What Are the Basic Moves of Jiu-Jitsu?

Although there is a nearly limitless set of techniques, beginner practitioners should learn the basic moves of jiu-jitsu first. But to do so, you need to know what those moves are.

The basic moves of jiu-jitsu apply to both self-defense and sport grappling scenarios. These moves are practical and relatively simple to use with proper training. It’s easiest to divide these basic techniques into five categories:

1. Submissions

2. Sweeps

3. Guard Passes

4. Takedowns

5. Transitional Moves

The sections below will introduce you to those five categories of jiu-jitsu moves and show you a few examples of each.

Basic Submissions in Jiu-Jitsu

The end goal of jiu-jitsu is to force your opponent to submit. Chokeholds, armlocks, and leglocks are the primary techniques you’ll use to achieve that goal. Below are a few examples of essential jiu-jitsu submissions:

• Rear-Naked choke

• Armbar

• Guillotine choke

• Triangle choke

• Kimura

You’ll spend plenty of training time working on submission moves, as they equate to victory in most situations.

Basic Sweeps in Jiu-Jitsu

One of the more distinct elements of Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a martial art is sweeping. A jiu-jitsu sweep is a technique that allows a person to transition from their back to a top position. Jiu-jitsu practitioners utilize the guard position to perform these basic sweep techniques:

• Butterfly sweep

• Scissor sweep

• Hip bump sweep

While many other martial arts offer few or no options for how to fight from your back, jiu-jitsu is uniquely suited to that scenario. Combining sweep and submission attempts from the guard position is the basic game plan for jiu-jitsu practitioners fighting off their backs.

Basic Guard Passes in Jiu-Jitsu

Many jiu-jitsu matches and sparring sessions consist mainly of guard pass attempts. The practitioner on top performs a guard pass by moving past the bottom opponent’s legs into a dominant position. Guard playing and passing take many forms and are difficult to do well. To help you approach this complex aspect of jiu-jitsu, here are a few basic types of guard passes:

• Full guard passes

• Open guard passes

• Half guard passes

Passing the guard of a skilled guard player requires patience and persistence, but the reward is worth the effort. Once you’ve passed your opponent’s guard, you’ll be in a dominant position from which you can begin attempting submissions.

Basic Takedowns in Jiu-Jitsu

Although most jiu-jitsu moves take place on the floor, every match begins from a standing position. Takedowns are the primary way to bring your opponent to the mat. Most of the takedowns that jiu-jitsu practitioners use have roots in either Judo or Wrestling. Here are a few of the most common ones:

• Double leg takedown

• Single leg takedown

• Hip throws

• Trips

• Foot sweeps

While there are many takedown techniques, they all serve the same worthy goal—to force your opponent to the ground while landing in a top position.

What is Guard Pulling?

Guard pulling is an alternative to going for the takedown. To perform a guard pull, a practitioner will pull their opponent to the ground, allowing them to land in the top position. Conventional wisdom suggests that taking the bottom position is a poor tactic. However, jiu-jitsu practitioners have a skill set that allows them to be offensive while on their backs in the bottom position.

The applicability of guard pulling varies based on context. For example, guard pulling in a self-defense situation is rarely a wise approach, while pulling guard in a sport jiu-jitsu competition is a far more viable strategy. 

Transitional Moves

Transitional moves in jiu-jitsu permit you to pass from one position to another, maintain sound defense, and set up your submission attacks. There are many such moves in jiu-jitsu, but these are some of the basic ones:

• Shrimping

• Bridging

• Forward/backward rolls

No single transitional move will end a match. But at the same time, it’s unreasonable to expect to win without using a few well-executed transitions. Practicing these subtle movements will benefit your skill set more than you might expect.

How Many Moves are there in Jiu-Jitsu?

It’s challenging to estimate the actual quantity of jiu-jitsu moves in existence, but it is safe to say that the number reaches the thousands. Jiu-jitsu has a long history, and since its inception to the present day, practitioners have continued to refine and create new moves.

Which Jiu-Jitsu Moves Should Beginners Learn First?

Jiu-jitsu beginners should focus on foundational moves that are easy to apply and show a high success rate. Building fundamental skills in the most common jiu-jitsu positions should take precedence. As practitioners gain more experience, they can branch out and experiment with more complex moves.

What Are the Most Effective Moves in Jiu-Jitsu?

There is no single most effective move in jiu-jitsu. But moves like the rear-naked choke, guillotine, and armbar have proven their usefulness consistently. Each practitioner will find certain moves come more naturally than others. Only through training can you find the jiu-jitsu moves that are most effective for you.

What is the Best Way to Remember Jiu-Jitsu Moves?

Practicing jiu-jitsu moves is the best way to build muscle memory and train your body to perform the right move at the right time. You can also remember moves by picturing the main positions in jiu-jitsu and the moves available in each one. Doing so makes it easy to recall what you know and decide to learn next.  

Conclusion

The fundamentals of jiu-jitsu include more than a set of techniques. Certain concepts and strategies recur throughout jiu-jitsu and are crucial for any beginner to learn. But for now, knowing the basic moves of jiu-jitsu is an excellent start.