A Kimura grip appears, and then the athlete changes position. Was the armlock the task, or was the grip being used to control the transition? The name alone leaves that question open. Find the position before deciding what the hands are doing there.
This is a selected recognition reference. Its sources include original instructor articles and demonstrations, checked October 23, 2026. The linked examples keep their own variations and starting positions; use those details when reviewing a class note or asking an instructor to explain a clip.
Find the name and the position
Explore BJJ submission references
Browse eight selected names and the specific configurations linked to their instructor sources. The grip filter describes the example shown. Read the position and the observation question together.
8 of 8 references shown.
Your choices stay on this page. Open a name to read the complete reference.
Rear-naked choke
Chokes · No jacket grip shown
Also named: RNC
Recognize the reference: The attacker is behind the defender, with an arm around the neck and no collar used for the grip.
The instructor reference connects the attack with taking and maintaining back control.
Look back at the setup: Find the back-control position before the hands change. Identify which part is being demonstrated: maintaining the position, changing a grip, or presenting the attack.
Ask in class: Which part of this back-control exercise are we working on, and where does the attempt reset?
- Grapplearts: rear-naked choke reference. Name, RNC abbreviation, and back-control context.
Triangle choke — standard leg triangle
Chokes · No jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: The attacker’s legs surround the defender’s head and one arm. This reference selects the standard facing version.
The source distinguishes this guard example from rear, side, reverse, and arm-triangle versions.
Look back at the setup: Count which head and arm are inside the leg arrangement. Keep the selected version’s name with the clip, rather than describing every triangular leg shape as the same attack.
Ask in class: Which triangle version is this, and what starting position should I identify first?
- Grapplearts: triangle configurations. Standard leg-triangle configuration and distinction between versions.
Guillotine choke
Chokes · No jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: The defender’s head is held under the attacker’s arm in a front head-control arrangement.
The source separates guillotine control from the submission and presents standing and ground contexts.
Look back at the setup: Identify the starting position and whether the defender’s arm is included in the demonstrated variation. Then describe the exercise’s task in ordinary words.
Ask in class: Is this exercise about head control, changing position, or the submission itself?
- Grapplearts: guillotine control and variants. Front head control, variation names, and separate control tasks.
Cross-collar choke — mounted reference
Chokes · Jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: The attacker uses grips in the defender’s jacket collars. The selected demonstration begins from mount.
Rob Biernacki’s linked demonstration considers the collar attack while maintaining the mounted position.
Look back at the setup: Locate the collar grips and the position around them. Compare the frame before the grip changes with the next frame; keep any hidden contact as a question.
Ask in class: Which collar grip is being demonstrated, and how is the position identified before that change?
- Grapplearts: cross-collar choke from mount. Jacket-collar grips and the named mounted demonstration.
Armbar — mounted entry reference
Arm locks · No jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: An arm is isolated in a straight-arm-lock configuration. The linked example starts with the attacker mounted.
The original Rob Biernacki demonstration connects control of the arm with the transition out of mount.
Look back at the setup: Find the arm being controlled before the position changes. Describe where each person starts, then note the moment you want the instructor to explain.
Ask in class: Which control belongs to this entry, and what is the receiving partner’s assigned role?
- Grapplearts: armbar from mount. Named armbar, controlled-arm context, and mounted starting position.
Kimura
Arm locks · No jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: A figure-four connection controls a bent arm: one hand holds the defender’s wrist, and the other connects to the attacker’s own wrist.
The Kimura reference shows the same grip serving as control during position changes as well as an armlock.
Look back at the setup: Follow the grip through the next position change. Ask what the assigned task is before interpreting the grip as an immediate submission attempt.
Ask in class: Are we using this Kimura grip to maintain control, change position, or practise the armlock?
- Grapplearts: Kimura control. Distinguishes the armlock from its control applications.
- Grapplearts: Kimura grip definition. Defines the wrist-to-wrist figure-four connection in a back-control example.
Americana
Arm locks · No jacket grip shown
Also named: Figure-four armlock
Recognize the reference: The defender’s arm is bent beside the head, with the wrist controlled near the mat in the mounted figure-four configuration.
The selected body-grip sequence reaches mount before showing the bent-arm lock. A separate naming reference calls the Americana a figure-four armlock.
Look back at the setup: Compare the controlled arm’s orientation with the Kimura reference. Describe the hand and elbow locations you can see; leave the finishing action to instruction.
Ask in class: What distinguishes this Americana configuration from the Kimura shown in class?
- Grapplearts: mounted figure-four configuration. Conventional mounted body-grip configuration, following side control.
- Grapplearts: Americana naming reference. Opening names Americana/figure-four armlock; its separate half-guard variation is not the grip shown in this card.
Straight ankle lock
Leg locks · No jacket grip shown
Recognize the reference: An arm holds around the defender’s ankle. The source expressly selects a non-twisting ankle-lock reference.
This card uses the source’s body-grip examples; the article also describes separate grip and leg-position variations.
Look back at the setup: Identify the ankle being controlled and the leg arrangement attached to the assigned example. Keep those details with the name when asking about the reference.
Ask in class: Which straight-ankle-lock variation and starting position does this exercise use?
- Grapplearts: straight ankle-lock reference. The article’s non-twisting scope and body-grip examples.
Find the position around the attack
Begin with both people. Is one behind the other? Is the attacker mounted, underneath in guard, or beside the defender? The position guide supplies those names. Then identify the arm, neck, or ankle involved in the particular reference.
Keep the starting position in the note: ‘Armbar, entry from mount’ is more specific than ‘Armbar video.’ It also gives the receiving partner a place in the description. You can ask what that person is meant to do before discussing the next part of the exercise.
If the clip begins halfway through a transition, move back to the last configuration you can describe. A hidden grip can remain a question. It is useful to know exactly which part you could not see.
Read the family and the actual grip together
The explorer groups the selected examples as chokes, arm locks, and leg locks. Each card then describes its own configuration and source context. Open a name to read those details before using either filter to narrow the collection.
The grip detail is literal. The mounted cross-collar example uses the defender’s jacket collars. The other selected configurations show body grips. A clothing filter describes those references; the gi/no-gi guide handles the wider format comparison.
Keep the variation attached to its name. The Americana card uses a conventional mounted, body-grip figure-four configuration. Its separate naming citation illustrates another version from top half guard. Comparing the sources is useful precisely because the positions and grips are not identical.
A grip can have more than one job
Kesting’s Kimura control reference shows the grip used during positional transitions as well as for the armlock. The guillotine reference similarly separates head control from submission work. These provide a concrete reason to ask what the exercise is meant to achieve.
During review, describe the visible sequence: the grip stays connected, a person changes position, and the instructor resets the exercise. Then ask which part was the assigned task. A clip can show the sequence clearly while leaving the practice agreement outside the frame.
The guillotine troubleshooting article keeps the variation and body position together. Try a narrow question: ‘Are we keeping this grip while changing position, or is this the submission exercise?’ The answer changes what you should be observing and what the partner has been asked to do.
Use a second detail to distinguish similar names
The triangle reference selects a standard leg triangle around the head and one arm. Other triangle versions change the arrangement. Record which version the instructor names, then identify what lies inside it before following a transition.
For the bent-arm references, compare the controlled arm’s location in the Kimura and Americana examples. Describe the hand and elbow positions visible in each. Ask the instructor to show the distinction in the assigned exercise, with the finishing action kept under their direction.
The straight ankle-lock source expressly selects a non-twisting example. Keep that scope with its name. The card provides a place to identify the ankle and leg arrangement without treating every leg-lock variation as interchangeable.
Agree on the stop signal before the exercise
Before supervised partner practice, establish both people’s roles, the intended resistance, how either person stops the action, and where it resets. Stop and release promptly when the partner taps or asks to stop. Ask the instructor to clarify an unfamiliar signal before restarting.
For competition, IBJJF Article 2.1 defines submission decisions, including clear hand tapping and verbal withdrawal. Its full conditions belong to that rulebook. A practice agreement should let you communicate an immediate stop rather than require a debate about the match result.
When reviewing a demonstration, observe where the instructor pauses or releases. That is part of the exercise to understand. Your question can be about the receiving partner’s role and the reset, alongside the name of the technique.
Check competition permission in the actual division
The current IBJJF document index links its rulebook and technical-fouls chart. The chart separates age and belt categories and includes format-specific distinctions. Read the full entry and relevant variations for the event you would enter.
Keep the organizer, division, and exact technique together when asking a question. ‘May I use this named variation in this division?’ is something an official rule reference can address. For the class, confirm the instructor’s permitted practice separately.
The rules guide explains that framework, while the first-tournament guide handles entry and event preparation. The explorer here stays focused on recognizing the selected examples.
Leave the review with one clear question
Save the source link, the named variation, the starting position, and a timestamp if you are reviewing a video. Write one observation you can point to: ‘The grip stays connected while the attacker moves.’ Then write the part you want explained.
At class, ask which part belongs in the assigned exercise and how the receiving partner should take part. Update the note after that explanation. The home-learning guide helps organize this kind of review; a private-lesson brief is useful when the question needs a separate appointment.
A useful note gives the instructor a specific moment to examine. Keep the name attached to that moment, and the next conversation has a clear place to begin.
Common questions
What are some common submission names in BJJ?
This reference covers the rear-naked choke, standard leg triangle, guillotine, mounted cross-collar choke, armbar, Kimura, Americana, and straight ankle lock. Open each card for the specific configuration, starting context, original source, and class question. It is a selected collection rather than a complete technique inventory.
Which BJJ submissions should a beginner learn first?
Start with the exercise your instructor is teaching and identify its position, partner roles, and stop/reset agreement. Use this reference to understand a name you hear there. Ask which part of the technique belongs in your current practice before adding another variation.
Does seeing a Kimura grip mean the athlete is finishing a Kimura?
The source shows the grip used for positional control as well as an armlock. Follow what happens around the grip and ask which task is being demonstrated. Keeping a connection through a transition can be the point of a particular exercise.
Are the Americana and Kimura the same submission?
They are distinct bent-arm references. Compare the controlled arm’s orientation in the selected examples and have the instructor explain the difference in the class exercise. A figure-four connection alone does not describe the whole configuration or the assigned finishing action.
Can the same submission name appear in gi and no-gi?
A name may have multiple variations. Check the actual grip: the cross-collar example here uses jacket collars, while the other selected references show body grips. The filter describes those examples. Competition permission still depends on the organizer and entered division.
How do I signal that a submission exercise should stop?
Agree on the signal and receiving partner’s role with the instructor before beginning. Tap or ask to stop, and stop and release promptly when your partner gives that signal. Ask how the exercise resets so both people understand what happens next.
Does this list tell me which submissions are legal for my belt?
No. Use the actual organizer’s current rules for your age, belt, format, and named variation. The IBJJF index links its rulebook and technique-restrictions chart. Class permission is a separate agreement with your instructor; the filters do not establish either kind of permission.
Sources & accuracy notes
Sources checked . The reference identifies selected submission names and observable configurations. Learn the technique, stop signals, and permitted practice with your instructor. Competition permission belongs to the actual organizer, format, age, and division; the filters describe the references shown.
- Grapplearts: rear-naked chokeRNC naming and its back-control context.
- Grapplearts: triangle configurationsThe standard leg triangle and distinction between named versions.
- Grapplearts: guillotine controlHead-control context and separate control and submission tasks.
- Grapplearts: cross-collar choke from mountThe original mounted jacket-collar demonstration.
- Grapplearts: armbar from mountThe named armbar and original mounted-entry demonstration.
- Grapplearts: Kimura controlControl applications alongside the bent armlock.
- Grapplearts: Kimura grip definitionThe wrist-to-wrist figure-four definition in its back-control example.
- Grapplearts: mounted figure-four armlockThe conventional mounted body-grip configuration selected for the Americana card.
- Grapplearts: Americana namingAmericana/figure-four armlock naming; its illustrated variation is separate.
- Grapplearts: straight ankle lockThe article’s non-twisting scope and body-grip examples.
- IBJJF: rulebook and technical-fouls chartSubmission-decision criteria and the division structure of technique restrictions.
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