Beginner's Guide to Basic Jiu-Jitsu Moves

When training jiu-jitsu, you'll spend most of your time on the mats learning and perfecting specific techniques. The most skilled practitioners are those who have practiced their best moves often enough to employ them successfully against opponents of any skill level. However, attaining that level of mastery requires countless hours of focus and dedication.

As is true regarding any complex skill, learning jiu-jitsu feels daunting at first. Fortunately, dividing your jiu-jitsu journey into a set of achievable steps makes the process easier and considerably more enjoyable.

The first step for beginners is to gain an understanding of the basic jiu-jitsu moves. These fundamental techniques include distinct positions, submissions, takedowns, and sweeps, each of which comes with specific advantages and applications.

We've created this article as an overview of jiu-jitsu basics to help guide your training progress. Ultimately, it's your responsibility to exhibit the continuous dedication necessary to succeed in jiu-jitsu, but the knowledge in the sections below will serve as an excellent starting point.

Basic Jiu-Jitsu Positions

At its foundation, jiu-jitsu is a positional battle in which you'll focus on gradually increasing the control you have over your opponent. Only after understanding positional principles can you expect to successfully perform submissions, sweeps, takedowns, and other transitional moves.

To many beginners, studying positions is not the most enticing aspect of jiu-jitsu. However, failing to recognize the value of each position and the opportunities they present is a reliable way to hinder your progress.

A long-standing adage in jiu-jitsu goes as follows: "position before submission." In essence, this phrase emphasizes the need to develop positional control before making submission attempts. Neglecting this approach can often lead to inconsistent results and a severe lack of effectiveness in your jiu-jitsu style.

At Hobby Jiu-Jitsu, we fully agree with the foundational importance of positional knowledge. Given that importance, we'll begin our discussion of basic jiu-jitsu moves with precise descriptions and explanations of the positions beginners should strive to master.  

Standing Position

Standing Position Description:

• Both practitioners are standing on their feet.

• The practitioners either have no contact with each other or are clinching each other.

Standing Position Explanation:

It's true that most jiu-jitsu moves take place on the ground. However, matches, fights, and self-defense situations rarely, if ever, begin on the ground. Instead, your initial interactions with your opponent will begin in a standing position.

From the standing position, the primary goal of a jiu-jitsu practitioner is to engage with their opponent and execute a technique that will force them to a ground position. The most common and effective way to achieve this goal is by performing a takedown.

To most beginners, simply standing on your feet may seem like an incredibly simple task. However, the truth is that it takes more time than you'd expect to develop the stance, balance, and movement necessary to perform standing techniques successfully.  

Guard

Guard Description:

• The bottom practitioner either lies on their back or is in a seated position.

• The bottom practitioner either has their legs in between themselves and their opponent or wrapped around their opponent in some way.

Guard Explanation:

In our opinion, the guard position is perhaps the most significant contribution that jiu-jitsu has made to martial arts as a whole. Nearly every other martial art views being on your back as entirely disadvantageous, leading them to develop little to no viable techniques to use in that situation.

By contrast, jiu-jitsu gives practitioners a comprehensive set of defensive and offensive moves they can use from the bottom position.

To be clear, we don't claim that the guard is equal to or more advantageous than a top position. Still, if someone forces you to your back, it's better to have moves you can use in that scenario than it is to have no strategy in that position at all.  

Like other jiu-jitsu positions, there are multiple variations of the guard. Some of the most fundamental guard types include full/closed guard, half guard, open guard, and butterfly guard. Each guard provides opportunities to use different moves, including sweeps, submissions, and transitional moves.  

Side Control

Side Control Description:

• The bottom practitioner lies on their back.

• The top practitioner lies on top, maintaining chest-to-chest contact with their opponent.

• The practitioner's spines are essentially perpendicular to each other.

• The top practitioner is often on their elbows and knees.

Side Control Explanation:

Side control is one of the most common top positions in jiu-jitsu. In the most conventional variation of this position, the top practitioner uses their elbows and knees to inhibit the bottom practitioner's movement. That movement inhibition combined with the chest-to-chest pressure allows the top practitioner to hold their opponent in place.

After establishing control, the top practitioner can attempt several submissions, the most common of which are arm triangles, Americanas, and kimuras. Additionally, side control provides opportunities to transition to other control positions like full mount.

The bottom practitioner in side control has essentially no opportunity to perform a submission. Instead, their goal is to transition to the guard or escape from the bottom position entirely.

Knee-on-Belly

Knee-on-Belly Description:

• The bottom practitioner lies on their back.

• The top practitioner places one knee on their opponent's stomach or chest.

• The top practitioner maintains balance by posting their other leg on the ground.

• The top practitioner often maintains an upright torso posture.

Knee-on-Belly Explanation:

Like side control, knee-on-belly provides both submission and transition opportunities. This position itself can inflict significant pressure and pain upon the bottom practitioner due to the top practitioner's knee placement.

However, since knee-on-belly involves less overall contact between the practitioners and can involve an upright torso posture, it's inherently less stable than positions like side control, north-south, or mount. With that said, the upright nature of knee-on-belly does give the top practitioner better opportunities to strike their opponent despite having less control.

A bottom practitioner in knee-on-belly often feels considerable pain, which motivates them to escape the position quickly. Fortunately, for the reasons highlighted in the previous paragraph, knee-on-belly tends to be easier to escape from than other control positions.

North-South

North-South Description:

• The bottom practitioner lies on their back.

• The top practitioner lies on top, maintaining chest-to-chest contact with their opponent.

• The practitioner's spines are essentially parallel to each other.

• The top practitioner's head is close to the bottom practitioner's hips, and vice versa.

North-South Explanation:

North-south is a somewhat underutilized control position in jiu-jitsu. However, that does not mean that this position is ineffective. On the contrary, north-south gives the top practitioner considerable control and submission opportunities. The most common available submissions in north-south are the Kimura and the aptly named north-south choke.

North-south also proves to be a challenging position for the bottom practitioner to escape from. Compared to other positions, the configuration of the two practitioners' bodies does not allow the bottom practitioner to use their legs as effectively to aid their escape attempts.

Mount

Mount Description:

• The bottom practitioner lies on their back.

• The top practitioner straddles the bottom practitioner's torso.

• The top practitioner's knees typically rest on the floor.

• The top practitioner can maintain chest-to-chest contact or an upright torso posture.

Mount Explanation:

The mount position is one of the most dominant top positions in all of jiu-jitsu. From this position, the top practitioner can use their legs and arms to stabilize themselves and control their opponent.

From mount, the top practitioner can perform several submission techniques. A few submission options from the mount position include armbars, triangle chokes, Americanas, arm triangle chokes, and more.

When a bottom practitioner is mounted, their sole focus should be escaping the position. Mount position leaves bottom practitioners vulnerable to many submission attempts as well as strikes.

Back Control

Back Control Description:

• The practitioner who has back control is directly behind their opponent.

• The chest of the practitioner who has back control contacts their opponent's back.

• The practitioner who has back control uses their legs to control their opponent's hips and midsection.

• The practitioner who has back control uses their arms to control their opponent's shoulders.

Back Control Explanation:

Often, the argument about which jiu-jitsu position is most dominant comes down to two options—the mount, which we just described above, and back control. There are valid arguments on either side of that debate, but we feel that back control has a slight advantage, making it the best position you can achieve in jiu-jitsu.

When a skilled practitioner achieves back control, escaping the position can be very difficult. Solid back control also gives practitioners plenty of time to perform one of the best submissions in all of grappling—the rear naked choke.  

There are multiple variations of back control, and some are far more advantageous than others. For instance, the ultimate form of back control involves forcing your opponent to be face down on the mat while you keep their hips and torso flat using your legs.

This position gives your opponent no offensive choices and minimal defensive options as well. Meanwhile, you'll have the opportunity to land strikes, apply the rear naked choke, or simply maintain control for as long as you want.

Because of those advantages, achieving back control should be one of your top positional priorities while grappling. Likewise, while there are moves you can use to escape back control, a sound positional approach to jiu-jitsu prioritizes preventing your opponent from achieving back control in the first place.

Basic Jiu-Jitsu Submissions

Submission techniques are among the most important elements of jiu-jitsu. These moves allow you to force your opponent to give up or face the risk of serious injury or loss of consciousness.

While most of the time you spend using jiu-jitsu will consist of a positional battle, in many cases, the end goal of that battle is to apply a submission technique. Proper application of a submission allows you to end the fight or contest in your favor.

Since forcing your opponent to submit is a primary aim in jiu-jitsu, it's no surprise to learn that there is a multitude of submission moves you can use. These submissions are also available in various situations, including both top and bottom positions.

In fact, submissions in jiu-jitsu are so numerous that beginners often feel overwhelmed and uncertain of which ones they should learn first. While every practitioner will develop preferences for certain submission holds, the sections below will showcase what we feel are the most fundamental jiu-jitsu submissions you should learn.

An Important Note on Submission Safety: Jiu-jitsu submission techniques have the potential to cause serious injury and even death. As you train and use jiu-jitsu, safety must always remain your top priority. Never attempt to apply any jiu-jitsu submission without first learning how to do so safely, in a controlled environment, under the guidance of a qualified instructor.

Rear Naked Choke

The rear naked choke is arguably the most prevalent and successful submission in jiu-jitsu and one that every practitioner should know well. Performing the rear naked choke requires you to position yourself behind your opponent and wrap your arm around their neck.

Once your arm is in the correct position, squeezing your opponent's neck will compress their carotid arteries and reduce blood flow to the brain. Within seconds, proper application of this move will cause unconsciousness if your opponent refuses to submit.

That description alone reveals why the rear naked choke is such a successful technique in jiu-jitsu. However, other advantages make this submission a highly valuable component of your grappling repertoire.

For example, you can apply the rear naked choke while maintaining one of the most controlling positions in jiu-jitsu—back control. Additionally, attempting a rear naked choke from back control comes with an exceptionally low risk of losing that dominant position.

Lastly, a properly applied rear naked choke works on nearly every opponent. While it's possible for a strong and resilient person to survive and escape from certain joint locks, it's almost impossible for them to withstand a fully locked-in rear naked choke.

Armbar

The armbar is another fundamental jiu-jitsu submission that also illustrates one of the core concepts of the art—that you should seek to employ leverage and the strength of your entire body against just one of your opponent's body parts.

There are multiple versions of the armbar, but the most common one utilizes your back, arm, and leg muscles to straighten and extend your opponent's elbow joint beyond its natural range of motion. By forcing the elbow joint beyond its normal range of motion, armbars cause injuries, including hyperextension and dislocation, if your opponent refuses to submit.

One benefit of becoming proficient at the armbar is that you'll discover that this submission is available from several different positions, including mount, guard, back control, and more. The combination of high availability with the immense leverage this move employs makes the armbar a beneficial element of your jiu-jitsu submission arsenal. 

Triangle Choke

Performing a triangle choke involves using your legs to trap your opponent's head and one of their arms. Locking one of your ankles into the knee joint of your other leg creates the triangle shape from which this submission gets its name.

Like other choke holds, the triangle choke works by compressing your opponent's carotid arteries and reducing blood flow to the brain. Again, this phenomenon leads to unconsciousness if your opponent fails to submit.

It's most common to apply triangle chokes from the guard position. However, this submission is also available in other positions, including the mount. Additionally, triangle chokes also have several variations, which only increases their availability in various grappling scenarios.

Compared to other submissions we've featured in this article, the triangle choke is relatively difficult for many beginners to apply. This difficulty is partly due to the fact that using your legs to choke someone is inherently less intuitive than using your arms.

Triangles are also much more difficult to apply if you have shorter legs or lack dexterity and mobility in your hips and legs. Despite those challenges, the triangle choke is a fundamental jiu-jitsu move that's worth learning, even if it does not become one of your primary offensive options.

Guillotine Choke

The guillotine choke is another example of a widespread submission that jiu-jitsu practitioners use. This submission earns its popularity partly because it is readily available in several frequently occurring grappling scenarios. For instance, the guillotine choke is an excellent counter to some of the most popular takedowns—single-leg and double-leg takedowns.

Another advantage of the guillotine choke is that you can perform it from both top positions and bottom positions. In the latter case, even if you cannot force a submission with a guillotine choke, the pressure you apply can result in an advantageous transition that allows you to achieve a top position.

Much like the rear naked choke, guillotines aim to compress the carotid arteries. However, most guillotines place pressure on the trachea as well. Trachea compression is considerably less efficient at causing unconsciousness, but it is often painful enough to motivate your opponent to submit nonetheless.

Kimura

The Kimura submission is a type of armlock that involves using a specific grip with both of your arms to apply rotational force to your opponent's shoulder. When strong enough, this rotational force can damage your opponent's shoulder, elbow, and arm bones.

Kimuras are highly versatile, thanks to the fact that they are available in many different positions. Additionally, even if you aren't able to force your opponent to submit to your kimura attempt, the rotational force you apply can be enough to cause an advantageous change of position, similar to what we mentioned regarding guillotine chokes.

Although "Kimura" is the most common term for this submission, it also has several other names. For example, "reverse keylock," "double wristlock," and the Japanese term "gyaku ude-garami" all refer to the same move.  

Americana

The Americana technique shares many similarities with the Kimura. Both submissions involve similar gripping configurations, and both also apply rotational force against your opponent's shoulder. However, regardless of these similarities, there are differences between Kimuras and Americanas that make them entirely separate techniques.

Compared to Kimuras, the availability of Americans is somewhat limited. In nearly every case, you'll apply Americanas from either mount or side control. Americanas also have a reputation as a move that only works against beginner practitioners.

However, we don't fully agree with that sentiment. While Americanas, and every other submission, are easiest to apply against beginners, correct timing and technique make this submission useful at any level. Even if you cannot force a submission with an Americana, the pressure you apply can make your opponent vulnerable to follow-up attacks.

Straight Ankle Lock

The final submission we'll feature in this beginner's guide to jiu-jitsu basics is the straight ankle lock. Straight ankle locks are part of a group of submission moves known as leg locks. As the name implies, leg locks are submissions that target the anatomy of your opponent's lower body.

Overall, leg locks are a somewhat controversial topic in jiu-jitsu, and many gyms do not allow beginners to use leg locks at all. The main reason for that approach is that some leg locks, like heel hooks, cause torsion to the knee ligaments. That twisting force makes it surprisingly easy to cause ligament tears that involve long recovery times and can alter or even end a practitioner's career.

However, proper application of a straight ankle lock does not involve twisting your opponent's knee. Instead, straight ankle locks cause hyperextension to the ankle joint. While painful, this hyperextension is far less dangerous than the twisting force that other leg locks place on the knee.

In nearly every gym, the straight ankle lock will be the first leg lock you learn. Undoubtedly, other leg locks, like heel hooks, are highly effective. However, we strongly recommend learning how to apply the straight ankle lock in a controlled manner before attempting other, more advanced leg locks.

Basic Jiu-Jitsu Takedowns

Earlier in this article, we pointed out that most jiu-jitsu moves occur in grounded positions. However, we also noted that jiu-jitsu practitioners need a way to get to the ground in the first place. The most valuable method to achieve that goal is by performing a takedown.

A successful takedown not only forces your opponent to the ground but also grants you the top position. From a top position, you can exert a remarkable amount of control over your opponent and gradually increase that control until you have a chance to attempt a submission.

Types of Takedowns in Jiu-Jitsu

Since judo is jiu-jitsu's parent art, it's only natural that many of the takedown techniques you'll learn in a jiu-jitsu class come directly from judo. Likewise, jiu-jitsu also shares a close connection to wrestling, which is another art that specializes in takedown techniques.

If we take a broad perspective, we can divide jiu-jitsu takedowns into two general categories. With this perspective, nearly every takedown move you learn while training will either be a judo-based takedown or a wrestling-based takedown.

That said, each takedown technique's true historical origin is more complex than what we just described. You'll also find overlap between the takedowns featured in judo, wrestling, and other martial arts. However, we feel this simplified framework makes it much easier for beginners to categorize and conceptualize the takedown techniques available to them.

As has been a recurring theme throughout this article, takedowns are extremely numerous. Classic judo training alone focuses on 40 fundamental throwing techniques. Similarly, wrestling also has countless techniques that are worth exploring. To give you a starting point, we've listed a few useful takedown techniques from each of these martial arts.  

Judo-Based Takedowns Examples

• Seoi nage (shoulder throw)

• Uchi mata (inner-thigh throw)

• Harai goshi (sweeping hip throw)

• Sasae tsurikomi ashi (foot sweep)

• Tomoe nage (circle throw)

• Sumi gaeshi (corner throw)

• Osotogari (large outer reap)

Wrestling-Based Takedown Examples

• Double leg

• Single leg

• High-Crotch

• Ankle pick

• Knee tap

• Snapdown

• Inside trip

What is Guard Pulling?

Guard pulling is an alternative to takedowns that involves dragging your opponent to the ground in a way that allows them to land on top of you while you willingly accept the bottom guard position. In some ways, pulling guard can be an easier way to bring your opponent to the ground compared to performing a takedown.  

For example, opponents are often less likely to give strong resistance against a guard pull, and many will often freely accept the top position. Second, guard pulling can be less strenuous than attempting a takedown. Rather than forcing your opponent off their feet and onto their back, you will simply pull them on top of you.

However, guard pulling has significant disadvantages that beginners must understand. Most importantly, the bottom position is substantially more dangerous in any situation in which your opponent may attempt to strike you. Additionally, giving your opponent the top position makes it easier for them to control you, as they can use gravity to their advantage.

Despite its disadvantages, the guard remains an important position for the reasons we expressed earlier in the guard position section of this article. Additionally, there are some contexts in which guard pulling is a more viable strategy than others, such as sport jiu-jitsu competitions.

However, we advise all jiu-jitsu beginners to focus on takedowns as their primary option from the standing position. Unlike a guard pull, a successful takedown is valuable across nearly every grappling context and allows you to enjoy all the benefits top positions provide.  

Basic Jiu-Jitsu Sweeps

A sweep in jiu-jitsu is a type of reversal in which a practitioner uses a technique from a guard to transition directly from the bottom to the top position. Completing a sweep depends on the bottom practitioner's ability to compromise their opponent's balance and capitalize on that imbalance at the correct moment.

Sweeps are a crucial component of a jiu-jitsu practitioner's skill set and contribute greatly to the overall value of the guard position. The most skilled jiu-jitsu practitioners develop formidable skills from the guard position by continuously combining sweeps with submissions and escape attempts to remain offensive against their opponents despite being in the bottom position.

What Positions Allow for Sweeping in Jiu-Jitsu?

By definition, a sweep must begin from the guard position. Here are a few basic guard types that each offer several sweep techniques you can use:

• Full/closed guard

• Half guard

• Open guard

• Butterfly guard

Sweep Technique Examples in Jiu-Jitsu

Similar to any move with a broad definition, there are many different types of sweeps in jiu-jitsu, and each sweep can have multiple names. Below are a few of the most fundamental sweeps you should consider learning first if you're a beginner:

• Butterfly/hook sweep

• Scissor sweep

• Hip bump/Kimura sweep

• Tripod sweep

• Double ankle sweep

Knowing the Basics of Jiu-Jitsu is Just the Start

If you've taken the time to read through this guide to beginner jiu-jitsu moves, you now have a much better understanding of the jiu-jitsu basics. However, knowing about these moves is just a starting point.

While written content and video tutorials are beneficial to jiu-jitsu practitioners, there is no substitute for getting on the mats to practice techniques with helpful training partners under the guidance of a qualified coach.

It's also important to emphasize that each move we've presented includes multiple variations and numerous details that this article does not cover. Learning those details and variations is a large part of what makes jiu-jitsu both difficult and rewarding.

Challenges are inevitable in jiu-jitsu, but focus, dedication, and a continual willingness to learn allow you to overcome them. We hope this guide helps you face those challenges and find success throughout your jiu-jitsu journey.