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Glossary for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: 49 documented terms. Of those: concept / principle (40), clothing (5), equipment (2). Among them Guard, Ashi, Gi.

Armbar / Juji-gatame十字固め

Foundational joint lock hyperextending the elbow joint using hip leverage in BJJ, Judo, and MMA.

Concept / Principle Japan
Ashi

Foot or leg in Japanese martial terminology.

Body Part Japan
Back Mount / Back ControlBack Control

Pinnacle dominant position in BJJ/MMA controlling the opponent from behind with leg hooks.

Concept / Principle Brazil
BerimboloBerimbolo

Inverted acrobatic BJJ movement initiated from De La Riva guard leading directly to Back Control.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Blood Choke vs Neck CrankBlood Choke vs Neck Crank

Distinction between clean carotid blood chokes and painful spinal neck cranks.

Concept / Principle United States
Butterfly GuardButterfly Guard

Seated BJJ guard system using internal instep hooks wedged inside the opponent's thighs.

Concept / Principle Brazil
De La Riva GuardDe La Riva Guard

Open guard variation in BJJ where the bottom fighter hooks an outside leg behind the opponent's lead thigh while gripping the ankle.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Ezekiel ChokeSode-guruma-jime

A choking technique performed with one's own sleeve or forearm, applied from various positions.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Gi / Keikogi稽古着

Traditional uniform worn for training in Japanese martial arts.

Clothing Japan
Gi Choke / Lapel Choke絞技

Submission choking techniques in BJJ and Judo making tactical use of the opponent's gi lapels.

Concept / Principle Japan
GuardGuard

Core BJJ bottom ground position where a practitioner controls the opponent using their legs.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Guard PassGuard Pass

BJJ tactical sequence where the top fighter bypasses the opponent's legs to establish side control.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Guard PullPulling Guard

A tactical transition from standing to ground fighting by pulling the opponent into guard.

Concept / Principle United States
Guillotine ChokeGuillotine

Front headlock submission encircling the opponent's neck, frequently caught off failed takedowns.

Concept / Principle United States
Half GuardHalf Guard

Intermediate ground position where the bottom fighter traps one of the top fighter's legs with both of theirs.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Harai-goshi / Sweeping Hip Throw払い腰

Dynamic Judo hip throw combining hip contact with a sweeping outer thigh reap.

Concept / Principle Japan
Kansetsu-waza / Joint Locking関節技

Category of joint manipulation techniques hyperextending elbows, shoulders, or wrists.

Concept / Principle Japan
Katame-waza / Ground Control固技 / 寝技

Category of ground grappling techniques including hold-downs (Osaekomi), joint locks (Kansetsu), and chokes (Shime).

Concept / Principle Japan
Kimura / Double Wristlock逆腕 twisted / Kimura

Devastating double-wristlock shoulder submission utilizing a figure-four arm grip.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Kumikata / Gripping組み方

Grip-fighting tactics in Judo essential for controlling the opponent's gi before throwing.

Concept / Principle Japan
Leg DragLeg Drag

A guard-passing technique in BJJ in which the attacker grips and drags the opponent's leg across their own body, clearing the obstruction and opening the path to side control.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Makura / Pillow Hold

Technical gripping detail slipping a thigh or arm under the opponent's head like a 'pillow' to secure pins.

Concept / Principle Japan
Mat BurnMat Burn

Friction abrasion caused by dragging insteps, knees, or toes across grappling mats.

Concept / Principle United States
MMA Gloves / 4oz GlovesMMA Gloves

Small open-fingered padded gloves (4oz) allowing both striking and grappling in MMA.

Equipment United States
Mount / Full MountMount

Highly dominant top ground position where a fighter straddles the opponent's torso.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Obi

Belt used to secure the training jacket and indicate technical rank.

Clothing Japan
Omoplata / Shoulder Lock with LegAshi-garami / Omoplata

Shoulder submission in BJJ executed by wrapping a leg around the opponent's arm and sitting up alongside them.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Osaekomi-waza / Pinning Techniques抑え込み技

Category of ground hold-down techniques in Judo yielding victory if held for 20 seconds.

Concept / Principle Japan
Oss / Osu押忍

Widespread term expressing respect, perseverance, and acknowledgment.

Greeting Japan
RashguardRashguard

Form-fitting athletic compression shirt used in No-Gi BJJ, MMA, and grappling.

Clothing United States
Rear Naked Choke / Hadaka-jime裸絞め / Rear Naked Choke

Highest-percentage blood choke applied from back control without gripping clothing.

Concept / Principle United States
ScrambleScramble

A chaotic, dynamic phase of ground fighting in which both fighters try to gain a dominant position.

Concept / Principle United States
Seoi-nage / Shoulder Throw背負い投げ

Iconic Judo hand throw where the opponent is loaded onto the attacker's back and thrown over the shoulder.

Concept / Principle Japan
Shime-waza / Choking Techniques絞技 / 締め技

Category of choking and strangulation techniques compressing the carotid arteries or windpipe.

Concept / Principle Japan
Side Control / Yoko-shiho-gatame横四方固め / Side Control

Dominant top ground pin position perpendicular to the opponent's torso.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Spider GuardSpider Guard

Open guard system in BJJ utilizing sleeve grips combined with feet placed directly onto the opponent's biceps.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Submission / TapoutSubmission

Match-ending choke or joint lock forcing the opponent to signal defeat by tapping.

Concept / Principle United States
Sutemi-waza / Sacrifice Throws捨て身技

Category of Judo throws where the attacker intentionally sacrifices their own upright posture to hurl the opponent.

Concept / Principle Japan
Sweep / ReversalSweep

Technique executed from the bottom Guard to reverse position and land on top.

Concept / Principle Brazil
Takedown / Leg AttackTakedown

Wrestling technique of driving the opponent off balance to the mat by attacking their legs.

Concept / Principle United States
Tapout / TappingTapout

Physical or verbal signal given by a submission-bound fighter to concede defeat instantly.

Concept / Principle United States
Tatami

Traditional and modern impact-absorbing mat forming the floor of a dojo.

Equipment Japan
Tomoe-nage / Stomach Throw巴投げ

Iconic sacrifice throw (Sutemi-waza) where the attacker drops back, placing a foot in the opponent's hip to catapult them overhead.

Concept / Principle Japan
Triangle Choke / Sankaku-jime三角絞め / Triangle

Vascular blood choke locking legs into a figure-four triangle around the opponent's neck and one arm.

Concept / Principle Japan
Turtle PositionKamenoko / Turtle

Defensive ground position where the bottom practitioner curls tightly on knees and elbows.

Concept / Principle United States
Uchi-mata / Inner Thigh Throw内股

Highest-scoring throw in Olympic Judo history sweeping the inner thigh with an upward leg drive.

Concept / Principle Japan
Ukemi受身

Art of breakfalling safely to absorb impact energy without injury during throws.

Concept / Principle Japan
Uwagi上着

Top jacket section of a traditional martial arts gi uniform.

Clothing Japan
Zubonズボン / ズボン

Trousers forming the lower section of a martial arts gi.

Clothing Japan