Technique List

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques are the set of movements, positions and submissions used to control, submit or neutralize an opponent using the principles of leverage, pressure and technique rather than brute strength.

The technical repertoire of BJJ is immense and constantly evolving. From the traditional techniques of the Gracie family to the modern innovations of the inverted guard game, every generation brings its contributions. Understanding this technical richness means understanding the very philosophy of jiu-jitsu: the intelligence of movement in the service of efficiency.

This page gathers the essential techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, organized by category to make learning and progressing easier. Whether you are a beginner working on the fundamentals or an advanced practitioner exploring complex variations, you will find here the landmarks you need to structure your game. For a quick definition of any specific term, head to the complete BJJ glossary.

How techniques are organized: the four pillars

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game revolves around four fundamental technical categories that flow naturally into each other during a match.

1. Positions

Positions are the spatial configurations between the two fighters. Some are dominant (mount, back control, side control), some defensive (guard), others neutral (standing, turtle). The ability to recognize, reach and hold dominant positions is the foundation of effective jiu-jitsu.

Key principle: In the IBJJF scoring system, dominant positions score points precisely because they grant a decisive tactical advantage and significantly increase the chances of a submission. To understand how referees signal and score everything, see our guide to referee gestures and verbal commands.

2. Guards

Guards are a specific subset of positions where the bottom practitioner uses the legs to control, push away or off-balance a standing or kneeling opponent. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu revolutionized martial arts by turning the ground position — traditionally unfavorable — into an offensive platform through the sophisticated development of the guard game.

Key principle: An effective guard is never passive. It constantly creates threats (sweeps, submissions) that force the opponent to react and open attacking opportunities.

3. Submissions

Submissions are the finishing techniques that force the opponent to give up (tap) due to pain or imminent risk of injury. They target the joints (arm, leg and shoulder locks) or the airways and blood flow to the brain (chokes). Mastering submissions means understanding anatomy, pressure angles and execution timing.

Key principle: A well-executed submission must be controlled and progressive. The goal is never to injure, but to obtain the tap safely for both practitioners.

4. Transitions

Transitions are the movements that let you go from one position to another, escape a bad spot, or create submission opportunities. Transitions include guard passes, sweeps, reversals and technical chains. Fluid jiu-jitsu is built on mastered transitions.

Key principle: Transitions are the most vulnerable moments of a fight. Whoever controls the transitions controls the pace and dictates the match.

Techniques by category

🛡️ Fundamental positions

Mount

Dominant position where the practitioner sits on the opponent’s torso, knees on the mat, controlling the chest with body weight. The mount offers maximum control and many submission options (chokes, arm locks). IBJJF points: 4 points.

Main variations:

• Low mount: more stable, weight on the hips
• High mount: knees up toward the armpits, isolating the arms
• Technical mount: one leg posted, asymmetrical control
• S-mount: S-shaped position for the direct armbar

Back control / Back mount

The most dominant position in jiu-jitsu, where the practitioner is behind the opponent with the hooks (feet) inserted inside their thighs. This position gives direct access to rear chokes (rear naked choke) while neutralizing most of the opponent’s defenses. IBJJF points: 4 points.

Key elements:

• Hooks: feet hooked inside the thighs
• Seatbelt grip: torso control with the arms in a seatbelt configuration
• Head glued: preventing the opponent from turning

Side control

Control position where the practitioner lies perpendicular to the opponent on their back, chest to chest, weight distributed to immobilize. Side control is a major transition position toward the mount, the back or submissions. IBJJF points: 0 points (no points for side control alone).

Main variations:

• 100 kilos: maximum weight on the torso
• Kesa gatame: control with the arm under the head
• Reverse kesa gatame: inverted control, facing the legs
• Knee on belly: maximum mobility (2 IBJJF points)

North-south

Position where the practitioner is upside down relative to the opponent, head toward the feet, chest to chest. An intermediate position often used during transitions between side control and mount, offering specific chokes.

Uses:

• Transition to mount or to the opposite side control
• North-south choke (frontal arm choke)
• Kimura from north-south

🌀 Guards: controlling from the bottom

Closed guard

The closed guard is the fundamental position of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where the bottom practitioner locks the legs around the opponent’s waist. A historic position developed by the Gracie family, it offers control, safety and many offensive options. Essential for every beginner.

Why start with the closed guard:

• Maximum control of distance and of the opponent’s posture
• Stable platform to learn the basic submissions (triangle, armbar, omoplata)
• Solid defense that lets you recover when tired

Half guard

Position where the bottom practitioner controls a single leg of the opponent with both legs. Long seen as an unfavorable transition position, the modern half guard has become a full offensive guard thanks to the innovations of champions like Bernardo Faria and Lucas Leite.

Main uses:

• Defensive recovery when the guard has been passed
• Platform for powerful sweeps (half guard sweep, old school sweep)
• Back takes and submissions (kimura, guillotine)

De la Riva guard

Asymmetrical open guard where the practitioner wraps a leg hook inside the opponent’s lead thigh to control their base. Created by Brazilian champion Ricardo De la Riva, this guard has become a pillar of the modern game, particularly effective against standing opponents.

Strengths of the De la Riva:

• Excellent directional control: prevents the guard pass
• Access to technical sweeps (berimbolo, waiter sweep)
• Transitions to back takes

Spider guard

Open guard where the practitioner controls the opponent’s sleeves or biceps with the hands while pushing with the feet on the biceps or hips. This guard stretches the opponent out and creates a controlled distance that is ideal for sweeps and triangles. It was the favorite weapon of a young Leandro Lo before he became the passer we all know.

Characteristics:

• Bilateral control of the opponent’s arms
• Excellent for breaking posture
• Pendulum sweeps (lumberjack sweep, omoplata sweep)
• Triangle and omoplata transitions

Butterfly guard

Seated guard where the practitioner’s feet hook under the opponent’s thighs. Popularized by Marcelo Garcia, “The King of the Butterfly Guard”, the butterfly guard favors mobility, explosive sweeps and guillotines.

Strong points:

• Maximum mobility (the “active” guard par excellence)
• Direct, powerful sweeps (butterfly sweep, hook sweep)
• Excellent against pressure and aggressive top games
• Access to guillotines and darce chokes

X-guard

Asymmetrical open guard where the practitioner places the legs in an X under the opponent, controlling one leg and destabilizing their base. An advanced technique enabling technical sweeps and back takes. Here again, it was Marcelo Garcia who popularized the X-guard at the highest level.

Uses:

• X sweep (direct sweep)
• Transition to the single leg X-guard
• Back take through inversion

🔒 Main submissions

Chokes

Triangle choke: BJJ’s iconic submission where the legs form a triangle around the opponent’s neck and one arm, compressing the carotid arteries. Available from almost every guard, the triangle is one of the first submissions taught.

Rear naked choke (RNC / Mata leão): The rear choke is the most effective submission in jiu-jitsu. Executed from back control, it compresses both carotid arteries simultaneously, causing unconsciousness in seconds if uncontrolled.

Guillotine choke: Frontal choke where the practitioner wraps the opponent’s neck with one arm passing under the chin. Particularly effective against takedown attempts and from the guard. Variations: high-elbow guillotine, arm-in guillotine, and Marcelo Garcia’s famous Marcelotine.

Cross-collar choke: A choke using the opponent’s gi collar with crossed hands to compress the carotids. Executable from the guard as well as from the mount, it is a signature of gi jiu-jitsu. Not to be confused with the Ezekiel (which uses your own sleeve) or with lapel chokes (which use the lapel).

Darce choke (D’arce): Asymmetrical no-gi choke where the attacker’s arm passes under the opponent’s arm and grabs their own biceps to compress the neck laterally.

Anaconda choke: A darce variation where the arm passes the other way, creating a similar compression from a different angle.

Joint locks

Armbar (Juji gatame): Fundamental submission targeting the elbow. The practitioner isolates the opponent’s arm and applies extension pressure on the elbow joint. Available from virtually every position.

Kimura: Double-grip shoulder lock (figure-4 with the arms) forcing an external rotation of the opponent’s shoulder. Named after judoka Masahiko Kimura, who submitted Hélio Gracie in 1951. Extremely versatile and powerful.

Americana: A shoulder lock similar to the kimura but rotating the other way (internal rotation). Typically executed from the mount or side control.

Omoplata: A sophisticated submission using the legs to control the opponent’s arm and shoulder, applying rotational pressure on the shoulder joint. Often used in transition from the triangle or the spider guard.

Straight ankle lock (footlock): Fundamental ankle lock where the practitioner isolates the opponent’s leg and applies extension pressure on the ankle joint. The entry-level leg lock, legal from white belt in IBJJF.

Kneebar: A knee lock applying hyperextension pressure on the knee joint. In IBJJF, it is legal from brown belt in adult divisions.

Heel hook: A rotational knee attack through the heel, considered the most dangerous leg lock because it injures before it hurts. Still forbidden in the gi at IBJJF, it has been legal in IBJJF no-gi (adult brown and black belts) since 2021, as well as at ADCC. It requires precise anatomical understanding and a trusted partner.

⚔️ Guard passes

Toreando pass (bullfighter pass): Dynamic pass where the practitioner controls both of the opponent’s legs and pushes them sideways to go around the guard, like a bullfighter dodging a bull. Fast, explosive, effective against open guards. It was the main weapon of the greatest passer in history, Leandro Lo.

Knee slice pass (knee cut): A pass where the practitioner slides a knee through the opponent’s guard like a knife cutting through, stabilizing in side control. One of the most used passes in modern jiu-jitsu.

Leg drag: A pass where the practitioner drags one of the opponent’s legs across their own body line, creating a favorable angle to pass directly to the back or to side control. Favored in the modern game for its access to back takes.

Stack pass: A pressure pass where the practitioner lifts the opponent’s hips (the “stack”) and passes their legs over their head. Powerful against closed and half guards.

Over-under pass: A classic pressure pass where the practitioner puts one arm over and one arm under the opponent’s legs, creating an asymmetrical control to press through the guard.

🔄 Sweeps & reversals

Scissor sweep (tesoura): A classic sweep from closed guard where the practitioner uses scissoring legs to reverse the opponent. The first sweep taught to beginners.

Butterfly sweep: An explosive sweep from butterfly guard using the leg hooks and momentum to lift and throw the opponent sideways.

Hip bump sweep (upa): A sweep from closed guard using an explosive hip movement to off-balance the opponent forward and reverse them.

Pendulum sweep: A sweep from spider or open guard using a pendulum motion of the legs to sweep the opponent to the side.

Berimbolo: A modern acrobatic technique from De la Riva guard where the practitioner rolls under the opponent to reach their back directly. Popularized by the Mendes brothers, this technique revolutionized modern competitive jiu-jitsu.

Old school sweep: A half guard sweep where the practitioner controls the opponent’s far arm and sweeps backward. Classic and effective.

How to progress technically

For beginners (white belts)

Focus on the fundamentals:

• Master the closed guard (attack and defense)
• Understand the basic positions (mount, side control, back)
• Learn 2-3 basic submissions (triangle, armbar, rear naked choke)
• Develop balance and body awareness

Recommended mindset: Do not try to know every technique. It is better to master 10 fundamental techniques than to know 100 moves superficially. Smart repetition builds automatisms.

For intermediates (blue and purple belts)

Develop your personal game:

• Identify your favorite positions (your “A-game”)
• Go deep on one specific type of guard
• Work on chains (if the armbar fails, chain to triangle or omoplata)
• Study guard passing sequences
• Understand the principles behind the techniques, not just the movements

Goal: Build a coherent game system where every position connects to the others.

For advanced practitioners (brown and black belts)

Refine and innovate:

• Perfect the microscopic details (grips, angles, timing)
• Develop personal variations adapted to your body type
• Anticipate the opponent’s reactions and prepare counters
• Study the game of today’s champions — our legend profiles break down the systems of Marcelo Garcia, Leandro Lo, Roger Gracie and others
• Experiment and contribute to the evolution of jiu-jitsu

Resources to go further

• The BJJ glossary: 120+ technical terms defined, with an anchor for every term
• Referee gestures and verbal commands: understand IBJJF refereeing
• Champion profiles: learn from the best

BJJ techniques FAQ

Which techniques should I learn first in BJJ?

Start with the closed guard, hip escapes (shrimping), the basic positions (mount, side control, back control) and two or three fundamental submissions: triangle, armbar and rear naked choke. It is better to master ten fundamentals than to skim a hundred moves — repetition builds automatisms.

How many points does each position score in IBJJF competition?

Takedowns, sweeps and knee-on-belly score 2 points, the guard pass scores 3 points, and the mount and back control score 4 points. Side control alone scores no points.

Are leg locks legal in competition?

It depends on the belt and the format. In IBJJF, the straight ankle lock is legal from white belt; the kneebar and toe hold from brown belt; the heel hook only in no-gi, for adult brown and black belts, since 2021. In the gi, the heel hook remains forbidden at every level.

What is the difference between a guard and a position?

A position is any configuration between the two fighters (mount, side control, back…). A guard is one particular type of position: the one where the bottom practitioner uses the legs to control the opponent. It is BJJ’s great specificity, which turned the ground position into an offensive platform.

📬 Get ready for your first competition

Get our free PDF guide to preparing for your first BJJ competition + a weekly digest of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu news, straight to your inbox.

Please leave this field empty

Sign up and stay connected to the latest BJJ news!

OSS 🥋

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Read next

• Referee gestures and verbal commands in BJJ — how matches are scored and controlled
• The complete BJJ glossary — 120+ terms defined, one anchor per term
• The BJJ legends — Marcelo Garcia, Leandro Lo, Roger Gracie and more