Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Submission Grappling (No-Gi)
Quick answer
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the sources of submission grappling, and its no-gi divisions are at the same time one form of wrestling without a kimono. BJJ is an art with IBJJF belts and competes with and without the gi, submission grappling is a format without a kimono and without grades, with its own ADCC or UWW rules. Neither is Olympic.
At a glance
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission Grappling (No-Gi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Brazil | – |
| Origin | 20th century (present form) | 20th century (present form) |
| Founder | Hélio GracieCarlos Gracie (co-founder) | – |
| Contact | Full contact | Full contact |
| Sparring | Full contact | Full contact |
| Competition format | Submission | Submission |
| Olympic status | Not Olympic | Not Olympic |
| Ranks | Yes (belts) | No |
| Rank recognition | by federation | no ranks |
| Attire | Gi optional | No-gi (shorts and rash guard) |
| Weapons | No weapons | No weapons |
| Forms | No forms | No forms |
| Relative cost | low | low |
| Techniques in the encyclopedia | 11 | 2 |
Scales 1–5
Rated for the typical training of an adult beginner in an ordinary club, calibrated across all arts.
What each art is built from
Editorial rating 0–3: how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
History and relationship
Submission grappling has no founder and no year of origin, sources derive it from judo, jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling and wrestling. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is thus one of its sources and at the same time competes within it: the no-gi division of BJJ belongs to the same wrestling without a kimono aimed at submission.
- March 1998: the first ADCC in Abu Dhabi, founded by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan with his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Nelson Monteiro.
- 2007: the first IBJJF World No-Gi Championship and the inclusion of grappling in United World Wrestling.
- 2013: Eddie Bravo founds Combat Jiu-Jitsu, the first matches are wrestled at EBI 11 in 2017.
- 2021: the IBJJF permits the heel hook and knee reaping in no-gi for adult brown and black belts.
Technique
- IBJJF: takedown, sweep and knee on belly 2 points, guard pass 3, mount and back mount 4.
- Punches, kicks, knees and elbows lead to disqualification.
- Heel hook under the IBJJF rules for 2021 only in no-gi for adult brown and black belts.
- With tied points, advantages decide, then penalties.
- ADCC: in the qualification the first 5 of 10 minutes without points, guard pass and back with hooks 3, a clean slam 4.
- ADCC permits leg and ankle locks including the heel hook and the twister.
- ADCC forbids punches, kicks, the full nelson and holding clothing, a minus is given for pulling guard within 3 seconds after a takedown attempt.
- UWW: a submission attempt 1 point, mount and back after 4 points.
The documented differences are in the rule sets. The IBJJF opens leg locks by belt, ADCC permits them regardless of level and awards no points in the first part of the match.
Training
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Sparring | rolling at full speed and force, positional sparring, drills with a cooperating and a non-cooperating partner | we have not found a methodology specific to wrestling without a kimono |
| Training attire | gi, or in no-gi a rash guard and shorts | without a kimono |
| Grips | in the gi on the fabric of the kimono | on the body, ADCC forbids even holding a shirt or shorts |
We have not been able to document the structure of a class or the ratio of technique, sparring and conditioning for either side. The documented difference is in grips: the ADCC rules forbid holding the opponent’s clothing, so the grip is taken on the body.
Progression and ranks
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF) | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | white, blue, purple, brown, black, for adults at least 4.5 years to black | there is no universal system, neither the ADCC nor the UWW rules mention grades |
| Placement in competition | by belt, age and weight | UWW by age and weight, not by belt |
| Top no-gi competition | IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, divisions by belt | ADCC, entry only after winning the ADCC Trials or by invitation |
| Children | 13 children’s belts from age 4 to 15 | UWW age categories from U5 |
In IBJJF no-gi divisions the belt remains visible even without a kimono: the rash guard must carry at least 10% of the belt’s color. At ADCC and in the UWW the belt does not decide placement, the level is shown by results.
Physical load and risks
- Scoggin et al. (2014): 8 tournaments in Hawaii 2005–2011, 9.2 injuries per 1,000 exposures, gi and no-gi together.
- Hinz et al. (2021), 1,140 athletes from 62 countries: knee 27.1%, 77.6% of injuries during sparring, gi and no-gi not assessed separately.
- World No-Gi Championship 2009: 62 injuries in 1,606 exposures, joint injuries 24.9 per 1,000 exposures.
- By belt 21.5 (blue) to 35.1 (black) per 1,000 exposures, the difference was not statistically significant.
- In the Hinz et al. survey the heel hook caused 11% of injuries from locks, after the armbar with 22.4% and the kimura with 12.6%.
- We have not found a study from ADCC or from UWW grappling.
Who it suits
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF) | Submission grappling (UWW) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest competition age | divisions from age 4 | U5 (ages 4–5) |
| Youth | Teen 13–15, Juvenile 16–17 | U7 to U20, each category with its own weights |
| Seniors | Adult 18–29 | from age 20, match 5 minutes |
| Veterans | Master 1 from age 30 to Master 7 from age 61 | from age 35, match 4 minutes |
| Women | separate divisions, in no-gi a rash guard for both sexes | we have not documented women’s categories in the rules |
Children
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Competition from | IBJJF from age 4 | UWW from U5 (ages 4–5), we have not found ADCC children’s categories |
| Forbidden for children | according to the IBJJF rules overview, wrist locks, toe hold, knee bar and heel hook in all children’s belts | UWW restricts by age category the heel hook, knee bar, toe hold and straight foot lock |
| Match length | 2 minutes (ages 4–6), 3 (7–9), 4 (10–15) | UWW 2 minutes U5 and U7, 3 U9 and U11, 4 U13 and U15 |
| Attire and protection | gi or rash guard and shorts, protective gear not required by the rules | UWW rash guard, shorts and compression leggings |
| Study | adolescents aged 12–17 0.59 injuries per person, at Hawaii tournaments 15-year-olds and younger 4.1 per 1,000 exposures | we have not found a children’s study of wrestling without a kimono |
Self-defence
- Rolling at full speed and force against resistance.
- The Hélio Gracie lineage practices a circle drill against several attackers.
- The IBJJF rules exclude strikes, they are not trained in sparring.
- Both the ADCC and UWW rules forbid punches and kicks.
- We have not found a self-defense program or a source on self-defense value.
- Combat Jiu-Jitsu adds open-hand strikes on the ground.
The difference is made by the lineage, not the attire: self-defense drills are documented for the Hélio Gracie lineage, for the ADCC and UWW formats we have not found them.
Practical use
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Programs for adults | Gracie University: Women Empowered, 15 lessons, 20 techniques | we have not found a program |
| Study | Øvretveit (2020): perceived physical ability went with aerobic and muscular endurance, not maximal strength | we have not found a study with figures focused on wrestling without a kimono |
| Professional use | not documented | not documented |
The studies concern practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and do not address wrestling without a kimono separately. General suitability for particular groups of adults cannot be inferred from them.
Competition
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Main competitions | IBJJF: World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in the gi, World No-Gi Championship since 2007 | ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship since 1998, UWW grappling since 2007 |
| Match length | adults in the gi 5–10 minutes depending on belt | ADCC qualification 10 minutes, final 20 minutes, UWW seniors 5 minutes |
| Decision | submission, otherwise points, advantages and penalties | submission, otherwise points, at ADCC without points the referees decide by dominance |
| Submission-only formats | Gracie Worlds since 2012, Metamoris, EBI | EBI, Combat Jiu-Jitsu with open-hand strikes |
| Olympic status | non-Olympic, an Olympic goal is stated by the SJJIF | non-Olympic |
The boundary between the two is permeable: EBI is described both as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament and as a submission wrestling competition, and ADCC was co-founded by the BJJ instructor Nelson Monteiro.
Gear and costs
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Attire | white, blue or black gi with a belt, in no-gi a rash guard with at least 10% of the belt’s color and shorts | ADCC: gi and wrestling shoes optional, UWW: red or blue rash guard, shorts and compression leggings, without a kimono |
| Protection | not required by the rules, braces permitted | ADCC forbids slippery substances on the body and clothing, the rules do not mention protective gear |
| Relative cost | low, gi and no-gi equipment | low |
Availability and organisations
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Submission grappling | |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | IBJJF (Rio de Janeiro), SJJIF and others | ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club), United World Wrestling |
| Grades | the IBJJF recognizes a belt only when its minimum times are met, brown and black without registration are provisional for 2 years | not awarded, UWW places by age and weight |
| Czechia | not documented | we have not documented a Czech federation or clubs |
Switching and combining
- Positions, guard, chokes and locks carry over directly, no-gi BJJ is already wrestling without a kimono.
- From the gi, get used to grips without fabric, ADCC forbids even holding a shirt or shorts.
- Below the brown belt, add the leg locks that the IBJJF permits in no-gi only to adult brown and black belts.
- At ADCC, expect the first part of the match without points and a minus for pulling guard after a takedown attempt.
- Wrestling without a kimono carries over to IBJJF no-gi divisions, but the rash guard must carry the belt’s color.
- For competition in the gi, add grips on the kimono.
- In the gi and in divisions below the brown belt, let go of the heel hook, the IBJJF forbids it there.
- Fit into the belt system, the IBJJF recognizes a belt only when the minimum times are met.
The left column describes the move from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to submission grappling, the right column the opposite direction.
Training culture
- Academies ordered by belt, the hierarchy stays visible even in no-gi thanks to the belt color on the rash guard.
- At IBJJF tournaments the practice of closing out, where teammates do not wrestle each other.
- Schools of one lineage: Gracie Humaitá, Gracie Barra, Carlson Gracie, Alliance.
- ADCC is run by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, the first edition was held in Abu Dhabi in 1998.
- Eddie Bravo’s tournaments: EBI submission-only and Combat Jiu-Jitsu with open-hand strikes.
Which to choose
Frequently asked questions
Is no-gi BJJ the same as submission grappling?
IBJJF no-gi divisions are one form of wrestling without a kimono aimed at submission. Submission grappling is a broader term that also includes ADCC and UWW grappling with their own rules and without belts.
Is the heel hook allowed?
Under the IBJJF rules for 2021 only in no-gi for adult brown and black belts. The ADCC rules permit the heel hook, the UWW restricts it by age category.
Is either of them Olympic?
No. Grappling has been under United World Wrestling since 2007, but it is not an Olympic sport. For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an Olympic goal is stated by the SJJIF federation.