The 10 Most Important Techniques for the BJJ Beginner
The 10 Most Important Techniques for the BJJ Beginner:
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling techniques. It originated from traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu but was further developed and refined in Brazil, particularly by the Gracie family, leading to the term "Brazilian" Jiu-Jitsu.
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| Techniques for the BJJ Beginner |
Self-Defense: BJJ is highly effective for self-defense, especially in close-quarters combat and ground fighting scenarios. Beginners learn techniques to control and neutralize opponents, regardless of size or strength, through leverage, joint locks, and chokes.
Physical Fitness: BJJ provides a full-body workout that improves cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. Beginners gradually build stamina, muscle tone, and agility through drills, sparring, and technique practice.
Technical Skill Development: BJJ emphasizes technical proficiency over brute strength, making it accessible to beginners of all ages and fitness levels. Beginners learn proper body mechanics, positioning, and timing for executing techniques effectively, fostering a deeper understanding of martial arts principles.
1.
Guard Passes:Posture and Control: Start by maintaining good posture and control while inside your opponent's closed guard. Keep your back straight, hips low, and elbows in, preventing your opponent from breaking your posture or setting up attacks.
Grip Break: Begin breaking your opponent's grips on your collar or sleeves. Use your hands to peel off their grips or control their wrists to neutralize their ability to attack.
Create Space: To initiate the knee slice pass, create space by pushing on your opponent's hips or thighs with your forearms. This creates enough room to begin passing their guard.
2.
Sweeps:Guard Position: Start from the closed guard position, where you're on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist, maintaining control.
Grip Break: Break your opponent's posture by controlling their sleeves or wrists, pulling them forward slightly to disrupt their balance.
Establish Control: With one hand, grab your opponent's same-side sleeve or wrist, and with your other hand, control their opposite-side collar or lapel.
Create Angle: To set up the sweep, create an angle by turning your hips slightly to the side where you want to sweep your opponent.
3. Submissions from Mount:
Establish Mount Position: Start by achieving the mount position, where you're sitting on top of your opponent's chest or torso, with your knees on either side of their body. Maintain good posture and base to prevent your opponent from escaping or bridging.
Control Opponent's Arms: Begin by controlling your opponent's arms to set up the armbar. Use your hands to secure your wrists or forearms, keeping your arms close to your body to limit their mobility and defensive options.
Transition to High Mount: To set up the armbar, transition to a higher mount position by moving your hips up toward the head. This creates space and leverage for executing the armbar.
4. Guard Attacks:
Establish Closed Guard: Start by being in the closed guard position, where you're on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist, controlling their posture.
Control Posture: Maintain control of your opponent's posture by gripping their sleeves, wrists, or collar, pulling them slightly forward to disrupt their balance and create space for the triangle setup.
Create Angle: Angle your body to the side where you want to set up the triangle choke. This angle is crucial for creating the necessary space and positioning for the choke.
Underhook and Overhook: With your angle established, use one arm to underhook your opponent's same-side arm (the arm closest to your angle). Simultaneously, use your other arm to overlook their opposite arm (the arm furthest from your angle), securing a strong grip on their triceps.
5. Situational Techniques:
Controlling your opponent's back is a dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) that offers numerous attacking opportunities and defensive advantages. Here's a technique for controlling your opponent's back from a standing position:
Establish Control: Begin by establishing control over your opponent's upper body. This can be done by clinching with an over-under grip or an overhook and underhook grip, depending on the situation.
Level Change: Lower your level and drive your weight forward to off-balance your opponent. This helps create an opportunity to transition to their back while maintaining control.
Hip Placement: As you lower your level, step one leg behind your opponent's lead leg (similar to a single-leg takedown setup). Your hips should be close to your hips to prevent them from escaping or countering effectively.
6. Takedowns:
Setup and Grip: Begin by establishing a good stance and grip on your opponent. Your lead hand (the hand closest to your opponent) should reach for their lead leg (usually their same-side leg), gripping either the ankle or just above the knee.
Penetrating Step: Take a penetrating step with your lead foot toward your opponent's lead foot. This step should be deep enough to get close to your opponent's leg, allowing you to secure a solid grip.
Level Change: As you take the penetrating step, simultaneously lower your level by bending your knees and lowering your hips. This level change helps you get underneath your opponent's center of gravity and set up the takedown.
7. Top Control:
Dominance and Strategic Advantage: Controlling positions in BJJ provide a clear advantage over your opponent by establishing dominance and control. Being in a dominant position allows you to dictate the pace of the match, set up attacks, and limit your opponent's options for defense or escape.
Submission Opportunities: Many submissions in BJJ are best executed from controlled positions. For example, the armbar from mount, kimura from side control, or rear-naked choke from back control are all high-percentage submissions that require a stable and controlled position to be effective.
Safety and Defense: Maintaining control of your opponent's position reduces the risk of being countered or submitted. By securing dominant positions, you can defend against your opponent's attacks, nullify their offense, and minimize the chances of being swept or submitted.
8. Triangle Choke:
Setup from Guard: Begin in the closed guard position, where you're on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist, controlling their posture.
Control Posture: Maintain control of your opponent's posture by gripping their sleeves, wrists, or collar, pulling them slightly forward to disrupt their balance and create space for the triangle setup.
Create Angle: Angle your body to the side where you want to set up the triangle choke. This angle is crucial for creating the necessary space and positioning for the choke.
Underhook and Overhook: Use one arm to underhook your opponent's same-side arm (the arm closest to your angle). Simultaneously, use your other arm to overlook their opposite arm (the arm furthest from your angle), securing a strong grip on their triceps.
Setup: The kimura lock is typically set up from positions where you have control over your opponent's arm, such as side control, mount, or from the guard. To set up the kimura, you'll need to secure an overlook on your opponent's arm, gripping their wrist with one hand and wrapping your other hand around their elbow.
Grip and Control: Once you have the overlook, establish a strong grip on your opponent's wrist with one hand, and grip their elbow with your other hand. Your arms should form a figure-four configuration, with your opponent's arm trapped between them.
Pressure and Leverage: Apply pressure to your opponent's shoulder by pulling their wrist towards their back, while simultaneously lifting their elbow towards their head. This creates torque and tension on the shoulder joint, making the kimura lock highly effective in controlling and submitting your opponent.
10. Americana Lock:
Setup and Control: Start from a position where you have control over your opponent's arm, such as side control or mount. Secure control of your opponent's arm by gripping their wrist with one hand and placing your other hand near their elbow, controlling their arm at two points.
Positioning: Position yourself perpendicular to your opponent's body, ensuring that their arm is at a right angle to their torso. Your body weight should be positioned over your arm to prevent them from easily escaping.
Arm Position: With your grips established on your opponent's arm, lift their elbow slightly off the mat to create space and facilitate the Americana lock setup. Keep their wrist pinned to the mat with your chest or body weight.
