7 Techniques in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

1. Positions

• Guard: A fundamental position where one person is on their back controlling the opponent with their legs. Variations include:
  • Closed Guard: Legs are wrapped around the opponent’s waist.
  • Open Guard: Legs are not wrapped but used to control or attack.
  • Half Guard: One leg is trapped between the opponent’s legs.
• Mount: One person sits on the opponent’s chest, controlling them from above.
• Side Control: Also known as side mount, where one person lies across the opponent’s chest.
• Back Control: Controlling the opponent from their back, often with hooks (feet) and harness grips (arms).

2. Submissions

• Chokes: Techniques that restrict blood flow or airflow, leading to unconsciousness if the opponent does not tap out.
  • Rear Naked Choke (RNC): A choke from the back control position.
  • Guillotine Choke: Applied from the front, typically when the opponent’s head is low.
  • Triangle Choke: Using the legs to trap the opponent’s neck and one arm.
• Joint Locks: Techniques that hyperextend or manipulate joints.
  • Armbar: Hyperextends the elbow joint.
  • Kimura: A shoulder lock using a figure-four grip.
  • Americana: Another shoulder lock, but with the arm bent differently compared to the Kimura.
  • Leg Locks: Various submissions targeting the legs, such as ankle locks, knee bars, and heel hooks.

3. Sweeps

• Techniques used to reverse a position, often from the guard, to move from the bottom to the top position.
  • Scissor Sweep: Using the legs to sweep the opponent from closed guard.
  • Flower Sweep: A dynamic sweep using momentum to flip the opponent.
  • Lumberjack Sweep: A sweep often performed when the opponent stands in the guard.

4. Escapes

• Techniques to get out of inferior positions or submissions.
• Shrimping (Hip Escape): A fundamental movement to create space and escape side control or mount.
• Bridge and Roll: Used to escape mount by bridging and rolling the opponent.
• Technical Stand-Up: A way to safely stand up from the ground while protecting oneself.

5. Takedowns and Throws

• Techniques to bring the opponent to the ground, often borrowed from Judo and wrestling.
• Double Leg Takedown: Grabbing both legs and driving the opponent to the ground.
• Single Leg Takedown: Grabbing one leg and using it to off-balance the opponent.
• Hip Throw (O Goshi): Using the hips to throw the opponent over.

6. Transitions

• Movements to switch between positions smoothly and efficiently.
• Guard Passes: Techniques to move from the opponent’s guard to a more dominant position like side control or mount.
• Torreando Pass: Circling around the legs to pass guard.
• Leg Drag Pass: Dragging the legs to one side to pass.
• Mount Transition: Moving from side control to mount.

7. Drills and Conditioning

• Specific exercises to build muscle memory, endurance, and technical proficiency.
• Flow Drills: Repeatedly practicing sequences of movements.
• Positional Sparring: Sparring with a focus on improving specific positions.