The Elevator Sweep from half-guard uses a butterfly hook and underhook to off-balance and reverse an opponent, transitioning from bottom to top position. This sweep is crucial for half-guard players seeking dynamic entries to the mount or top half, especially when traditional half-guard sweeps are stalled.
Start
Half guard with butterfly hook
End
Top
Prerequisites: Establishing an underhook · Butterfly hook mechanics · Cross-face prevention · Posting on the elbow · Hip escape
Steps
1
Establish the Underhook and Frame
From half-guard, secure a deep underhook on the far side while framing against their near-side shoulder or biceps with your top arm (C-grip or forearm frame) to prevent cross-face pressure.
2
Insert the Butterfly Hook
Thread your inside (bottom) leg so your shin is under their thigh, with your instep hooking high on their inner thigh; keep your knee pointed out at a 45° angle to create elevation.
3
Control Their Posting Arm
With your top arm, grip their far-side triceps or wrist (2-on-1 or C-grip) to limit their ability to base out during the sweep.
4
Angle Your Hips and Load Their Weight
Shrimp your hips out slightly to create a perpendicular angle (almost belly-to-belly), then use your underhook to pull their weight onto your butterfly hook leg.
5
Elevate With the Butterfly Hook
Drive upward with your butterfly hook while simultaneously pulling with your underhook and lifting with your frame, aiming to bring their hips above your own.
6
Guide and Roll Them Over
As their hips lift, use your top arm to steer their upper body across your centerline, rolling them over your butterfly hook side; keep your head tight to their chest to prevent them from sprawling.
7
Follow and Secure Top Position
As they go over, maintain your grips and come up onto your elbow and then your hand, following their momentum to land in top half-guard or mount; immediately establish chest-to-chest pressure.
Key details most people miss
The butterfly hook must be active and high on their thigh—if it's too low, you lose leverage and elevation.
The underhook should be deep, with your shoulder driving into their armpit to prevent them from flattening you.
Shrimping out before elevating creates the necessary angle; trying to sweep from square hips makes the elevator weak.
Controlling their posting arm is essential—if they can post, the sweep stalls or fails.
Common mistakes
Failing to control their posting arm allows them to base out and kill your sweep.
Letting your underhook get shallow enables them to cross-face and flatten you, shutting down the elevator.
Keeping your hips square instead of angled makes it hard to generate upward lift with the butterfly hook.
Not following up to top position quickly can result in a scramble or losing the sweep entirely.
Counters & responses
They try: Opponent posts their far arm to base out.
You do: Switch to an arm drag or transition to a back take as their weight shifts.
They try: Opponent sprawls heavy on your underhook side.
You do: Use the space to re-guard or insert a knee-shield, then reset your angle for another sweep attempt.
They try: Opponent cross-faces and flattens you.
You do: Frame hard on their biceps/shoulder, hip escape to recover your angle, and re-establish the underhook.
They try: Opponent steps their free leg back to widen base.
You do: Transition to a knee-lever sweep or threaten a single-leg from the underhook.
Drill prescription
6 rounds × 2 min; partner provides 50% resistance and attempts to post or sprawl; goal: 4 clean sweeps per round with immediate top control.
How the masters teach it
Lucas Lepri
Emphasizes deep underhook and tight hip angle for high-percentage sweeps in both gi and no-gi.
BJJ Fanatics
Bernardo Faria
Integrates the elevator sweep into his half-guard series, focusing on grip fighting and timing against heavy top pressure.