# Butterfly Guard

> A seated inside-position guard that uses instep hooks, upper-body connection, and off-balancing to sweep or enter the legs.

- **Canonical page:** https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/butterfly-guard
- **Markdown:** https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/butterfly-guard.md
- **JSON:** https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/butterfly-guard
- **Category:** guard
- **Format:** both
- **Level:** fundamental
- **Aliases:** seated guard, hooks guard, borboleta
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-25

## What it is

Butterfly guard places one or both insteps inside the opponent's thighs while the guard player remains seated or on a hip. Its power comes from connecting a lifting hook to a strong upper-body tie and directing the opponent into a weak posting angle.

Because it works with overhooks, underhooks, collar grips, and head control, butterfly guard crosses gi and no-gi unusually well. It also connects naturally to single-leg X, X guard, front headlocks, and wrestle-ups.

## Key principles

- Win inside knee position before trying to elevate.
- Pull the opponent's upper body over the lifting hook.
- Remove or overload the post on the sweeping side.
- Follow the sweep to a stable top position rather than admiring the elevation.

## Common entries

- **Seated guard:** Establish inside hooks as the opponent approaches on their knees.
- **Half guard:** Insert a butterfly hook from knee-shield or flattened half guard.
- **Snap-down reaction:** Sit under a recovering opponent while maintaining an upper-body connection.


## Productive next actions

- **Butterfly sweep:** Load the opponent over a hook while steering the upper body past its post.
- **Single-leg X:** Elevate one leg and connect underneath the opponent's center of gravity.
- **Arm drag:** Redirect an arm across the centerline to expose the back or create a wrestle-up.


## Defensive priorities

- **Hip distance:** Keep the hips heavy enough that the guard player cannot easily load your weight.
- **Pummel inside:** Clear hooks and win knee position before committing to pressure.
- **Stable posts:** Anticipate the side being overloaded and recover a post or hip turn.

## Rules and safety

Scoring and permitted grips vary by promotion and division. Check the current organizer rules before competing.

This guide is descriptive, not remote coaching. Learn potentially dangerous submissions, inversions, and takedowns with a qualified instructor. Release immediately when a training partner taps.

## History and naming

Butterfly guard has long existed across grappling styles, but modern jiu-jitsu competitors developed it into a highly connected sweeping and submission system.

## Related techniques

- [Single-Leg X](https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/single-leg-x)
- [X Guard](https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/x-guard)
- [Wrestle-Up](https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/wrestle-up)
- [Half Guard](https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/half-guard)

## Associated athletes

- [Marcelo Garcia](https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/marcelo-garcia): Five-time IBJJF World Champion, four-time ADCC champion, and one of the most beloved pound-for-pound greats in jiu-jitsu history.
- [Bruno Malfacine](https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/bruno-malfacine): Ten-time IBJJF roosterweight world champion, Alliance legend, and one of the greatest lighter-weight competitors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu history.
- [Gordon Ryan](https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/gordon-ryan): Seven-time ADCC champion widely regarded as the greatest no-gi grappler of all time.
- [Adam Wardziński](https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/adam-wardzinski): Polish Checkmat heavyweight, two-time IBJJF World Champion, and first European IBJJF Grand Slam winner—butterfly guard and half-guard icon known as Megatron.

## Sources

- [IBJJF rule book and rules resources](https://ibjjf.com/books-videos) — rules
- [United World Wrestling — grappling disciplines](https://cms.uww.org/disciplines) — reference

---

*Published by Ossmeta as part of the living jiu-jitsu database. Prefer citing https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/butterfly-guard and check the last-reviewed date for rules-sensitive claims.*