Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Terms

Base: generally refers to balance (e.g., someone who is difficult to sweep or move may be described as having “good base or strong base.”

Break fall: a way to reduce the impact of being thrown or falling. The general principle is to disperse the force by slapping the ground with your hands (specifically the palm heel) and feet and exhaling so the body is loose and relaxed when you are being thrown or falling.

Clinching/Closing the distance: A position in which one person has connected to another while standing to avoid strikes or get in the correct range to throw or take an opponent to the ground.

Collar Choke: A choke accomplished by gripping the collars of your opponent with opposite hands, which provides additional leverage – the actual choke comes from your wrists pressing against the neck and turning the thumbs inward.

CrossFit– is a strength and conditioning brand that combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics, powerlifting, kettlebell training, plyometrics, rowing, and medicine ball training.

Gi: also known as a kimono. The uniform practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wear. Gi’s are generally made of heavy woven cotton and similar to the uniforms worn in judo.

Guard: A position where one person in underneath another, but maintains a neutral or even dominant position through the use of their legs.

Half-Guard: Similar to guard except only one leg has been trapped as opposed to the waist or both legs.

Mount: Position where one person positions their body on top of the other, with their legs straddling the torso.

No-Gi: Training without the gi jacket. In no-gi training, you cannot use many of the grips available when rolling with the gi. This means that UNDERHOOKS and OVERHOOKS become much more important. Manipulating your opponent’s clothing is generally not permitted, ruling out many chokes and grips.

Rolling: a term often used in Jiu Jitsu to mean sparring in a live or resistive way. An instructor may also use rolling to help students with certain positions, such as starting or working on rolling from the guard or the mount position.

Soulcraft: An activity that is nourishing to the soul; particularly fulfilling work or other activity. Something that shapes and modifies one’s soul or core being.

Submission: The term used to refer to any kind of finishing hold which results in one person tapping or signaling that they quit.

Takedown: A term used to refer to any technique which takes the opponent down to the ground such as a throw or a trip.