Butterfly guard heel-hook/arm crush dilemma

[Kforcer]

Super powerful attack, super-powerful position. IMO, I know a guy who, though he has his strengths--literally, he's strong, for one thing--has a lot of limitations as a grappler, not the best positioning or chaining, IMO, not the best problem-solver, but he has the butterfly guard heel-hook/arm crush dual threat down, he was actually doing it long before Gordon Ryan popularized it. Its arguably all he has...but he's pretty dangerous, almost just on the strength of that.

Its interesting how far people can go off of mastering a single powerful position/attack and it seems to just how powerful a base of attack the butterfly can be.

Anyone know a guy who is formidable off of one really, really powerful position, but severely limited in every other way? In a way, those are cool grapplers to know, because they help illustrate the power of mastering a position. Its funny, because almost nobody he trains with every adopted use of the butterfly/arm crush dilemma, no matter how often he would tap guys with it or sweep them with the arm crush. That position in particular is just super, super powerful and I just find it fascinating that a guy--like this guy--can own guys for years basically off one thing.

I've found the kimura backtake to be very similar; another guy I know who is severely limited basically came off as a grappling genius to people on the strength of that move alone.

 

[Zankou]

I don’t know many experienced grapplers who are extremely limited outside of one position, normally it’s more like they will have a couple sequences or favorite moves that they are outrageously good at and you can’t let them get started. But to be affirmatively bad in other contexts is pretty rare I think.

I do think some particular movesets have incredible depth if you commit to them and move outside the regular positional safety zone. Headlock and kimura are two great examples. There’s almost nothing you can’t do with a kimura grip if you play it right. It’s effectively a type of guard in itself. Omoplata another. It’s possible to be an advanced bjj player and basically do nothing except omoplata variations.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

I don’t know many experienced grapplers who are extremely limited outside of one position, normally it’s more like they will have a couple sequences or favorite moves that they are outrageously good at and you can’t let them get started. But to be affirmatively bad in other contexts is pretty rare I think.

I do think some particular movesets have incredible depth if you commit to them and move outside the regular positional safety zone. Headlock and kimura are two great examples. There’s almost nothing you can’t do with a kimura grip if you play it right. It’s effectively a type of guard in itself. Omoplata another. It’s possible to be an advanced bjj player and basically do nothing except omoplata variations.

100% agree about kimura grips. As my game grows, I always come back to that grip as the basis for my control and transitions. So strong.

Omaplatas are incredibly useful for everything except finishing an Omaplata lol. I think it's a super versatile transitional position.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

I definitely train with guys who are black belts level in a single position and blue belt everywhere else lol. I was like that for a long while.

My gym teaches butterfly dilemmas about 2 or 3 times a year and I agree it's a very powerful position. I would argue that it is essential to know for no gi at higher levels.