legal at all belt levels, scores 3 points for guard pass, sets up submission attacks from side control
• No-Gi Competition: Requires stronger overhook control and head position due to limited grip options
• Self-Defense Context: Fast pass to establish dominant position for strikes or control in street situation
• MMA Applications: Essential guard passing technique for MMA with cage control and striking integration

Historical Context

The butterfly pass is a fundamental guard passing technique that has evolved significantly with modern butterfly guard developments. As butterfly guard became more sophisticated with athletes like Marcelo Garcia, the passing techniques adapted to emphasize underhook prevention and pressure-based clearing methods. The modern butterfly pass integrates seamlessly with other passing systems.

Safety Considerations

• Controlled Application: Smooth stepping motion prevents knee injuries for both practitioners
• Mat Awareness: Ensure adequate space for circling motion and guard recovery attempts
• Partner Safety: Controlled pressure application prevents rib injuries from excessive chest pressure
• Gradual Progression: Build up passing speed and pressure intensity gradually during learning phase

Position Integration

Common combinations and sequences:

• Butterfly Guard Top → Butterfly Pass → Side Control
• Butterfly Guard Top → Butterfly Pass → Knee Cut Pass (if they block first attempt)
• Butterfly Guard Top → Butterfly Pass → Half Guard Top (if they catch your leg)

Related Techniques

• Knee Slide Pass - Similar leg clearing motion with different pressure angle
• Smash Pass - Alternative pressure-based pass from butterfly guard
• Double Under Pass - Uses different control system but similar forward pressure principle
• X-Guard Pass - Related leg entanglement clearing technique
• Side Control Top - Primary destination position from butterfly pass