GLOSSARY

Tatame

/tah-TAH-meh/

The mat surface on which BJJ is trained. Borrowed from Japanese (畳, the woven straw mats of judo dojos) and used universally in Brazilian academies.

Japanese 畳 (tatami) via judo

Faixa

/FYE-shah/

Belt. In BJJ context refers to the rank-denoting belt: faixa branca (white), faixa azul (blue), faixa roxa (purple), faixa marrom (brown), faixa preta (black).

Professor

/pro-fes-SOR/

The teacher of a BJJ academy. Title of respect used for black belts (and increasingly brown belts) who lead instruction. In some lineages the term is reserved for those at coral belt rank or above.

Mestre

/MES-treh/

Master. Title of highest respect, reserved for coral belts (7th degree) and red belts (9th and 10th degree) in the IBJJF ranking system, and for individuals of foundational importance in their lineage.

Raspagem

/rahs-PAH-zhem/

Sweep. The act of reversing the opponent from a bottom guard position to a top position, typically scoring two points in IBJJF rulesets.

Passagem (de Guarda)

/pas-SAH-zhem/

Guard pass. The act of moving past the opponent's legs to establish side control, knee on belly, or mount, scoring three points in IBJJF.

Finalização

/fee-nah-lee-zah-SOWN/

Submission. A technique that forces the opponent to tap out via a choke, joint lock, or compression. Ends the match regardless of score.

Pegada

/peh-GAH-dah/

Grip. The handhold on the opponent's gi, body, or wrist that initiates and sustains a technique. The fight for pegada is the constant chess match of every BJJ exchange.

Postura

/pos-TOO-rah/

Posture, especially the upright posture maintained by the top player in closed guard. Loss of postura is the prerequisite for nearly every closed-guard attack.

Base

/BAH-zeh/

Base or balance. The structural stability of the body in any position. A grappler "with base" is hard to sweep; one "without base" is being swept already.

Ponte

/PON-cheh/

Bridge. The hip-extension movement used to elevate the opponent or escape pins. Foundation of the upa escape from mount and of the hip escape.

Fuga de Quadril

/FOO-gah deh kwah-DREEL/

Hip escape, the shrimping movement that is the universal warm-up of every BJJ academy. The foundation of guard recovery and side-control escape.

Guarda

/GWAR-dah/

Guard. The position from which the bottom player attacks using the legs. Includes closed, open, half, spider, lasso, De La Riva, x-guard, butterfly, and dozens of named variations.

Montada

/mohn-TAH-dah/

Mount. The dominant top position where the rider sits on the opponent's torso. Worth four points in IBJJF.

Cento por Cento

/SEN-too por SEN-too/

Side control. Literal translation "one hundred percent," named for the unrestricted pressure available from the position. Worth three points in IBJJF.

Costas / Pegada de Costas

/KOS-tahs/

Back / back control. Worth four points in IBJJF when both hooks are established. The most dominant position in jiu jitsu.

Mata Leão

/MAH-tah leh-OWN/

Rear naked choke. Literal "lion killer." The highest-percentage submission in combat sports.

De La Riva

/deh lah HEE-vah/

Open-guard variant in which the bottom player hooks one leg around the outside of the opponent's same-side leg. Named for Ricardo de la Riva Goded.

Named for Ricardo de la Riva Goded (b. 1957)

Lasso Guard / Guarda Lasso

/LAH-soo/

Open-guard variant in which one of the bottom player's legs threads through and wraps around the opponent's same-side arm, creating a powerful sleeve-and-leg control.

Omoplata

/oh-moh-PLAH-tah/

Shoulder lock executed with the legs trapping the opponent's arm. From the Portuguese word for the scapula.

Portuguese "omoplata" (shoulder blade), itself from Greek ōmos (shoulder) + platē (plate)

Berimbolo

/beh-reem-BOH-loh/

Inverted back-take technique from De La Riva guard. Developed by the Mendes brothers in the late 2000s. The name refers to the spinning capoeira instrument the bottom player's motion resembles.

From the capoeira "berimbolo" spinning motion

Gringo

/GREEN-goh/

Brazilian slang for a foreigner, used in BJJ academies to refer to non-Brazilian visitors and students. Not pejorative in BJJ contexts; often affectionate.

Treinão

/tray-NOWN/

A particularly long or intense training session, typically two hours or more, often involving multiple rounds of live sparring. "Big training."

Soco

/SOH-koh/

Brazilian Portuguese for "punch." Relevant in BJJ history because the soco-no-saco (sandbag punching) era marked the Gracie family's vale tudo conditioning training in the 1980s.

Submission / Finalização

/fee-nah-lee-zah-SOWN/

Any technique that forces an opponent to tap out. The ultimate objective of competitive BJJ in any ruleset that permits sub-only formats.

Absoluto / Absolute Division

/ab-soh-LOO-toh/

Open-weight tournament division where competitors of all weight classes face each other. The most prestigious title in any major BJJ competition.

Oss / Osu

/oh-SS/

A multipurpose acknowledgment imported from Japanese martial-arts culture, used in BJJ academies to mean approximately "understood," "yes," or "ready." Overused by some, avoided by others, debated by all.

Japanese 押忍 (osu), karate origin

Kimura

/kee-MOO-rah/

A shoulder lock executed via a figure-four grip on the opponent's wrist. Named for Masahiko Kimura, who broke Helio Gracie's arm with it at Maracanã in 1951.

Named for Masahiko Kimura (1917–1993)

Sankaku

/sahn-KAH-koo/

Triangle. In modern leg-lock usage, refers to a figure-four position with the attacker's legs trapping the opponent's leg. Inside sankaku is the position of the inside heel hook.

Japanese 三角 (sankaku, triangle)

Ashi Garami

/ah-SHEE gah-RAH-mee/

Leg entanglement. The Japanese term for the variety of figure-four leg positions used to set up leg locks. Includes single-leg X, double trouble, 50-50, and inside sankaku.

Japanese 足搦 (ashi-garami, leg entanglement)

Gi / Kimono

/GHEE / kee-MOH-no/

The traditional uniform of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, consisting of a heavy cotton jacket and pants secured by a belt. Borrowed from the Japanese kimono used in judo.

Japanese 着 (gi, "wear") via judogi

Newaza

/neh-WAH-zah/

Japanese term meaning "ground techniques," used in judo and BJJ to refer to all techniques executed on the mat as opposed to standing.

Japanese 寝技 (newaza, "lying-down techniques")

Randori

/ran-DOH-ree/

Japanese term for free-form sparring practice. In BJJ contexts, equivalent to live rolling.

Japanese 乱取り (randori, "chaos-taking")

Dojo / Academia

/DOH-zhoh / ah-kah-DEM-yah/

The training space. In Japanese martial arts, "the place of the way." Most BJJ schools today use the Portuguese "academia" instead, but dojo is still occasionally used.

Japanese 道場 (dōjō, "place of the way")

Ukemi

/oo-KEH-mee/

Japanese term for break-falling — the techniques that allow a thrown grappler to land safely. Foundational to safe training, taught in the first weeks of any judo or BJJ program.

Japanese 受身 (ukemi, "receiving body")

Hadaka-Jime

/hah-DAH-kah-zhee-meh/

Japanese name for the rear naked choke. Literal translation "naked strangle" — i.e., a strangle that requires no gi.

Japanese 裸絞 (hadaka-jime, "naked strangle")

Juji-Gatame

/zhoo-zhee-gah-TAH-meh/

Japanese name for the cross-armlock (armbar). Literal translation "cross hold" — the body forms a cross shape around the trapped arm.

Japanese 十字固 (jūji-gatame, "cross hold")

Ude-Garami

/oo-deh-gah-RAH-mee/

Japanese term covering the figure-four shoulder locks, including both kimura and americana. Literal translation "entangled arm."

Japanese 腕緘 (ude-garami, "entangled arm")

Sankaku-Jime

/sahn-KAH-koo-zhee-meh/

Japanese name for the triangle choke. Literal translation "triangle strangle."

Japanese 三角絞 (sankaku-jime, "triangle strangle")

Kesa-Gatame

/keh-sah-gah-TAH-meh/

Scarf hold. A side-control variant where the attacker sits more upright with one of the opponent's arms trapped under their armpit. Common in judo, occasionally used in BJJ.

Japanese 袈裟固 (kesa-gatame, "scarf hold")

Kata-Gatame

/kah-tah-gah-TAH-meh/

Japanese name for the arm-triangle choke. Literal translation "shoulder hold" — the opponent's own shoulder is one blade of the choke.

Japanese 肩固 (kata-gatame, "shoulder hold")

Armbar / Armlock

/ARM-bar/

A joint lock attacking the elbow by extending the arm against the body. Called juji-gatame in judo. In Portuguese: chave de braço or armlock.

Sweep / Raspagem

/sweep/

Reversal from bottom to top. Worth two points in IBJJF. See raspagem for Portuguese usage.

Frame

/frame/

A rigid structure created with the forearms, elbows, or shins to maintain space against the opponent. Frames are passive (preserving distance) rather than active (creating it).

Shrimp

/shrimp/

The hip escape movement, named for the curled body shape it produces. The universal BJJ warm-up.

No-Gi

/NO-ghee/

Training and competition without the gi, using shorts and a rashguard. The dominant format in ADCC, EBI, and modern submission-grappling promotions.

Tap / Bater

/tap / bah-TER/

The act of conceding a submission by physically tapping the opponent or the mat, or by verbal acknowledgment. Tapping early is the foundation of safe training.

Spider Guard / Guarda Aranha

/SPY-der / GWAR-dah ah-RAH-nyah/

Open-guard variant using sleeve grips and feet on the opponent's biceps to control distance and create sweep angles.

Butterfly Guard / Guarda Borboleta

/BUT-er-fly / bor-bo-LEH-tah/

Seated open-guard with both feet hooked under the opponent's thighs. Marcelo Garcia's signature position.

X-Guard

/X-gard/

Open-guard configuration in which the bottom player wraps both legs in an X-shape around one of the opponent's legs from underneath.

50-50 / Cinquenta-Cinquenta

/fifty-fifty / sin-KWEN-tah/

Leg-entanglement position in which both players have one of each other's legs in a mirrored figure-four. Neutral structurally, with attack and defense identical for both players.

Kneebar / Chave de Joelho

/KNEE-bar/

Joint lock attacking the knee by hyperextending the leg, using the attacker's hips as the fulcrum. Legal in IBJJF nogi at brown belt; legal in gi at brown belt with restrictions.

Toe Hold

/TOH-hold/

Leg-lock rotating the opponent's ankle inward, affecting both the ankle joint and the medial knee structures. Legal in IBJJF nogi at brown belt and above.

Baseball Bat Choke / Bate-Estaca

/bate-es-TAH-kah/

Gi choke from side control or top half guard, using two collar grips opposite to each other to compress both carotids simultaneously, mimicking the grip of a baseball bat.

Cross-Collar Choke / Estrangulamento Cruzado

/CROSS-COL-er/

Blood choke using two opposite collar grips that cross at the wrist to compress both carotid arteries. The canonical gi mount finish.

Rolar / Rolling

/hoh-LAR / ROHL-ing/

Free-form sparring practice in BJJ. Portuguese "rolar" (to roll) is the canonical term and the source of the English "rolling."

IBJJF

/I-B-J-J-F/

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The largest gi-jiu-jitsu governing body, founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. in 2002. Runs the Worlds (Mundial), Pans, Europeans, and a global rankings system.

ADCC

/A-D-C-C/

Abu Dhabi Combat Club. The premier no-gi submission-grappling tournament, held biennially. The most prestigious title in modern submission grappling.

Advantage / Vantagem

/ad-VAN-tij / van-TAH-zhem/

IBJJF tiebreaker score awarded for technique attempts that almost score but do not complete. The aggregate advantage count decides matches tied on points.

Penalty / Punição

/pun-i-SOWN/

IBJJF rules infraction (stalling, illegal grips, fleeing the mat) that results in a warning, then an advantage or point to the opponent, then disqualification.