SUBMISSIONS
The submission is the ultimate objective of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Each entry covers mechanics, defenses, and the practitioners who mastered the technique.
REAR NAKED CHOKE
Mata Leão
The rear naked choke, known in Portuguese as mata leão (lion killer), is the highest-percentage submission in all of combat sports and the canonical finish from…
BOW AND ARROW CHOKE
Estrangulamento Arco e Flecha
The bow-and-arrow choke is the gi-only equivalent of the mata leão and the most-used back-finish in IBJJF competition. Named for the body posture of the attacke…
GUILLOTINE CHOKE
Guilhotina
The guillotine is a frontal headlock choke executed by trapping the opponent's head and one arm against the attacker's chest while the choking arm wraps the thr…
STRAIGHT ANKLE LOCK
Chave de Tornozelo Reta
The straight ankle lock is the entry-level leg attack and the only leg lock legal at every IBJJF belt level from blue belt onward. It targets the Achilles tendo…
HEEL HOOK (INSIDE SANKAKU)
Chave de Calcanhar (Sankaku Interno)
The inside heel hook is the most controversial and the most efficient submission in the modern grappling game. By rotating the opponent's foot away from the cen…
OMOPLATA
Omoplata
The omoplata is the shoulder lock executed by trapping the opponent's arm between the bottom player's legs and using a forward rotation to drive the trapped sho…
ARM TRIANGLE (KATA-GATAME)
Triângulo de Braço
The arm triangle, called kata-gatame in judo, is a blood choke that uses the opponent's own shoulder to compress one carotid artery while the attacker's bicep c…
NORTH-SOUTH CHOKE
Estrangulamento Norte-Sul
The north-south choke is Marcelo Garcia's signature submission and one of the most uniquely-finished techniques in modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. From the north-so…
D'ARCE CHOKE
Estrangulamento D'Arce
The D'Arce choke is the front-headlock blood choke in which the attacker threads one arm under the opponent's near armpit, around the back of the neck, and fini…
TOE HOLD
Chave de Pé (Toe Hold)
The toe hold is the leg-lock technique that rotates the opponent's ankle inward and downward, transmitting torque through the talofibular ligaments and into the…
KNEEBAR
Chave de Joelho
The kneebar is the joint lock attacking the knee by hyperextending the leg with the attacker's hips as the fulcrum. The mechanics are structurally identical to …
ANACONDA CHOKE
Estrangulamento Anaconda
The anaconda choke is the front-headlock blood choke that threads the attacker's arm around the back of the opponent's neck and under the far-side armpit, then …
LOOP CHOKE
Estrangulamento de Laço
The loop choke is the gi strangulation that uses the opponent's own collar as a noose, looped around the back of the neck and pulled across the carotid arteries…
BRABO CHOKE
Estrangulamento Brabo
The brabo choke is the gi-specific cousin of the D'Arce choke, using the opponent's own lapel as the choking blade instead of the attacker's bicep. From side co…
MOUNTED TRIANGLE
Triângulo da Montada
The mounted triangle is the figure-four leg strangulation executed from the top mount position, with the attacker's legs closing around the opponent's head and …