GLOSSARY

Tatame

/tah-TAH-meh/

The mat surface on which BJJ is trained. Borrowed from Japanese (畳, the woven straw mats of judo dojos) and used universally in Brazilian academies.

Japanese 畳 (tatami) via judo

Faixa

/FYE-shah/

Belt. In BJJ context refers to the rank-denoting belt: faixa branca (white), faixa azul (blue), faixa roxa (purple), faixa marrom (brown), faixa preta (black).

Professor

/pro-fes-SOR/

The teacher of a BJJ academy. Title of respect used for black belts (and increasingly brown belts) who lead instruction. In some lineages the term is reserved for those at coral belt rank or above.

Mestre

/MES-treh/

Master. Title of highest respect, reserved for coral belts (7th degree) and red belts (9th and 10th degree) in the IBJJF ranking system, and for individuals of foundational importance in their lineage.

Raspagem

/rahs-PAH-zhem/

Sweep. The act of reversing the opponent from a bottom guard position to a top position, typically scoring two points in IBJJF rulesets.

Passagem (de Guarda)

/pas-SAH-zhem/

Guard pass. The act of moving past the opponent's legs to establish side control, knee on belly, or mount, scoring three points in IBJJF.

Finalização

/fee-nah-lee-zah-SOWN/

Submission. A technique that forces the opponent to tap out via a choke, joint lock, or compression. Ends the match regardless of score.

Pegada

/peh-GAH-dah/

Grip. The handhold on the opponent's gi, body, or wrist that initiates and sustains a technique. The fight for pegada is the constant chess match of every BJJ exchange.

Postura

/pos-TOO-rah/

Posture, especially the upright posture maintained by the top player in closed guard. Loss of postura is the prerequisite for nearly every closed-guard attack.

Base

/BAH-zeh/

Base or balance. The structural stability of the body in any position. A grappler "with base" is hard to sweep; one "without base" is being swept already.

Ponte

/PON-cheh/

Bridge. The hip-extension movement used to elevate the opponent or escape pins. Foundation of the upa escape from mount and of the hip escape.

Fuga de Quadril

/FOO-gah deh kwah-DREEL/

Hip escape, the shrimping movement that is the universal warm-up of every BJJ academy. The foundation of guard recovery and side-control escape.

Guarda

/GWAR-dah/

Guard. The position from which the bottom player attacks using the legs. Includes closed, open, half, spider, lasso, De La Riva, x-guard, butterfly, and dozens of named variations.

Montada

/mohn-TAH-dah/

Mount. The dominant top position where the rider sits on the opponent's torso. Worth four points in IBJJF.

Cento por Cento

/SEN-too por SEN-too/

Side control. Literal translation "one hundred percent," named for the unrestricted pressure available from the position. Worth three points in IBJJF.

Costas / Pegada de Costas

/KOS-tahs/

Back / back control. Worth four points in IBJJF when both hooks are established. The most dominant position in jiu jitsu.

Mata Leão

/MAH-tah leh-OWN/

Rear naked choke. Literal "lion killer." The highest-percentage submission in combat sports.

De La Riva

/deh lah HEE-vah/

Open-guard variant in which the bottom player hooks one leg around the outside of the opponent's same-side leg. Named for Ricardo de la Riva Goded.

Named for Ricardo de la Riva Goded (b. 1957)

Lasso Guard / Guarda Lasso

/LAH-soo/

Open-guard variant in which one of the bottom player's legs threads through and wraps around the opponent's same-side arm, creating a powerful sleeve-and-leg control.

Omoplata

/oh-moh-PLAH-tah/

Shoulder lock executed with the legs trapping the opponent's arm. From the Portuguese word for the scapula.

Portuguese "omoplata" (shoulder blade), itself from Greek ōmos (shoulder) + platē (plate)

Berimbolo

/beh-reem-BOH-loh/

Inverted back-take technique from De La Riva guard. Developed by the Mendes brothers in the late 2000s. The name refers to the spinning capoeira instrument the bottom player's motion resembles.

From the capoeira "berimbolo" spinning motion

Gringo

/GREEN-goh/

Brazilian slang for a foreigner, used in BJJ academies to refer to non-Brazilian visitors and students. Not pejorative in BJJ contexts; often affectionate.

Treinão

/tray-NOWN/

A particularly long or intense training session, typically two hours or more, often involving multiple rounds of live sparring. "Big training."

Soco

/SOH-koh/

Brazilian Portuguese for "punch." Relevant in BJJ history because the soco-no-saco (sandbag punching) era marked the Gracie family's vale tudo conditioning training in the 1980s.

Submission / Finalização

/fee-nah-lee-zah-SOWN/

Any technique that forces an opponent to tap out. The ultimate objective of competitive BJJ in any ruleset that permits sub-only formats.

Absoluto / Absolute Division

/ab-soh-LOO-toh/

Open-weight tournament division where competitors of all weight classes face each other. The most prestigious title in any major BJJ competition.

Monoplata

/moh-noh-PLAH-tah/

Shoulder lock variant of the omoplata executed with only one leg trapping the opponent's arm, leaving the other leg free for additional control. Used when the standard omoplata cannot be set up.

Baratoplata

/bah-rah-toh-PLAH-tah/

Shoulder lock from the kimura position where the attacker rolls forward and locks the opponent's arm against their own back. Named for Rafael Lovato Jr.'s competition success with the technique.

Queda / Takedown

/KEH-dah/

Portuguese for "fall" — used in BJJ contexts to mean a takedown. Worth two points in IBJJF.

Levantada / Stand-Up

/leh-van-TAH-dah/

Standing up from a seated or supine position. The technical stand-up (levantada técnica) is the canonical Gracie self-defense version.

Montar / To Mount

/mon-TAR/

Portuguese verb "to mount" — the act of establishing the mount position. Used as common BJJ vocabulary in Brazilian academies.

Escapar / To Escape

/es-kah-PAR/

Portuguese verb "to escape" — the act of breaking free from a dominant position or submission attempt.

Drilar / To Drill

/dree-LAR/

Brazilian Portuguese verb form of "drill" — the practice of repeating a technique with a compliant partner to build muscle memory.

Graduação / Promotion

/grah-doo-ah-SOWN/

The ceremony or moment of promoting a student to the next belt rank. A significant event in BJJ academy life.

Luta Livre

/LOO-tah LEE-vrey/

Brazilian no-gi submission grappling discipline that developed in parallel to gi BJJ in the 20th century. The rivalry between Gracie BJJ and Luta Livre was a major feature of the Rio de Janeiro grappling scene in the 1980s and 90s.

Estilo / Style

/es-TEE-loh/

Portuguese for "style" — a competitor's personal expression of BJJ technique. Distinct from system (a coach's pedagogical framework) and game (the specific positions a competitor specializes in).

Lapela / Lapel

/lah-PEH-lah/

The collar/lapel of the gi. Used as a control surface, choking blade (via the gi loop or the threaded lapel guards), and grip anchor across the entire gi BJJ technical canon.

Manga / Sleeve

/MAN-gah/

The sleeve of the gi. The sleeve grip (pegada na manga) is one of the most important grip anchors in gi BJJ and underlies the entire spider guard / lasso guard system.

Oss / Osu

/oh-SS/

A multipurpose acknowledgment imported from Japanese martial-arts culture, used in BJJ academies to mean approximately "understood," "yes," or "ready." Overused by some, avoided by others, debated by all.

Japanese 押忍 (osu), karate origin

Kimura

/kee-MOO-rah/

A shoulder lock executed via a figure-four grip on the opponent's wrist. Named for Masahiko Kimura, who broke Helio Gracie's arm with it at Maracanã in 1951.

Named for Masahiko Kimura (1917–1993)

Sankaku

/sahn-KAH-koo/

Triangle. In modern leg-lock usage, refers to a figure-four position with the attacker's legs trapping the opponent's leg. Inside sankaku is the position of the inside heel hook.

Japanese 三角 (sankaku, triangle)

Ashi Garami

/ah-SHEE gah-RAH-mee/

Leg entanglement. The Japanese term for the variety of figure-four leg positions used to set up leg locks. Includes single-leg X, double trouble, 50-50, and inside sankaku.

Japanese 足搦 (ashi-garami, leg entanglement)

Gi / Kimono

/GHEE / kee-MOH-no/

The traditional uniform of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, consisting of a heavy cotton jacket and pants secured by a belt. Borrowed from the Japanese kimono used in judo.

Japanese 着 (gi, "wear") via judogi

Newaza

/neh-WAH-zah/

Japanese term meaning "ground techniques," used in judo and BJJ to refer to all techniques executed on the mat as opposed to standing.

Japanese 寝技 (newaza, "lying-down techniques")

Randori

/ran-DOH-ree/

Japanese term for free-form sparring practice. In BJJ contexts, equivalent to live rolling.

Japanese 乱取り (randori, "chaos-taking")

Dojo / Academia

/DOH-zhoh / ah-kah-DEM-yah/

The training space. In Japanese martial arts, "the place of the way." Most BJJ schools today use the Portuguese "academia" instead, but dojo is still occasionally used.

Japanese 道場 (dōjō, "place of the way")

Ukemi

/oo-KEH-mee/

Japanese term for break-falling — the techniques that allow a thrown grappler to land safely. Foundational to safe training, taught in the first weeks of any judo or BJJ program.

Japanese 受身 (ukemi, "receiving body")

Hadaka-Jime

/hah-DAH-kah-zhee-meh/

Japanese name for the rear naked choke. Literal translation "naked strangle" — i.e., a strangle that requires no gi.

Japanese 裸絞 (hadaka-jime, "naked strangle")

Juji-Gatame

/zhoo-zhee-gah-TAH-meh/

Japanese name for the cross-armlock (armbar). Literal translation "cross hold" — the body forms a cross shape around the trapped arm.

Japanese 十字固 (jūji-gatame, "cross hold")

Ude-Garami

/oo-deh-gah-RAH-mee/

Japanese term covering the figure-four shoulder locks, including both kimura and americana. Literal translation "entangled arm."

Japanese 腕緘 (ude-garami, "entangled arm")

Sankaku-Jime

/sahn-KAH-koo-zhee-meh/

Japanese name for the triangle choke. Literal translation "triangle strangle."

Japanese 三角絞 (sankaku-jime, "triangle strangle")

Kesa-Gatame

/keh-sah-gah-TAH-meh/

Scarf hold. A side-control variant where the attacker sits more upright with one of the opponent's arms trapped under their armpit. Common in judo, occasionally used in BJJ.

Japanese 袈裟固 (kesa-gatame, "scarf hold")

Kata-Gatame

/kah-tah-gah-TAH-meh/

Japanese name for the arm-triangle choke. Literal translation "shoulder hold" — the opponent's own shoulder is one blade of the choke.

Japanese 肩固 (kata-gatame, "shoulder hold")

Judogi

/zhoo-DOH-ghee/

Japanese term for the judo uniform. The BJJ gi is technically a variant of the judogi, with a tighter cut and heavier weave to resist the grip-fighting BJJ requires.

Japanese 柔道着 (jūdōgi, "judo wear")

Obi

/OH-bee/

Japanese term for the belt worn with a gi. Used occasionally in BJJ contexts; "faixa" (Portuguese) is more common in Brazilian academies.

Japanese 帯 (obi, "belt")

Kuzushi

/koo-ZOO-shee/

Japanese term for off-balancing — the moment in which the opponent's base is broken, opening the window for a throw, sweep, or takedown. Foundational concept in judo and increasingly explicit in modern BJJ pedagogy.

Japanese 崩し (kuzushi, "breaking")

Uchi Mata

/oo-chee MAH-tah/

Japanese term for the inner thigh throw — one of the highest-percentage takedowns in judo and a common entry to BJJ standing exchanges.

Japanese 内股 (uchi-mata, "inner thigh")

O-Soto-Gari

/oh-SOH-toh GAH-ree/

Japanese term for the major outer reaping throw — a foot-sweep variant where the attacker reaps the opponent's leg from outside.

Japanese 大外刈 (ō-soto-gari, "major outer reap")

Seoi Nage

/seh-OH-ee NAH-geh/

Japanese term for the shoulder throw — a hip throw where the opponent is loaded onto the attacker's back and thrown over the shoulder.

Japanese 背負投 (seoi-nage, "back-carry throw")

Armbar / Armlock

/ARM-bar/

A joint lock attacking the elbow by extending the arm against the body. Called juji-gatame in judo. In Portuguese: chave de braço or armlock.

Sweep / Raspagem

/sweep/

Reversal from bottom to top. Worth two points in IBJJF. See raspagem for Portuguese usage.

Frame

/frame/

A rigid structure created with the forearms, elbows, or shins to maintain space against the opponent. Frames are passive (preserving distance) rather than active (creating it).

Shrimp

/shrimp/

The hip escape movement, named for the curled body shape it produces. The universal BJJ warm-up.

No-Gi

/NO-ghee/

Training and competition without the gi, using shorts and a rashguard. The dominant format in ADCC, EBI, and modern submission-grappling promotions.

Tap / Bater

/tap / bah-TER/

The act of conceding a submission by physically tapping the opponent or the mat, or by verbal acknowledgment. Tapping early is the foundation of safe training.

Spider Guard / Guarda Aranha

/SPY-der / GWAR-dah ah-RAH-nyah/

Open-guard variant using sleeve grips and feet on the opponent's biceps to control distance and create sweep angles.

Butterfly Guard / Guarda Borboleta

/BUT-er-fly / bor-bo-LEH-tah/

Seated open-guard with both feet hooked under the opponent's thighs. Marcelo Garcia's signature position.

X-Guard

/X-gard/

Open-guard configuration in which the bottom player wraps both legs in an X-shape around one of the opponent's legs from underneath.

50-50 / Cinquenta-Cinquenta

/fifty-fifty / sin-KWEN-tah/

Leg-entanglement position in which both players have one of each other's legs in a mirrored figure-four. Neutral structurally, with attack and defense identical for both players.

Kneebar / Chave de Joelho

/KNEE-bar/

Joint lock attacking the knee by hyperextending the leg, using the attacker's hips as the fulcrum. Legal in IBJJF nogi at brown belt; legal in gi at brown belt with restrictions.

Toe Hold

/TOH-hold/

Leg-lock rotating the opponent's ankle inward, affecting both the ankle joint and the medial knee structures. Legal in IBJJF nogi at brown belt and above.

Baseball Bat Choke / Bate-Estaca

/bate-es-TAH-kah/

Gi choke from side control or top half guard, using two collar grips opposite to each other to compress both carotids simultaneously, mimicking the grip of a baseball bat.

Cross-Collar Choke / Estrangulamento Cruzado

/CROSS-COL-er/

Blood choke using two opposite collar grips that cross at the wrist to compress both carotid arteries. The canonical gi mount finish.

Rolar / Rolling

/hoh-LAR / ROHL-ing/

Free-form sparring practice in BJJ. Portuguese "rolar" (to roll) is the canonical term and the source of the English "rolling."

Deep Half Guard

/DEEP HALF/

Half-guard variant where the bottom player slides their hips deep under the opponent's body and hugs a single leg, popularized by Roberto Gordo Correa and refined by Bernardo Faria.

Lockdown

/LOCK-down/

Half-guard leg configuration developed by Eddie Bravo where the bottom player traps the opponent's leg with a figure-four of the legs, enabling the electric chair and other 10th Planet techniques.

Electric Chair

/eh-LECK-trick CHAIR/

Sweep and submission from the lockdown half guard where the bottom player splits the opponent's legs and applies pressure on the hip or knee. Signature of the 10th Planet system.

Reverse De La Riva / RDLR

/reh-VERS deh lah HEE-vah/

De La Riva variant where the hook is inverted, with the bottom player's foot wrapped around the inside of the opponent's leg rather than the outside. Used as a counter to torreando-style passes.

Half Butterfly

/HALF BUT-er-fly/

Hybrid position combining half guard's trapped-leg control with butterfly guard's elevation hook. Used as a transitional offensive base.

Peruvian Necktie

/peh-ROO-vee-an NEK-tie/

Front-headlock choke where the attacker rolls forward over the opponent's back, locking the neck with both arms in a tie-like configuration. Named for Tony DeSouza, who popularized it in MMA.

Japanese Necktie / Gravata Japonesa

/gra-VAH-tah zhah-poh-NEH-zah/

Front-headlock blood choke that wraps the neck and one arm with both attacker's arms, finishing perpendicular to the opponent's body. Related to but distinct from the Peruvian necktie.

Hooks

/HOOKS/

The attacker's feet inserted inside the opponent's thighs in back control. Both hooks established is required for the four-point back control score in IBJJF.

Body Triangle

/BAH-dee TRY-ang-gel/

Back-control variant where the attacker's legs form a figure-four around the opponent's torso instead of using hooks. More secure than hooks but slower to establish.

Seatbelt

/SEAT-belt/

Back-control arm configuration where one arm goes over the opponent's shoulder and the other under the opposite armpit, locking the bodies together for choke and control.

Cross-Face

/CROSS-face/

Top-position control where the attacker's arm wraps around the opponent's head and pulls the chin away from the controlling side. Foundational to side control, mount, and pressure passing.

Underhook

/UN-der-hook/

Grip configuration where the attacker's arm passes under the opponent's armpit, providing upper-body lever. Critical in half guard, butterfly guard, and standing exchanges.

Whizzer

/WHIZ-er/

Defensive overhook applied to the opponent's shoulder, typically used to prevent a single-leg takedown or to defend against the dogfight sweep.

Sprawl

/SPRAWL/

Defensive technique against a takedown attempt where the defender drives the hips down and back, flattening the attacker's posture and removing the lifting angle.

Pummeling

/PUM-el-ing/

The constant in-and-out swimming of the arms used in clinch and grappling exchanges to establish or maintain underhook position.

Saddle / Honey Hole / 4-11

/SAD-el/

Leg-entanglement position in which the attacker's legs trap the opponent's leg in a figure-four with the captured knee locked. Primary entry to the inside heel hook in the Danaher system.

Truck Position / 4-11 Back

/TRUK/

Position related to back control where the attacker is perpendicular underneath the opponent. Primary entry to the calf slicer and various leg-lock attacks.

Crab Ride

/KRAB RIDE/

Open-guard control position where the bottom player hooks both legs around the opponent's thighs from behind while sitting up. Used as a back-take entry from inverted positions.

Dogfight

/DOG-fight/

Half-guard scramble position where both players are facing each other on their knees, fighting for underhooks and back-take angle. Eddie Bravo / 10th Planet terminology.

Gable Grip

/GAY-bel grip/

Hand grip where the palms face each other and clasp together without interlacing the fingers. Named for Olympic wrestler Dan Gable. Used in body-lock, headlock, and triangle finishes.

RDLR / Reverse De La Riva

/R-D-L-R/

Reverse De La Riva guard. Open-guard variant where the hook is inverted, with the bottom player's foot wrapped around the inside of the opponent's leg.

Guard Pull

/GARD PULL/

Strategic choice to sit down or fall to the back voluntarily, pulling the opponent into the bottom player's guard rather than engaging in a takedown exchange. Common in sport BJJ but penalized in some submission-only formats.

A-Game

/AY-game/

A competitor's strongest set of techniques and positions, refined through years of training and competition. Distinct from B-game (situational answers) and C-game (defensive fundamentals).

Flow Rolling / Rolar Light

/FLOH ROHL-ing/

Low-intensity sparring practice where both partners move continuously without forcing positions or finishes. Used for technique integration and conditioning rather than competitive pressure.

Open Mat

/OH-pen MAT/

Unstructured training session where practitioners roll freely without formal instruction. Common on Saturdays at most BJJ academies.

Superfight

/SOO-per-fight/

High-profile single match between two elite competitors outside the normal tournament structure. Pioneered by ADCC and now common in WNO, Polaris, and CJI.

Tap Tap Tap

/TAP/

Verbal tap-out when the hands are not available to physically tap. Saying "tap" repeatedly is universally recognized as a submission concession.

Spider Web

/SPY-der WEB/

Submission position popularized by EBI overtime, where the attacker has both legs trapping the opponent in an armbar-like configuration. Resembles a spider's web wrapping the prey.

Connection

/kuh-NEK-shun/

The principle of maintaining continuous physical contact between attacker and opponent during transitions. Foundational to the Rickson Gracie "invisible jiu jitsu" concept.

Tap to Grip

/TAP to GRIP/

Modern submission grappling convention of tapping when a finishing grip is established rather than waiting for joint pain. Standard practice for leg locks where damage precedes pain.

Sambo

/SAM-bo/

Russian grappling art with significant leg-lock and pinning emphasis. The technical influence of sambo on modern BJJ leg-lock systems is substantial; many Danaher-era heel-hook entries derive from sambo prototypes.

Russian САМБО (САМозащита Без Оружия, "self-defense without weapons")

IBJJF

/I-B-J-J-F/

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The largest gi-jiu-jitsu governing body, founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. in 2002. Runs the Worlds (Mundial), Pans, Europeans, and a global rankings system.

ADCC

/A-D-C-C/

Abu Dhabi Combat Club. The premier no-gi submission-grappling tournament, held biennially. The most prestigious title in modern submission grappling.

Advantage / Vantagem

/ad-VAN-tij / van-TAH-zhem/

IBJJF tiebreaker score awarded for technique attempts that almost score but do not complete. The aggregate advantage count decides matches tied on points.

Penalty / Punição

/pun-i-SOWN/

IBJJF rules infraction (stalling, illegal grips, fleeing the mat) that results in a warning, then an advantage or point to the opponent, then disqualification.

Sub-Only / Submission-Only

/SUB-only/

Competition format where matches end only via submission (or time limit) with no points awarded for position. Popular in EBI, ADCC absolute formats, and modern superfights.

EBI Overtime

/E-B-I OH-ver-time/

Eddie Bravo Invitational overtime format: tied matches go to a series of one-minute back-control and spider-web positions where the first competitor to submit or escape fastest wins.

Faixa Cinza / Gray Belt

/FYE-shah SEEN-zah/

IBJJF kids belt rank between white and yellow. The kids belt progression goes white → gray → yellow → orange → green before transitioning to the adult ranks.

Faixa Coral / Coral Belt

/FYE-shah co-RAL/

Red-and-black belt awarded at 7th degree, signifying decades of contribution to BJJ. The "coral" name comes from the color combination resembling a coral snake.

Faixa Vermelha / Red Belt

/FYE-shah ver-MEH-lyah/

Highest belt in BJJ, awarded at 9th and 10th degree. Reserved for those with the most significant contributions to the art and only achievable after a lifetime of practice.

Submission-Only

/sub-MIH-shun OWN-lee/

Competition format where matches end only via submission, with time limits resolved through draws, overtime, or referee decision. Pioneered by EBI and now standard in most modern grappling promotions.

EBI / Eddie Bravo Invitational

/E-B-I/

Submission-only grappling tournament founded by Eddie Bravo. Pioneered the EBI overtime format where tied matches resolve through back-control and spider-web submission attempts.

CJI / Craig Jones Invitational

/C-J-I/

High-purse submission-only grappling tournament founded by Craig Jones in 2024. The 2024 event paid $1 million to the absolute champion and signaled a new commercial era for the sport.

WNO / Who's Number One

/W-N-O/

Submission-only grappling promotion under Flograppling. Features superfights and championship matches with weight-class titles. Active 2020 onward.

Polaris

/poh-LAH-ris/

British submission grappling promotion. One of the longest-running European no-gi events, featuring superfights and championship cards.

ONE Championship

/WUN CHAM-pee-un-ship/

Asian-based combat sports promotion. Features both MMA and submission grappling divisions, with Mikey Musumeci as the flagship grappling competitor.