How to Pass Butterfly Guard

Butterfly guard uses inside hooks (feet on your inner thighs) combined with underhooks to generate sweeping leverage. When your opponent has double underhooks and butterfly hooks, any forward lean gives them the angle to sweep. The guard is difficult because you cannot simply pressure forward — you need to address the underhooks before passing.

The smash pass addresses butterfly guard by clearing the hooks and using chest pressure to flatten the opponent. Step to the outside of one hook, pinch that leg between your knee and hip, drive your chest forward and down, and walk around to side control. Alternatively, the headquarters position with a knee wedge between their legs disrupts both hooks simultaneously.

Proper base is essential against butterfly guard. Keep your hips low, base wide, and stay heavy. When you feel the sweep pressure, post your outside leg and lower your hips further. Do not stand upright — that is exactly when butterfly guard is most effective. Strip the underhooks first, then address the hooks.

Generally, staying low (kneeling or crouching) is safer against butterfly guard because it makes sweeps harder. Standing allows you to use leg drag and torreando passes, but gives the guard player more sweep opportunities. Match your passing strategy to your body type and base — taller grapplers may prefer standing passes while shorter, heavier grapplers often use pressure passing.