In the event you undergo any BJJ meme web page, you’ll probably run into varied posts about “butt scooting.” This motion has been a little bit of a joke across the grappling neighborhood for years, however is there any benefit to butt scooting?
Let’s dive into the motion and see if it has any worth.
What Is Butt Scooting?
Butt scooting is a motion utilized by guard gamers and leg lockers sit on their buttocks and scoot in direction of their opponent. It’s usually used to arrange sweeps or leg entanglements like 50/50.
As a substitute of ranging from the toes and fascinating within the clinch, guard gamers will evade this trade by butt scooting. This helps them keep away from a probably weak a part of their recreation and go proper to their energy on the mat.
They set up grips and get into place to launch varied assaults.
Origins & Mechanics
Butt scooting shouldn’t be new, nevertheless it gained prominence with the explosion of berimbilos, leg entanglements, and 50/50 through the 2010s. A few of the most notable butt scooters embody the Miyao brothers, Mendes brothers, and Mikey Musumeci.
Most BJJ competitions, such because the IBJJF have codecs that reward these guard sits if rivals can efficiently use this method.
Tutorials exist on “efficient butt scooting” emphasizing grips, hip mobility, and creating angles for sweeps or entries. One frequent setup is establishing a cross collar grip with sleeve management as you sit and scoot into your opponent.
Why It Grew to become A Joke
In the event you’ve ever seen somebody butt scoot, you may perceive why it grew to become a joke. The optics are undeniably comical.
A grown grownup sitting on the mat with legs spade, scooting after their opponent. When neither facet desires to gauge it turns into each comical and embarrassing.
All through the web there are quite a few clips of exaggerated butt scooting racking up views with humorous captions. The memes painting scooting because the epitome of BJJ’s perceived flaws: guard pulling, avoidance of actual combating, stalling, and prioritizing sports activities particular abilities over combative ones.
In MMA or self-defense contexts, sitting on the bottom whereas an opponent stands above you invitations strikes, kicks, and never true self protection. Even inside Jiu-Jitsu, guard passers and wrestlers mock this technique as lazy and low-cost.
Jiu-Jitsu champion Tye Ruotolo even joked that matches with butt scooters resemble an “final scissoring championship” quite than a grappling match. Many grapplers and followers share this sentiment as extended seated battles and 50/50 stalemates are boring.
Has Butt Scooting Damage BJJ?

There have been arguments made for either side if butt scooting has damage BJJ or not. There are some who really feel that scooting is simply one other evolution of the game.
There are numerous high grapplers who’ve successfully carried out this technique into their video games. It permits them to successfully pull guard and arrange their assaults.
Many defenders of scooting additionally level out that the issue isn’t the act itself however passive stalling. Sadly, many high grapplers use this kind of place to stall after they’re up on factors and never have interaction.
They really feel that this system shouldn’t be dismissed because it ignores the evolution of the game.
Alternatively, it has argumentally broken BJJ’s broader attraction and status. Many new spectators see this act and really feel that it’s embarrassing.
It has additionally exacerbated the game versus self-defense divide. BJJ is marketed as a sensible self-defense system, however butt scooting isn’t street-applicable. The memes have additionally made BJJ into form of a punchline.
A Balanced Perspective
Butt screwing is a symptom, not the illness. The actual issues are passive play and over reliance on one aspect of the martial artwork. Sure rulesets are additionally at fault for not incentivizing aggression.
Elite athletes have proven that butt scooting could be dynamic when paired with stand-up threats. A superb instance of that is Nicky Ryan and his proficiency at wrestle ups from a seated place.
Finally, the energy of BJJ is its depth. Butt scooting could be efficient when combined with varied different assaults. The jokes are humorous, however the motion received’t kill BJJ.
