Butterfly Guard Fundamentals
0
Butterfly Guard·KD Grappling | Kieran Davern
In this video we go cover the fundamentals of playing Butterfly Guard after setting up from Seated Guard (A.K.A Upright …
Butterfly Guard
Familyバタフライガード(Batafurai Gādo)
TransliterationTranslation: butterfly guard
Overview
The Butterfly Guard family covers the guard position where the bottom fighter sits with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs, using the hooks as levers for sweeping, off-balancing, and transitioning. [1] The butterfly guard is one of the most dynamic and effective guard positions in grappling because the hooks provide powerful lifting leverage and the seated posture allows rapid transitions in multiple directions. [1],[2] This family includes the standard seated butterfly guard, the reclined butterfly guard (leaning back for different leverage), and single butterfly hook positions. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The butterfly guard was popularised as an elite fighting position by Marcelo Garcia, whose butterfly guard game is considered one of the most effective guard systems in grappling history. [1] Jean Jacques Machado was also an early butterfly guard pioneer. [2] The butterfly guard's effectiveness in both gi and no-gi has made it one of the most studied positions in modern grappling. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The butterfly guard is one of the most effective sweeping positions in grappling, using double underhooks and butterfly hooks to elevate and off-balance the opponent. [1] Marcelo Garcia demonstrated that the butterfly guard is viable at the highest levels of both gi and no-gi competition, using it as his primary guard position throughout his career. [2]
Lineage
The butterfly guard gained prominence through Jean Jacques Machado's use of it in the 1990s [1] and was elevated to the highest level by Marcelo Garcia, whose butterfly guard system became the gold standard in modern grappling. [2] Garcia's instructional material and academy teaching has spread the butterfly guard system globally. [2]
Competition Record
Marcelo Garcia used the butterfly guard as his primary position to win four ADCC gold medals (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) and multiple IBJJF World Championship titles, demonstrating its effectiveness against the best grapplers in the world. [1] The butterfly guard remains one of the most commonly used open guard positions at ADCC. [2]
Images
No images yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest an image.
Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Using the legs and hips to control the opponent from the bottom — maintaining distance management and attack angles
Joints Involved — Hips (primary engine for sweeps and attacks), knees (framing and hooking), ankles (secondary hooks)
Force Vector — Pulling, framing, and hip-escaping — creating angles for attacks while preventing passing
Positional Mechanic — The guard is an active offensive position — leg control compensates for bottom positioning by threatening sweeps and submissions
Position & Entry
From seated guard — Sit up facing the opponent, place both feet as hooks inside their thighs, control the upper body with grips
From half guard transition — Release one leg from half guard, insert both hooks to transition to butterfly guard
Videos
1 video
Learn This Technique
No instructional courses yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest a course.
Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
2
Low2/10
Guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — ground...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points por...
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — no penalty for playing guard
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The butterfly guard uses both feet as hooks inside the opponent's thighs to create lifting leverage for sweeps and off-balancing (Marcelo Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2011)
✓Butterfly guard is the primary seated open guard — it provides sweep threats in all directions and transitions to single-leg X, X-guard, and back takes
✓The power of butterfly guard comes from the underhook and the hook acting together — the underhook controls the upper body while the hook lifts the lower body
✓Butterfly guard is equally effective in gi and no-gi — Marcelo Garcia dominated both rulesets from this position
✓The seated posture is essential: sit up tall with good posture, not lying back — an upright torso creates better sweep angles
✓Butterfly guard is the antidote to heavy pressure passers — hooks prevent the opponent from flattening you
✓In MMA, butterfly guard enables stand-ups and creates space — it is the most practical open guard for fighting
Common Mistakes
!Lying flat on the back in butterfly guard — the seated posture is essential for sweep leverage
!Playing butterfly guard without an underhook or collar tie — upper body control is mandatory
!Keeping the hooks passive — active hooks that elevate and off-balance are the key to butterfly guard
!Not transitioning when the opponent stands — butterfly guard must flow to single-leg X or X-guard
!Using butterfly guard at long range — it requires close proximity; the opponent must be in your hooks
!Failing to address the crossface — the crossface kills butterfly guard; fight for the underhook first
!Only sweeping in one direction — develop butterfly sweeps to both sides
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Achieve Guard Contact — establish leg control around or against the opponent
2Control Grips — secure sleeve, collar, or wrist control for manipulation
3Manage Distance — use legs and grips to control the range and prevent passing
4Threaten Submissions/Sweeps — create offensive threats to keep the opponent reactive
Sources & References
Primary Source
Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques (Marcelo Garcia, 2011)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [3] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003) [2] Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques (Garcia, 2012)
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) [3] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003) [2] Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques (Garcia, 2012)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexibility, active legs, grip management
Favours
long legs for distance control and guard retention
Key muscles
hip flexors, adductors, quadriceps, core, grip
Sub-techniques
Reclined Butterfly Guard
SubFamilyThe Reclined Butterfly Guard subfamily covers the butterfly guard variation where the guard player leans back at an angle rather than sitting fully upright, changing the leverage dynamics of the hooks and creating different sweeping and attacking angles. [1] The reclined position allows the guard player to use the hooks with a more horizontal pull rather than a vertical lift, which can be advantageous for certain sweeps and back takes. [1,2] The reclined angle also makes it harder for the top player to drive forward and flatten the guard player. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Seated Butterfly Guard
SubFamilyThe Seated Butterfly Guard subfamily covers the standard butterfly guard position where the guard player sits upright with both butterfly hooks inside the opponent's thighs, using the seated posture for maximum lifting leverage and transitional mobility. [1] The seated butterfly guard is the primary butterfly guard configuration, providing the strongest hook elevation for sweeps and the most options for transitions to other positions. [1,2] The upright seated posture allows the guard player to use the full power of the hook lift combined with upper body pulling to execute sweeps. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Single Butterfly Hook
SubFamilyThe Single Butterfly Hook subfamily covers positions where only one butterfly hook is inserted inside the opponent's thigh, with the other leg positioned differently — on the hip, on the mat, or in another guard configuration. [1] The single butterfly hook is a common transitional position and serves as an entry point to full butterfly guard, X-guard, and single leg X-guard. [1,2] While providing less control than double hooks, the single butterfly hook offers more flexibility for transitions and can be combined with other guard elements. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Notes
The butterfly guard uses the insteps hooked inside the opponent's thighs to create elevation for sweeps. Marcelo Garcia's butterfly guard is considered the gold standard — he won multiple ADCC titles primarily from this position. (Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I play on one hip in butterfly guard instead of staying square?
Playing on one hip puts you in a more athletic position, allowing you to move backwards fast and come up quickly, whereas staying square makes these movements much harder.
What are the key things I need to prevent my opponent from doing in butterfly guard?
You need to prevent your opponent from getting chest-to-chest contact with you and keep their hips away from yours, as allowing either gives them a strong passing position.
How does the Butterfly Guard work?
The Butterfly Guard family covers the guard position where the bottom fighter sits with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs, using the hooks as levers for sweeping, off-balancing, and transitioning. The butterfly guard is one of the most dynamic and effective guard positions in grappling because the hooks provide powerful lifting leverage and the seated posture allows rapid transitions in multiple directions.
Where does the Butterfly Guard come from?
The butterfly guard was popularised as an elite fighting position by Marcelo Garcia, whose butterfly guard game is considered one of the most effective guard systems in grappling history. Jean Jacques Machado was also an early butterfly guard pioneer.
Is the Butterfly Guard legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from guard score 2 points; IJF: restricted — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — groundwork from guard permitted …; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points portion; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — no penalty for playing guard; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Butterfly Guard?
Danger rating 2/10. Low — guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
How do I set up the Butterfly Guard?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Butterfly Guard?
Standard counters include: Guard Pass — systematically work to clear the legs and establish a dominant position / Leg Pin — control one or both legs to neutralize guard retention / Pressure Passing — use heavy chest pressure to flatten and immobilize the guard player.
What are the variants of the Butterfly Guard?
Common variants: Standard butterfly guard (both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs); Single butterfly hook (one hook in while the other leg posts or controls); Butterfly with overhook (combining the hooks with an overhook for sweep setups).
How effective is the Butterfly Guard in competition?
Marcelo Garcia used the butterfly guard as his primary position to win four ADCC gold medals (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) and multiple IBJJF World Championship titles, demonstrating its effectiveness against the best grapplers in the world. The butterfly guard remains one of the most commonly used open guard positions at ADCC.
What are common mistakes when doing the Butterfly Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Lying flat on the back in butterfly guard — the seated posture is essential for sweep leverage / Playing butterfly guard without an underhook or collar tie — upper body control is mandatory / Keeping the hooks passive — active hooks that elevate and off-balance are the key to butterfly guard / Not transitioning when the opponent stands — butterfly guard must flow to single-leg X or X-guard.
What are other names for the Butterfly Guard?
The Butterfly Guard is also known as Batafurai Gādo, Butterfly Hooks, Double Underhook Guard, Seated Guard.