Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) does not have an established canon (formalized set of techniques), with significant regional variation seen in both application and naming. Brazilian jiu-jitsu initially consisted of judo katame-waza (newaza) techniques, but has since evolved to encompass a far greater variety by absorbing techniques from amateur wrestling, catch wrestling, sambo, and Japanese jujitsu (not to be confused with Brazilian jiu-jitsu). Due to its status as an eclectic martial art, much controversy surrounds the renaming of techniques derived from other martial arts. Many of these martial arts including Brazilian jiu-jitsu's parent art of judo, was itself a collection of adopted techniques from other older forms of martial arts before developing unique techniques. In recent times however, technical innovations exclusive to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (e.g. worm guard, inverted guard) have been developed, setting it apart from its predecessors.
Unlike its direct predecessor judo, which categorizes techniques on the basis of mechanism, Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques are frequently eponyms, which leads to confusion among practitioners. Examples include:
Sode guruma jime ("sleeve wheel constriction", referencing its mechanism) is a judo choke made famous by Ezequiel Paraguassu and as such was renamed the "Ezequiel choke" Gyaku Ude Garami ("reverse elbow entanglement", referencing its mechanism) is a Judo armlock that received notoriety for its use by Masahiko Kimura and has hence been renamed the 'Kimura"
Below is a partial list of techniques categorized by type.
Takedowns Basic Things (setups / movements / controls):
Movement & Positioning Fundamentals Stance Footwork / Motion Head Positioning Level Change Penetration Step Shooting
Hand Fighting & Tie-Ups Hand Fighting Wrist Control Collar Tie Inside Tie Pummeling Underhook Overhook (Whizzer) Russian Tie (2-on-1)
Setups & Positional Attacks Arm Drag Slide By Snapdown Front Headlock
Defensive Fundamentals Sprawl Downblock Crossface Breakfalls (Ukemi)
Wrestling takedowns / BJJ Takedowns Double leg Single leg Body Lock Takedown (Clinch Lift or Trip) Trips Inside Trip (Uchi Mata-style or clinch-based) Outside Trip (Osoto Gari-style) Trip from Back Body Lock (Mat Return-style) Duck Under to Back Take (Clinch Entry to Mat Return) Hip Toss (Harai Goshi / Head-and-Arm Throw) Ankle picks Knee tap High crotch Lift / Tree Top Single Fireman's carry Suplex Hip throw Judo Sweeps Ashi-waza + Foot Sweep (e.g., Khabib-style trip from cage) Judo Takedowns\Throws Nage waza Te-waza (手技): hand throwing techniques Koshi-waza (腰技): hip throwing techniques Ashi-waza (足技): foot throwing techniques
Escapes 1. Closed Guard (Full Guard) 1. Knee-in-Tailbone Break 2. Standing Guard Break 3. Double Forearm/Wedge Break 4. Hip Control + Elbow Wedge 5. Can Opener (caution: often illegal in sport BJJ)
2. Half Guard (Top Position) 1. Crossface + Knee Slice Pass 2. Backstep Pass 3. Twist Pass (Weave Arm Through Legs) 4. Tripod Smash Pass 5. Knee Pry + Hip Kickout
3. Mount Escapes 1. Bridge and Roll (Upa Escape) 2. Elbow Escape (Shrimp Escape) 3. Knee-to-Elbow + Hip Escape Combo 4. Foot Drag Escape 5. Trap and Bridge vs High Mount 6. Elbow Wedge to Knee Insert 7. Technical Bridge to Turtle 8. Knee Push + Elbow Pull 9. Ghost Escape (Frame and Backdoor Slide Out) 10. Kipping Escape (Advanced)
4. Open Guard 1. Torreando (Bullfighter) Pass 2. Leg Drag Entry 3. X-Pass (Step-Over Guard Break) 4. Tripod Push + Backstep 5. Shin Pin Pass
5. Bottom Escapes 1. Most important 3–5 (to be defined)
6. De La Riva Guard 1. Backstep Escape 2. Leg Pummel (Shin Kill) 3. Knee Cut Through Hook 4. Pant Grip + Push Knee Down
7. Spider Guard 1. Posture Up + Elbow Peel 2. C-Scoop Arm Escape 3. Leg Drag vs Lasso 4. Pin a Leg + Torreando
8. Lasso Guard 1. Strip Sleeve Grip + Backstep 2. Knee Pin + Pullout 3. Step Over Lasso + Smash Pass 4. High-Step Backward to Unwind Hook
9. Butterfly Guard 1. Float and Smash (Low Hips, Heavy Pressure) 2. Cross-Body Smash Pass 3. Step-Back & Leg Drag 4. Body Lock Pass
10. X-Guard / Single-Leg X 1. Kick Out Leg (Push Shin Off) 2. Backstep + Knee Twist 3. Sit into Hip Smash 4. Push Foot Off Hip
Submissions (Most Frequent in UFC – Sorted by Frequency) Rear Naked Choke Guillotine Choke Armbar Arm Triangle Triangle Choke D’Arce Choke Kimura Anaconda Kneebar Neck Crank Heel Hook Ankle Lock Keylock Von Flue Choke Bulldog Choke Forearm Choke North-South Choke Ezekiel Choke Inverted Triangle Flying Triangle Twister Calf Slicer Omoplata Peruvian Necktie Schultz Front Headlock Shoulder Choke Toe Hold Other
Chokeholds
Strangles Triangle choke Front Side Back Arm triangle choke Gogoplata Head scissor North south choke Anaconda choke Darce choke Guillotine choke Sode guruma jime (Ezequiel choke) Rear naked choke (Mata Leão / Hadaka Jime)
Joint locks Arm locks Elbow lock Armbar Straight armlock Arm crush Bicep slicer Shoulder locks Americana (Ude garami) Mir Lock Kimura (Gyaku ude garami) Omoplata Wrist locks Leg locks Straight ankle locks Heel hooks Toe holds Kneebars Electric chair (Crotch ripper) Spinal locks Can opener (Fisherman's crank) Twister (wrestler's guillotine) Boston crab Spine lock
Sweeps (not to be confused with foot sweeps which are standing techniques)
Closed guard Hip bump sweep Scissor sweep Flower sweep Lumberjack sweep Waiter/Muscle sweep Balloon sweep (helicopter armbar) 100% sweep Omoplata sweep Half guard Old school sweep John Wayne sweep Pendulum Sweep Foot grab sweep Open guard Butterfly (hook) sweep De La Riva sweep Heel grab sweep Balloon sweep Tripod sweep Tomahawk sweep
Positional grappling Guard Closed guard (full guard) Half guard Open guard Butterfly Spider Squid Lasso Lapel De la riva / reverse de la riva Guard passing Side Control Kesa-gatame (scarf hold) Kuzure kesa gatame North south Knee-on-belly Mount Back mount Double jump Leg attacks 50-50 Ashi garami (single leg X) Ushiro ashi garami Leg Knot/Game Over position Saddle/Honey Hole/411/Inside Sankaku Russian cowboy Russian leg lasso
See also
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu List of judo techniques
External links Jiu Jitsu Rulebook Explained: BJJ Techniques