The EASIEST and BEST Sweep From Butterfly Guard
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Butterfly Guard Sweep·Aaron Benzrihem bjj
THE EASIEST AND BEST SWEEP FROM BUTTERFLY GUARD // In this video I go over s simple and effective sweep from the butter…
Butterfly Guard Sweep
Familyバタフライガードスイープ(Batafurai Gādo Suīpu)
TransliterationTranslation: butterfly guard sweep
Overview
The Butterfly Guard Sweep family covers all sweeps executed from the butterfly guard position, where the guard player sits with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs (butterfly hooks). [1] Butterfly guard sweeps use the hooks as levers to elevate and off-balance the opponent, combined with upper body grips that direct the opponent's fall to one side. [1],[2] The butterfly guard is one of the most dynamic and effective sweeping positions in grappling because the hooks provide powerful lifting leverage and the seated position allows quick transitions to multiple sweep angles. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The butterfly guard was popularised as an elite sweeping position by Marcelo Garcia, who used butterfly guard sweeps to dominate ADCC and world championship competition across multiple weight classes. [1] Jean Jacques Machado was also an early pioneer of butterfly guard. [2] The butterfly guard's effectiveness in both gi and no-gi has made it one of the most widely studied guard positions in modern grappling. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Butterfly sweeps were popularised by Marcelo Garcia in no-gi competition. [1]
Competition Record
Butterfly sweeps are among the most commonly scored sweeps in ADCC and IBJJF competition. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Breaking the opponent's leg control to advance to a more dominant position
Joints Involved — Hips (posture and pressure), knees (opening the guard with knee-in or standing), hands (grip fighting)
Force Vector — Forward pressure (stack/smash) or backward posture (stand-up break) to open the closed guard
Passing Mechanic — Once the guard is opened, speed passing, pressure passing, or toreando passing advances the position
Position & Entry
From bottom side control — Create frames with the forearms against the opponent's neck and hip, hip escape (shrimp) to create space, insert the knee to recover guard
From underhook escape — Swim the near arm to an underhook, bridge into the opponent and come to knees or reverse
From opponent's transition — When the opponent moves to mount or north-south, use the movement to create space and escape
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Sweeps reverse position from bottom; moderate impact on landing for top player
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— Unified MMA — Legal defensive/transitional technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IBJJF — Legal
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— NCAA Folkstyle — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal s...
NCAA Wrestling Rules 2025-26PDFTraining Notes
✓Butterfly guard sweeps use the butterfly hooks (feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs) to elevate and off-balance the opponent for reversals (Marcelo Garcia, X-Guard, 2008)
✓The butterfly hook is the foundation: your feet are hooked inside the opponent's thighs, knees pinched, creating an elevation platform
✓The basic butterfly sweep uses an underhook and hook lift to elevate the opponent and sweep them to the side
✓Butterfly sweeps are among the most effective sweeps in no-gi grappling — they don't require gi grips
✓The key principle: off-balance the opponent first (break their posture or pull them forward), then elevate with the hooks
✓Butterfly guard is an offensive guard position — the hooks provide both sweeping and stand-up options
✓Marcelo Garcia is the master of butterfly guard — study his techniques for the highest-level butterfly sweeping
✓Butterfly sweeps work in combination: if one direction is defended, the opponent's reaction opens the other direction
Common Mistakes
!Attempting to sweep without off-balancing first — the opponent must be leaning or loaded before the elevation
!Keeping the feet flat instead of hooking inside the thighs — the hooks must be active and engaged
!Sweeping without an underhook or arm control — the sweep needs upper body control combined with the hook lift
!Elevating straight up instead of at an angle — the sweep direction is diagonal, not vertical
!Sitting too far from the opponent — butterfly guard requires close distance; stay tight
!Not following the sweep to establish top position — complete the sweep and immediately advance
!Only attempting butterfly sweeps in one direction — the opponent defends one side, opening the other
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Control Grips — establish the controlling grips needed to load the sweep
2Off-Balance — shift the opponent's weight to the target direction
3Execute Sweep — apply the sweeping mechanic to topple the opponent
4Follow to Top — ride the sweep momentum to establish top position
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
timing, hip power, off-balancing skill
Favours
strong hips and active legs for sweeping leverage
Key muscles
hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, core rotators
Sub-techniques
Basic Butterfly Sweep
SubFamilyThe Basic Butterfly Sweep subfamily covers the fundamental butterfly guard sweeps that use a single hook elevation combined with upper body control to off-balance and sweep the opponent to one side. [1] These are the entry-level butterfly sweeps that teach the core mechanic of all butterfly sweeping — using the hook to elevate the opponent's weight while using grips to direct where they fall. [1,2] Basic butterfly sweeps are among the most effective and highest-percentage sweeps in all of grappling due to their simplicity and powerful mechanics. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Reverse Butterfly Sweep
SubFamilyThe Reverse Butterfly Sweep is a butterfly guard sweep that reverses the typical sweeping direction — instead of sweeping the opponent to the side with a standard butterfly hook elevation, the reverse butterfly drives them backward or in the opposite direction of the expected sweep. [1] This variation catches opponents who have learned to defend the standard butterfly sweep direction. [1,2]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
X-Guard Sweep
SubFamilyThe X-Guard Sweep subfamily covers sweeps from the X-guard position, a highly effective butterfly guard derivative where the guard player places both legs between the opponent's legs in an X-configuration — one hook behind the knee and one on the hip. [1] The X-guard provides powerful off-balancing leverage because the dual leg positioning completely controls the opponent's base on one side, making them extremely vulnerable to being swept in the opposite direction. [1,2] X-guard sweeps typically involve standing up underneath the opponent (technical standup) or picking the ankle to complete the sweep. [2,3]
2 genera·2 techniquesExplore
Notes
The butterfly hook sweep is the highest-percentage sweep from butterfly guard — it uses the inside hook to elevate and off-balance the opponent while falling to the side. (Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques)
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my opponent stands up and tries to kick their leg out to stop the butterfly sweep?
According to Aaron Benzrihem, if your opponent is skilled at kicking their leg out to defend, you need to adapt your approach rather than rely on the basic sweep in that position.
How do I execute the butterfly guard sweep when the basic technique won't work?
Aaron Benzrihem demonstrates hooking your opponent's leg, bringing your leg through, and then executing the sweep from that repositioned angle.
How does the Butterfly Guard Sweep work?
The Butterfly Guard Sweep family covers all sweeps executed from the butterfly guard position, where the guard player sits with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs (butterfly hooks). Butterfly guard sweeps use the hooks as levers to elevate and off-balance the opponent, combined with upper body grips that direct the opponent's fall to one side.
Where does the Butterfly Guard Sweep come from?
The butterfly guard was popularised as an elite sweeping position by Marcelo Garcia, who used butterfly guard sweeps to dominate ADCC and world championship competition across multiple weight classes. Jean Jacques Machado was also an early pioneer of butterfly guard.
Is the Butterfly Guard Sweep legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive/transitional technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal; UWW: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point (freestyle), reversal scores 1 point; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; NCAA Folkstyle: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal scores 2 points
How dangerous is the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate — sweeps reverse position from bottom; moderate impact on landing for top player
How do I set up the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
The standard setup chain: Control Grips → Off-Balance → Execute Sweep → Follow to Top.
How do I defend against the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
Standard counters include: Base and Posture — maintain wide base and upright posture to resist the sweep / Grip Strip — break controlling grips before the sweep can be loaded / Back Step — retreat the leg being attacked to remove the sweep fulcrum.
What are the variants of the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
Common variants: Standard sweep (primary off-balancing and reversal technique from the guard); Combination sweep (chaining two sweep directions to catch the opponent's adj…); Counter sweep (sweeping as the opponent initiates a guard pass attempt); Competition sweep (optimised for point-scoring in tournament settings).
How effective is the Butterfly Guard Sweep in competition?
Butterfly sweeps are among the most commonly scored sweeps in ADCC and IBJJF competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
Top errors to watch for: Attempting to sweep without off-balancing first — the opponent must be leaning or loaded before the elevation / Keeping the feet flat instead of hooking inside the thighs — the hooks must be active and engaged / Sweeping without an underhook or arm control — the sweep needs upper body control combined with the hook lift / Elevating straight up instead of at an angle — the sweep direction is diagonal, not vertical.
What are other names for the Butterfly Guard Sweep?
The Butterfly Guard Sweep is also known as Batafurai Gādo Suīpu, Butterfly Sweep, Hook Sweep.