Top Butterfly Guard
Top butterfly — low base requirement to manage hook exposure; passing frameworks from butterfly top.
Adapted from the original page. Grappling.Games did not write this. Sources.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 4 positions across 1 relationshipOpen in the map →1234→Advances to
The top player in butterfly guard faces a bottom player with two hooks under the thighs. The primary danger is being swept — the hooks create immediate lift potential. The top player’s priority is preventing lift while working to flatten or pass the guard. Unlike half guard or open guard, butterfly guard gives the bottom player hooks on both sides simultaneously; the top player cannot simply step around one hook while the other remains active.
Three key principles govern the top position in butterfly guard:
Stay low. A high base gives the hooks more lever arm. When the top player stands tall or raises their hips, the hook foot has more of the thigh to work with and the elevation force increases. Dropping the hips compresses the hook’s mechanical advantage.
Connect. Chest-to-chest or chest-to-shoulder removes the space the bottom player needs to generate hook elevation. A gap between the upper bodies is what allows the hook to work — the bottom player must sit up into that gap to drive the sweep. Closing the gap collapses the sweep before it starts.
Clear one hook before advancing. Attempting to pass with both hooks still active invites the double-sided sweep. The top player’s passing sequence always involves neutralising at least one hook first — either by pinching the knees together (body lock), cutting the knee through one hook (knee cut), or controlling and redirecting a leg (leg drag).
Ruleset context This technique is legal in all major competitive formats.
INV-P01Invariant "The top player must clear the line of the feet before advancing. Attempting to pass while the feet are active is attempting to pass through the guard rather than around it."