BJJ Glossary: Every Term You Need to Know

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

This BJJ glossary gathers more than 120 essential Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu terms, explained simply. Whether you are a beginner or a competitor, you will find here all the vocabulary used on the mats, in competition and on bjj-rules.com. Every term has its own anchor, so you can link straight to a definition (e.g. #butterfly-guard).

A.

Absolute (open class) – the open weight division in competition, where all weight classes meet. Absolute medals (like Marcelo Garcia’s at ADCC) carry special prestige because David gets to fight Goliath.

Academy – the term used for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. Also called a gym, club or team.

ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) – the most prestigious no-gi grappling competition in the world, held every two years. Winning it is considered the pinnacle of a grappler’s career: Marcelo Garcia won it four times.

Advantage – a half-point awarded in competition when a technique almost scored but was not completed. Used to break ties when fighters are level on points.

Americana – a submission that attacks the shoulder by rotating the opponent’s arm outward. Usually the first shoulder lock taught to beginners, typically from side control or mount.

Anaconda choke – a submission using the arms to compress the opponent’s neck from the side. Cousin of the darce choke, often attacked against a turtled opponent or after a sprawl.

Ankle lock (straight ankle lock) – a submission targeting the ankle joint through hyperextension. It is the first leg lock allowed in IBJJF competition (from white belt).

Arm drag – pulling the opponent’s arm across their body to reach their back or create an angle of attack. Usable standing or on the ground, it is one of Marcelo Garcia’s signature weapons.

Arm triangle – a submission that compresses the opponent’s neck by trapping one of their arms against their own carotid artery.

Armbar – a submission that hyperextends the opponent’s elbow beyond its natural range of motion. Executable from guard, mount, the back… one of the most universal submissions in grappling.

Armlock – the generic term for submissions attacking the joints of the arm: elbow (armbar), shoulder (kimura, americana, omoplata) or wrist (wrist lock).

Ashi garami – the Japanese term for the basic leg entanglement, the starting point of most leg lock attacks. The practitioner wraps their legs around one of the opponent’s legs to control it before attacking the foot or knee.

B.

Back control – a position where one fighter is behind the opponent with the legs hooked around their body. Considered the most dominant position in BJJ, worth 4 points in IBJJF competition.

Back take – any technique used to reach the opponent’s back, from guard, passing or the turtle.

Baratoplata – a shoulder lock variation popularized by Rafael “Barata” Freitas, using a twist of the opponent’s arm to force the tap.

Base – a fundamental BJJ concept: a fighter’s stability and balance, standing or on the ground. Having good base means being hard to sweep or off-balance.

Belt – the symbol of a practitioner’s skill and experience. Adult order: white, blue, purple, brown, black — with up to 4 stripes (degrees) per belt. Progression is slow: expect 10 years or more on average to reach black belt.

Berimbolo – a technique to invert under an opponent and take their back starting from De la Riva guard. Popularized by the Mendes brothers (including Rafael Mendes) and the Miyao brothers.

Bicep slicer – a compression submission on the opponent’s biceps, usually using the shin or forearm as a fulcrum. Illegal below brown belt in IBJJF.

BJJ – the abbreviation of “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”. In France, the abbreviation JJB is also used.

Body lock – a control where both arms are locked around the opponent’s torso or hips. The body lock pass, popularized by Gordon Ryan, has become one of the dominant guard passes of modern no-gi.

Bottom player – a fighter who prefers to fight off their back, using the guard to sweep and attack.

Bow and arrow choke – a submission executed from the opponent’s back by pulling their collar and leg in opposite directions, like an archer drawing a bow. One of the most effective gi chokes in BJJ.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – a martial art and combat sport focused on ground fighting, control and submissions. Developed in Brazil by the Gracie family from judo and Japanese jiu-jitsu. To go further: the history of BJJ in 10 key dates.

Bridge – a fundamental movement of driving the hips upward by pushing off the feet. Used to escape control positions like the mount.

Buggy choke – a spectacular strangle executed… from the bottom of side control, wrapping one’s own leg and arm around the opponent’s neck. Popularized in no-gi by Kade Ruotolo.

Butterfly guard – a guard where the bottom fighter places their feet (hooks) inside the opponent’s thighs. Excellent for sweeps and single leg X entries. Marcelo Garcia, “The King of the Butterfly Guard”, turned it into a feared offensive weapon at the highest level.

C.

Calf slicer – a compression submission on the opponent’s calf, using the shin as a lever. Illegal below brown belt in IBJJF.

CFJJB (Confédération Française de Jiu-Jitsu Brésilien) – the organization structuring BJJ in France: national competitions, belt promotions and the French national team.

Choke – a submission that compresses the opponent’s airway or the arteries of the neck. Blood chokes (carotid compression, quick unconsciousness) are distinguished from air chokes (trachea compression).

Clock choke – a submission executed against a turtled opponent, using the gi collar to strangle while walking around them like the hand of a clock.

Closed guard – a guard where the bottom fighter’s legs are crossed behind the opponent’s back. The first guard you learn in BJJ, and a dangerous attacking position at every level.

Collar grip – a grip on the opponent’s gi collar. One of the most important grips in gi jiu-jitsu, both to control posture and to set up chokes.

Crab ride – a modern control position where the attacker rides the opponent’s legs from behind, like a crab, to climb toward the back. Heavily used by the berimbolo generation and in no-gi.

Cross-collar choke – a submission using the opponent’s kimono collar with crossed hands. One of the fundamental gi chokes, executable from guard as well as from mount.

Crossface – a control technique of driving the forearm across the opponent’s face to limit their movement and stop them from turning.

Crucifix – a control position immobilizing both of the opponent’s arms, one with the legs and the other with the arms. Opens many safe submissions.

D.

Darce choke – a submission threading the attacker’s arm under the opponent’s neck and armpit to compress the airway. Mirror of the anaconda choke, hugely popular in no-gi.

Deep half guard – a half guard variation where the bottom fighter dives deep under the opponent’s center of gravity. Popular for sweeps, notably thanks to Bernardo Faria.

De la Riva – an open guard where the bottom fighter wraps a leg around the opponent’s lead leg while controlling the opposite ankle. Named after Ricardo De la Riva, it is the starting point of the berimbolo.

Double leg takedown – a takedown where the attacker grabs both of the opponent’s legs and drives them to the ground. Inherited from wrestling, worth 2 points in IBJJF.

Drilling – the methodical repetition of a technique to make it automatic. Essential for progress: it bridges understanding a move and being able to apply it in sparring.

E.

Escape – any technique to get out of a bad position (mount, side control, back control, etc.). Defense is the foundation of the game: you attack freely when you know you can escape.

Ezekiel choke – a submission using the gi sleeve or forearm to strangle the opponent. Executable from many positions, including from the bottom of mount.

F.

Fifty-fifty (50/50) – a symmetrical position where each fighter has one leg entangled in the other’s: both have access to the same attacks, hence the name. Central to the modern leg lock game, also criticized for the stalling it can generate in competition.

Foot lock – the generic term for submissions attacking the opponent’s foot and ankle (straight ankle lock, toe hold…).

Frame – a fundamental defensive concept: using the arms and forearms as beams to create space between yourself and the opponent and stop the pressure.

Front headlock – a control of the opponent’s head and one arm from the front, often obtained after a sprawl. The gateway to the guillotine, darce and anaconda choke.

G.

Gi (kimono) – the uniform worn in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training and competition, made of a jacket, pants and a belt. It provides grips that define a whole dimension of the game.

Granby roll – a shoulder roll used to recover guard or escape a bad position. Heavily used in guard retention.

Grappling – gripping combat in general: controls, takedowns, pins and submissions, without strikes. BJJ is a form of grappling, alongside wrestling, judo and sambo.

Grip fighting – the battle for grips on the opponent’s gi or body. Whoever wins the grip battle usually controls the fight.

Guard – the family of positions where the bottom fighter uses their legs to control the opponent. It is BJJ’s great specificity: being on your back is not a defeat but an attacking platform. Dozens of variations exist (closed, open, butterfly, De la Riva, spider, X-guard…).

Guard pass – a technique used to get past the opponent’s legs and reach a control position. Worth 3 points in IBJJF competition.

Guard retention – the set of techniques used to stop the opponent from passing your guard. An often neglected but essential part of the modern guard game.

Guillotine choke – a submission using the arms to compress the opponent’s neck from the front, wrapping one arm around the head. Its most feared variation, the Marcelotine, bears Marcelo Garcia’s name.

H.

Half guard – a position where the bottom fighter controls only one of the opponent’s legs between their own. Long seen as a survival position, it has become a full attacking platform (deep half, knee shield, lockdown…).

Heel hook – a submission attacking the knee by rotating the heel. Considered one of the most dangerous submissions because it injures before it hurts. Illegal in the gi in IBJJF; allowed in no-gi from brown belt.

Hip escape / Shrimp – the most important basic movement in BJJ: pushing the hips back while shifting to the side to create space. Used in almost every escape.

Hook – using the foot or heel to attach to the opponent’s body. The hooks in back control are what maintain the position (4 IBJJF points).

I.

IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) – the main international BJJ federation, founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. It organizes the World Championships, the Europeans and the Pan-Americans.

Inversion – turning over onto the shoulders, legs above the head, to defend the guard or attack (berimbolo, leg lock entries). A hallmark of the modern guard game.

Inverted triangle – a submission using the legs to compress the opponent’s neck in an inverted configuration compared to the classic triangle.

J.

Joint lock – a category of submissions forcing a joint beyond its natural range of motion: elbow, shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle or spine.

K.

K-guard – a modern guard where the bottom fighter forms a “K” with their legs against the opponent’s leg, to climb to the back or enter leg locks. Popularized by Lachlan Giles at ADCC 2019.

Kimono → see Gi.

Kimura – a submission rotating the opponent’s shoulder by controlling the wrist with a “figure 4” grip. Named after judoka Masahiko Kimura, who beat Helio Gracie with this technique in 1951.

Knee-on-belly – a control position where one fighter places a knee on the opponent’s abdomen. Worth 2 points in IBJJF.

Kneebar – a submission hyperextending the opponent’s knee, on the same principle as an armbar applied to the leg. Illegal below brown belt in IBJJF.

Knee shield – a guard using the knee as a barrier to keep the opponent at bay and create openings for attacks and sweeps. See also Z-guard.

Knee slide pass (knee cut) – a guard pass where the attacker slides a knee through the opponent’s guard. One of the most effective passes, used at every level.

L.

Lapel choke – a category of submissions using the opponent’s gi lapel to strangle.

Lapel guard – a family of guards using the gi lapel (yours or the opponent’s) as a control tool. Popularized by Keenan Cornelius (worm guard, squid guard, etc.).

Lasso guard – an open guard where the bottom fighter wraps a leg around the opponent’s arm while holding the sleeve. Very effective at breaking posture and stopping passes.

Leg drag – a guard pass where the attacker drags the opponent’s leg across to reach side control. Fast and effective, a signature of the Atos team.

Leg lock – the generic term for all submissions attacking the legs: ankles (ankle lock, toe hold), knees (kneebar, heel hook) or compressions (calf slicer). Long marginalized, they have become central to modern grappling.

Lockdown – a half guard technique where the bottom fighter entangles their legs around the opponent’s leg to trap it. Popularized by 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

Loop choke – a quick strangle using the gi collar, often from open guard or in transition, “looping” the opponent’s head.

M.

Marcelotine – the guillotine variation popularized by Marcelo Garcia, featuring a high-wrist control and a hip engagement that makes it very hard to defend. A contraction of “Marcelo” and “guillotine”.

Mata leão – the Portuguese name of the rear naked choke. Literally “lion killer”. See Rear naked choke.

Mount – a dominant position where one fighter sits on the opponent’s torso. Worth 4 points in IBJJF competition.

N.

No-gi – training or competing without the kimono, in rashguard and shorts. The no-gi style puts more emphasis on underhooks, wrestling and leg locks.

North-south – a control position where one fighter is on top of the opponent, head to toe, chest to chest.

North-south choke – a strangle executed from the north-south position using the arm and shoulder to compress the neck. It is the technique Marcelo Garcia used to submit Masakazu Imanari in his comeback at ONE 170, aged 41.

O.

Omoplata – a submission using the legs to apply a shoulder lock from the guard. Also used as a sweep and a control position.

Open guard – any guard where the bottom fighter’s legs are not crossed behind the opponent’s back. Includes De la Riva, spider guard, lasso, butterfly, X-guard, etc.

Oss – a salute commonly used in BJJ academies to show respect, agree or encourage.

Overhook (whizzer) – a control passing your arm over the opponent’s arm to shut down their underhook and counter their attacks.

P.

Passing – getting past the opponent’s legs to reach a control position (side control, mount, back). One of the most important aspects of BJJ.

Penalty – the sanction given by the referee for lack of combativeness, an illegal grip or unsportsmanlike behavior. Penalties accumulate and can lead to disqualification.

Posture – the position of the torso and head relative to the opponent. In closed guard, keeping good posture (straight back, head up) is essential to avoid submissions.

Pressure pass – a guard pass based on pressure and body weight to crush the opponent’s guard. A style associated with Bernardo Faria and the traditional Brazilian school.

Professor – the term for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor or coach, usually a black belt.

Pull guard – pulling the opponent into your guard at the start of the match instead of fighting for the takedown.

Q.

Quarter guard – a transitional position where the bottom fighter only controls the opponent’s foot or ankle. Often the last line of defense before a completed guard pass.

R.

Rashguard – the tight-fitting shirt worn under the gi or in no-gi to protect the skin from friction and infections.

Rear naked choke (RNC) – a submission executed from the opponent’s back, wrapping one arm around their neck without using the gi. Considered the most effective choke in BJJ and MMA. In Portuguese: mata leão.

Reverse triangle – a submission using the legs to compress the opponent’s neck from the top, in an inverted configuration.

Roll – a round of sparring in BJJ. “Rolling” means free sparring in training.

Rubber guard – a closed guard where the bottom fighter uses flexibility to place their foot behind the opponent’s head. A system developed by Eddie Bravo (10th Planet).

S.

S-mount – a mount variation where the attacker places one leg high near the opponent’s head. The ideal position for the armbar from mount.

Saddle (411, inside sankaku) – a leg entanglement where the attacker controls the opponent’s leg from the inside, between both of their own legs. The king position for heel hooks in modern no-gi grappling.

Sandbagging – deliberately staying at a lower belt to dominate your division in competition. Frowned upon in the BJJ community.

Scarf hold (kesa gatame) – a side control position inherited from judo, controlling the opponent’s head and one arm.

Scissor sweep – a classic sweep from closed guard using scissoring legs to reverse the opponent. Often the first sweep taught to beginners.

Seatbelt grip – a back control grip with one arm over the shoulder and the other under the armpit, hands joined on the chest. The priority control, even before the hooks.

Side control – a control position lying perpendicular across the opponent’s side, after passing the guard (3 IBJJF points for the pass).

Single leg takedown – a takedown where the attacker grabs one of the opponent’s legs.

Single leg X-guard (SLX) – a guard wrapping the legs around one of the opponent’s legs, one foot on the hip. A bridge between butterfly guard and X-guard, and a gateway to leg attacks — a pillar of Marcelo Garcia’s system.

Sleeve grip – a grip on the opponent’s gi sleeve. Essential for the open guard game (spider guard, lasso, etc.).

Smash pass – a pressure-based guard pass where the attacker crushes the opponent’s legs to one side to get past them.

Sparring – free fighting practice in training. Also called “rolling” in BJJ.

Spider guard – an open guard controlling the opponent’s sleeves while placing the feet on their biceps. Very strong for managing distance in the gi.

Sprawl – a technique to defend a takedown by quickly throwing the hips back and the legs away from the opponent.

Stack pass – a guard pass where the attacker stacks the opponent onto their shoulders by driving their legs toward their head.

Stalling – deliberately not seeking to progress in the match, blocking the game. Penalized by the referee in competition.

Submission – a technique forcing the opponent to give up by tapping, through pain or risk of injury. Includes chokes and joint locks. The ultimate goal in BJJ.

Sweep – a reversal executed from the guard to end up in a dominant position. Worth 2 points in IBJJF competition.

T.

Takedown – a technique to bring a standing opponent to the ground. Worth 2 points in IBJJF.

Tap / Tap out – tapping the opponent, the mat or yourself to signal you give up against a submission. The most important safety rule in BJJ: tap early, train long.

Top player – a fighter who prefers to fight from the top, passing the guard and controlling.

Toreando pass (toreada) – a fast guard pass grabbing the opponent’s legs and pushing them aside to pass, like a bullfighter. Effective in gi and no-gi.

Transition – moving from one position to another. Fluid transitions are what set advanced practitioners apart.

Triangle choke – a submission using the legs to form a triangle around the opponent’s neck and one arm, compressing the carotid arteries. One of BJJ’s emblematic submissions.

Truck – a control position behind the opponent with a deep hook between their legs. Popular in no-gi and the 10th Planet system, it is the gateway to the twister.

Turtle position – a defensive position on knees and hands, back to the opponent. A transition spot, not a place to stay.

Twister – a submission applying a spinal twist. Rare and spectacular, popularized by Eddie Bravo. Illegal in IBJJF.

U.

Underhook – a control passing your arm under the opponent’s arm. Having the underhook is often the key to controlling the position, in half guard as well as standing.

V.

Vale tudo – Portuguese for “anything goes”. The early no-rules fights in Brazil where the Gracie family’s BJJ proved itself against other styles.

W.

Warm-up – the part of training before technique and sparring. In BJJ it often includes specific movements like the shrimp, the granby roll and breakfalls.

Worm guard – a guard created by Keenan Cornelius using the opponent’s gi lapel wrapped around the leg to create a control that is very hard to break.

Wrestle-up – standing up from your guard to finish a takedown (often a single leg) instead of sweeping. A hallmark of modern wrestling-influenced grappling.

Wrist lock – a submission attacking the wrist joint. Often described as a “sneaky” submission because it comes fast and by surprise.

X.

X-guard – an open guard where the bottom fighter places their legs in an X between the opponent’s legs to off-balance them. Excellent for sweeps, even against heavier opponents. Popularized by Marcelo Garcia, who made it a pillar of his system.

Y.

Yellow belt – one of the belts in the IBJJF kids system (grey, yellow, orange, green), before moving to the adult system at 16.

Z.

Z-guard – a half guard variation where the bottom fighter uses the knee as a shield (knee shield) to keep distance. Very popular at the highest level.