Knee Slice Pass Versus Butterfly Guard

The butterfly guard can be one of the more frustrating guards because of the guard player's ability to be extremely mobile and use their feet as powerful hooks to both control and to elevate their opponents.  With the legs chambered back at an advantageous level of extension, the amount of weight they can withstand and elevate can be very surprising.

Having a good answer for a great butterfly guard can be an amazing asset to your game.  If there was only a way to slice through the butterfly guard and nullify all of the power and control of those dang hooks.  Well there is.  In the video below, Marcelo Garcia student Youssef Drihmi demonstrates his go to knee slice pass when faced with a solid butterfly guard on Bernardo Faria.  Check it out below!

There are a number of key points that make this pass highly effective.  Let's take a look below:

Avoid THEIR grips when facing butterfly guard

Yousef completely avoids letting Bernardo establish any type of grip that he needs to fight.  In order to accomplish this he either grabs the opponent at the ankles or he simply pushes their body down, both with the goal of getting the opponent flat on their back.  This allows Youssef to begin setting up the necessary grips of his own that will ensure the pass is effective.

Split THEIR legs and establish YOUR grips when facing butterfly guard

The ideal scenario will be having one leg between their butterflied legs and one on the outside.  From there it is essential to establish a connection to the gi/lapel of the butterfly guard player to maintain control of their upper body and keep them flat.  By properly positioning the hand and turning the elbow out, you can ensure that the butterfly hook on that side will be unable to bother you.

With the outside hand, he will grip the gi material at the knee and begin pushing the opponent's leg to the mat to control it and lock up their hips completely.  Once  he begins to bring his own leg through for the slice, he will switch this knee grip to one on the opponent's sleeve.  By keeping Bernardo pulled up off the mat, he ensures that there will be no adjustment made during the pass.   

As he finalizes the pass, he maintains the control on Bernardo's outside arm and takes it across the body, resting his chest behind Bernardo's tricep which ensures he cannot turn back into Youssef.  This also affords him the opportunity to snatch up the far side arm and keep the opponent folded up and immobile.

For more on the butterfly guard, check out Rafael Formiga's Butterfly Guard System from BJJ Fanatics!  You can get it here.

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