How to Deal with Butterfly Guard with Travis Stevens
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Deal With The Butterfly Guard With Ease!
The butterfly guard is a common tool utilized by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners who like to play off of their rear. In fact, many practitioners will sit to this guard from standing position because they are so skilled at it. The attribute that makes the butterfly guard so dangerous is that it can be used to sweep opponents of all sizes but also enter other dangerous positions like X-guard and single leg-X.
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Defending against the butterfly guard can be rather difficult because the butterfly hooks of the guard player are often glued to the guard passer regardless of how they move. Even more, one cannot remain seated in a “safe” position for too long when defending this guard because the guard player can attack in all directions, even forward.
The first step in defending the butterfly guard, even before considering how to pass, is to maintain hip to butt connection. This connection allows the defender to maintain a strong balance and base, the antidote to many of the attacks from this guard. Even a slight imbalance to either the right or left can result in devastating consequences.
The next step in countering the butterfly guard is dominating either the legs or hips of the guard player. In the video, Travis Stevens explains a simple yet effective way of doing so. By pinning the foot down using ones’s weight, passing the guard becomes a much simpler task. As Travis explains, the reactions guard players will have to this leg pinning will provide the path to which pass you choose.
The other method of pinning the legs involves smashing down either knee towards the either. Travis goes on to discuss how the IT band, the muscle that open the legs away from each other, are too weak to push against a guard passer’s weight. When either of their knee gets past the mid-line, take advantage of this opportunity to smash and pass.
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Finally, as a last piece of advice, unless you absolutely only pass the guard by smashing, there is no obligation to stay seated against someone’s butterfly guard. In fact, you will see many high-level grappler’s pass their opponent’s butterfly guard with standing passes. If you stand to pass, however, always be on the lookout for leg lock entries.
Get better at passing the guard with BJJ Black Belt and Olympic Medalist Travis Stevens. Get his DVD "Magic Guard Passing" and get to work on your game TODAY! BJJ Fanatics has it here!
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