Butterfly guard

Names by art: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Butterfly guard · Wrestling: Double elevator · Catch Wrestling: Double elevator

Appears in 3 arts.

⚠ Train with an instructor. Learn and practise this technique only under a qualified instructor, on a suitable surface and with a cooperative partner. This page explains; it does not replace a teacher.

Biomechanics: what the body does

An open guard: the fighter underneath, usually sitting, hooks both feet between the opponent’s legs, against the inside of the thighs, without crossing the ankles. Arms and legs control the opponent together. Lifting with the hooks gives strong leverage for sweeps and for taking the opponent off balance, and it helps to avoid damage and move to better positions.

Appears in 3 arts

Art	Name used in this art
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu	Butterfly guard
Wrestling	Double elevator
Catch Wrestling	Double elevator

More in this category

Guard (fighting on the back) Half guard Mount Side control Scarf hold North–south Back control (back mount) Knee-on-belly Scissor sweep Hip bump sweep Bridge and roll escape (upa) Hip escape (shrimping) Guard pass Half nelson

All techniques across the arts →

Sources

Wikipedia (en): Guard (grappling)

Cite / use this content

You may quote short excerpts with a visible link to this page. Suggested citation:

Wabukan (2026). “Butterfly guard”. https://wabukan.com/tecnicas/guarda-borboleta (accessed 2026-10-30).

Full rules, ready-made link code and press kit → · Updated: 2026-10-30