Terminology

A guard position where both opponents’ legs are intertwined symmetrically, creating a neutral set...

An elite submission grappling organization known for its no-gi world championships. The ADCC rule...

The act of shifting position to create an advantageous angle for attacks such as sweeps, passes, ...

A technique where the opponent’s arm is pulled across the body to disrupt balance and expose thei...

A choke where the opponent’s arm is trapped against their own neck while your arm applies pressur...

A direct application of the arm drag where the movement is extended into a back take. This transi...

A joint lock targeting the elbow, applied when in mount position. The attacker isolates one of th...

The ability to maintain a stable posture and balance, preventing sweeps or takedowns. Strong base...

A formal event where practitioners are awarded new ranks. These ceremonies often include demonstr...

The highest commonly recognized rank in BJJ, representing deep technical knowledge, teaching abil...

The second adult rank in BJJ, typically marking the transition from beginner to intermediate skil...

A powerful gi choke where the practitioner grips the opponent’s collar, rotates their body, and p...

The rank just below black belt, where practitioners refine techniques and sharpen their competiti...

A guard position where the practitioner sits upright with both feet hooked inside the opponent’s ...

The foot placements inside the opponent’s thighs while playing butterfly guard. These hooks are t...

A fundamental attack from butterfly guard where the hooks are used to elevate and tilt the oppone...

The concept of linking multiple techniques together in fluid succession. Effective chain movement...

The process of anticipating and capitalizing on an opponent’s defensive responses. Each reaction ...

Understanding how submission attempts connect — for example, moving from a triangle to an armbar ...

A style of sparring done at very low intensity, often at the beginning of training sessions. It e...

Any choke using grips on the opponent’s gi collar to compress the neck. Variations include cross ...

A movement where the practitioner grips the opponent’s collar and pulls them forward and down, us...

Applying body weight and pressure to limit an opponent’s ability to move or breathe effectively. ...

A grip made by inserting one or both hands into the opponent’s gi collar, typically palm-up. This...

A control technique where the shoulder or forearm is driven across the opponent’s face, turning t...

A variation of half guard where the practitioner moves underneath the opponent’s leg, controlling...

A guard named after Ricardo de la Riva, involving an outside hook with one leg around the opponen...

A classic sweep from guard that uses a hook under the opponent’s leg combined with hip movement t...

A core grappling principle of using the opponent’s momentum or force against them. Instead of res...

A gi choke performed by gripping inside one sleeve and applying the forearm across the opponent’s...

A light, cooperative sparring style where both partners move continuously, prioritizing transitio...

A powerful sweep from closed guard where the practitioner swings their leg in a pendulum motion w...

A fundamental escape concept combining strong frames (using arms or legs as structural barriers) ...

The continuous adjustment and repositioning of frames to maintain space, disrupt pressure, and ad...

A principle emphasizing the use of skeletal frames and natural leverage points (hips, elbows, kne...

The strategic use of grips on the opponent’s gi — collars, sleeves, pants, or belt — to control m...

A specialized gi grip where the collar is looped around the hand or wrist, creating a secure hold...

A comparison between training with the gi (emphasizing grips, friction, and control) and no-gi (f...

A metaphor describing the strategic nature of BJJ, where each move prompts counters and adjustmen...

The practice of prioritizing which grips to break first to neutralize the opponent’s control most...

The battle for hand control in gi and no-gi, involving establishing, maintaining, and breaking gr...

A conceptual ranking of grips, where dominant grips (like a deep collar grip or strong underhook)...

Techniques used to re-establish guard after the opponent has begun passing or when caught in a di...

The principles and techniques that prevent an opponent from passing guard in the first place. Emp...

A front choke that encircles the opponent’s neck with the arms, often countering takedowns or whe...

A guard position where one of the opponent’s legs is trapped between your legs. Variations includ...

A dominant variation of mount where the practitioner slides their knees near the opponent’s armpi...

A sweep from closed guard where the practitioner sits up explosively and bumps their hips into th...

A fundamental movement in which the practitioner shifts their hips backward while framing to crea...

Using the insteps or legs to control and manipulate an opponent’s movement. Hooks are key in guar...

A variation of hook control where the leg specifically targets the opponent’s knee joint, often s...

The primary global organization governing gi and no-gi competitions, setting standardized rules, ...

A guard position where the practitioner rolls or inverts under the opponent, often using head-dow...

A setup that isolates an opponent’s arm to establish control and leverage for sweeps, submissions...

A guard pass where the top player slides their knee across the opponent’s thigh or shin, breaking...

A half guard variant where a knee is placed across the opponent’s torso to create distance, block...

A dominant top control where one knee presses into the opponent’s torso while the other leg suppo...

The principle of off-balancing an opponent to create openings for throws, sweeps, or submissions....

Submissions that use the opponent’s gi collar to compress the neck or carotid arteries. Variation...

Using the opponent’s gi collar to manipulate posture, off-balance, or initiate attacks. Lapel dra...

A guard position where a leg wraps around the opponent’s arm to control posture, prevent passes, ...

Mount positions with different knee placements: low mount is closer to the opponent’s waist/chest...

Informal term describing the cumulative hours spent training, rolling, drilling, or sparring on t...

Application of BJJ techniques, grips, and concepts within mixed martial arts. Emphasizes transiti...

Maintaining alignment and balance to both attack effectively and defend against sweeps, submissio...

General term for guard positions where the legs are not locked around the opponent. Open guard pr...

A guard pass where one arm threads under the opponent’s legs and the other over, allowing the top...

Positioning an arm over the opponent’s limb to control or prevent movement, often used in clinch ...

The ability to predict opponent movements and intentions to preempt attacks, maintain control, an...

Linking position transitions in a fluid sequence to maintain advantage, control, and continuous a...

Ranking positions from dominant (e.g., mount, back control) to neutral or defensive (e.g., bottom...

Posture break refers to forcing the opponent into a vulnerable alignment to set up attacks, sweep...

Guard passing strategy emphasizing body weight, pressure, and control to flatten and immobilize t...

Advanced belt level indicating strong technical skill, conceptual understanding of BJJ principles...

A submission applied from back control without a gi, where the attacker uses the arms to compress...

High-level belts representing decades of dedication and mastery. Red/Black is usually a 7th-degre...

Submission applied from back control without a gi. One arm encircles the opponent’s neck while th...

Informal term for live sparring or practicing techniques with a partner, focusing on applying con...

Applying twisting or rotational motion in sweeps, escapes, and submissions to increase leverage a...

Advanced mount variation controlling opponent’s chest and shoulders with high leverage, offering ...

Guard sweep using a scissor-like leg motion to off-balance the opponent and reverse position.

Rapid transitional movements where positions are contested. Efficiency refers to maximizing contr...

Back control grip with one arm over the opponent’s shoulder and one under, locking them in for co...

Guard where the shin is placed across the opponent’s torso or legs to create distance, control po...

X-guard variation focusing on controlling one of the opponent’s legs for sweeps and positional ad...

Guard where the practitioner sits up to attack, create frames, or control distance while setting ...

Gripping the opponent’s gi sleeve to control posture, manage distance, or set up attacks and subm...

Guard using feet on the opponent’s sleeves for control and sweeps. Spider hooks refer specificall...

Defensive movement to counter takedowns by extending the legs back and lowering the hips, keeping...

Guard pass using body weight to stack the opponent, flattening them to advance position and limit...

Physical or verbal submission to prevent injury. “Tapology” is an informal term describing the ac...

Coordinating movements with flow to increase the effectiveness of techniques. A “timing chain” li...

Arm position underneath the opponent’s arm to control posture, facilitate sweeps, or set up taked...

Coordinating weight shifts with opponent reactions to maintain balance, control, or optimize esca...

Entry-level belt representing a beginner in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, emphasizing foundational movemen...

Guard using one or both legs to control the opponent’s base from underneath, often setting up swe...