The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu terms you need to know!

You want to start or just started with BJJ but during classes you're spoken to in terms you don't understand!
That's okay we'll help you on your way.
Learn your BJJ jargon with this comprehensive list of techniques we have compiled for you.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a wide range of techniques.
All those techniques have names.
In English, Portuguese and Japanese.
Below you will find a list of over 100 terms that you are bound to hear when you step on the mat.
Now you have the words, now you have the techniques!
There will probably be a term missing here and there because Jiu-Jitsu is an evolving sport in which new terms/positions and techniques are added all the time.

• 411.
  Also called Inside sankaku.

• 50-50.
  A leg clamp position similar to an outside ashi garami but with your opponent's legs controlled with a "cross grip" on the inside.
  As the name implies 50-50 can go either way with the leg clamps both for you and your opponent.

A

• ADCC.
  ADCC stands for Abu Dhabi Combat Club. founded by Sheik Zayed and Renzo Gracie to grow martial arts in the UAE.
  The goal with ADCC was to create the best grappling tournament in the world.
  Today ADCC is seen as the Olympic Games for Grappling

• Americana.
  The Americana is a bent shoulder clamp.
  You bend the elbow and arm while the rest of the shoulder and body remain still for maximum leverage effect.
  This clamp/attack is usually performed from above.
  The person initiating the technique usually does so from mount or side control.

• Ankle lock.
  A clamp that targets the ankle joint.
  You can deploy it when trying to stretch the foot away from the leg.
  There are many variations of the ankle lock.
  Stretched, down and toe holds.

• Arm drag.
  A technique used to pull an arm away from an opponent usually while standing so the opponent can be taken down.
  You can use arm drag to move toward your opponent's back.
  This is usually done on the ground
  An arm drag is best done with two of your arms on one of your opponent's.
  You can use this control to pull your opponent off balance and attack.

• Arm triangle.
  A submission you can get when you press your opponent's head and shoulder together. This cuts off the blood supply and is considered a strangulation.
  There are several variations of this, such as Kata Gatame, D'arce and anaconda.

• Armbar.
  Who does not know the arm clamp?
  It is a hyperextension of the elbow
  Arm clamps are very diverse and can be used from many different positions for example from the mount guard and even backmount!

• Ashi garami.
  A judo technique that literally means entangled leg clamp.
  In modern BJJ, ashi garami is a basic leg clamp position.
  Often seen as a starting position for more complex leg clamps.
  Ashi garami can be done from both "inside" and "outside".
  This refers to the position of your own leg.

B

• Back control.
  A dominant control and position
  Here you hold someone behind the back with your hips feet and arms.
  The Back control is the most dominant position you can have in BJJ.
  Here you also have the highest percentage of strangulation namely the rear naked choke.
  In competition you get the most points for this (four).

• Back take. 

  This is part of a number of techniques used to transition the position to back control.
  An example of this is armdrag by cross-pulling your opponent's arm away from his body you can move toward the back.

• Base.
  A base is hard to describe with text.
  I would even be shortchanging the word.
  But if I do write about it I will give a description that Rickson Gracie once explained to me.
  A base is something you can use to absorb and exert resistance. If you have a good base it is difficult for your opponent to push or pull you.
  But if you suddenly decide you want to move your opponent, you are able to do so.

• Belt. 

  BJJ is traditionally performed in a gi or kimono with a belt(band).
  Your belt indicates your rank.
  In the BJJ grade system, we work with white, blue, purple, brown and black belts.

• Berimbolo.
  This is a sport-specific sweep technique used to get to your opponent's back.

• Bow and arrow choke. 

  A suit strangulation that you can do if you have back control.
  As you can tell from the name, it is the same move you use with a bow and arrow.

• Brabo choke.
  A suit strangulation by which you use your opponent's rever and your forearm.

• Breakfall.
  Fall breaking, for beginners the most important thing to know.
  The better you can fall the less chance of injury.

• Bridge and roll.
  Bridge and roll in BJJ this is also called the "Upa."

• Bridge.
  Bridge is one of the basic movements of BJJ.
  Bridging is done when someone sits(Mount) on top of you with the power of your hips.
  This way you get the weight on your shoulders and back and create space to escape.

• Butterfly guard.
  Butterfly guard is a style from the open guard.
  Here you sit down with your legs in front of you and try to get your legs between your opponent's.
  Your feet act as hooks here, the goal is to eventually reverse the position and come out on top and of course get a submission.

C

• Cauliflower ear. 

  Cauliflower ear is an ear defect caused by injuries to the ear.
  These cause hematomas that can block the blood flow to the ear.This is where the cartilage dies.
  Cauliflower ear is more common in grapplers, but is preventable with ear protectors and tapping in time!

• Clinch. 

  A standing position where two people have a grip on each other. The clinch can be used to work someone to the ground.
  From a self-defense perspective you are in a good position now the chance of damage from punches and kicks is virtually minimized.

• Closed guard. 

  With the closed guard you have your legs around your opponent's waist.
  It is meant to control your opponent, you can use your arms and legs to do that.
  You want to move the opponent from left to right or forward and backward.Your opponent usually wants good posture.
  That means sitting up straight and not being pulled forward.
  When punches are involved it is wise to keep your opponent very close or far away.
  There are several guard forms, for beginners this is often what is introduced first.
  

• Collar choke. 

  An umbrella term referring to various gi-specific submissions where you use the opponent's jacket to complete the choke.

• Competition gi.
  
  A lighter gi made to help a Jiu-Jitsuka more easily pass a weight class for a BJJ competition.

• Crank.
  A clamp that aims to attack the joints.
  Cranks can be performed on the neck or even the spine.

• Cross face.
  A technique you can use to pin someone down.
  You usually use your shoulder and body weight for this.
  This technique is usually put on from above usually from side control or mount.

D

• De la Riva guard.
  This is a form of open guard named after a BJJ legend De la Riva. You hook your feet on the inside and outside of your opponent's legs.
  You can use it as a transition to other positions in BJJ.

• Double leg takedown.
  An underthrow technique where you attack your opponent's legs and can knock him/her down with it.
  A more advanced version of a tackle.

• D'Arce choke.
  An arm triangle variation named after Joe D'Arce.
  With the D'Arce, you use the opponent's arm and shoulder to complete the choke.
  The D'Arce is a no-gi variation of the popular Brabo choke.

E

• Escape.
  A technique/movement that allows you to escape from an unfavorable position.

• Ezekiel choke. 

  A Gi choke where you wrap your arm around your opponent's head and then grab your own sleeve to finish it off.
  The Ezekiel choke is named after Brazilian Judo Olympian Ezequiel Paraguassú, but is actually a traditional judo technique known as a sode guruma-jime.
  
  Everyday porrada.
  A hashtag that went viral comes from one of the best BJJ fighters of his era Romulo Barral.
  The word porrada means "fight" or "brawl" in Portuguese.
  (The people who shout this the loudest are usually the first to get tired ;) )

F

• Figure four arm lock.
  Also called the Americana. 

• Full guard.
  Same as closed guard.

G

• Gable grip. `

  A closed palm to hand grip named after legendary gold medallist Dan Gable.
  This is a powerful grip you can elevator and control people with it.

• Gassing out / gassed.
  Gassing out or being exhausted.
  Often in the context of a BJJ sparring round.
  This is usually because you are inefficient with your energy consumption or breathing.

• Gi. 

  A heavy cotton jacket also known as a kimono.
  The gi has been used in traditional Japanese martial arts such as judo since the 1920s.
  In BJJ, you can also train without the gi better known as no-gi jiu jitsu.

• The Gracies. 

  The pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the UFC.
  The Gracie family is undoubtedly the family that has had the most impact on combat sports worldwide.
  

• Guard.
  You lie on the ground on your back with your legs wrapped around the opponents waist.
  You have multiple forms of guard.
  Closed/Full Guard> Open Guard>Half Guard>Butterfly Guard.
  

• Guard pass.
  The guard pass is a technique/movement that allows you to go past your opponent's legs and hips.
  (Easier said than done)
  

• Guillotine.
  A strangulation in which you isolate your opponent's neck with your armpit on the neck and close it with your arms.
  There are several variations of this.

H

• Half guard.
  In this guard variant, you have two legs around one leg of your opponent.
  You have many sweep and submission options from here.
  
  
  

• Head and arm choke.
  Also called arm triangle.

• Very hook.
  A leg clamp where you put torsion on the foot to attack the knee and ankle with it.
  You can damage someone considerably with it so it is often not allowed in competitions like the IBJJF.
  (We do train them)

• Hip escape.
  A movement in which you often want to move away from your opponent with your hips.
  Hip escapes are fundamentals BJJ moves. Also known as shrimping.

• Honey hole.
  Or inside sankaku.

• Hooks.
  Foot control that allows you to connect on your opponent.
  
  

I

• IBJJF. 

  Founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. this organization organizes competitions around the world every year.

• Imanari roll.
  A roll from standing with which you attack the inside legs.
  The goal is therefore to get into the sankaku / 411 leg lock position. The Imanari roll was popularized by Masakazu Imanari, a Japanese MMA fighter.

Inside sankaku.
A position/transition that allows you to control someone on the ground.
You do this by intertwining your opponent's legs with yours.
It does indeed sound very strange, but couldn't make anything else out of it :D

J

• Japanese necktie.
  An arm triangle variation deployed from the turtle position.

• Jigoro Kano.
  The creator/founder of Japan's Jûdo.

• Judo.
  This needs no explanation.
  
  
  
  

  K

  • K-guard.
    A variation of open guard popularized by
    Lachlan Giles.
    Katagatame.
    Arm triangle.

    Kesa gatame.
    A control you can perform from side control with many submission options.
    Kesa gatame is often used in judo as a pin in BJJ as a way to submit opponents.

    Kimono.
    Gi.

    Kimura.
    Curved shoulder clamp named after Mashahiko Kimura.

    Knee on belly
    The name says it all, knee on belly.
    It is a position/transition that allows you to go in all directions.
    You can submit or control people from it especially on the street.

Knee shield
A leverage technique that allows you to keep your opponent's weight off you as he tries to pass by your legs this is done from half guard.

Knee bar
A leg clamp technique by which you bring the knee to hyperextension.

Kodokan.
The official Judo headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

• L

  Lasso guard.
  A variation of open guard that allows you to control your opponent from the bottom.

  Leg drag.
  A way to pass the guard.

  Lockdown.
  A half guard technique where the person on the bottom has two legs on one of the opponent.
  The goal is to bring the leg to extension to get a sweep.
  Popularized by Eddie Bravo

  M

  MMA.
  Mixed Martial Arts usually people watch this through UFC.
  

  • Mata Leão.
    Portuguese for rear naked choke.

  • Mitsuyo Maeda.
    Maeda also known as Conde Koma.
    Was a Judo Specialist who traveled around Brazil and introduced Judo/JiuJitsu to the Gracies

  • Mount.
    A dominant position/pin where you sit on top of your opponent.
    
    

  N

  • Neck crank.
    A clamp for the spine or neck.
    
    

  • No gi.
    Brazilian JiuJitsu without a suit.

  • North South.
    A variation of side control with which you control the head while lying vertically behind your opponent's head.
    Marcelo Garcia is a master at this.

    O

    • Omoplata.
      A shoulder clamp usually from the guard where you use legs and hips to put pressure on the joint.

    • Oss.
      An abbreviation of a Japanese expression "Onegai Shimassu."
      You can use it in several ways.
      As a greeting, salute or as an expression of respect.

    • Overhook.
      Your arm over your opponent's shoulder from standing you have throw options.
      On the ground you have sweep options with an overhook.
      
      

    • P
      

      • Peruvian necktie.
        An arm triangle variation from the front headlock position.

      • Porrada.
        Fighting/Knecking in Portuguese.

      • Post.
        Using your hands or feet to avoid being thrown off balance.

    • Posture.
      A stable stance or posture in Grappling/BJJ means that you allow your back and neck to cooperate so as not to be pulled off balance.

    • Pull guard.
      When you cannot take down/throw someone you can pull them into your Guard.

    • Pummel.
      A type of chest crawl move common in grappling/BJJ.
      You want to use this to control the inside of your opponent's body.
      You can do this with your arms and legs.
      
      Q
      Quarter guard.
      A survival position when someone is almost past your half-guard.

R

• Rear mount.
  Same as back control/mount.

• Rear naked choke.
  The most famous strangulation.
  In which you are behind the attacker.
  Arm across the neck and close with your second arm.

• Red belt.
  The highest award in BJJ.
  A red belt is a 10th degree on your coral belt.

• Reversal.
  A sweep that does not come from the guard.
  In competition, you do not get points for this.

• Reverse de la Riva.
  Another variation of the normal de la Riva.
  Here you go with the leg to the inside instead of the outside.

• Ringworm.
  Skin infection that occurs with contact sports.

• Rolling.
  Rolling is sparring in BJJ.

• Rubber guard.
  A guard developed by Eddie Bravo.
  You need quite a bit of flexibility for it.
  I'm not even going to explain it to you google it.

S

• Sambo.
  A martial art from the former Soviet Union.
  A combination of Judo, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
  You have two types:
  Combat sambo is with punches and kicks.
  Sport Sambo: Submissions and throws only.

• Sandbagging.
  Staying on the same band too long because your teacher likes to see you win competitions.

• Scarf hold.
  Other name for kesa gatame.

• Scissor sweep.
  A sweep from open guard where you make a scissor motion.

• Seatbelt.
  The name says it all a belt.
  The belts are now your arms around your opponent's chest and shoulder blade. A good way to get to the back.

• Shark tank.
  A way to prepare for competitions or exams for your belt.
  Every other minute someone comes in "fresh" during sparring.
  You get no rest.

• Shoyoroll.
  An exclusive GI maker that releases only one type of GI per period.
  Very popular among BJJ'ers. Exclusive= expensive.

• Shrimp.
  Other name for hip escape.

• Side control.
  A position where you can pin and control someone.
  This is a chest to chest connection usually you come here after a guard pass.
  This is where you will spend a lot of time as a beginner(bottom)

• Single leg takedown.
  A way to take someone down.
  This technique comes from wrestling; there are dozens of different variations for the single leg.

• Single leg x-guard.
  A two-on-one leg check at your opponent from the bottom.
  You can sweep people with this or use it as an offensive position for leg clamps.

• Spider guard.
  An open guard variation with the Gi.
  You control the wrists with the jacket.
  Your feet on your opponent's biceps.
  Spider guard is a BJJ sport-specific technique.

• Staph.
  Staphylococcus bacteria is a skin infection that can occur during contact sports.

• Stripe.
  Stripes on your belt to confirm your progress in the sport.

• Structure.
  A term used to describe the anatomy of a joint.

• Submission.
  An attack technique that allows you to strangle or clamp someone.
  In kick(boxing) the goal is the knockout, in BJJ it is the submission.

• Sweep.
  This is ONE way to throw people off balance in BJJ.
  Think, for example, of a foot sweep in Judo.
  In BJJ you do this on the ground, a smaller person coming under the center of gravity of a much larger person and using levers to improve his/her position.
  

T

• Takedown.
  Takedown, you can do this in many ways.
  Wrestling/Judo/Sambo techniques.
  Almost everything is allowed in BJJ from standing unlike most sports.

• Tapping out.
  Tapping/Tapping out usually comes from a clamp or strangulation.
  You may be overwhelmed by pressure in the beginning and start tapping out from that.
  You can tap out with your feet, hands or verbally.

• Toreando pass.
  A way to pass the guard.
  You do this by gaining control of the inside of the knees and sending the legs the other way.
  

• Triangle.
  Also called sankaku in Judo.
  This is a strangulation you perform with your legs.
  You can do this from multiple positions, most beginners only know it from guard

• Turtle.
  A defensive position where someone is on their hands and knees.
  

U

• UAEJJF.
  Abbreviation for United Arab Emirates Jiu Jitsu Federation.
  A BJJ competition organization that organizes events worldwide.

• Uke.
  A Japanese word for someone with whom the technique is demonstrated.

• Underhook.
  A technique in the clinch where you have your arm under your opponent's armpit and control his hip with your other arm.

• Upa.
  A technique that allows you to bridge someone on top of your mount off of you.
  To do this successfully you need control of your opponent's arm shoulder and foot.

V

Viktor roll.
A roll technique from standing that immediately puts you in a leg lock position.

W

• Worm guard.
  A form of open guard popularized by BJJ athlete Keenan Cornelius.

• Wristlock.
  Submissions aimed at your opponent's wrists.

X

• X-guard.
  An open guard variation popularized by BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia.
  X- Guard is used by the person at the bottom with a two-on-one leg control.
  It is used primarily as a sweep.
  

Y

Y-Guard

The inventor of this type of open guard is Felipe Costa.
I honestly still know too little about it to tell more about this

Z

• Z-guard.
  A variation of the knee shield from half guard.
  You use your knee and foot as a frame to track your opponent's movements to then go sweeten or submit.
  Craig Jones is someone who uses this type of guard in competitions.