Techniques
Every named move, with the lessons that teach it.
Submissions
- Americana A figure-four shoulder lock with their arm bent and hand pinned to the mat. 17
- Anaconda Choke A front headlock arm triangle under the neck and far arm, finished with a roll. 15
- Arm Triangle Pinning their arm across their neck with your head and shoulder, then squeezing. 19
- Armbar Controlling the wrist and hyperextending the elbow across your hips. 75
- Armbar from the Back Catching the arm that reaches back to defend the choke and rolling into an armbar. 6
- Baseball Bat Choke Two collar grips stacked like a bat grip, finished by spinning to north-south. 11
- Bow and Arrow Choke A gi choke from the back, pulling collar and trouser grips in opposite directions. 8
- Brabo Choke A top half guard gi choke, feeding their lapel under the arm and round the neck. 7
- Calf Slicer Folding their leg over your shin to compress the calf. 15
- Can Opener A neck crank from inside closed guard that pulls the head forward to open the guard. 6
- Clock Choke A collar choke on the turtle, walking round the head to tighten it. 9
- Collar Chokes from the Back Sliding collar, single wing and short chokes from back control. 6
- Cross Collar Choke Two deep collar grips that choke as you pull your elbows down. 19
- Crucifix Armbar Hyperextending the trapped arm with your legs from the crucifix. 7
- D'Arce Choke A front headlock arm triangle, threading under their near arm and across the neck. 30
- Electric Chair A groin stretch and sweep from the lockdown, extending the trapped leg as you tilt them. 5
- Estima Lock A footlock that attacks the ankle from the inside, often while passing. 7
- Ezekiel Choke A choke using your own sleeve or forearm behind their neck. 9
- Guillotine A front choke with your forearm across the throat. 22
- Heel Hook Rotating the heel to twist the knee, from the saddle, 50/50 or outside ashi. 37
- Japanese Necktie A D'Arce-style front headlock choke and crank with a leg over their back. 8
- Kesa Gatame Armlock Levering their trapped arm over your thigh from scarf hold. 8
- Kimura A figure-four grip on the wrist that rotates the shoulder, used to submit, sweep and control. 36
- Kneebar Hyperextending the knee across your hips, like an armbar on the leg. 16
- Lapel Chokes Chokes that feed their own lapel around their neck. 11
- Loop Choke A single collar grip looped around the neck as their head comes down. 9
- Mounted Triangle A triangle locked from mount or S-mount, often when they frame across the neck. 6
- North-South Choke A blood choke from north-south using your bicep and shoulder around the neck. 13
- Omoplata A shoulder lock using your legs, often finished as a sweep. 20
- Paper Cutter Choke A side control gi choke with a deep far collar grip and forearm across the throat. 8
- Peruvian Necktie Sitting back from a front headlock and throwing your legs over their back and neck. 8
- Rear Naked Choke A choke from the back, one arm round the neck and the other behind the head. 24
- Rear Triangle A triangle from back control when they defend the rear naked choke. 6
- Straight Ankle Lock Hyperextending the ankle with your forearm under the Achilles, usually from ashi garami. 29
- Toe Hold A figure-four grip on the foot that twists the ankle and knee. 9
- Triangle Choke Locking your legs around the head and one arm so their own shoulder chokes them. 40
Sweeps
- 50/50 Sweep Controlling the upper body and driving forward to come up on top in 50/50. 5
- Butterfly Sweep Lifting with a butterfly hook as you fall to the side with an underhook or overhook. 27
- De La Riva Sweep Pulling the far sleeve and ankle while pushing the hip to tip a standing opponent. 14
- Deep Half Basic Sweep Trapping the leg from deep half and rolling through to come up on top. 10
- Dogfight A half guard scramble on the knees, underhook against whizzer. 11
- Flower Sweep Swinging a leg like a pendulum while holding the sleeve and trouser leg to roll them. 10
- Hip Bump Sweep Sitting up from closed guard and bumping your hip into them to roll into mount. 9
- Homer Simpson Sweep Spinning under from deep half to load their leg on your shoulder and tip them backwards. 4
- John Wayne Sweep Hooking the far leg and rolling them over you when they sit back in half guard. 6
- Kimura Sweep Using the kimura grip as a lever to roll a kneeling opponent. 7
- Kiss of the Dragon Rolling under from reverse DLR to come up behind them for a sweep or the back. 11
- Knee Shield Sweeps Lifting or tilting with the knee shield while holding a sleeve or ankle. 6
- Lasso Sweeps Using the lasso as a lever, with DLR or a foot on the hip, to sweep. 17
- Lumberjack Sweep Grabbing both ankles when they stand in your closed guard and driving into their knees. 5
- Old School Sweep Coming up from underhook half guard, grabbing their foot and driving them over. 8
- Peterson Roll A wrestling roll from turtle that reverses someone driving from behind. 8
- Plan B Sweep A knee-tap style reversal from underhook half guard when the old school is blocked. 5
- Reverse De La Riva Sweeps Tilting sweeps from RDLR when they posture up or try to knee cut. 12
- Roll Under Sweep Rolling under an upright opponent from half guard to take them over. 3
- Scissor Sweep Shin across the belly and other leg low, scissoring as you pull the collar and sleeve. 14
- Sickle Sweep Pushing the hip while sickling their far leg out from behind. 6
- Side Control Reversals Bridges, rolls and underhook reversals when the top player over-commits. 7
- Single Leg X Sweeps Sweeping backwards, forwards or by standing up from single-leg X. 20
- Spider Guard Sweeps Extending one arm and collapsing the other from spider guard to tip them over. 11
- Tomoe Nage and Overhead Sweeps Planting a foot in their hip and rolling back to throw them over your head. 12
- Tripod Sweep Foot on the hip and an ankle grip, pushing and pulling to tip a standing opponent. 7
- Turtle Reversals Rolling or sitting through to reverse someone attacking your turtle. 6
- Waiter Sweep From deep half, holding their foot up like a waiter's tray and driving them over. 5
- Worm Guard Sweeps Sweeps using the lapel wrapped around their leg as a lever. 5
- Wrestling Up Coming up from seated guard to a single or double leg. 12
- X-Guard Sweeps Stretching them out with your legs, or standing up with their leg. 19
Passes
- Backstep Pass Stepping back over their leg to switch sides, often into kesa or reverse half. 12
- Body Lock Pass Locking your arms around the waist inside the guard and walking round the legs. 12
- Breaking Down the Turtle Dragging or rolling a turtle onto their side or back to reach side control. 5
- Cartwheel Pass Cartwheeling over the legs of a supine opponent, useful against inverting guards. 7
- Double Under Pass Both arms under the legs, lifting and stacking them to pass. 8
- Escaping Single Leg X Hiding the heel, placing your weight and clearing the hooks before the leg lock. 12
- Escaping X-Guard Base, knee drop and pulling the leg out to exit X-guard into a pass. 13
- Folding Pass Folding their knees to their chest so the hips lift and the frames collapse. 9
- Half Guard Passes Passing half guard by crossfacing, winning the underhook and freeing the knee. 18
- Hip Switch Pass Switching your hips to face their legs from top half guard to free the knee. 6
- Knee Cut Pass Sliding a knee across their thigh to the mat while controlling the far side. 50
- Kneeling Guard Break Opening closed guard from the knees with a knee at the tailbone and elbow pressure. 7
- Leg Drag Pass Dragging a leg across your hip and pinning it, leaving them turned away. 35
- Leg Pin Pass Pinning one leg with a knee or hand to kill spider, lasso or collar-sleeve guards. 7
- Leg Weave Pass Threading an arm between the legs to pin one while passing the other. 9
- Log Splitter Driving an elbow into the inner thigh as you step back to open closed guard. 2
- Long Step Pass Stepping your trailing leg far back as you turn your hips past their frames. 8
- Over-Under Pass One arm over a leg and one under, driving forward with your head low. 11
- Passing Deep Half Staying heavy and killing the roll to free your leg from deep half. 4
- Smash Pass Pinning both legs to one side with your hips and chest, then walking round. 15
- Stack Pass Driving their legs over their head with your shoulders, then walking round. 8
- Standing Guard Break Standing in closed guard with a collar or belt grip and pushing a knee down. 7
- Toreando Pass Controlling both legs and pushing them aside as you step round to side control. 15
- X-Pass Pinning one knee and stepping across the other leg to the far side. 7
Escapes
- Back Escapes Clearing the hooks and getting your shoulders to the mat on the choking-arm side. 14
- Berimbolo Defence Spotting the inversion, controlling the far hip and stepping to stop the berimbolo. 5
- Chair Sit Escape Sitting into their lap and sliding down to clear the hooks. 1
- Crucifix Escapes Stopping the roll, freeing the arm and turning back into them. 8
- D'Arce and Anaconda Defence Stopping the arm threading under the neck, and late defences once it is locked. 7
- Escaping 50/50 Clearing the knee line to exit 50/50 without giving up a heel hook. 2
- Escaping the Body Triangle Attacking the locked foot and turning in to escape or leg lock the triangle. 9
- Front Headlock Escapes Posture, hand position and circling to free the head before the choke sets. 11
- Ghost Escape Spinning under their near arm to slip out the back of side control. 4
- Granby Roll Rolling across your shoulders from turtle to recover guard or escape a back take. 10
- Guillotine Defence Getting to the choking-arm side to pass or catch the Von Flue choke. 10
- Heel Drag Escape Hooking their heel and dragging it across to recover half guard from mount. 1
- Heel Hook Defence Turning with the rotation, hiding the heel and knowing when to tap. 10
- Hydraulic Escape Driving your knees up under their hips to slide them down into your guard. 5
- Knee on Belly Escapes Pushing the knee off as you shrimp, turn in or bridge. 18
- Knee-Elbow Escape Framing, shrimping and sliding a knee inside to recover guard from mount. 13
- Leg Lock Defence Hiding the heel and clearing the knee line before a leg lock is set. 26
- Leg Lock Escapes Escaping ashi garami, the saddle, 50/50 and outside ashi once they are set. 7
- North-South Escapes Framing on the hips, spinning to turtle or inverting to guard. 15
- Rear Naked Choke Defence Chin down, two-on-one on the choking hand, and surviving a half-set choke. 5
- Running Escape Turning away into a tight shell, then walking your legs round to recover guard. 4
- Scarf Hold Escapes Leg hook roll, bridge and frame, or taking the back from under kesa. 19
- Side Control Escapes Frame and shrimp to guard, or bridge and turn to your knees. 34
- Sit-Out The wrestling sit-out from turtle to face, escape or reverse them. 8
- Submission Defence Defending submissions early and late, with counters to the common attacks. 35
- Turning to the Knees Bridging and turning in to escape a pin to turtle or a single leg. 7
- Turtle Defence Elbow and knee position that blocks hooks and the seatbelt. 8
- Turtle to Guard Sitting through to seated guard from turtle before they get hooks. 4
- Upa (Bridge and Roll) Trapping an arm and the same-side foot, then bridging to roll them off mount. 11
Takedowns
- Ankle Pick Pulling the head down with a collar tie and picking the same-side ankle. 11
- Arm Drag Pulling their arm across your body to take an angle to the back. 18
- Body Lock Takedown Locking your arms around the torso and finishing with a trip, lift or turn. 8
- Double Leg Takedown A level change and penetration step to capture both legs and drive them to the mat. 14
- Foot Sweeps Judo foot sweeps that time their step without committing your posture. 8
- Guard Pull Sitting into your guard with grips and a foot on the hip, without conceding points. 10
- Harai Goshi A hip throw that sweeps their leg with your thigh as you turn in. 5
- Inside and Outside Trips Hooking a leg from the clinch and driving them backwards. 6
- Kata Guruma The fireman's carry, loading them across your shoulders by an arm and a leg. 6
- Kouchi Gari A small inner reap of their heel as they step. 4
- O Goshi A basic judo hip throw, with an arm round the waist, rolling them over your hip. 6
- Osoto Gari The judo outer reap, loading their weight onto one leg and reaping it from behind. 10
- Ouchi Gari Reaping their inside leg while driving them backwards. 5
- Seoi Nage A judo shoulder throw, turning under their arm and loading them over your back. 6
- Single Leg Takedown Capturing one leg and finishing by running the pipe, tripping or lifting. 22
- Snap Down Snapping their head down from a collar tie to the front headlock or a go-behind. 9
- Sprawl Throwing your hips back and down to stop a leg attack, landing in the front headlock. 8
- Sumi Gaeshi A sacrifice throw, sitting under them and lifting them over with an instep hook. 9
- Tai Otoshi A hand throw that trips them over your extended leg, with no hip contact. 5
- Tani Otoshi A rear sacrifice throw that drops behind their legs and takes them backwards. 4
- Uchi Mata A judo inner thigh throw, also a counter to guard pulls and single legs. 6
Control
- 50/50 Control Hip height, grips and posture that tip 50/50 your way. 5
- Ashi Garami Control Knee line, hip and foot positions that keep the leg trapped in ashi and outside ashi. 9
- Backside 50/50 A 50/50 variant behind them that exposes the heel for the inside heel hook. 6
- Body Triangle Your legs locked in a figure four around their torso from the back. 3
- Breaking Posture Using your legs and grips to pull their head down in closed guard. 8
- Collar and Sleeve Grips Cross collar and same-side sleeve grips to control posture from guard. 23
- Collar Tie Cupping the back of their head to control posture and set up snap-downs. 11
- Controlling the Turtle Hip control, seatbelt and knee placement that stop a turtle standing or sitting to guard. 3
- Crossface Driving your shoulder across their jaw to turn their head and flatten them. 11
- Crucifix Control Leg position and hand fighting that keep the arm trapped while you attack the neck. 6
- De La Riva Hook Wrapping your outside leg around their lead leg and hooking the inside of their thigh. 18
- Front Headlock Entry and Control Getting the chin strap and arm control from snap-downs, sprawls and the turtle. 15
- Grapevines Your feet hooked around their legs in low mount to stop the bridge and shrimp. 3
- Grip Breaking Breaking collar, sleeve, wrist and lapel grips before their game starts. 12
- Grip Fighting Winning your grips and denying theirs. 24
- Guard Recovery Turning the space from an escape into half or full guard. 14
- Guard Retention Frames, hip movement, inversion and leg pummelling that stop a pass. 52
- Hand Fighting Clearing their defending hands from the back to reach the choke. 12
- Headquarters Position One knee up and one down with their leg pinned between yours. 18
- Hip Switch Turning your hips to face their legs in side control to kill frames. 8
- Kesa Gatame Control Hip and leg position in scarf hold that stops the bridge, roll and back take. 10
- Knee on Belly Control Weight, grips and posture that make knee on belly stable and uncomfortable. 7
- Knee Shield Your knee across their chest or hip from half guard to block the crossface. 11
- Lapel Control Freeing, feeding and gripping the lapel, to build lapel guards or defend them. 17
- Lasso Entry and Control Threading your leg over the arm and under the armpit to set the lasso. 18
- Lockdown Figure-fouring your legs around their trapped leg in half guard to stretch it out. 9
- Maintaining Back Control Following their escapes, switching between hooks and body triangle, and resetting the seatbelt. 14
- Maintaining Mount Riding the upa and knee-elbow escape with base, grapevines and climbing high. 13
- Maintaining Side Control Crossface, underhook, hip switches and weight that hold side control. 14
- North-South Control Chest and hip pressure, arm control and knee position in north-south. 7
- Overhook Your arm over theirs, trapping it. 8
- Reverse De La Riva Hook Your shin across their thigh from the inside, foot hooked behind the knee. 10
- S-Mount High mount with your legs in an S around their shoulder, isolating an arm. 10
- Saddle Control Holding the knee line and second leg so they cannot clear their knee. 4
- Seatbelt Grip One arm over the shoulder and one under the armpit, hands clasped at their chest. 11
- Shin to Shin Your shin against theirs from seated guard, a launch point for SLX, K-guard and sweeps. 13
- Spider Guard Grips Sleeve grips and feet on the biceps, pushing and pulling to keep them off balance. 12
- Standing Body Lock Arms locked around the torso from the clinch. 4
- Straitjacket System Trapping their arms from the back so they cannot defend the neck. 2
- Technical Mount Mount with the opponent on their side, one knee by their head and one foot posted. 5
- The Truck Hooking one of their legs from the turtle, leading to the twister and calf slicer. 8
- Underhook Your arm under their armpit, controlling the torso. 30
- Whizzer An overhook that stops them coming up on the underhook, standing or in half guard. 11
- Worm Guard Wrapping their lapel around their own leg from open guard. 10
Transitions
- Baby Bolo A shorter berimbolo without the full inversion, used when they sit or kneel. 5
- Back Takes from Guard Arm drags and angles to reach the back from closed, butterfly or seated guard. 17
- Back Takes from Half Guard Climbing to the back off the underhook and dogfight. 10
- Back Takes from Mount Falling to the back with hooks and the seatbelt as they turn under technical mount. 6
- Back Takes from Pins Taking the back from side control, north-south or knee on belly as they turn away. 6
- Back Takes from Turtle Inserting hooks and the seatbelt on a turtled opponent. 8
- Back Takes While Passing Taking the back instead of side control when they turn away mid-pass. 10
- Back to Mount Transition Moving to mount when they clear the hooks, instead of losing the position. 1
- Berimbolo Inverting under them from De La Riva to spin to the back. 17
- Crab Ride Riding behind a kneeling opponent with hooks behind their knees, then climbing to the back. 10
- Crucifix Entry Trapping the near arm in your legs from turtle or side control, then rolling through. 19
- Deep Half Entry Getting underneath from half guard or a failed sweep to establish deep half. 11
- Go-Behind Spinning round the head from the front headlock to the back. 5
- Imanari Roll Rolling under a standing opponent straight into the saddle or 50/50. 6
- K-Guard Entry Underhooking a leg and hooking behind the knee from RDLR, shin-to-shin or standing. 19
- Knee on Belly Entry Stepping your knee onto their belly from side control so they cannot follow. 5
- Leg Entanglement Transitions Moving between ashi garami, the saddle, 50/50 and outside ashi as they defend. 8
- Leg Lock Entries Getting to ashi garami, the saddle and 50/50 from guard, passing and scrambles. 48
- Matrix Back Take Following round to the back from K-guard when they pull their leg out. 11
- Rolling Back Take Rolling over your shoulder with the seatbelt on a turtle to land with hooks in. 7
- Single Leg X Entry Entering SLX from butterfly, shin-to-shin, half guard and reverse DLR. 22
- Switching to Reverse DLR Switching between DLR and reverse DLR as they change their lead leg or angle. 2
- Transition to Mount Moving to mount from side control, knee on belly or kesa without giving space. 13
- X-Guard Entry Dropping under a standing opponent from butterfly, single-leg X or DLR. 24
Fundamentals and Concepts
- Attack Chains Linking attacks so each defence feeds the next. 17
- Base A stable, connected stance that resists sweeps and rolls, and how to recover it. 33
- Bridge Driving your hips up and over a shoulder to lift and unbalance a top player. 14
- Competition Rules and Scoring How IBJJF, ADCC and submission-only rules score, and what is legal at each belt. 6
- Distance Management Using feet, grips and hips to fight at the range that suits you. 8
- Frames Using forearms, shins and knees as struts to hold their weight off you. 55
- Game Planning and Competition Mindset Building a plan around your best positions, preparing for events and handling nerves. 9
- Hip Escape (Shrimp) Pushing off your feet to move your hips away from the opponent. 30
- Injury Prevention and Longevity Avoiding common injuries and recovering well so you can train for decades. 11
- Inside Position Whoever has their limbs inside the other's usually controls the exchange. 9
- Inversion Rolling onto your shoulders with your legs overhead to retain guard or enter attacks. 8
- Knee Line Whoever controls the position of the knee controls the leg lock exchange. 10
- Leg Lock Concepts and Safety How leg locks injure, what each rule set allows and how entries, control and escapes work. 9
- Mobility and Flexibility Hip, shoulder and spine mobility that makes guard play easier and reduces injuries. 3
- Off-Balancing (Kuzushi) Disrupting their balance so sweeps and takedowns need less force. 32
- Partner Drills Partner drills that build timing for retention, passing and escapes. 13
- Passing Concepts Hip control, inside position, head placement, and when to choose pressure or speed. 27
- Pinning Concepts Connection points, weight distribution and reading escapes in every pin. 7
- Positional Sparring Sparring from a set position with a set goal to fix a weak area. 7
- Posture Head up and spine aligned so you cannot be broken down into attacks. 33
- Pressure Making your weight feel heavier through connection, leg drive and taking away space. 25
- Solo Training Movement drills, shadow grappling and conditioning that carry over to the mat. 12
- Survival Posture Elbows in and chin down to stay safe under a pin while you escape. 21
- Technical Stand-Up Standing up in base from seated, with a posted hand and the free leg swept back. 19
- Training Methods What drilling, positional sparring, flow rolling and ecological training are each for. 11