What is a Butterfly Sweep?
Simple, effective, and applicable in both gi and no-gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the butterfly sweep is one of, if the not very first, sweeps fighters learn. This no-frills, foundational technique is underrated, even though high-level fighters like Marcelo Garcia and Mendes Brothers use it in competition. Read on to learn how to do the butterfly sweep and the common situations where it might come up on the mat.
How does the butterfly sweep work?
Sit upright, facing your opponent, with your knees bent and your feet inside your opponent’s thighs (these are known as “butterfly hooks”). Keep your opponent close, with your hips active and ready to move. Next, complete an underhook by slipping your arm under one of your opponent’s arms to gain control of their side. On the opposite side, either grip their elbow, sleeve, or collar so they can’t post their hand to defend the sweep.
Lean to the side where you have the underhook; your head should be in close contact with their body, either pressing your forehead against their chest or head. This will keep their posture broken and limit their ability to maintain balance. As you lean to the side, use the butterfly hook on the same side as your underhook to lift their leg. Drive your shin upward to elevate their hips to create momentum while pulling on their arm (the one you have the grip on) towards you, breaking their posture further and preventing them from basing out.
Continue turning your body to the side as you lift their leg, using the momentum to tip them over. Keep pulling their arm and driving with your hook to guide their body off balance. Use your whole body in one smooth motion, directing them onto their back.
Finally, once they are swept over, follow them down, maintaining your grip and control, aiming to land in a dominant position like side control or mount, depending on how the sweep unfolds.
Using the butterfly sweep Gi vs No Gi
The core mechanics of this move remain the same in both types of BJJ; the only real difference in execution has to do with the available (or lack) of grips. In gi, you can use the collar, sleeve, and belt to establish strong grips and more easily exert control over your opponent’s posture and balance and prevent them from basing out. Because of the friction caused by gis, it allows you to move slower and more methodically through the move.
Obviously, in no-gi you don’t have any fabric to grab, which forces you to rely on body grips, such as underhooks, overhooks, wrist control, and head control while preparing to sweep. Since it’s harder to maintain control, you’re forced to move more quickly or risk letting your opponent scramble away from you. No-gi requires a faster, more explosive butterfly sweep.
Different uses for butterfly sweep in BJJ
The butterfly sweep can be used as a transition from a lot of positions, which is why it’s considered one of the more versatile moves in the grappling arts. A few other reasons to use it include:
Submission of a larger opponent
Using hooks with the legs and controlling the opponent’s upper body can help you keep your opponent off-balance if they are bigger and heavier than you. This matters because it makes it difficult for them to use their strength against you while also opening up opportunities for submission attacks like armbars or guillotines, particularly when they post their hand.
Maintaining active guard
Rather than passively defending, practitioners using the butterfly sweep are constantly threatening to sweep or elevate their opponent, forcing them to react. This keeps you in an offensive mindset, ready to capitalize on openings or transitions, such as moving to single-leg X or other guard positions.
Neutralizing pressure
As your opponent drives into you, attempting to pass or smother, the butterfly sweep uses their forward force to unbalance them, turning a disadvantageous situation into an opportunity for sweeping or attacking.
Transition from other positions
If you’re unsuccessful in your butterfly sweep attempt, or the opponent counters by posting, it opens up pathways to other attacks such as leg locks, back takes, or submissions like the kimura or triangle choke. The sweep itself, particularly when combined with grips or control, can create space and transition into dominant positions where you can launch other attacks.
From half guard
In half guard, BJJ fighters commonly strategy shift their hips and establish an underhook. If you get to this position, you can begin working to pull your opponent’s weight forward and transition into butterfly guard by inserting your far-side hook inside their thigh. Once the hook is in place and you’ve established some space, you can elevate your opponent with the hook and start setting up the butterfly sweep.
From half butterfly
With one hook in and an underhook or grip control on the same side, you can push their knee to create more space and slide in your second hook to transition to full butterfly and prepare to initiate the butterfly sweep.
From Dela Riva & Reverse Dela Riva
You can transition to butterfly guard by retracting your extended hook and using your free leg to create space. As you retract the Dela Riva hook, you scoot in and slide your butterfly hooks into position, controlling their arms or collar to facilitate the transition. Now, you can immediately threaten the butterfly sweep by pulling your opponent forward and using your hooks to elevate them.
Elevate your guard game
The butterfly sweep offers BJJ practitioners a reliable, go-to move in both gi and no-gi settings. Whether using it to initiate submissions or set up other attacks, the butterfly sweep is as valuable to the world’s best fighters as it is to new students. Mastering the mechanics of the sweep and understanding how to use it in different scenarios on the mats will help your guard game and teach you to become a more effective, offensive-minded martial artist.
