BUTTERFLY ELEVATION SWEEP

The butterfly elevation sweep is the variation of the butterfly sweep in which the bottom player uses both butterfly hooks to simultaneously elevate the opponent vertically, then drops the opponent backward to complete the sweep. The technique is one of the most explosive butterfly-guard sweeps and is particularly effective against opponents who are leaning forward into the butterfly guard rather than maintaining upright posture.

The mechanics begin from butterfly guard with the bottom player seated and both feet hooked under the opponent's thighs. The bottom player establishes underhooks (one on each side, or at minimum on the dominant side) and grips the opponent's back or belt for upper-body control. The bottom player then explosively elevates both butterfly hooks upward while simultaneously falling backward (rather than to the side, as in the standard butterfly hook sweep). The combined upward elevation and backward fall produce a vertical-then-rearward toppling motion that flips the opponent over the bottom player's head. The bottom player follows through to land in mount or in a strong top position.

The butterfly elevation sweep was refined by Marcelo Garcia and various modern butterfly-guard specialists. Notable practitioners include Marcelo Garcia, Andre Galvao, Bernardo Faria, and various Atos and Marcelo Garcia Academy trained competitors. The technique pairs particularly well with the butterfly hook sweep — they share setup geometry but resolve to different finishing directions depending on the opponent's posture. Defensively the butterfly elevation is countered by maintaining strict upright posture (don't lean into butterfly guard), by sprawling the legs back to neutralize the hook elevation, or by establishing whizzer on the underhook arm before the sweep launches.