This forum has been so helpful with my butterfly guard I was hoping I could ask a few more questions.
What do you generally do when the opponent is so sprawled out, my hooks are barely reaching. Generally, he's sprawled out and moving slowing around in a really tight, low pass.
For those who rely on butterfly guard, what other open guards do you use? Ever since I started using this guard, I pretty much only use butterfly and x-guard. Is this normal? Or will I still need spider guard, de la riva, etc. Thanks in advance!
The situation you describe is a difficult position to play butterfly guard in! That is one reason why the underhook in the butterfly guard is so damm useful - it keeps his weight on top of you where you can sweep him.
If I were caught in this position, though, I would see if I could get my legs free, snap his head down to the ground and come on top with a guillotine or front headlock. If I couldn't get my legs out from under him I might switch to half guard or spider guard.
Good luck
As always, thank you Stephan!
So in regards to my second question, do you still in fact use spider guard?
RE your question: it is normal (and desireable) to concentrate semi-exclusively on a new game while you are developping it. This is no different than deciding to work on your armbars, and then try to submit your sparring partners using nothing but armbars.
That being said, the butterfly guard does dovetail very nicely with some other types of guard work. For myself I find that it complements the half guard, and I find myself transitioning from half guard to butterfly guard, and back, all the time.
Re your question about the spider guard: I don't use it that much myself. I go to it occasionally when I want to have some fun, or when I'm trying to help a training partner get ready for a competition and he needs to get some roll-time against all sorts of different guards.
Are these transitions between the half guard and the butterfly guard explained, demonstrated or shown on the sparring footage on Stephan Kesting's Sweeps DVD?
I mention and demonstrate this transition (butterfly to half), as well as show an example of it from competition. That being said I don't really dwell on this too long, because once you know about the principle it's pretty self explanatory and is something that you need to feel for yourself.
Half guard to butterfly is a bit more complicated - typically it relies on using what I call a "half butterfly" (i.e. the half guard with the instep of the outside leg inserted as a butterfly guard hook).