Jiu-jitsu can give a short instruction a substantial vocabulary bill. A hypothetical “start in half guard, work the pass, then reset” contains a starting position, a task, and an instruction to begin again. Each word has a job. Understanding the sentence is more useful than collecting the names.
The glossary below covers 30 selected terms, with plain definitions, source references, and original questions to take back to the demonstration. Use the search for a word or alternative name, or browse by context. The position guide supplies the fuller map of mount, side control, back control, and the other body arrangements; the rules guide handles scoring conditions.
Class language has room for local conventions. An academy may use “specific training” where another says “positional sparring,” or use a familiar word for a particular exercise. Ask for the start and the task. Memorizing “underhook” will not put your arm in the right place, but it gives you a precise question when it is somewhere else.
Find the word, then the task
BJJ terms, in plain English
Browse 30 selected terms. Search a word, an alternative name, or its meaning. Each entry separates the definition from an original question you can ask. Event-scoring entries use IBJJF terminology.
30 of 30 terms shown.
Your search and choices stay on this page.
Advantage
Event scoring
Also listed as: advantage point
An IBJJF award for specified near-scoring or submission situations, recorded separately from points.
Useful question: Which rulebook is this event using, and what did the referee signal?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 5.
Base
Body connections
In Rob Biernacki’s alignment framework, the ability to produce and absorb force for the task, rather than one fixed stance.
Useful question: What is supporting me in this particular position?
Reference: BJJ Mental Models: Theory of Alignment.
Drilling
Class and practice
Also listed as: drill, repetitions, reps
Practice built around repeating an agreed movement or task. It can be solo or partnered; the coach sets the conditions.
Useful question: What are we repeating, and what should my partner do?
Reference: Stephan Kesting: Grappling Drills.
Escape
Positions and actions
Also listed as: escaping
An action that gets you out of an opponent’s control, potentially into another position rather than straight to the top.
Useful question: What counts as getting out in this exercise?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Flow rolling
Class and practice
Also listed as: flow roll, flow
A cooperative style of sparring that emphasizes continuing movement and exchanging positions. The name alone does not set the effort level.
Useful question: Which attacks, resistance, and resets have we agreed on?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
Frame
Body connections
Also listed as: framing
A body arrangement used as a barrier between partners, such as a forearm or shin connection that maintains space.
Useful question: Which connection is the frame in this demonstration?
Reference: BJJ Mental Models: Core Mechanics.
Gi
Clothing and format
Also listed as: kimono
The grappling uniform made up of a jacket, trousers, and belt. Its fabric can provide gripping connections.
Useful question: What uniform does this particular class accept?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Grip
Body connections
Also listed as: gripping, grips
A hand connection to the opponent or their clothing, depending on the format and the applicable rules.
Useful question: Which grip is being shown, and where is the hand connected?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Guard
Positions and actions
Also listed as: playing guard
A bottom position using one or more legs to obstruct the opponent’s path beyond them.
Useful question: Am I playing guard, or am I inside my partner’s guard?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 4.2.
Guard pass
Positions and actions
Also listed as: pass, passing, passing guard
Getting beyond the opponent’s guard. An IBJJF scoring pass also requires the defined finishing control.
Useful question: Where does this exercise say the pass is complete?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 4.2.
Guard pull
Positions and actions
Also listed as: pulling guard, pull guard
An entry from standing into the bottom guard role, rather than bringing the opponent down and taking top.
Useful question: What standing entry does the coach want for this task?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
No-gi
Clothing and format
Also listed as: nogi, no gi
Grappling without the gi jacket-and-trousers uniform; clothing grips are replaced by connections to the body.
Useful question: What clothing and grips are permitted in this class or event?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Open mat
Class and practice
Also listed as: openmat
A practice session whose host sets the activities and access. Atos HQ’s example allows sparring, drilling, and technique work.
Useful question: Who may attend, what may we practise, and what must be booked?
Reference: Atos HQ: Open Mat. Atos describes its own non-instructed format; other hosts may organize theirs differently.
Overhook
Body connections
Also listed as: over hook
An arm connection that passes over and around the opponent’s arm from outside. It describes a relationship, not a completed submission.
Useful question: Which arm is overhooking which?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
Penalty
Event scoring
Also listed as: penalties, foul
A referee’s sanction for a rule breach or lack of combativeness. Its consequence depends on the applicable rule.
Useful question: Was that a warning, a recorded penalty, or another decision?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 6–7.
Points
Event scoring
Also listed as: score, scoring
Event scoring awards. In IBJJF, each award has conditions beyond simply recognizing a position.
Useful question: What action, control, and conditions produced this award?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 3–4.
Positional sparring
Class and practice
Also listed as: positional rolling, positional round, specific training
Sparring from an agreed starting position with a defined task, such as passing or escaping.
Useful question: What is the start, each person’s task, and the reset condition?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
Post
Body connections
Also listed as: posting
A supporting contact with the mat used to maintain balance or permit movement, from either the top or bottom role.
Useful question: Which contact is acting as the support here?
Reference: BJJ Mental Models: Core Mechanics.
Posture
Body connections
In Biernacki’s alignment framework, how the neck, trunk, and spine are arranged for the task. It does not always mean sitting upright.
Useful question: What arrangement is the coach asking me to maintain here?
Reference: BJJ Mental Models: Theory of Alignment.
Rashguard
Clothing and format
Also listed as: rash guard
A close-fitting athletic top made from stretchy fabric. Check the host’s clothing policy for your session.
Useful question: What top does the host require for the booked session?
Reference: IBJJF: uniform requirements. Competition clothing reference; confirm academy class requirements separately.
Reset
Class and practice
Also listed as: restart
Return to the agreed starting conditions after an exercise reaches its finish condition. The instructor decides what triggers that return.
Useful question: Do we restart after a pass, an escape, a submission, or another agreed outcome?
Reference: Gracie Barra West County: deliberate training. This academy’s positional example resets after the assigned finish or escape.
Reversal
Positions and actions
Also listed as: reversing
A broad description for changing from underneath to on top. The change alone does not establish an IBJJF sweep.
Useful question: Where did the exchange begin before the top and bottom roles changed?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 4.6.
Rolling
Class and practice
Also listed as: roll, sparring, live rolling, live sparring
Live grappling against a resisting partner. The starting position, allowed actions, and effort still need agreement.
Useful question: What kind of round are we doing together?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Spats
Clothing and format
Also listed as: grappling leggings
Close-fitting grappling leggings. A host may have additional rules about shorts or other garments.
Useful question: Are these permitted, and is another garment required with them?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
Structure
Body connections
In Biernacki’s alignment framework, how the limbs are arranged and used to do their job.
Useful question: Which arm or leg position is being corrected?
Reference: BJJ Mental Models: Theory of Alignment.
Submission
Positions and actions
Also listed as: submissions
An attack, such as a joint lock or choke, intended to make the other athlete concede.
Useful question: Which actions are included in this exercise, and how do we stop?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Sweep
Positions and actions
Also listed as: sweeping
In IBJJF scoring, a bottom-to-top change initiated from guard or half guard, meeting the required control and other conditions.
Useful question: Was the athlete playing guard or half guard when the action began?
Reference: IBJJF rulebook, articles 3–7. Article 4.6.
Takedown
Positions and actions
Also listed as: take down
An action that brings a standing opponent to the ground.
Useful question: What standing start and finish has the instructor assigned?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Tap
Class and practice
Also listed as: tap out, tapping, tapping out
A physical or verbal signal to stop the exchange. The receiving partner stops and releases, rather than continuing the attempt.
Useful question: How do we make a clear stop request and reset together?
Reference: Marcus Soares BJJ glossary.
Underhook
Body connections
Also listed as: under hook
An arm connection that passes underneath the opponent’s arm to the inside of the upper body.
Useful question: Which arm is underneath, and what is the coach using that connection for?
Reference: 10th Planet Airlock training glossary.
Hear the assignment as well as the name
Before a partnered exercise, establish what each person is meant to do. A request to repeat a movement leaves several practical questions: does the partner cooperate, add a particular response, or try to prevent the result? Does each person take a turn? Where does the repetition begin again?
Those are useful questions even when you recognize every word. Stephan Kesting’s drill reference includes solo and partnered practice. Knowing that the session contains drilling does not yet identify your partner’s assignment. Let the instructor finish the description before supplying a different exercise from memory.
For a positional round, ask for the starting configuration, the task on each side, and the reset. Gracie Barra West County’s published example restarts after the assigned finish or escape. The useful detail is the agreed endpoint. Copying the name without that endpoint leaves the two partners doing different rounds.
Use connection words to find what the coach is showing
A connection word helps you locate part of a demonstration. Ask which hand is gripping, which arm is underneath, or which contact is acting as a frame. Then ask what that connection is supposed to accomplish in the exercise. An underhook can be recognizable before you understand the next decision.
Base, posture, and structure are grouped here using Rob Biernacki’s alignment framework, as presented by BJJ Mental Models. That attribution matters: it identifies the teaching framework rather than pretending every instructor divides the subject with identical labels. Ask your coach which part they are correcting.
Keep the answer tied to the demonstrated position. A cue about posture while seated inside guard may address a different body arrangement from a cue given during a standing exchange. A photograph of someone upright cannot explain the whole task. Have the coach show the relevant change rather than trying to manufacture one from a dictionary sentence.
Separate the position, the action, and the award
During match review, describe the start, the change, and the finish in that order. “They ended on top” leaves the beginning out. Rewind far enough to see it before deciding which action name belongs in your notes.
The IBJJF rulebook, checked October 23, 2026, supplies the event vocabulary here. Use the rules guide for scoring examples and the actual organizer’s documents for your event.
For a class exercise, take the same descriptive habit back to the coach: “We began here, my partner changed this, and we finished there.” It gives them something to inspect. A confident score attached to the wrong starting position gives them another thing to untangle.
Let the host define the session and clothing
Gi, no-gi, and open mat are useful timetable labels. Use them to find the next question: which session accepts you, what activities are planned, and what clothing the host requires. A word on the calendar does not complete that conversation.
Atos HQ’s open-mat description includes sparring, drilling, and technique work in its own non-instructed format. Keep that example attached to Atos. The open-mat guide helps confirm another host’s access and practice arrangements.
For a booked first class, use the clothing guide before buying an item because its name appears in this glossary. Ask about the actual uniform or loan arrangement. Recognizing a rashguard in an online shop and having the right clothing for your appointment are separate achievements.
Keep one useful question from the round
After class, write the term beside the exchange that made it confusing. Record the start, which partner you were, and the part of the instruction you could not connect to the movement. “I know the name, but cannot see which arm makes the connection” is a perfectly serviceable question.
Use the glossary to narrow that question, then take it to the person teaching the task. There is no need to learn another dozen names to explain one missing detail. The beginner guide covers the wider first-class conversation. For a worked practice context, see how drilling changes when the round becomes live.
When the answer arrives, add the detail rather than replacing your note with a triumphant “understood.” Which contact changed? What should the partner do? When do you start again? Those are notes you can bring back to the next demonstration.
Common questions
What does rolling mean in BJJ?
Rolling means live sparring with a resisting partner. Ask about the starting position, permitted actions, and intended effort for this particular round. A familiar label does not replace the conversation with the coach and partner.
What is the difference between drilling and positional sparring?
Drilling repeats an agreed movement or task. Positional sparring gives the partners a particular starting position and task against resistance. Confirm each partner’s role and what triggers a reset; the exercise instructions matter more than assuming every academy uses an identical format.
Is every reversal a sweep?
In IBJJF, a scoring sweep begins from guard or half guard and must meet other conditions. Check the starting exchange, then use the rules guide’s examples.
Does flow rolling mean there is no resistance?
Discuss what the partners mean by it. Flow rolling describes a cooperative, movement-focused round, but does not specify an exact level of effort or a list of allowed attacks. Agree on those details instead of relying on the word “flow” to settle them.
Do I need to memorize BJJ terminology before my first class?
Prepare for the actual session and ask the coach to demonstrate unfamiliar language. Start with the words in the assigned exercise and learn each partner’s role. The glossary is available to revisit after a confusing instruction; there is no vocabulary test to pass here.
Why is the word I heard missing from this glossary?
This is a selected reference, not a catalogue of every position, nickname, or school-specific cue. Try an alternative name or a shorter search. For body arrangements such as mount or side control, use the position guide; for an unfamiliar classroom instruction, ask the instructor to show what they mean.
Does recognizing a submission name tell me I can practise it?
Ask what actions the instructor has included for your class and partner, and check the actual event rules for a competition. A name describes an idea; it does not grant permission or teach the technique. Confirm how both partners will stop and reset before practising the assigned task.
Sources & accuracy notes
Sources checked . Training language can vary between instructors and academies. Competition terms keep their stated organizer and rulebook scope. The glossary explains vocabulary rather than teaching a technique or deciding an unseen match; ask your instructor or the event organizer when a particular usage matters.
- IBJJF: currently linked June 2024 rulebookGuard, passing, sweep, point, advantage, and penalty terminology in articles 3–7.
- Marcus Soares BJJ: glossaryBasic garment, grip, rolling, tapping, escape, takedown, and submission vocabulary.
- 10th Planet Airlock: training glossaryPositional sparring, flow rolling, arm connections, guard-pull, and spats terminology.
- BJJ Mental Models: Core MechanicsFrames and posts as mechanical connections, distinct from named techniques.
- BJJ Mental Models: Theory of AlignmentThe base, posture, and structure framework attributed to Rob Biernacki.
- Stephan Kesting: Grappling DrillsRepetition, solo practice, and partner practice as drilling contexts.
- Gracie Barra West County: deliberate trainingAn academy example of positional goals and resetting after the assigned finish or escape.
- Atos HQ: Open MatAtos’s own non-instructed open-mat format permits sparring, drilling, and technique work.
- IBJJF: uniform requirementsThe no-gi shirt reference specifies close-fitting elastic fabric; academy clothing policies remain separate.
Found a factual error or a rule that has changed? Send a correction to support@letsroll.co.