BJJ Technique Summary

[started 21/05/2007, last update 09/03/2010
The text of this BJJ Technique Summary copyright ©2006-2011 by Can Sönmez. Please do not copy online or in print without permission]

CONTENTS

Submissions -
--Americana: Mount, Side Control
--Armbar: Guard, Mount, Side Control, Standing Guard
--Chokes: RNC, Cross Choke: (Guard) (Mount), Triangle
--Kimura: From Guard

Escapes -
--Armbar, Triangle
--Mount: (1) (2), Side Control: (1) (2)

Passes -
--Half Guard: (1) (2)
--Leg Pin, Stack
--Twisting Guard Break

Positional -
--Side Control to Mount (1) (2)

Sweeps -
--Ankle Grab, Flower Sweep, Push, Scissor, Sit-Up
--Half Guard: (1) (2) (3)

Sources

^ Introduction: My descriptions tend to be rather sprawling, so I’m going to try and summarise them more succinctly here. Hopefully over time this will become a useful resource I can refer to when reviewing technique at home. Also, the process of going through everything I've learned so far and consolidating that information should be a handy way of revising.

I'll add in a video (page may load slowly as a result) where I can find one (but be aware they may well vary from the approach in my descriptions), along with a link to the blog entries on which I'm basing the summary. Like the glossary, any comments would be much appreciated - I'm still relatively new at this, so no doubt there will be plenty of detail I've missed, or got completely wrong. ;D

AMERICANA

^ From Mount [Blog Label]

• Grip their wrist with your opposite hand
• Grip their elbow with your other hand
• Keep both of your arms straight
• Use your weight to drive their arm to the ground
• Remove your grip from the elbow
• Slip your arm underneath their elbow
• Grab your own wrist
• Push their knuckles back like a paintbrush

Points to Note

• Do not grip around their wrist with your thumb
• Use your weight rather than relying on arm strength
• Keep their arm tight to their body

Video (Ryron & Rener Gracie)




^ From Side Control [Blog Label]

• Place one arm underneath your opponent’s arm
• Wedge the other arm against their head
• Switch your base, looking towards their head
• Grab their wrist with your free arm
• Switch your base again
• Push their arm to the floor
• Grip your own wrist
• Push their knuckles back like a paintbrush

Points to Note

• Keep your weight pressed down at all times
• Do not grip around their wrist with your thumb
• Use your weight rather than relying on arm strength
• Keep their arm tight to their body

Video (Variation by David Thomas)




ARMBAR

^ From Guard [Blog Label]

• Grip a wrist with the same side hand
• Grab their elbow with your other hand
• Pull the isolated arm down and across into your chest
• Put your same side leg up on their hip
• Use that base to swivel your hips to the opposite direction
• Raise your hips
• Bring the other leg up into their armpit
• Push them off balance
• Swing the same side leg over their head
• Squeeze your knees together and press your feet down
• Raise your hips and pull back on the wrist

Points to Note

• To grip the elbow, bring your arm underneath their free arm
• Don’t forget to use your hips
• Don’t cross your feet
• Make sure their thumb is pointing up

Video (Ryron & Rener Gracie)




^ From Mount [Blog Label]

• Grab an opposite collar
• Drop your elbow and press your forearm into their throat
• This should make them reach for your arm
• Move your same side knee up to their head
• Push their arm across (you now have an arm underneath)
• Press your weight down
• Bring your opposite foot up to their armpit
• Release your grip on their collar
• With the same arm, grab your own collar or shoulder
• Post your other arm by their head
• Use that balance to bring your leg over their head
• Drop back, now grasping their arm with both of yours
• Squeeze your knees together
• Drive your heels into their ribs and curl your feet back
• Pull back on their arm and raise your hips

Points to Note

• Don’t drop back until you’ve got full control
• Stay as close as possible when dropping back
• Make sure their thumb is pointing up

Video (Rowan Cunningham)





^ From Side Control [Blog Label]

• Trap their far arm by pulling into your head
• Grab your own collar to improve grip
• Move round until their head is between your knees
• Using your grip, get them on their side
• Put a shin into their back
• Other leg should be in front of their head
• Lean back for the submission

Points to Note

• Block their hips with your free arm, preventing guard
• Maintain your grip on the arm throughout
• Keep your weight pressed down
• Could also use knee on belly, as demonstrated in the vid

Video (Variation by Some Korean Guy)




^ Standing Guard [Blog Label]

• They've stood up in your guard
• Pull their arm down and across into your chest
• Walk your guard up high on their back
• Push off their same side hip to swivel
• Raise your hips
• Pull down on their arm for the submission

Points to Note

• Make sure your guard is up high
• Keep your knees tight
• Drive your heels down
• If you need help to swivel, grab their leg

Video (Near the start of this fight)





CHOKES

^ Cross Choke from Guard [Blog Label]

• Knock them towards you with your knees
• Slide a hand into their opposite collar, grip
• Pull your opponent down
• Slip your other hand under the first, grip
• Twist your grips, rise up, and squeeze

Points to Note

• Grip with the thumb on top, four fingers under
• Make sure you use your legs to pull them down
• Grip as deeply as you can
• Use the boney part of your forearm to choke

Video (Don Daly)





^ Cross Choke From Mount [Blog Label]

• Feed a hand into their opposite collar
• Grip as deeply as you can
• Slip your other hand under the first
• Again, secure a deep grip
• Twist your grips
• Lean forward over your top arm
• Squeeze and lean to secure the choke

Points to Note

• They may try to upa when you attempt a grip
• Aim to get your knuckles to the floor
• Use the boney part of your forearm to choke

Video (Aaron Fruitstone)



^ Rear Naked Choke [Blog Label]

• Bring one arm around their throat
• Make sure your elbow is under their chin
• Grip your other bicep
• Bring the hand of that arm behind their head
• Press with your palm or the back of your hand
• Squeeze your arms and expand your chest

Points to Note

• Keep your own head tight to theirs
• Don't leave your second arm straight out
• If you do, they can armbar you

^ Triangle From Guard [Blog Label]

• They have one arm in, one arm out
• Raise your hips and kick a leg up by their neck
• Wrap that leg around the back of their neck
• Immediately lock your other leg over that ankle
• Pull your shin down if it isn't on their neck
• You may need to shuffle back on your shoulders
• Push their trapped arm across your body
• Move your torso to a perpendicular angle
• Lift your hips and squeeze with your legs
• Pull on their head if they aren't tapping

Points to Note

• Maintain a hold of their head, or grab your shin
• Try underhooking their free arm for control
• You can also switch to an armbar or omoplata

ESCAPES

^ Armbar Escape [Blog Label]

• Grab the bicep of your free arm
• With your free arm, grip fabric by their knee
• Or better, grip behind their knee
• Stand up, knee by their head, foot by their tailbone
• Stack them
• Gradually jerk your trapped arm out
• Press your weight down
• Sprawl and move round
• Slide into side control

Points to Note

• Time your grab carefully
• Keep your weight pressed down to pass
• Try to trap their leg with your head and arm

Video (Dave Camarillo)




^ Half Guard Escape (1) [Blog Label]

• Grab behind their head and upper arm
• Drive your shoulder into their face
• Push on their shoulder and get the underhook
• Put the elbow of your free arm against their head
• Shift your base to get your trapped foot flat on the floor
• Wrap up their free arm and push it into their cheek
• Post on a knee
• Free your foot

Points to Note

• Your free foot should be perpendicular to their body
• Keep your weight pressed down



^ Half Guard Escape (2) [Blog Label]

• Grab behind their head and upper arm
• Drive your shoulder into their face
• Push on their shoulder and get the underhook
• Put the elbow of your free arm against their head
• Push your knee down
• Use your other leg to push against their knee
• Free your leg

Points to Note

• Keep your weight pressed down

Video (Anselmo Baldin)




^ Mount Escape (Upa) [Blog Label]

• Isolate an arm
• Trap the same side leg with your foot
• Raise your hips up
• Twist to the side
• Drive your elbow into their stomach
• At the same time, roll over on your shoulder
• Come up in their guard

Points to Note

• Pick your moment carefully to conserve energy
• A common set-up for this is when they attempt a choke

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




^ Mount Escape (Shrimp) [Blog Label]

• Straighten one leg, flat on the floor
• Use an elbow to push out their inner thigh
• Use that space to shrimp out
• Bring your knee up and past their's
• Grab an arm to prevent them readjusting
• Shrimp out in the opposite direction
• Repeat until you are in position to recover guard

Points to Note

• Keep your elbows into their thighs, or they'll get high mount
• To shrimp, push your hips back: don't just straighten your legs

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




^ Side Control Escape (Knees) [Blog Label]

• Get one arm into their neck
• The other forearm digs into their ribs
• Use that to make space and bridge them at an angle
• Shrimp out
• Bring your near arm around and grab the back of their gi
• Come to your knees
• Grab round the back of their near knee
• Drive your head into their far side
• Push with your legs and head towards the near side
• Move into side control

Points to Note

• There are two bridging options: for power, use both feet
• Or, off one foot, with the other knee ready by their side
• Can also use the space from bridging to recover guard
• Make sure you clear their leg on your way down

Video (Rowan Cunningham demonstrates the first part)




^ Side Control Escape (Shrimp) [Blog Label]

• Bridge into your opponent
• Your forearms brace against their neck and ribs
• Use the space to shrimp out to one side
• If necessary, then shrimp to the other side
• Keep shrimping until you can get a knee through
• You may need to shrimp yet again
• Recover guard

Points to Note

• Once a knee is through, use your other foot to trap their leg

Video (Anselmo Baldin demonstrates 1 and 2)





^ Triangle Escape [Blog Label]

• Grip their knee with both hands
• Drive it to the floor
• Come up on your legs, bum in the air
• Hold their knee in place
• Push forward, leading with a shoulder
• Break open their legs, slip your other arm in
• Immediately shift to grabbing both legs

Points to Note

• If they grab your hand, often going for kimura/triangle
• Once you grip round both legs, you're set for a stack pass
• Be careful of getting armbarred as you escape



KIMURA

^ Kimura from Guard [Blog Label]

• Raise up to one side
• Grab their wrist
• Bring the other hand under their elbow
• Grip the wrist of your first hand
• Pull them in towards you
• Shrimp out to the side
• Bring your leg over their back to push them down
• Using their elbow as a fulcrum, push for the submission

Points to Note

• Good to try after a failed sit-up sweep
• Also worth attempting any time they post an arm
• When you break their posture, drive their head to the floor
• Grip the lower part of the arm, then slip into position
• Pull their arm in tight to your shoulder
• Your hold should be thumb on top
• Note that they may try to grab onto a gi or a belt to resist

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




PASSES

^ Twisting Guard Break [Blog Label]

• Grab both collars with one hand, keeping your elbow back
• Press your other hand firmly into their same side hip
• Put your collar grip side foot really tight to their hip
• Angle your knee inwards to increase the pressure
• Stand up with your other foot
• As you stand, twist, ending up in a sort of horse stance
• If that doesn't open their legs, push on their knee

Points to Note

• You can pop your hips back for some extra leverage
• If they grab your collar, step your leg to that hip and continue
• Maintain good posture: don't let them pull you forward
• Can slide the arm back to push their knee as you stand


^ Leg Pin Pass [Blog Label]

• Open their guard, keeping hold of one leg
• Drive their other leg to the floor
• Drop your shin across their thigh
• Grab behind their head
• Swing your free leg behind you
• Switch your base
• Move into side control

Points to Note

• Control the other leg to avoid half-guard
• Aim to get your shoulder right in their face
• Keep their shin secured until you switch base

Video (No-gi variation by Rowan Cunningham)




^ Stack Pass [Blog Label]

• Slide both arms underneath their legs
• Bring your hands round and gable grip
• Pull them in and onto your knees
• Stack them, pressing down hard
• Aim to get their knee right into their face
• Grab their collar on the side you want to pass
• Move round whilst maintaining pressure
• Lift their hips
• Push through into side control

Points to Note

• Keep your weight right down
• Avoid lifting your head and giving them space as you transition
• Stay on your toes as you pass, knees off the ground



POSITIONAL

^ Side Control to Mount (1) [Blog Label]

• Grip underneath their head and arm
• Dig your shoulder into their face
• Move sideways towards their head
• Having made space, drive your knee into their belly
• Push your knee across and towards the ground
• At the same time, raise up their trapped elbow
• Continue until you get to mount

Points to Note

• Keep your weight pressed down
• Aim to turn their head to the side



^ Side Control to Mount (2)

• Bring your arm from underneath their head
• Drive your elbow into the opposite side
• Switch base, so you're looking towards their knees
• Get your hips to the floor
• Make space by pushing back
• Grab their leg
• Swing round into mount

Points to Note

• Keep your weight pressed down
• Use your leg to overhook and remove any blocking arm
• If you can't directly swing your leg over, grab your foot
• As you pass, secure your foot by their thigh to stop half guard



SWEEPS

^ Ankle Grab [Blog Label]

• Grab behind their ankles
• Open your guard and drop your hips
• Thrust your hips up and forwards
• Use their falling momentum to come up into mount

Points to Note

• For safety reasons, grab outside their feet, not inside
• Make sure to follow them as they fall back

Video (Rowan Cunningham)



^ Flower Sweep [Blog Label]

• Grab their same side arm
• Grip behind their head
• Post your same side leg on their hip
• Swivel to the other side
• Head arm grabs behind their knee
• Bring one leg up into their armpit
• Point the other leg directly away from them
• Push with the first leg and pull on their knee
• At the same time, drag their arm
• Draw the second leg back in
• Roll into mount

Points to Note

• Can pull them forward to make space for grabbing the knee
• If they free their arm, underhook and trap by their head
• If they get an arm to your neck, push on the elbow and trap
• May take a few bounces to roll them over
• A variation of this sweep applies to when they stand
• Another variation doesn't include grabbing behind the knee
• Alternately, can try it from the armbar setup

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




^ Half Guard Sweep [Blog Label]

• Make space by pushing up with your shoulder
• Get the underhook
• Shrimp to the same side
• Come up on your elbow
• Roll to the same side

Points to Note

• Be sure you have enough space before you shrimp

Video (Variation by Willyboy)




^ Half Guard Sweep (2) [Blog Label]

• Get an underhook
• Shrimp out
• Reach behind their gi
• Slip down to their leg
• Grab hold of their ankle
• Pull it to their bum
• Switch hands and grab their toes
• Bring your leg over, rise up
• Use your free hand to grip their knee
• Get your own knee free
• Roll them over

Points to Note

• Make sure they haven't got their knee past
• Get low on their body to faciliate grabbing their ankle



^ Half Guard Sweep (3) [Blog Label]

• Get an underhook
• Shrimp out
• Underhook their lower leg
• Wrap your arm round and grip your own collar
• Secure their arm into your side
• Roll them over

Points to Note

• They need to step forward first for this to work



^ Push Sweep [Blog Label]

• Grab their opposite collar
• Grip above the elbow on the same side arm
• Post a foot, rise up on your elbow
• Shrimp away from the arm you're holding
• Put your shin into their stomach
• Hook your foot round their side
• Put your other foot
• Pull them towards you, sit up
• Push on the collar, pull on their sleeve
• At the same time, push with your shin
• Also at the same time, drive their knee back and out
• Roll over into mount

Points to Note

• Make certain you've got plenty of space to shrimp
• Aim to pull them in high, getting their weight off the floor
• Push on the inside of their knee
• Keep hold as you sweep to faciliate mount



^ Scissor Sweep [Blog Label]

• Grab their opposite collar
• Grip above the elbow on the same side arm
• Post a foot, rise up on your elbow
• Shrimp away from the arm you're holding
• Put your shin into their stomach
• Hook your foot round their side
• Drop your other leg down next to them
• Pull them towards you, sit up
• Push on the collar, pull on their sleeve
• At the same time, push with your shin
• Also at the same time, chop their leg with yours
• Roll over into mount

Points to Note

• Make certain you've got plenty of space to shrimp
• Aim to pull them in high, getting their weight off the floor
• Chop right through with your leg
• Keep hold as you sweep to faciliate mount
• If you mess up, try a Push Sweep instead

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




^ Sit-Up Sweep [Blog Label]

• Open your guard
• Come up on one hand, or an elbow
• Reach over their opposite shoulder
• Grab their upper arm
• Bring it tight to your stomach
• At the same time, bring your leg right over
• Drive with your hips, swivel in place
• Roll into mount

Points to Note

• Good sweep to try if they're leaning back
• Alternately, bump them forward so they give you an arm
• Go for a kimura if you mess up

Video (Rowan Cunningham)




^ Sources: Anselmo Baldin, Rowan Cunningham, Don Daly & Aaron Fruitstone, RGA, Ryron & Rener Gracie, David Thomas