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Butterfly Smash | BJJ Technique | BJJ Graph

Oct 25, 202516 min read

Butterfly Smash

bjjtransitionguard-passbutterfly-guardpressure-passing

Visual Execution Sequence

From butterfly guard top position, you secure head control or collar grips while preventing underhooks on one side. Your opponent has butterfly hooks attempting to elevate and sweep. You drive your shoulder into their face or chest while dropping your hip heavily to one side, pinning their bottom leg. Your weight creates overwhelming pressure that flattens their butterfly hook on one side while you control their upper body. You drive your knee across their body toward the far hip, using shoulder and hip pressure to smash through their guard. The combined weight and pressure overwhelms their defensive structure, allowing you to slide into side control with dominant crossface and chest pressure.

One-Sentence Summary: “From butterfly guard top, you drive heavy shoulder pressure while dropping your hip to pin their bottom leg, smashing through their guard to side control.”

Execution Steps

  1. Setup Requirements: Secure head control or collar grip, control one side to prevent underhook, establish strong forward posture
  2. Initial Movement: Drop your hip heavily to one side while driving shoulder pressure into opponent’s face or chest
  3. Opponent Response: Opponent typically attempts to maintain butterfly hooks, create frames, or escape their hips to the side
  4. Adaptation: Increase shoulder and hip pressure to pin their bottom leg, use weight to flatten their hook and prevent elevation
  5. Completion: Drive knee across their body toward far hip while maintaining crushing shoulder pressure
  6. Consolidation: Slide into side control with immediate crossface, chest pressure, and hip control before guard recovery

Key Technical Details

  • Grip Requirements: Head control or collar grip on one side, control opponent’s arm to prevent underhook on smash side
  • Base/Foundation: Wide stance initially, then commit weight to smash side by dropping hip and driving shoulder
  • Timing Windows: Execute when opponent’s weight is centered or after they fail a sweep attempt to one side
  • Leverage Points: Shoulder pressure to face/chest combined with hip weight creates overwhelming downward force that flattens hooks
  • Common Adjustments: If they maintain bottom hook, use it as pivot point while increasing pressure rather than fighting it

Common Counters

Opponent defensive responses with success rates and conditions:

Decision Logic for AI Opponent

If [smash side underhook established]:
- Execute [[Butterfly Sweep]] (Probability: 48%)

Else if [weight committed to smash and timing right]:
- Execute [[Deep Half Guard]] entry (Probability: 55%)

Else if [pressure not fully established]:
- Execute [[Hip Escape]] (Probability: 40%)

Else [full smash pressure applied]:
- Accept transition (Probability: Base Success Rate + Applied Modifiers)

Expert Insights

John Danaher

“The butterfly smash succeeds through the application of overwhelming pressure to a structure designed for mobility, not weight-bearing. The butterfly hooks are levers for elevation - they fail when you remove the elevation possibility through superior positioning and pressure angle. The key is committing your weight to one side while controlling their upper body, creating a pressure differential that collapses their guard structure systematically.”

Gordon Ryan

“In competition, I use the butterfly smash when my opponent is fatigued or when I want to impose a grinding, pressure-heavy style. It’s not the fastest pass, but it’s incredibly demoralizing and physically exhausting for the person on bottom. The critical detail is shoulder pressure to their face - it prevents them from seeing opportunities and makes breathing difficult. I drive my shoulder like a post into their face, then use my hip to smash their bottom leg flat. Most people give up the guard just to breathe.”

Eddie Bravo

“The smash pass through butterfly is all about commitment and pressure. In 10th Planet, we defend this by going to deep half or lockdown immediately when we feel the weight commit. So when you’re smashing, you need to anticipate that dive to deep half and be ready to sprawl or switch to knee slice. The smash works best when combined with other passing threats - if they’re only worried about the smash, they’ll defend it better.”

Common Errors

Error 1: Not committing enough weight to the smash side

  • Why It Fails: Allows opponent to maintain mobility and sweeping capability with butterfly hooks
  • Correction: Drop hip heavily and drive shoulder pressure - commit at least 70% of your weight to smash side
  • Recognition: Opponent maintains active guard and can easily move or sweep

Error 2: Allowing underhook on the smash side

  • Why It Fails: Underhook provides opponent leverage to prevent shoulder pressure and create angles for sweeps
  • Correction: Control opponent’s arm on smash side before dropping weight, maintain arm control throughout
  • Recognition: Opponent establishes underhook and can control your upper body

Error 3: Driving knee across too early before pressure established

  • Why It Fails: Creates space for opponent to recover guard or transition to deep half
  • Correction: Establish full shoulder and hip pressure first, then drive knee only when their structure is collapsed
  • Recognition: Opponent easily re-guards or dives to deep half as you attempt to pass

Error 4: Insufficient shoulder pressure to face or chest

  • Why It Fails: Opponent maintains head mobility and can see defensive opportunities and counters
  • Correction: Drive shoulder into their face like a post, make it uncomfortable and limit their vision
  • Recognition: Opponent remains comfortable and actively defends with good visibility

Error 5: Not maintaining wide base on non-smash side

  • Why It Fails: Opponent can sweep you to the opposite side or create scramble situations
  • Correction: Keep non-smash leg posted wide for stability while committing weight to smash side
  • Recognition: Getting swept to the opposite side or feeling unstable during smash

Timing Considerations

  • Optimal Conditions: When opponent is fatigued, after defending sweep to opposite side, or when you can prevent underhook on smash side
  • Avoid When: Opponent is fresh with strong hooks and good mobility, or when they have established underhook on smash side
  • Setup Sequences: After defending butterfly sweep creates off-balance moment, or after collar drag brings them forward
  • Follow-up Windows: Must establish full pressure and crossface within 3-4 seconds to prevent deep half transition

Prerequisites

  • Technical Skills: Understanding of pressure passing principles, butterfly guard mechanics, shoulder pressure application
  • Physical Preparation: Upper body strength for maintaining shoulder pressure, cardio for sustained pressure application
  • Positional Understanding: Guard passing hierarchy, smash pass mechanics, deep half defense concepts
  • Experience Level: Intermediate - requires physical conditioning and understanding of pressure-based passing

Knowledge Assessment

  1. Mechanical Understanding: “What creates the collapsing force in the butterfly smash?”

    • A) Speed and explosiveness
    • B) The combination of shoulder pressure to face/chest and hip weight dropping to pin bottom leg
    • C) Grabbing and controlling both butterfly hooks
    • D) Standing up tall with maximum height
    • Answer: B

  2. Timing Recognition: “When is the optimal moment to drive your knee across their body?”

    • A) Immediately upon entering butterfly guard
    • B) While they are actively sweeping
    • C) After establishing full shoulder and hip pressure that collapses their structure
    • D) Before committing your weight
    • Answer: C

  3. Error Prevention: “What is the most critical control to establish before smashing?”

    • A) Grabbing both butterfly hooks
    • B) Controlling opponent’s arm on smash side to prevent underhook
    • C) Establishing grips on both legs
    • D) Securing a guillotine grip
    • Answer: B

  4. Setup Requirements: “How much of your weight should be committed to the smash side?”

    • A) 30-40% to maintain mobility
    • B) 50% evenly distributed
    • C) 70%+ heavily committed to create overwhelming pressure
    • D) 100% with no base leg
    • Answer: C

  5. Adaptation: “How should you adjust if opponent dives to deep half during the smash?”

    • A) Continue original smash ignoring the transition
    • B) Pull back and stand up completely
    • C) Sprawl your hips back immediately and switch to knee slice or deep half counter
    • D) Allow deep half and work from there
    • Answer: C

Variants and Adaptations

  • Gi Specific: Use collar grips for head control and sleeve control to prevent underhook, lapel can wrap around back of neck
  • No-Gi Specific: Focus on head control with hand behind head, overhook on smash side, requires more shoulder pressure
  • Self-Defense: Modified version prioritizes speed over sustained pressure, combine with strikes to overwhelm opponent
  • Competition: Combine with other passing threats to create passing chains, excellent for draining opponent’s energy
  • Size Differential: Larger practitioners have significant advantage with smash due to weight, smaller practitioners need perfect timing and pressure angles

Training Progressions

  1. Solo Practice: Hip dropping motion and shoulder driving mechanics without partner, pressure angle development
  2. Cooperative Drilling: Partner maintains light hooks while you practice pressure application and passing sequence
  3. Resistant Practice: Partner progressively defends with sweeps and deep half entries as you develop counters
  4. Sparring Integration: Implement smash during live rolling from butterfly guard, manage energy expenditure
  5. Troubleshooting: Identify pressure application errors - usually insufficient weight commitment or poor shoulder positioning

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 on Smash Side"
      evaluation: "opponent_arm_controlled AND no_underhook_smash_side"
      success_action: "proceed_to_pressure_commitment"
      failure_action: "execute_butterfly_sweep"
      failure_probability: 48
 
    - name: "Weight Commitment Check"
      evaluation: "weight_committed >= 70_percent AND shoulder_pressure_active"
      success_action: "proceed_to_knee_drive"
      failure_action: "execute_deep_half_entry"
      failure_probability: 55
 
    - name: "Pressure Maintenance Check"
      evaluation: "shoulder_pressure_sustained AND hip_pinning_bottom_leg"
      success_action: "accept_transition_with_modifiers"
      failure_action: "execute_hip_escape"
      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: "Opponent maintains butterfly hooks despite pressure"
    likely_cause: "Insufficient weight commitment or pressure angle wrong"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Is at least 70% of your weight on the smash side?"
      - "Is your shoulder driving into their face or chest?"
      - "Is your hip dropping to pin their bottom leg?"
    solution: "Commit more weight, adjust shoulder pressure angle, drop hip lower to pin leg completely"
 
  - symptom: "Opponent sweeps you to opposite side during smash"
    likely_cause: "Base leg not positioned wide enough for stability"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Is your non-smash leg posted wide?"
      - "Are you maintaining balance on non-smash side?"
      - "Is your base leg too narrow?"
    solution: "Widen base leg position, maintain posting pressure, don't over-commit weight without stable base"
 
  - symptom: "Opponent easily transitions to deep half during smash"
    likely_cause: "Driving knee too early before structure collapsed or not sprawling when they dive"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Are you establishing full pressure before knee drive?"
      - "Are you watching for deep half dive?"
      - "Can you sprawl your hips back when they go under?"
    solution: "Wait longer before knee drive, watch opponent's hips for deep half entry, be ready to sprawl and switch to knee slice"

Timing and Setup Guidance

timing_guidance:
  optimal_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent is fatigued with reduced guard mobility"
      success_boost: "+20%"
      recognition_cues: ["Slower hook movements", "Reduced elevation attempts", "Heavy breathing"]
 
    - condition: "After defending sweep to opposite side"
      success_boost: "+12%"
      recognition_cues: ["Opponent off-balanced", "Moment of reset", "Hooks momentarily weak"]
 
    - condition: "You control arm on smash side preventing underhook"
      success_boost: "+15%"
      recognition_cues: ["Arm pinned", "No underhook threat", "Limited defensive options"]
 
  avoid_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent is fresh with strong active hooks"
      success_penalty: "-20%"
      recognition_cues: ["High energy level", "Strong elevation attempts", "Mobile guard"]
 
    - condition: "Opponent has underhook on smash side"
      success_penalty: "-25%"
      recognition_cues: ["Arm connected to your body", "Can control your posture", "Sweep threat active"]
 
    - condition: "You are fatigued and cannot maintain sustained pressure"
      success_penalty: "-18%"
      recognition_cues: ["Your breathing labored", "Difficulty maintaining shoulder pressure", "Energy depleted"]
 
setup_sequences:
  - sequence_name: "Collar Drag to Smash"
    steps:
      - "Use collar drag to bring opponent forward"
      - "As they post, control their arm on one side"
      - "Immediately drop hip and drive shoulder pressure"
      - "Complete smash pass to side control"
    success_boost: "+12%"
 
  - sequence_name: "Sweep Defense to Smash"
    steps:
      - "Defend butterfly sweep attempt to one side"
      - "As they reset, immediately drop weight to opposite side"
      - "Drive shoulder pressure while they're off-balanced"
      - "Complete pass with heavy pressure"
    success_boost: "+10%"

Narrative Generation Prompts

narrative_prompts:
  setup_phase:
    - "You control their arm on one side, preventing the critical underhook."
    - "Your shoulder positions over their face, ready to drive crushing pressure."
    - "You feel their butterfly hooks searching for elevation as you prepare to commit your weight."
 
  execution_phase:
    - "You drop your hip heavily, driving your shoulder into their face with overwhelming pressure."
    - "Your weight pins their bottom leg flat as their butterfly hook collapses under the force."
    - "The smash pressure crushes their defensive structure as you begin driving your knee across."
 
  completion_phase:
    - "You slide into side control with heavy chest pressure and an immediate crossface."
    - "Your weight settles on them as the pass completes, control fully established."
    - "Side control is locked with dominant positioning and crushing pressure maintained."
 
  failure_phase:
    - "They establish an underhook before you can commit weight, preventing the smash."
    - "They dive to deep half as you commit, escaping the pressure and forcing you to adjust."
    - "Your pressure angle is wrong and they maintain mobility, setting up a sweep counter."

Image Generation Prompts

image_prompts:
  setup_position:
    prompt: "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu butterfly guard top position, top practitioner controlling opponent's arm on one side, shoulder positioned over opponent's face, preparing to drop weight, bottom practitioner has butterfly hooks, both wearing blue and white gis, mat background, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Arm control", "Shoulder position", "Butterfly hooks", "Weight preparation"]
 
  mid_execution:
    prompt: "BJJ butterfly smash in motion, top practitioner driving heavy shoulder pressure into opponent's face while hip drops to pin bottom leg, butterfly hook being flattened, intense pressure visible, dynamic smashing movement, technical illustration"
    key_elements: ["Shoulder pressure", "Hip drop", "Flattened hook", "Crushing weight"]
 
  completion_position:
    prompt: "BJJ side control position after butterfly smash, top practitioner with heavy crossface and chest pressure, hip control established, bottom practitioner completely flattened, dominant control, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Side control", "Crossface", "Chest pressure", "Complete control"]

Audio Narration Scripts

audio_scripts:
  instructional_narration:
    script: "From butterfly guard top, control their arm on the smash side to prevent underhooks. Drive your shoulder into their face or chest with heavy pressure. Drop your hip to pin their bottom leg and flatten their butterfly hook. Maintain crushing pressure as you drive your knee across their body. Establish side control immediately with crossface and chest pressure."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Moderate"
    emphasis: ["control their arm", "drive your shoulder", "drop your hip", "crushing pressure", "crossface"]
 
  coaching_cues:
    script: "Control that arm. Now drive that shoulder. Drop your weight. Heavy! Flatten that hook. Drive the knee. Crossface! Pressure down. Lock it in. Beautiful smash."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Energetic"
    emphasis: ["drive", "heavy", "flatten", "pressure", "beautiful smash"]
 
  competition_commentary:
    script: "Watch the setup. Arm control established. Shoulder drives with crushing pressure. Hip drops heavy. The butterfly hook collapses. Knee drives across. Crossface secured. Side control locked. Textbook pressure passing with the butterfly smash."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Fast"
    emphasis: ["crushing pressure", "collapses", "Textbook pressure passing"]

Competition Applications

  • IBJJF Rules: Legal at all belt levels, scores 3 points for guard pass, excellent for draining opponent’s energy in longer matches
  • No-Gi Competition: Requires stronger head control and pressure maintenance without gi grips, still highly effective
  • Self-Defense: Fast pressure-based pass to dominant position for control or strikes in street scenario
  • MMA Applications: Essential pressure passing for MMA with cage control and ground-and-pound setup

Historical Context

The butterfly smash pass evolved from traditional smash pass concepts adapted specifically for butterfly guard. As butterfly guard became more prevalent with practitioners like Marcelo Garcia popularizing it, grapplers developed pressure-based passing methods that neutralize the elevation mechanics. The modern butterfly smash emphasizes weight commitment and shoulder pressure to overwhelm the guard’s mobility-based structure.

Safety Considerations

  • Controlled Application: Gradual pressure increase prevents rib and neck injuries from excessive force
  • Mat Awareness: Ensure adequate space for passing motion and potential guard recovery attempts
  • Partner Safety: Communicate during training about pressure intensity, especially shoulder pressure to face
  • Gradual Progression: Build up pressure intensity and speed gradually during learning phase to prevent injuries

Position Integration

Common combinations and sequences:

Graph View

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