A growing number of people are signing up for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) thanks to various reasons like being the most effective style for one-on-one combat, the many physical and mental benefits it offers, and being an alternative to striking-based martial arts.
Stepping into a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu dojo for the first time can feel like you’ve walked into a foreign country. Everyone there speaks a language that you don’t quite understand. It’s almost like a rite of passage for newbies, but you can become the cool traveler who can communicate a bit with the locals by going through our cheat sheet to learn what some commonly used terms mean.
Ten Terms Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Should Learn Before Their First Class
Ready to impress your new training partners? Here are some of the terms you can expect to hear during your first BJJ class:
1) Gi
Your Gi (pronounced Gee) is the traditional attire you wear during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. Also called a kimono, even though it isn’t one, the Gi used for BJJ isn’t the same as those used for martial arts like Karate. These Gis are a lot thicker than their counterparts used for other martial arts to handle all the pulling and tugging that will take place during your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training. Ensure you get a Gi designed specifically for BJJ when purchasing yours.
2) Oss
“Oss” is a common saying in martial arts circles like BJJ, Karate, and Judo. It’s a Japanese greeting used as a sign of respect, a way to motivate teammates or to acknowledge something a training partner does. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to say, say “oss.”
3) Rolling
Rolling means sparring in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circles. The term comes from how a BJJ match often resembles two people rolling on the ground. Many BJJ students find rolling to be the best part of their training. You get to work up a good sweat while practicing all the techniques you’ve learned.
BJJ training doesn’t involve strikes, so students can roll intensely without much risk. BJJ has a strong rolling culture, and many instructors expect you to roll after each class once you’ve been cleared.
The emphasis on rolling is what makes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu such a practical martial art. You learn how to apply techniques and submissions on people who know how to defend themselves. This gives you a considerable edge over anyone who doesn’t understand how these techniques work.
4) Tap Out
Perhaps this term should be at the top of our list since you’ll do it often when you first start training. Telling your training partners you “tap out” lets them know to let go of whatever submission they have you in. It’s the universal sign in BJJ for your training partner or opponent to stop whatever they’re doing.
The most common way to tap out in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to tap any part of your opponent’s body or the mat with your hands multiple times. You can also say it verbally or tap your feet on the canvas to let your opponent know you give up.
Never hesitate to tap out if you’ve been caught in a submission or don’t like how something feels. Everyone you see in a BJJ dojo has tapped out too many times to count, and it’s the one thing we all have in common.
5) The Closed Guard
The closed guard also known as the full guard is the trademark position of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and it isn’t used in other grappling-based martial arts like wrestling or sambo. The position refers to wrapping your legs around your opponent’s torso when you’re on your back. It’s a way to nullify the advantages a person on top of your would typically have. While it might look like a disadvantageous position, the person at the bottom has many options.
6) The Mount
The mount is one of the most dominant positions in BJJ. It means you’ve straddled your opponent’s torso with both knees on the ground. Your top priority should be to escape or reverse if you find yourself in the bottom mount position, which means you’ve been mounted.
7) Side Control
This position involves lying your torso across someone’s chest while your legs are behind you. It’s a dominant position, and some BJJ players prefer being there over taking a full mount.
8) Shrimping
Shrimping is one of the first defensive movements new students learn in BJJ. It creates space from your opponent when you find yourself in bottom positions. It’s like doing the worm but on your side. Shrimping is often used as a warm-up in BJJ dojos to ensure students know how to do it properly.
While it might feel awkward initially, make sure you master shrimping, as it’s a crucial skill that helps you escape disadvantageous positions.
9) Sweep
BJJ techniques that are used to reverse bad positions into more favorable ones are called sweeps. You’ll learn techniques like the scissor sweep when you start training. Master as many as you can since these moves allow you to reverse the direction a fight is going in an instant. One second, you’re on the bottom, and the next, you’ve secured a dominant top position in the blink of an eye.
10) Flow
Your instructor might ask you to flow with a training partner after breaking down some techniques or when it’s time to roll. Flowing is a state of moving smoothly from one technique to another. It means you’re not actively resisting your training partner but, rather, exchanging techniques with them. For example, your training partner might secure the mount while you bridge and roll to reverse the position. You both keep this up until the session is over. It’s an effective way to practice many techniques in a short duration.
Dive Into The World Of BJJ
Arm yourself with the knowledge of what the popular terms on our list mean to make the start of your BJJ journey go smoother. Don’t hesitate to ask your training partners or instructors if any terms you don’t understand are used during your classes.
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