Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terminology & Glossary

This glossary explains key Brazilian Jiu Jitsu terms used in our classes at Carlson Gracie Gainesville. It follows our belt progression from white to black and includes positions, submissions, takedowns, sweeps, escapes, and common drills. Use it to review after class and to learn the language you will hear on the mats.

White Belt Fundamentals

Sucker Punch Defense

Awareness and hand position to intercept an unexpected strike. Focus on covering, stepping off line, and regaining safe posture.

Straight Punch Defense (Jab and Cross)

Basic defenses against common straight punches that use parries, head movement, frames, and clinch entries to reduce damage and close distance.

Standing Rear Naked Choke Escape

Escapes against a choke from behind while standing. Protect the airway, drop your weight, peel the top hand, and turn into the attacker to clear the hold.

Hip Toss (O Goshi)

A fundamental hip throw from judo. Turn your hips in, load their weight onto your hip shelf, then rotate and lift to bring them to the ground.

Double Leg Takedown

Level change, penetration step, collect both legs, and drive through to finish. Emphasizes head position and angle to avoid guillotine risk.

Closed Guard

Legs locked around the opponent’s waist from bottom. Control posture, break grips, and set up chokes, armlocks, and sweeps.

Cross Choke Escape

Defend collar grips early, posture up, and use hand fighting to remove the choking forearm while angling your hips to relieve pressure.

Armbar Escape (Juji Gatame Escapes)

Use the hitchhiker rotation, stacking pressure, or elbow retraction to clear the line of your elbow and free the arm.

Triangle Choke Escape

Build posture, align both shoulders to the opponent, control the hip, and open the lock by creating space at the knee line.

Hitchhiker Escape

Armbar escape where you rotate thumb-down and roll your body to slide the elbow past the hips and out of danger.

Collar Choke (Cross Collar)

A gi strangle using both lapels from guard or mount. Feed deep grips, angle your wrists, and apply steady pressure to the sides of the neck.

Armbar from Guard

Isolate an arm, pivot your hips, pinch your knees, and extend the hips to hyperextend the elbow.

Triangle Choke from Guard

Trap the head and one arm in a figure four with your legs. Adjust the angle, lock your legs, and squeeze to finish.

Back Take from Guard

Use broken posture and angle to climb to the back with seatbelt control and hooks.

Scissor Sweep

Open the guard, cross your shin across their midline, lift the bottom leg, and cut the top leg across to topple them.

Knee Through Pass

Break the guard and slice your knee across their thigh, controlling the hips and head to settle side control.

Standing Guard Break to Knee Cut

Stand to open the guard, then step in with a knee slice while keeping inside position on grips.

Double Ankle Sweep (Lumberjack)

When the opponent stands in your guard, control both ankles and push the hips to knock them backward, following to top.

Hook Sweep

Use an instep hook to lift a leg and tip the opponent by combining upper body control with the hook action.

Sickle Sweep

Control the ankle and heel line, scissor your legs at their shin to off-balance and sweep from open guard.

Torreando Pass (Bullfighter)

Control the pants at the knees or shins, step laterally, and circle around the legs to side control.

Shoulder Spike Pass

A pressure pass that drives the shoulder into the chest while stapling the legs to clear the guard.

Side Control: Reguard

Frame the near hip and far shoulder, turn on your side, and bring a knee inside to recover guard.

Americana

Figure four shoulder lock where the elbow bends toward the head. Control the wrist and elbow to finish.

Straight Arm Lock

Hyperextension of the elbow with the arm aligned straight. Control the thumb orientation and lever the joint.

Kimura

Figure four grip that rotates the shoulder behind the back. Used from guard, side control, or north-south to control and submit.

Trap and Roll Escape (Upa)

From mount, trap the arm and foot on one side, bridge high, and roll to reverse the position.

Low Mount and Modified Mount

Control variations that lower your hips or adjust knee placement to increase pressure and set up attacks.

Head and Arm Control

Pin the head and near arm to limit movement and expose chokes and armlocks.

Seatbelt Control

Back control with one arm over and one under the opponent’s arms. Hands lock at the chest.

Weak Side Escape

Escape to the choking-arm side by clearing the top hook and turning into the opponent.

Strong Side Escape

Escape to the non-choking side by controlling the top arm, sliding to the mat, and clearing hooks.

Gable Grip Choke

A no-gi style finish that uses a palm-to-palm gable grip to compress the neck when aligned correctly.

Rear Naked Choke

Choke from back mount with one arm around the neck and the other reinforcing behind the head. Focus on forearm angle and shoulder squeeze.

Blue Belt Progressions

Standing Rear Naked Choke Defense: Step Behind and Turn

Step your leg behind the attacker’s leg, drop weight, peel the top hand, and rotate into them to break the choke.

Side Headlock Defense

Protect the neck, base with your legs, open space at the head, and create an angle to free the head or take the back.

Guillotine Defense

Address the choking forearm early, drive the shoulder, and pass to the safe side to relieve pressure and escape.

Bear Hugs: Front and Rear, Arms In or Out

Lower your base, wedge space with frames, and rotate out while capturing a grip or a takedown.

One-Hand and Two-Hand Choke Defense

Strip grips, center your posture, and step to the side to break alignment and counter.

Single Leg Takedown

Collect one leg, lift or run the pipe to finish. Maintain head position and inside control.

Duck Under

Pull the arm across and move under it to come up on the back angle for a takedown.

Snap Down

Use collar tie or head control to pull the opponent’s head down and enter front headlock attacks.

Ankle Pick

Push the upper body and pick the ankle at the same time to tip the opponent over.

Arm Drag to Leg Hook

Arm drag to outside angle, then hook behind the leg to finish a trip or back take.

Ippon Seoi Nage

Shoulder throw where you turn under their arm and project them over your shoulder.