Butterfly Sweep

What it is

The butterfly sweep is a sweep from butterfly guard where you fall toward the arm you control, away from your underhook, and lift them over with the hook on the underhook side. The underhook and your head position carry the weight; the hook only tips them. It is the core sweep of seated guard in both gi and no-gi.

When to use it

• You are seated with both feet hooked inside their thighs and they are close to you.
• You have won an underhook and their chest is near yours.
• They drive forward into you, so their weight is already coming over.

How to do it

1. Sit up close with both feet hooked inside their thighs and your chest against theirs.
2. Win an underhook on one side and reach it deep, hand on their back or belt.
3. With your free hand control their other arm at the elbow or wrist, so it cannot post.
4. Keep your head tight against theirs and your chest close, so they cannot make space to pass.
5. Fall onto the shoulder on the controlled-arm side, head to the mat, while lifting with the hook on the underhook side, kicking it up and out.
6. They land on their back. Keep the underhook, drive forward and settle into side control or mount.

Key details

• Fall toward the arm you control, so they cannot post with it. Falling toward the underhook side lets them post the free arm and drags them on top of you.
• Lift with the hook as you fall, not before. The hook pulls their leg up and out.
• Control the far arm so it cannot post on the mat and stop the roll.
• Stay connected. If the underhook and head lose contact, they square up and pass.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: sitting too far away, so the hook lifts them for a moment and they base on their hands.
• Mistake: falling flat to your back instead of to your side, so the sweep stalls and they pass.
• Mistake: lifting the hook without the underhook, so they post and come over the top.

What they will try

• They sprawl the hooked leg back and flatten their hips, then pass to the side.
• They fight for their own underhook and drive you to your back.

Gi and no-gi

The underhook and head position matter even more without grips: hold the back or the far shoulder, and control the far wrist rather than a sleeve.