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InGrappling for School Owners


A school's training environment is not a byproduct of how good its coaches are — it is the result of explicit decisions about curriculum, culture, safety, and inclusion. InGrappling gives you a framework for each of those decisions: a sequenced curriculum you can implement directly, school maturity standards you can assess yourself against, and social dynamics content that addresses the hard problems most schools ignore until they become crises. The tools here are free to use. The decisions are yours.

Curriculum sequencing

The concepts and systems layer

Safety and liability

School culture standards

The social dynamics your school must address

Inclusion standards

The living standards

Full library for School Owners

Every page on InGrappling tagged relevant to school owners. Grouped by content type, sorted by ability floor.614 pages.

Technique420

  • AmericanaKimura systemFoundations

    Americana — figure-four to the mat in external rotation. Inverse of the kimura. Primary submission from mount. Submission grappling reference.

  • Americana EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Americana escape — get off your flat back, elbow-to-ribs frame discipline, turn the elbow to the mat and straighten the arm down the hip line, bridge to re-bend.

  • ArmbarArmbarFoundations

    The armbar family — the shared mechanics, injury profile and defence of every elbow hyperextension on the site, and the sixteen instances that express them.

  • Ashi Garami Ankle LockLeg LocksFoundations

    The straight ankle lock from ashi garami and single leg X in no-gi — the outside-line ankle lock, the first leg submission most grapplers learn, on seven different platforms.

  • Body Lock PassGuard PassingFoundations

    The body lock pass in no-gi: wrapping both legs to eliminate hooks and drive through the guard. The primary answer to butterfly Submission grappling…

  • Butterfly GuardGuardFoundations

    Butterfly guard uses both hooks inside the opponent's thighs to elevate and destabilise a kneeling passer. The underhook Submission grappling reference.

  • Butterfly Hook SweepSweepsFoundations

    Butterfly hook sweep — underhook controls direction, hook elevates and tips the top player. Foundation of the butterfly system. Submission grappling…

  • Can Opener EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Can opener escape — your closed guard is the anchor, so opening it is the answer. Chin tuck and break the grip, open into a chosen guard, release and strip late.

  • Closed GuardGuardFoundations

    Closed guard — legs locked around the top player’s waist, passing blocked until opened. Sweeps and submissions from bottom. Submission grappling reference.

  • Closed Guard Break — KneelingGuard PassingFoundations

    Kneeling closed guard break — open the closed guard without standing. Sit back onto heels, wedge elbow to far knee, push outward while keeping posture…

  • Closed Guard Break — StandingGuard PassingFoundations

    Standing closed guard break — the primary method of opening a closed guard in no-gi. Post on the hips, stand with one knee up, and drop weight through…

  • D'Arce, Brabo and Anaconda EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    D'Arce, brabo and anaconda escape — one grip, one early game. Near-arm discipline, square up and wrestle up, and three late answers by position.

  • Double Leg EntryStandingFoundations

    Double leg — head at the hip, shoulder through both legs. Deepest level change of any takedown. Primary defence is the sprawl. Submission grappling…

  • Four-Point PositionFront HeadlockFoundations

    The transitional four-point position: hands and feet on the mat, knees lifted, hips high — between turtle and standing. Submission grappling reference.

  • Front Headlock — Ground ControlFront HeadlockFoundations

    Front headlock ground control — cervical spine control that leads the body. Primary platform for guillotine, D’Arce, anaconda. Submission grappling…

  • Fundamental Escape MovementsEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Escape movements — bridge, shrimp, Granby roll, sit-out, stand-up, kipping. All named escapes are built from these six. Submission grappling reference.

  • Guard PullStandingFoundations

    Guard pulling is a deliberate strategic choice to initiate ground fighting from the bottom — not a failed takedown. The Submission grappling reference.

  • Guard RetentionGuardFoundations

    Guard retention in no-gi: the universal principles for keeping guard when the passer is threatening. Covers the three-stage Submission grappling reference.

  • Half Guard — BottomGuardFoundations

    Half guard — trapping one of the top player's legs. One side of the foot line conceded; underhook battle determines the outcome. Submission grappling…

  • Half Guard PassGuard PassingFoundations

    Half guard passing in no-gi — extracting a trapped leg from half guard. Flatten the bottom, win the whizzer-underhook fight, then branch to smash…

  • Headquarters (HQ)Guard PassingFoundations

    Headquarters is the kneeling top position between passing and control — one knee up, one knee down beside the opponent's hip. Submission grappling…

  • Hip Bump SweepSweepsFoundations

    Hip bump sweep — sit-up, wrist control, and hip explosion from closed guard. Creates immediate sweep or kimura entry. Submission grappling reference.

  • Knee Cut PassGuard PassingFoundations

    The knee cut pass in no-gi: driving the knee across the bottom player's thigh to clear the guard and establish side control. Submission grappling…

  • Mount — BottomTop PositionsFoundations

    Mount bottom — defending full mount, the highest-danger pin. Top player across the hips; preventing high mount is the priority. Submission grappling…

  • Mount — TopTop PositionsFoundations

    The mount is the highest-percentage finishing position in top grappling. The top player sits on the opponent's torso Submission grappling reference.

  • Mount Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Mount escape — trap and roll, elbow-knee, ghost, kipping, foot drag, bridge to turtle. Written from the defender's perspective. Submission grappling…

  • Over-Under ClinchStandingFoundations

    Over-under clinch — overhook over the near shoulder, underhook under the far arm. Primary no-gi contact position. Submission grappling reference.

  • Pendulum SweepSweepsFoundations

    The pendulum sweep from closed guard: trapping the arm and driving the leg to rotate the passer. The fundamental closed guard Submission grappling…

  • Rear Naked ChokeBack PositionFoundations

    The primary submission from back control. Bilateral carotid compression applied from the seatbelt or body triangle. The most Submission grappling…

  • Rear Naked Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Defending the rear naked choke — chin tuck, grip fight, seat drop and strong-side turn, before the strangle closes. Prevention is the first defence.

  • Scissor SweepSweepsFoundations

    The scissor sweep in no-gi: shin-across-the-thigh and heel-hook-behind-the-knee mechanics as a fundamental weight-unloading Submission grappling reference.

  • Scramble PrinciplesTransitionsFoundations

    Scramble framework — three-task hierarchy, height and hip height principle, position selection and decision-making. Submission grappling reference.

  • Seated GuardGuardFoundations

    Seated guard is the foundational open guard — feet active between the passer's knees, head up, hands ready to frame or attack. Submission grappling…

  • Shin-on-ShinLeg EntanglementsFoundations

    Shin-on-shin is a fundamental seated guard entry position — the connecting configuration between seated guard and single leg X Submission grappling…

  • Side Control — BottomTop PositionsFoundations

    The defensive view of side control — when the opponent has completed a pass and holds the pin. The most common situation Submission grappling reference.

  • Side Control — TopTop PositionsFoundations

    Side control — chest-to-chest pin after a guard pass. Primary platform for kimura, arm triangle, D’Arce, and transitions. Submission grappling reference.

  • Side Control Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Side control escape techniques — hip escape, ghost escape, Granby roll, single leg escape, underhook recovery. Submission grappling reference.

  • Single Collar TieStandingFoundations

    The single collar tie — one hand on the back of the opponent's head — is the standard initial engagement position. It controls Submission grappling…

  • Single Leg EntryStandingFoundations

    Single leg — penetration step to the outside of the near leg; shoulder drives through to complete the takedown. Submission grappling reference.

  • Sit-Out and Stand-Up MechanicsTransitionsFoundations

    The sit-out and stand-up — the highest-priority exit in the scramble. Technical stand-up, sit-out, and wrestle-up mechanics for getting back to your feet.

  • SprawlStandingFoundations

    Sprawl — primary takedown defence: hips down, legs behind the attacker. Creates front headlock for guillotines and anacondas. Submission grappling…

  • Stack PositionGuard PassingFoundations

    The stack position is a guard passing pressure tool in which the top player drives the bottom player's hips up over their Submission grappling reference.

  • StandingStandingFoundations

    Standing — the default start of all grappling exchanges. Stance, base, and distance management determine what is available. Submission grappling reference.

  • Straight Ankle LockLeg LocksFoundations

    The straight ankle lock — Achilles lock — is the foundational lower limb submission. Legal in all major rulesets. Understanding Submission grappling…

  • Straight Ankle Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Straight ankle lock escape — boot defence, hide the heel, pommel the knee line, pull out to combat base. Foundational leg lock defence. Submission…

  • Straight Arm Shoulder Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceFoundations

    Straight arm shoulder lock escape — bent-arm frames only, pummel the arm back to the mat side before the press seats, thumb rotation to unwind the shoulder.

  • Supine GuardGuardFoundations

    Supine guard — lying on the back with feet active, used as a transitional state to reach seated guard or leg entanglement entries. Submission grappling…

  • Top Butterfly GuardGuardFoundations

    Top butterfly — low base requirement to manage hook exposure; passing frameworks from butterfly top. Submission grappling reference.

  • Top Half GuardGuardFoundations

    Top half guard — underhook battle and flattening mechanics; passing options: back step, knee cut, and toreando. Submission grappling reference.

  • Toreando PassGuard PassingFoundations

    The toreando (bullfighter) pass in no-gi: controlling both shins and redirecting the legs to pass around to the side. The Submission grappling reference.

  • Tripod PassGuard PassingFoundations

    The tripod pass: using a foot-on-hip and shin-control combination to break the guard and step through. A standing pass complementary to the toreando.

  • Tripod SweepSweepsFoundations

    Tripod sweep — opposing push-pull forces; one foot on the hip, one hand on the ankle, removing the opponent’s base. Submission grappling reference.

  • Turtle — Bottom (Defending)Front HeadlockFoundations

    Turtle bottom — five-tier escape hierarchy and common defensive failures. Exit before seatbelt or headlock is established. Submission grappling reference.

  • Turtle — Top (Attacking)Front HeadlockFoundations

    Turtle top — Jones attack hierarchy, back take pathways, crucifix entry, four-point breakdown. Attacking the turtled opponent. Submission grappling…

  • Underhook Half Guard (Bottom)GuardFoundations

    Underhook half guard — offensive half guard with the underhook on the shoulder. Base for dogfight, lockdown, and sweeps. Submission grappling reference.

  • Wrestling Up (Turtle Bottom)StandingFoundations

    Wrestling up is the act of returning to a standing base from the turtle bottom position. It is the primary proactive escape Submission grappling reference.

  • Z-Guard / Knee ShieldGuardFoundations

    Z-guard (knee shield) — an elevated knee frame against the hip that buys distance. Win the underhook battle and exit to scorpion, butterfly, or the back.

  • 3/4 Armbar EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    3/4 armbar escape — the bent arm that beat the armbar is the entry. Elbow-tuck denial, grip interlace and stack back in, hitchhiker rotation as the wrist turns.

  • 50/50Leg EntanglementsDeveloping

    The 50/50 is the symmetric leg entanglement — both players have equal structural access to each other's heel. Understanding Submission grappling reference.

  • 50/50 Ankle LockLeg LocksDeveloping

    The straight ankle lock from 50/50 and the inside entanglements in no-gi — why the inside-line version is a different attack from the ashi ankle lock, and what the shared configuration changes.

  • Ankle PickStandingDeveloping

    The ankle pick is a precision takedown — controlling one ankle and pulling it forward while the opponent's weight is on it. Submission grappling reference.

  • Arm DragStandingDeveloping

    Arm drag — opponent’s arm used as a handle to redirect their body; pulling across the centreline exposes the back. Submission grappling reference.

  • Arm TriangleFront HeadlockDeveloping

    Arm triangle — kata gatame and the head and arm choke are the same strangle. Near arm across the throat, attacking arm over the neck, angle walk to finish.

  • Arm Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Arm triangle escape — hide the shoulder, turn into the attacker, step back the leg to prevent mount, fall off the far side. Head-and-arm choke defence.

  • Armbar EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Armbar escape — grip fight, stack, elbow pummel, leg trap, hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is the canonical no-gi armbar escape. Submission grappling reference.

  • Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Ashi garami (single leg X) — foundational leg entanglement; inside space prevents extraction and creates heel hook access. Submission grappling reference.

  • Ashi Garami / Single Leg X — DefendingLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Defending ashi garami and single leg X in no-gi — the entanglement where you still have options. Stand up early, clear the knee line, and deny the transition rather than the finish.

  • Back Defence — Hand FightBack PositionDeveloping

    Back hand-fight defence — chin tuck, two-on-one on the strangle wrist, elbow-to-hip control, palm shield against the jaw pry. The pre-RNC grip system…

  • Back Defence — Turtle RecoveryBack PositionDeveloping

    Back escape to turtle — when face-out isn't available, belly-down and recover to turtle. A bail-out that buys time under a live strangle, exits via all-fours…

  • Back ExposureBack PositionDeveloping

    The transitional moment of first back access — before any grip system is established. The hub that connects every back take Submission grappling reference.

  • Back Step PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    Back step pass — near leg stepped backward to extract from top half guard or stalled knee cut. Creates the passing angle. Submission grappling reference.

  • Back Take Entry RoutesBack PositionDeveloping

    Back entries — every route into back control from standing, guard, top, and leg entanglements. Hub for the back attack system. Submission grappling…

  • Backpack PositionBack PositionDeveloping

    Backpack position — chest-to-back back control without leg hooks. Double overs or seatbelt with no hooks set. Transitional or standing back control…

  • Bulldog ChokeFront HeadlockDeveloping

    Bulldog choke — a one-arm headlock choke caught from the side or back of a turtled or scrambling opponent, finished by sitting out and leaning back. Submission grappling…

  • Bulldog Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Bulldog choke escape — one arm makes the loop, so there is no half to strip. Deny the neck a path when you turn or stand, fight the wrist before the hands meet, drive the head out the front.

  • Butterfly Arm Drag SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Butterfly arm drag — arm drag clears the near arm, exposing the back or creating a single leg angle. Back take or sweep. Submission grappling reference.

  • Butterfly Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Butterfly ashi — butterfly hook becomes ashi garami when top player steps in. Entry to the leg entanglement cluster. Submission grappling reference.

  • Butterfly Ashi Garami — DefendingLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Defending butterfly ashi garami in no-gi — elevation is the control. Get your weight back to the mat, post wide, and the position degrades on its own.

  • Butterfly Hook BreakGuard PassingDeveloping

    Butterfly hook break — kill the hook elevation, fold the knees down, pin a thigh to engage passing. Prerequisite for body-lock, knee-cut, and smash…

  • Butterfly Sumi GaeshiSweepsDeveloping

    Butterfly sumi — sacrifice throw from butterfly guard: backward fall, hook lift, chest connection. Weight drives the reversal. Submission grappling…

  • Calf Slicer EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Calf slicer escape — the calf hurts, the knee is the injury. Post and frame to deny the truck hook, straighten the hooked leg, spin toward the attacker late.

  • Can OpenerGuard PassingDeveloping

    The Can Opener is a cervical hyperflexion submission from inside the opponent's closed guard. Both hands grip the head and force it forward, loading the…

  • Choi Bar EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Choi bar escape — centreline arm discipline, bend the elbow against the wrist capture and sit out to guard, hand-clasp stall and roll toward the attack.

  • Clamp PositionGuardDeveloping

    Clamp — deep overhook and body lock isolating one arm from guard. Platform for triangle, armbar, omoplata, kimura, leg locks. Submission grappling…

  • ClawFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    The claw grip is a transitional upper body control from the folkstyle wrestling family. The curved-finger grip on the near Submission grappling reference.

  • Cut the CornerStandingDeveloping

    Cut the corner — the trip finish for the single and double leg. Drive the controlled leg across the midline while stepping around the secondary leg.

  • De Ashi HaraiSweepsDeveloping

    De ashi harai — lateral foot sweep at the moment of weight transfer. Too early or too late and the sweep fails. Submission grappling reference.

  • De La Riva BreakGuard PassingDeveloping

    De La Riva hook break — kill the hook by killing the foot-on-hip frame, defeat the sleeve/ankle grip, step back to clear the hook. Prerequisite for…

  • De la Riva GuardGuardDeveloping

    De la Riva guard in no-gi: the DLR hook and shin grip as an entry platform to leg entanglements, tripod sweeps, and back takes. Submission grappling…

  • Deep Half Back TakeSweepsDeveloping

    Deep half back take — when the opponent posts forward to defend the sweep, the bottom player converts to the back take. Submission grappling reference.

  • Deep Half GuardGuardDeveloping

    Deep half guard — bottom player scoops under, head near the far hip. Sweeps from underneath as the top player tries to flatten. Submission grappling…

  • Deep Half SweepSweepsDeveloping

    The deep half sweep in no-gi: from deep half guard, secure the hip underhook and roll the opponent over the top to mount. The Submission grappling…

  • DogfightGuardDeveloping

    The dogfight is the neutral kneeling scramble that arises from half guard when both players are fighting for the underhook. Submission grappling reference.

  • Double Collar TieStandingDeveloping

    The double collar tie — both hands on the back of the opponent's neck — creates the clinch snap and the hip throw entry. The Submission grappling…

  • Double Shin Guard SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Double shin guard sweep in no-gi: controlling both shins to disrupt posture and force a sweep or leg entanglement. Covers Submission grappling reference.

  • Double Under PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    Double under pass — both arms under the bottom player’s legs; stack upright, cartwheel or dump to complete. Submission grappling reference.

  • Double UnderhooksStandingDeveloping

    Double underhooks give the most hip control of any clinch position — both arms under the opponent's, both hips accessible. The Submission grappling…

  • Duck UnderStandingDeveloping

    The duck under is a wrestling entry in which the attacker dips below the opponent's arm to emerge on their back side.

  • Electric Chair EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Electric chair escape — defended from on top. Deny the lockdown and deep-half entry, hip escape before the second leg is captured, concede the sweep late.

  • Ezekiel Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Ezekiel choke escape (no-gi) — chin tuck before the insertion, peel the inserting arm's wrist, turn into the elbow side, bridge and recover. Submission…

  • False ReapLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    False reap — outside leg threads across the near leg, mirror of the reap. Access to ashi, outside ashi, cross ashi, and 50/50. Submission grappling…

  • Fireman's CarryStandingDeveloping

    Fireman's carry — drops under the arm and through the legs to load the opponent across the shoulders. Shoulder is the fulcrum. Submission grappling…

  • Front Body LockStandingDeveloping

    The front body lock — both arms wrapped around the opponent's torso from the front — provides the highest level of positional Submission grappling…

  • Go BehindStandingDeveloping

    The go behind is a standing position change from a front or side position to a full rear position, stepping or spinning around the opponent's side…

  • Guard ArmbarArmbarDeveloping

    Guard armbar — the armbar played from underneath. The angle is made by the hips rather than by stepping over from above, and the stack is the defence that decides it.

  • Guard GuillotineFront HeadlockDeveloping

    The guillotine from underneath — the guard closes, the hips elevate, and the legs supply what the sprawl supplies on top. Submission grappling reference.

  • Guillotine (High-Elbow)Front HeadlockDeveloping

    Guillotine — primary vascular choke from the front headlock. High-elbow finish from guard and standing. Submission grappling reference.

  • Guillotine EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Escaping and countering the guillotine — posture, the side-step pass, chin tuck, and roll-through, plus the arm-in variant. The side-step pass is canonical.

  • Half Butterfly GuardGuardDeveloping

    Half butterfly guard in no-gi: one leg trapped in the half guard configuration while the free leg inserts a butterfly hook Submission grappling reference.

  • Heel Hook EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Heel hook escape — hide the heel, clear the knee line, mechanics for ashi, outside ashi, cross ashi. Tap at late-stage rotation. Submission grappling…

  • Heist SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Heist sweep — from X-guard; hip-under entry and leg-lift finish disrupts the opponent’s base. Submission grappling reference.

  • High CrotchStandingDeveloping

    High crotch — between single and double leg: head at hip level, arm under the crotch. Converts to double leg or spins to back. Submission grappling…

  • High Guard / MeathookGuardDeveloping

    High guard — closed guard variant with elevated hips and legs riding high. Primary platform for triangle and armbar entries. Submission grappling…

  • High MountTop PositionsDeveloping

    High mount — mount ridden up under the armpits so the frames die and the S-mount becomes available. The staging position for the mounted armbar.

  • Hip Throw FamilyStandingDeveloping

    Hip throw — attacker turns in, places hip inside the opponent's, loads them over the fulcrum. O-goshi, uki goshi and koshi guruma. Submission grappling…

  • Inside Heel HookLeg LocksDeveloping

    The inside heel hook — primary submission from cross ashi and the saddle. Internal rotation loads the ACL and medial knee, the highest-finish leg lock in no-gi.

  • Inside TripStandingDeveloping

    The inside trip hooks the opponent's near leg from inside with the practitioner's near leg and trips or sweeps it outward, while upper body pressure…

  • Kata GatameTop PositionsDeveloping

    Kata gatame — head-and-arm control for the arm triangle. Shoulder into neck, arm trapped; creates bilateral carotid compression. Submission grappling…

  • Kata Gatame — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    Kata gatame bottom — defending head-and-arm control. Top player's shoulder driven into the neck with the defender's near arm trapped against their own…

  • Kesa GatameTop PositionsDeveloping

    Kesa gatame — hip-seated position securing head and near arm. Weight distribution and arm structure are the control mechanism. Submission grappling…

  • Kesa Gatame — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    Kesa gatame bottom — defending the scarf hold. Top player seated perpendicular with head-and-arm control; near arm trapped under the top player's armpit…

  • Kesa Gatame Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Kesa gatame escape — posting frame, bridge and roll reversal, granby exit, pummelling to recover the trapped arm, hip-out to half guard. Written from the…

  • KimuraKimura systemDeveloping

    Kimura — figure-four shoulder lock in internal rotation and extension. The submission finish of the system; powers back takes. Submission grappling…

  • Kimura ControlKimura systemDeveloping

    Kimura control — figure-four grip used positionally. From this grip: back take, turtle control, mount, or submission chain. Submission grappling reference.

  • Knee on Belly — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    Knee on belly bottom — top knee into the abdomen. Instinctive push opens the armbar. Two-hand removal is the correct response. Submission grappling…

  • Knee on Belly — TopTop PositionsDeveloping

    Knee on belly — knee into the torso; reactions are exploited. Pushing opens the armbar; reaching opens the triangle. Submission grappling reference.

  • Knee on Belly Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Named escape techniques from knee on belly — ankle grip and hip escape, underhook escape, knee shield push, and roll under. Submission grappling reference.

  • Knee Shield BreakGuard PassingDeveloping

    Knee shield break — neutralise the Z-guard / half-guard shield by crushing, stepping over, or pummelling under the blocking knee. Required for passing…

  • Knee TapStandingDeveloping

    The knee tap taps the opponent's near knee inward from a single leg grip or clinch, buckling the knee and dropping the opponent to the mat. Effective vs…

  • KneebarLeg LocksDeveloping

    Kneebar — hyperextends the knee by trapping the foot and driving the hip into the back of the knee. Legal in ADCC and EBI. Submission grappling reference.

  • Kneebar EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Kneebar escape — bend the knee, hip in toward the attacker, stack and step over, roll with the extension. Elevated-risk leg lock defence. Submission…

  • Kosoto GariStandingDeveloping

    Kosoto gari is a judo foot throw in which the attacker reaps the opponent's far leg from outside while driving their weight forward.

  • Kouchi GariSweepsDeveloping

    Kouchi gari — inner reap hooking inside the near ankle, reaping backward. Weight must be on the reaped leg at contact. Submission grappling reference.

  • Leg Drag PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    Leg drag pass — one leg controlled and dragged across the body to create a passing angle. Primary pass from open guard. Submission grappling reference.

  • Leg Drag PositionLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Leg drag position — the held state between completing the leg drag and achieving side control, where the top player controls the legs but has not yet…

  • Leg Drag Position — DefendingLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Defending the leg drag in no-gi — a passing position that uses a leg. Follow the drag rather than resisting it, recover the inside position, and consider attacking back.

  • Leg RideFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    The leg ride — folkstyle's foundational top control, threading one leg over the opponent's thigh to break them down and open the path to the back.

  • LockdownGuardDeveloping

    Lockdown — half guard with the top leg in a figure-four. Controls mobility; foundation of dogfight and electric chair. Submission grappling reference.

  • Long Step PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    Long step pass — outside leg steps wide around the guard player’s legs; hips follow to complete the pass. Submission grappling reference.

  • Lower Leg Shift SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Half lower leg sweep — from Z-guard or half guard, near-knee hook and underhook sweep. Ducking to defend opens the back. Submission grappling reference.

  • Near Ankle RideFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    The near ankle ride grips the bottom player's near ankle from turtle top, controlling the near leg to prevent standup and enable tilts and turns. A…

  • Ninja Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Ninja choke escape — chin tuck denies forearm insertion; prevent figure-four closure during the hook phase; posture and step through in guard; level…

  • North-South — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    North-south bottom — opponent facing the feet, weight on the chest. Kimura threat is immediate. Primary escape: bridge and hip. Submission grappling…

  • North-South — TopTop PositionsDeveloping

    North-south is an underutilised control position where the top player is chest-to-chest with the opponent but facing the feet. Submission grappling…

  • North-South Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    North-south escape techniques — hip escape, Granby roll to deep half, arm drag counter, sit-up scramble. Early movement is key. Submission grappling…

  • O GoshiStandingDeveloping

    O goshi — the major hip throw. The attacker turns in, loads the opponent fully across the hip, and rotates them over the fulcrum.

  • Octopus — Top PerspectiveTop PositionsDeveloping

    Octopus top — passer's view against octopus guard. Back take and kosoto sweep are the threats. Near hip away is the defence. Submission grappling…

  • Octopus Butterfly SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Butterfly sweep mechanics applied from octopus guard: combining the underhook and body-lock control with a butterfly hook lift to sweep the passer forward.

  • Octopus GuardGuardDeveloping

    Octopus guard: the deep overhook from a seated position as a back take platform, sweep system, and front headlock entry. Covers Submission grappling…

  • Octopus Kosoto SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Kosoto gake (small outside reap) from octopus guard: using the body-lock and leg connection to reap the far ankle while pulling Submission grappling…

  • Omoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Omoplata escape — posture forward, forward roll, cartwheel over, step over the head. Shoulder defence from guard. Submission grappling reference.

  • Osoto GariStandingDeveloping

    Osoto gari is the major outer reaping throw — the attacker drives the opponent's upper body back and sweeps their posting leg with a large reaping motion.

  • Ouchi GariStandingDeveloping

    Ouchi gari — the major inner reap. Drive the opponent's posture forward, then reap the inner leg backward from between their stance to put them down.

  • Outside Ashi — Standing ContextLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Outside ashi standing — transitional leg control while the opponent is upright; entry into ground leg entanglement system. Submission grappling reference.

  • Outside Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Outside ashi garami — outside leg entanglement variant; outside heel hook is the primary submission from this position. Submission grappling reference.

  • Outside Ashi Garami — DefendingLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Defending outside ashi garami in no-gi — four finishes and one real counter-attack. Keep the knee driving in, hide the heel, and never push the leg outside to clear it.

  • Outside Ashi KneebarLeg LocksDeveloping

    The kneebar from outside ashi garami in no-gi — the outside-line kneebar and the one most people learn first. Entry from outside ashi, reverse guard and outside sankaku.

  • Outside Heel HookLeg LocksDeveloping

    The outside heel hook — primary submission from ashi garami and outside ashi. Loads lateral knee structures through external rotation. Submission grappling reference.

  • Outside TripStandingDeveloping

    The outside trip hooks the opponent's near leg from the outside — stepping behind or around the lead leg — and trips it inward while upper body pressure…

  • Outside Tripod SweepSweepsDeveloping

    The outside tripod sweep places the pushing foot on the outside of the opponent's hip rather than the belly. This angle is Submission grappling reference.

  • Over-Under PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    The over-under pass in no-gi: one arm over the leg and one arm under to create a body lock and drive through the guard with controlled pressure.

  • Overhead SweepSweepsDeveloping

    The overhead sweep from closed guard in no-gi: using the passer's forward pressure against them to roll them overhead and come up on top.

  • Pinch HeadlockFront HeadlockDeveloping

    Pinch headlock — underhook at the elbow with head pulled tight. Threatens sumi gaeshi, back take, and leg entanglement entries. Submission grappling…

  • Power NelsonFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    Power nelson — arms under armpits, hands behind the head. Shoulder blade pressure; legal and distinct from the full nelson. Submission grappling reference.

  • Quarter MountTop PositionsDeveloping

    Quarter mount — top position at 45 degrees between side control and mount. Natural intermediate in the mount entry sequence. Submission grappling…

  • Quarter Mount — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    Quarter mount bottom — defending the 45-degree transitional mount before it consolidates to flat mount or converts to kimura. The defensive window is…

  • Rau DragGuard PassingDeveloping

    The Rau drag in no-gi: Jason Rau's arm-drag-style pass for the knee shield and the stalled knee cut — drag the framing arm across to break the frame and clear to the back or side.

  • RDLR Back Step SweepSweepsDeveloping

    RDLR back step sweep — when the passer back steps out of RDLR, the bottom player reads the reaction and completes the sweep. Submission grappling…

  • RDLR Back TakeSweepsDeveloping

    The RDLR back take in no-gi: from reverse de la riva, invert through the space under the opponent's hips and take the back. The Submission grappling…

  • Rear Body LockStandingDeveloping

    Rear body lock — both arms around the opponent’s torso from behind, hip-to-hip. Standing precursor to back take entries. Submission grappling reference.

  • Reverse De la RivaGuardDeveloping

    Reverse De la Riva in no-gi: the inside hook as a transition hub between DLR, K-guard, and leg entanglements. Covers the hook Submission grappling…

  • Reverse GuardLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Reverse guard is a facing-away guard position — the bottom player's back is toward the opponent. Provides direct outside ashi Submission grappling…

  • Reverse Kesa GatameTop PositionsDeveloping

    Reverse kesa gatame — kesa rotated 180 degrees, top player facing the feet. Near arm and leg controlled from the reverse side. Submission grappling…

  • Reverse Kesa Gatame — BottomTop PositionsDeveloping

    Reverse kesa gatame bottom — defending the reverse scarf hold. Top player hip-seated facing the defender's feet; primary threat is the near-arm kimura…

  • Reverse Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Reverse triangle escape — the outside leg over your shoulder and your own trapped shoulder doing the compressing. Recover the arm early, and expect it from underneath a pin.

  • Reverse Tripod SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Reverse tripod sweep — push-pull base disruption from the reverse DLR hook. Same mechanics as the standard tripod. Submission grappling reference.

  • Rolls and Reversal MechanicsTransitionsDeveloping

    Rolls and reversals — Granby roll, inside arm roll, outside arm roll. Guard recovery mechanics from turtle and bottom positions. Submission grappling…

  • Russian TieStandingDeveloping

    Russian tie — two hands on one arm; superior arm control for single leg, double leg, ankle pick, and arm drag entries. Submission grappling reference.

  • Scorpion / Lower Leg ShiftGuardDeveloping

    Scorpion — half guard variant with trapping foot outside the top player's knee. Opens waiter sweep and back take. Submission grappling reference.

  • Scorpion SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Half scorpion sweep — near knee hook and underhook tip the top player to side control. Back take opens when top player ducks. Submission grappling…

  • Scorpion to Back TakeSweepsDeveloping

    Half scorpion back take — top player ducks and drives hips up to defend the sweep, exposing the back for the bottom player. Submission grappling reference.

  • Seatbelt ControlBack PositionDeveloping

    Seatbelt back control — over-under grip with strangle hand over the shoulder, control hand under the armpit. Submission grappling reference.

  • Seatbelt DefenceBack PositionDeveloping

    Back escape from seatbelt — chin tuck, two-on-one on the choking wrist, escape toward the underhook side, strip the hook, shoulders to the mat. Submission grappling reference.

  • Seated Guard EngagementGuard PassingDeveloping

    Seated guard engagement — first-contact actions that convert a live seated guard into a passable supine guard. Closing distance, hand-fighting, denying…

  • ShelfFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    Shelf — leg ride variant with the near leg lifted across the top player’s thigh, exposing the back. Submission grappling reference.

  • Shoelace Heist ReversalSweepsDeveloping

    Shoelace heist — stand-up reversal from single leg X with heel-outside grip. Bottom player stands and converts to top. Submission grappling reference.

  • Short Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Short choke escape — the rear strangle finished palm-to-palm at whatever depth it has. Two-on-one down on the choking wrist, deny the anchoring elbow, escape toward the underhook side.

  • Short SitFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    The short sit is a folkstyle bottom escape — sit out to the near side, swinging the near hip and leg out from referee's position bottom, to face the top…

  • Side Scissors SweepSweepsDeveloping

    The side scissors sweep from closed guard: hip-escaping laterally to attack a perpendicular angle and sweep the passer with crossed-leg pressure.

  • Single Leg XLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    Single Leg X in the guard context — where ashi garami is established as a guard configuration before the entanglement is Submission grappling reference.

  • SLX Back TakeSweepsDeveloping

    SLX back take — from Single Leg X, invert toward the opponent’s back and take the seatbelt position. Submission grappling reference.

  • SLX Stand-Up SweepSweepsDeveloping

    SLX stand-up sweep — from Single Leg X, extend the inside hook to force the opponent up, then finish the takedown. Submission grappling reference.

  • Smash PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    Smash pass — stack and flatten the guard player’s legs; drive through the knee shield with shoulder pressure to complete. Submission grappling reference.

  • Snap DownStandingDeveloping

    The snap down pulls the opponent's head sharply downward from a collar tie or head control, forcing them to turtle or four-point. A foundational setup…

  • Split Squat PassGuard PassingDeveloping

    The split squat pass: a pressure-based half guard pass using a wide split stance to flatten the bottom player and grind through the guard.

  • Standard TriangleTriangle systemDeveloping

    Triangle — bilateral carotid compression from guard. Opponent's inside arm presses against their neck to close half the choke. Submission grappling…

  • Standing Front HeadlockStandingDeveloping

    Standing front headlock — after a snap down; guillotine, D’Arce, and back take entries before the opponent recovers. Submission grappling reference.

  • Standing vs Seated GuardStandingDeveloping

    Passing a seated guard from your feet — butterfly, shin-on-shin, single-leg X. Hold the height advantage, fight grips, and shut down the wrestle-up.

  • Standing vs Supine GuardStandingDeveloping

    Standing passer against an opponent lying on their back — closed guard, De la Riva, X-guard. Gravity-assisted pressure, leg stretching, and footwork…

  • Straight Arm Shoulder LockArmbarDeveloping

    Straight shoulder lock — arm in extension; downward shoulder pressure. Available from mount, side control, and knee on belly. Submission grappling…

  • Straight Armlock EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Straight armlock escape — never extend the arm across your own body, withdraw and shrimp, and rotate toward the attacker to unload the elbow line.

  • Sweep SingleStandingDeveloping

    Sweep single — the single leg finish in which the attacker circles to the outside of the trapped leg and sweeps the opponent's far ankle.

  • The ReapLeg EntanglementsDeveloping

    The reap — seated guard entry threading inside leg across. Creates ashi, outside ashi, or cross ashi depending on the response. Submission grappling…

  • Toe HoldLeg LocksDeveloping

    The toe hold attacks the foot and ankle through rotation. Available from multiple leg entanglement positions. Restricted in some competitive formats.

  • Toe Hold EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Toe hold escape — deny the grip, straighten the knee, rotate the foot internally, stack and counter. Elevated-risk leg lock defence. Submission grappling…

  • Transition Chains — What Follows What and WhyTransitionsDeveloping

    The complete positional transition map: what follows what and why, derived from the canonical relationship table. Covers all Submission grappling…

  • Triangle Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Triangle escape — posture, hide the arm, spin before the lock, double under, tilt, stack and walk. Early defence is essential. Submission grappling…

  • Truck Calf SlicerLeg LocksDeveloping

    The calf slicer from the truck and the leg rides in no-gi — the signature finish of the position, where the hook that holds the leg is also the wedge that compresses it.

  • TurkFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    The turk — a folkstyle upper-body ride that traps the near arm and headlocks the neck to kill base. The control feeds the kimura or the flat pin.

  • Turtle Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Turtle escape techniques — Granby roll, sit-out, switch, Peterson roll, hip heist. Transitional position exit. Submission grappling reference.

  • Von Flue Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Von Flue escape — you only meet it while holding an arm-in guillotine, so the defence is to let go. Release on the shoulder drop, turn into it, frame and hip escape.

  • Waiter PositionGuardDeveloping

    Waiter position — deep half guard variant; far leg underhook creates sweep leverage and back take entries. Submission grappling reference.

  • Waiter SweepSweepsDeveloping

    Half waiter sweep — far leg lifted to remove the top player’s base, then hip escape to come on top. From waiter position. Submission grappling reference.

  • Wrist RideFolkstyle ControlsDeveloping

    Wrist ride — folkstyle base-disruption tool; pinning the opponent’s wrist to the mat exposes the back and prevents recovery. Submission grappling…

  • Wristlock EscapeEscapes & DefenceDeveloping

    Wristlock escape — straight wrist and fist discipline, withdraw the hand the moment it is gripped, and stack the knuckles with the forearm as a last stall.

  • X-GuardGuardDeveloping

    X-guard controls one of the standing opponent's legs with both of the bottom player's legs in an X configuration. Hip elevation Submission grappling…

  • X-Guard Back TakeSweepsDeveloping

    The X-guard back take in no-gi: from X-guard, turn the opponent and thread behind to take the back rather than sweeping. Used Submission grappling…

  • X-Guard Tilt SweepSweepsDeveloping

    The X-guard tilt sweep in no-gi: from X-guard, elevate the captured leg and tilt the opponent to either the near or far side. Submission grappling…

  • 3/4 ArmbarArmbarProficient

    The 3/4 armbar is the bent-arm counter to the standard armbar — entered when the opponent bends their arm to defend. Rather Submission grappling reference.

  • Anaconda ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    The anaconda choke: the arm threads under the neck first, exiting through the far armpit — the mirror of the D'arce's arm-first thread. Submission grappling…

  • Aoki LockLeg LocksProficient

    The Aoki lock — an inside heel hook and ankle lock combined, attacked from the outside line. The mirror of the Woj lock.

  • Aoki Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Aoki lock escape — recognise the reverse-ashi rotation and square the hips before the heel reaches the armpit, straighten the leg and extract the heel.

  • Arm-In GuillotineFront HeadlockProficient

    Arm-in guillotine — near arm inside the choke; easier to lock and stronger control than the arm-out, slower to finish. Submission grappling reference.

  • Ashi Garami Toe HoldLeg LocksProficient

    The toe hold from ashi garami, mutual ashi and outside sankaku in no-gi — the outside-line toe hold, and why the space it needs makes it a top-side attack.

  • Back Defence — StandingBack PositionProficient

    Standing back defence — piggyback/backpack escape. Hand-fight the standing RNC, squat to a stable base, wall-pin to crush the attacker's ribs, shoulder roll through…

  • Back TriangleBack PositionProficient

    Leg-based strangle from back control — legs lock in a triangle figure-four around the neck and near arm. Distinct from the rear Submission grappling…

  • Back Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Back triangle escape — extract the arm during the leg swap before the ankle locks, hand-fight while the legs configure, stack the locked triangle to clear the head.

  • Backside 50/50Leg EntanglementsProficient

    Backside 50/50 — asymmetric 50/50 where one player has back exposure advantage; primary submission is the outside heel hook. Submission grappling…

  • Backside 50/50 — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending backside 50/50 in no-gi — a dual-line position where both heels are live. Hide both, deny the back of the entanglement, and stop reading it as ordinary 50/50.

  • Banana SplitLeg LocksProficient

    The Banana Split is a hip and adductor submission applied from cross ashi / saddle / honey hole. One leg is pushed forward Submission grappling reference.

  • Banana Split EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Banana split escape — keep the outside leg tucked to deny the second-leg capture, cross the ankles and turn to close the hips, or chase the stretch into turtle.

  • Baratoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Baratoplata escape — the lock is a thigh clamp on your elbow, so the answer is elbow discipline, then the drag-out before the frame closes, then denying the outward wrist turn.

  • Baseball Bat ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    Baseball bat choke in no-gi — S-grip crossed forearms set from side control, finished by spinning toward north-south as the elbows cross. Submission grappling…

  • Baseball Bat Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Baseball bat choke escape — break the cross-grip before it sets, turn into the attacker from knee on belly, and deep chin tuck to force the over arm onto the jaw.

  • Belly Down Back MountBack PositionProficient

    Belly down back — the prone back ride, entered when the opponent rolls from seated back. RNC is the primary finish; cross ashi is the route into the leg game.

  • BerimboloGuardProficient

    Berimbolo — inverted rolling from De la Riva, RDLR, 50/50, seated guard. Exits to back control, crab ride, leg entanglements. Submission grappling…

  • Blast DoubleStandingProficient

    Blast double — the explosive variant of the double leg takedown.

  • Body TriangleBack PositionProficient

    Body triangle — figure-four legs around the torso from back control. Removes the bridge, loads the ribs, compounds the strangle. Submission grappling…

  • Body Triangle DefenceBack PositionProficient

    Body triangle back control escape — turn into the locked side, expose the attacker's trapped foot, and attack the ankle. Submission grappling reference.

  • Buggy ChokeGuardProficient

    The buggy choke in no-gi: from bottom side control, thread your own arm behind your own knee to trap the opponent's head and arm, then crunch to close both carotids.

  • Calf SlicerLeg LocksProficient

    Calf slicer — calf compressed against attacker’s bone; loads the knee through combined compression and rotation. Submission grappling reference.

  • Chicken Wing RideFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    Chicken wing ride — the near arm is levered behind the opponent's own back, elbow bent upward behind the shoulder blade, maintaining turtle top control…

  • Choi BarArmbarProficient

    Choi Bar — shoulder rotation submission; arm pulled across the body while the shoulder is externally rotated. From side control. Submission grappling…

  • Clamp PassGuard PassingProficient

    Clamp pass — recover posture against the overhook, defeat the closed guard lock, and disengage the submission platform. How to pass the clamp position…

  • Cross Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Cross ashi garami — inside heel hook position: saddle, inside sankaku, honey hole. Hardest to escape; shortest injury timeline. Submission grappling…

  • Cross Ashi Garami — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending the saddle in no-gi — the shortest clock in the leg game. Hide the heel, deny the second leg, and understand why every reliable escape happens before the position is finished.

  • Crucifix — BottomTop PositionsProficient

    Crucifix bottom — near arm trapped between top player legs, bottom player on the side. Entry prevention is the primary defence. Submission grappling…

  • Crucifix — TopTop PositionsProficient

    Crucifix — near arm trapped between top player legs, far arm separately controlled. Both arms isolated; opponent cannot defend. Submission grappling…

  • Crucifix North-South ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    The north-south choke closed from the crucifix — the arms are held by the legs and the clamp is inverted. Submission grappling reference.

  • D'arce ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    The D'arce choke: arm-in triangle applied from the front headlock when the near arm is posted. The choking arm threads under Submission grappling…

  • Domplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Domplata escape — your arm trapped under their thigh and their foot on your neck. Elbows in to deny the isolation, bridge as the leg travels, turn with the sit-back.

  • Electric ChairKimura systemProficient

    Electric chair — from the lockdown in half guard, the far leg is carried to the shoulder and the lockdown stretched out to split the hips. Submission grappling reference.

  • Estima LockLeg LocksProficient

    The Estima lock is a rapid foot and ankle submission using a rear-naked-choke-style grip on the foot, finished by driving the foot into the attacker's…

  • Estima Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Estima lock escape — keep the foot off the hip and belly line, pull it free before the clasp closes. Once the grip is established, tap. There is no late stage.

  • Ezekiel Choke (No-Gi)Front HeadlockProficient

    The Ezekiel choke in no-gi: the fist and wrist blade drive across the throat while the supporting arm under the head closes the scissors. Submission grappling…

  • Folding PassGuard PassingProficient

    The folding pass pins the opponent's knees to their chest and folds the legs to one side, removing framing and clearing the path to side control. Applied…

  • Gift WrapTop PositionsProficient

    Gift wrap — the opponent's arm is taken from mount or side control and folded across their own face and neck. A one-arm control that opens back takes…

  • Gift Wrap — BottomTop PositionsProficient

    Gift wrap bottom — your own arm folded across your face and controlled from mount, neutralising a primary defensive tool. Defence is a race against the…

  • Gogoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Gogoplata escape — an airway attack, not a blood choke, so the panic is worse than the clock. Deny high-guard elevation, posture up on the thread, back out.

  • Granby RollFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    The Granby roll is a defensive rolling escape from turtle or referee's position bottom — roll across one shoulder while threading a leg through, creating…

  • Half Butterfly PassGuard PassingProficient

    Half butterfly pass — kill the butterfly hook, flatten the bottom player, and pass the hybrid half guard. How to defeat the half butterfly position…

  • HammerlockKimura systemProficient

    The hammerlock folds the opponent's arm behind their back, attacking the shoulder via internal rotation and extension. Applied from side control and back…

  • Hammerlock EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Hammerlock escape — never leave the wrist behind your back plane, roll away from the trapped shoulder and sit up, drive the elbow to the hip to shorten the lever.

  • Harai GoshiStandingProficient

    Harai Goshi — sweeping hip throw; full hip insertion with outer thigh/hip sweep. Companion to Uchi Mata; similar entries, different leg target…

  • High Guard PassGuard PassingProficient

    High guard pass — defeat the elevated closed guard with legs high on the back, strip the meathook arm control, and escape the triangle-omoplata-armbar…

  • High Step PassGuard PassingProficient

    High step pass — lifts the near foot high over the opponent's near leg and steps it to the far side, creating a sudden angle change that bypasses…

  • Homer Simpson SweepSweepsProficient

    Homer Simpson sweep — hooks the bottom player's near leg behind the standing opponent's far leg while the hand pulls the near leg forward, sweeping the…

  • Inverted ArmbarArmbarProficient

    Inverted armbar — attacks the elbow in supination with the arm rotated so the elbow faces upward; the attacker's chest or shoulder is the fulcrum…

  • Inverted Armbar EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Inverted armbar escape — elbow tuck before the wrist is controlled, pronate the arm to kill the supination angle, stack and rotate to spin the arm free.

  • Iowa RideFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    The Iowa ride combines a tight waist with near arm or leg control for sustained top pressure. The signature finish is the tight waist tilt — rotating…

  • Ippon Seoi NageStandingProficient

    Ippon Seoi Nage — single shoulder throw; drop variant most used in no-gi competition. Arm over shoulder, hip and back rotation. Submission grappling…

  • Japanese Necktie EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Japanese necktie escape — palm-to-palm grip, then a shin behind the head. Deny the near-arm thread, beat the hands meeting, move the head before the leg lands.

  • K-GuardLeg EntanglementsProficient

    K-Guard is a specific guard configuration designed as a direct inside heel hook entry system. The leg arrangement naturally exposes the inside heel for…

  • K-Guard (Entanglement Context)Leg EntanglementsProficient

    K-Guard in the entanglement context — when the K-guard configuration transitions from a guard position to a confirmed leg Submission grappling reference.

  • K-Guard (entanglement context) — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending the K-guard entanglement in no-gi — an outside entry that arrives inside. Kill the transition, keep the knee line, and stop preparing for the position you were in.

  • Kesa Arm-CrushArmbarProficient

    Kesa arm-crush — the near arm broken over the attacker's thigh from the scarf hold, usually as the answer to a defended leg americana. Legitimate, and honestly uncommon.

  • Kimura EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Kimura escape — elbow to body, thigh grip, walk the wall, kimura counter roll. Early connection prevents arm isolation. Submission grappling reference.

  • Kiss of the DragonFront HeadlockProficient

    Kiss of the Dragon — Granby roll under the opponent from turtle bottom to expose the back. Direct back take entry. Submission grappling reference.

  • Koshi GurumaStandingProficient

    Koshi guruma — the hip wheel throw. A hip throw using a head and neck wrap rather than the underhook of standard hip throws.

  • Kouchi MakikomiStandingProficient

    Kouchi makikomi — the wrapping variant of kouchi gari.

  • Lateral DropStandingProficient

    The lateral drop drops the practitioner to the side while pulling the opponent's upper body across, throwing them over the dropping body. Applied from…

  • Leg Weave PassGuard PassingProficient

    The leg weave pass threads the top player's arm between the opponent's legs to control the near leg from inside, creating a passing platform that limits…

  • Lockdown PassGuard PassingProficient

    Lockdown pass — defeat the figure-four calf hook, recover the trapped leg, and pass the half guard. How to escape and pass the lockdown position…

  • Locoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Locoplata escape — the gogoplata coming at you from mount instead of guard. Keep the near arm off the mat, stay square, bridge while their base is committed.

  • Lumberjack SweepSweepsProficient

    The lumberjack sweep grabs the top player's far ankle from half guard or seated guard while creating a lateral tipping force, sweeping the top player…

  • Mexican Necktie EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Mexican necktie escape — keep a flat back to deny the leg hook, stand from turtle before the leg lands, drag the hooking foot off the back, and strip the…

  • Mir LockArmbarProficient

    The Mir lock in no-gi: an overhook shoulder lock on a bent arm, trapped across the attacker's torso and turned up and away — attacked from guard and half guard.

  • Mir Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Mir lock escape — the one arm attack the tucked elbow does not answer. Deny the overhook, strip it before the clasp closes, then follow the rotation.

  • Monoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Monoplata escape — one leg instead of two, so your free hand is worth more. Shrug and keep the arm tight, post the free hand to kill the hip rotation, roll with it.

  • Mounted ArmbarArmbarProficient

    Mounted armbar — the arm isolated from above, the leg stepped over the head, and the attacker falling back to land perpendicular with the hip under the elbow. The armbar the mount is built to produce.

  • Mounted TriangleTriangle systemProficient

    Mounted triangle — triangle choke from mount. Legs encircle neck and one arm from above; bilateral carotid compression from top. Submission grappling…

  • Mounted Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Mounted triangle escape — prevent the S-mount arm isolation, block the leg crossing the neck, stack-and-drive the trapped arm out, posture up through the…

  • Near-Side ArmbarArmbarProficient

    Near-side armbar — the near arm taken from a top pin by rising up and stepping over the head, with one shin in the armpit and the attacker's hip as the fulcrum.

  • Ninja Choke (No-Gi)Front HeadlockProficient

    Ninja choke — no-gi guillotine-D'Arce hybrid. No arms inside; figure-four RNC-style grip. Counter to single leg and defended guillotine. Submission…

  • North-South ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    North-south choke — the head closes into the attacker's armpit, palm-to-palm connect, and the body sinks to finish. Weight, not squeeze. Submission grappling…

  • North-South Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    North-south choke escape — the head is clamped in the attacker’s armpit and the finish is a sink, not a squeeze. Shoulder up, deny the palm-to-palm connection, bridge across the line.

  • Octopus Guard PassGuard PassingProficient

    Octopus guard pass — strip the deep overhook, recover posture, flatten or backstep to pass. How to deal with the seated overhook back-take platform…

  • OmoplataTriangle systemProficient

    Omoplata — legs trap the arm and drive the shoulder into internal rotation. Positional use is on a separate page. Submission grappling reference.

  • Omoplata ControlTriangle systemProficient

    Omoplata control — arm trapped in the legs; submission always available as a threat. Platform for sweeps and back takes. Submission grappling reference.

  • Omoplata TriangleTriangle systemProficient

    The triangle taken from omoplata control when the shoulder attack stalls — the dilemma pair from one leg position. Submission grappling reference.

  • Opposite Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Opposite triangle escape — the reversed lock barely strangles, so the threat is the shoulder. Read the lock, take the arm home, use the reconfiguration.

  • Outside HeistLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Outside heist in no-gi: the come-up from outside ashi where you clear the hip, sit up, and end seated on the opponent's hips — the outside-ashi upgrade that converts a leg entanglement into a dominant

  • Outside Heist — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending the outside heist in no-gi — the entanglement that passes instead of finishing. Keep a connection, contest the come-up, and stop defending a submission that is not coming.

  • Outside SankakuLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Outside sankaku in no-gi: the triangled leg control around the opponent's outside leg that serves as the primary outside heel Submission grappling…

  • Outside Sankaku — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending the outside sankaku in no-gi — a locked triangle on the outside line. Deny the triangle before it closes, hide the heel, and know why waiting is not a plan.

  • Peruvian NecktieFront HeadlockProficient

    Peruvian Necktie — S-grip on head and arm, a leg over the back of the head, and a sit-back that drives the head into the grip. Submission grappling reference.

  • Peruvian Necktie EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Peruvian necktie escape — two legs fold the head DOWN into a head-and-arm lock, and the finish is a sit-back. Elbow to the ribs, block the first leg, head out sideways.

  • Peterson RollFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    Peterson roll — executed from near-arm underhook control on a turtled opponent. The top player drives the opponent's near arm across the body and rolls…

  • Reverse Guard (Entanglement Context)Leg EntanglementsProficient

    Reverse guard in the entanglement context — facing away from the opponent with a leg captured. Outside heel hook and kneebar Submission grappling…

  • Reverse TriangleTriangle systemProficient

    Reverse triangle (gyaku sankaku) — the inverted-orientation triangle caught from underneath pins and scrambles. Submission grappling reference.

  • Rolling Armbar EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Rolling armbar escape — short posts and elbows in from turtle, pull the elbow back through and sit out to wrestle up, hand clasp and roll through the extension.

  • Rubber GuardGuardProficient

    Rubber guard — leg-behind-neck guard pinning posture and freeing both hands. Platform for omoplata, gogoplata, and triangle. Submission grappling…

  • S-MountTop PositionsProficient

    S-mount — high mount with one leg over the far arm. Opens armbar, mounted triangle, and kimura from the top position. Submission grappling reference.

  • S-Mount — BottomTop PositionsProficient

    S-mount bottom — defending the high mount with one leg over the far arm. Armbar, mounted triangle, and kimura are all seconds away; defence must prevent…

  • S-Mount Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceProficient

    S-mount escape — hide the elbow, stack the fall-back, hitchhiker escape, stuff-and-spin. Arm protection is the primary priority because the arm is…

  • Saddle Banana SplitLeg LocksProficient

    The banana split from the saddle in no-gi — the inside-line version, taken when the heel is denied. One free arm has to capture the outside leg without giving up the entanglement.

  • Saddle Calf SlicerLeg LocksProficient

    The calf slicer from the saddle in no-gi — the wedge is already there, and hiding the heel is what completes it. The attack a correct heel hook defence hands over.

  • Saddle KneebarLeg LocksProficient

    The kneebar from the saddle in no-gi — the inside-line kneebar, taken when the heel is hidden. Entry, mechanics, why it is a second option rather than a first.

  • Saddle Toe HoldLeg LocksProficient

    The toe hold from the saddle and 50/50 in no-gi — the inside-line toe hold, and why the position that makes it available also makes it a second choice.

  • Scorpion PassGuard PassingProficient

    Scorpion pass — defeat the outside knee hook, deny the hip extension sweep, and pass the lower-leg-shift half guard. Submission grappling reference.

  • Seoi OtoshiStandingProficient

    Seoi otoshi — the drop shoulder throw, no-gi-friendly variant where the attacker drops to the knees during the pivot to compress entry time and reduce.

  • Short ChokeBack PositionProficient

    Short choke — the rear strangle finished palm-to-palm with the free elbow driven behind the shoulder. Taken when the RNC figure-four cannot be closed. Submission grappling reference.

  • Short Choke — Front HeadlockBack PositionProficient

    The short choke taken beside a turtled opponent without taking the back first — the same bent-arm strangle, reached from the front headlock. Submission grappling reference.

  • Shoulder CrunchGuardProficient

    The shoulder crunch in no-gi: a bottom guard control — win inside position, then pinch the head and shoulder together to kill the post and off-balance, opening sweeps, the back, leg entries, and submi

  • Sickle SweepSweepsProficient

    The sickle sweep hooks the bottom player's leg behind the standing opponent's far ankle in a scything motion, pulling the ankle out while pushing the…

  • Side Triangle EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Side triangle escape — a triangle with the attacker on top and gravity on their side. Block the leg-over-shoulder entry, roll into them, frame the hip late.

  • Spinning ArmbarArmbarProficient

    Spinning armbar — the far arm taken from a top pin. The head is trapped, the attacker rotates through to perpendicular, and the hip becomes the fulcrum under the elbow.

  • Spiral RideFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    Spiral ride — top control in a spiral path around the turtle. Breaks the base; opens back take and leg entanglement routes. Submission grappling reference.

  • Standing KimuraKimura systemProficient

    Standing kimura — figure-four shoulder lock applied and finished from standing. Russian tie, underhook, and single leg defence entries. Submission…

  • Standing Kimura EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Standing kimura escape — hand-fight the grip transitioning from the Russian tie, step through around the locked arm, and hitchhiker rotate when trapped.

  • Standing RNC EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Standing RNC escape — drop level and shuck the backpack before the seatbelt matures, lateral step to the strangle side, or sit to the mat conceding the back.

  • Standing vs Entangled GuardStandingProficient

    Standing passer against an opponent in a leg entanglement — ashi garami, outside ashi, cross ashi, 50/50. Stacking pressure, staying vertical, and…

  • Straight ArmlockArmbarProficient

    Straight armlock — the arm-crush attack on an arm run across its owner's chest, compressed downward against the attacker's sternum from side control, north-south or knee on belly.

  • StraitjacketBack PositionProficient

    Straitjacket back control in no-gi: the opponent's near arm is fed down and pinned against their own body while back control is held. Submission grappling reference.

  • Sumi Gaeshi (Standing)StandingProficient

    Sumi gaeshi (standing context) — sacrifice throw where the attacker falls backward while elevating the opponent's near leg.

  • SuplexStandingProficient

    The suplex lifts the opponent from a rear body lock and arches backward, throwing them overhead. A high-amplitude Greco-Roman throw with German…

  • Tani OtoshiSweepsProficient

    Tani otoshi (valley drop) — one leg steps behind and between the opponent's legs; the attacker drops backward, pulling the upper body down while the…

  • Tarikoplata EscapeEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Tarikoplata escape — a kimura grip reinforced by a leg. Your self-grip is what the leg is coming to break, so read the switch and extract the elbow on the reconfiguration.

  • Technical MountTop PositionsProficient

    Technical mount — one knee grounded, the other leg stepped out flat beside the opponent's hip. Opens back take entries, arm triangle access, and armbar…

  • Technical Mount — BottomTop PositionsProficient

    Technical mount bottom — defending the stepped-out mount. One foot posted beside the defender's hip, back take and arm triangle imminent; the defender is…

  • Technical Mount Escape TechniquesEscapes & DefenceProficient

    Technical mount escape — spin out to re-flatten, roll back to half guard, reverse-technical when the opponent stays high. Seatbelt hand-fighting and…

  • The Reap — DefendingLeg EntanglementsProficient

    Defending the reap in no-gi — the entanglement entry you answer before it becomes a position. Clear the threading leg, hold the knee line, and know the one counter that attacks back.

  • Tomoe NageStandingProficient

    Tomoe nage — sacrifice throw where the attacker falls backward and uses a foot planted on the opponent's hip or stomach to launch them overhead.

  • Tozi PassGuard PassingProficient

    The Tozi pass drops the near shoulder under a butterfly or X-guard hook, trapping it to the mat with body weight and passing over the trapped leg. Also…

  • Twister HookFolkstyle ControlsProficient

    Twister hook — one leg threaded between the opponent's legs to limit spinal rotation. Entry to the truck position. Submission grappling reference.

  • Uchi MataStandingProficient

    Uchi mata — inner thigh reap throw. One of the highest-percentage judo throws, increasingly dominant in elite no-gi competition. Submission grappling…

  • Uki GoshiStandingProficient

    Uki goshi — the floating hip throw. A half-hip entry that turns the opponent over a partially loaded hip rather than lifting them across it.

  • Von Flue ChokeFront HeadlockProficient

    The Von Flue choke — the shoulder-pressure counter to any guillotine held while being passed into side control. Their own arm closes the choke. Submission grappling…

  • Waiter Guard PassGuard PassingProficient

    Waiter guard pass — recover the far leg from the under-hook, deny the sweep and leg entanglement entries, and pass the deep half variant. Submission…

  • Williams GuardGuardProficient

    Williams guard uses an overhook around the opponent's head (meathook grip) from half guard or butterfly base, controlling posture and opening arm…

  • Williams Guard PassGuard PassingProficient

    Williams guard pass — strip the head control overhook, recover posture, and defeat the arm triangle and back take platform. Submission grappling reference.

  • Woj LockLeg LocksProficient

    The Woj lock — an outside heel hook and ankle lock combined, attacked from the inside line, everting the ankle rapidly. The mirror of the Aoki lock.

  • WristlockArmbarProficient

    Wristlock — radiocarpal joint attack via hyperextension or deviation. Shorter injury window; restricted in beginner contexts. Submission grappling…

  • 70/30Leg EntanglementsAdvanced

    70/30 (80/20) — asymmetric leg entanglement where one player controls a larger share of the leg, creating heel hook advantage. Submission grappling…

  • 70/30 (also 80/20) — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending 70/30 in no-gi — 50/50 with the hips offset, and the offset is what frees the inside heel. Chase the angle back, hide the heel, and stop defending a symmetrical position.

  • Back ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Back armbar — the trapped arm taken as it peels out of the straitjacket. Timing-bound, and the only armbar whose defining decision is trading back control for a joint.

  • Back CrucifixFront HeadlockAdvanced

    Back crucifix — behind the turtle, near arm scissored between the legs, far arm controlled. Armbar, arm triangle, and chokes follow. Submission grappling…

  • BaratoplataArmbarAdvanced

    The Baratoplata in no-gi: a shoulder lock that clamps the opponent's elbow between the thighs and turns the wrist outward, attacked mainly from closed and half guard.

  • Berimbolo DefenceGuard PassingAdvanced

    Berimbolo defence — deny the hip rotation, counter the back-take chain, and convert the scramble into passing or leg entanglement opportunities…

  • Bicep SlicerArmbarAdvanced

    The bicep slicer wedges a forearm, shin, or knee into the bent elbow, crushing the bicep and brachialis to attack the joint in flexion. Where it is legal.

  • Bicep Slicer EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Bicep slicer escape — the one arm submission you straighten out of. Keep the elbow tight so the fulcrum never seats, extend the arm, rotate the elbow to unseat.

  • Buggy Choke EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Buggy choke escape — you are the one on top. Keep your head high and near arm posted, and if it closes, lift the knee off your neck before the crunch arrives.

  • Cement MixerFolkstyle ControlsAdvanced

    The cement mixer is a rotational wrestling turn where the top player grabs the far arm and near leg, creating a rotating cradle that rolls the bottom…

  • Crucifix ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Crucifix armbar — the trapped arm extended by the attacker's legs while their hands stay free on the other arm. No step-over, no rotation, and the position survives the attempt.

  • Deadlift ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Deadlift armbar — the near arm clamped from top turtle and the attacker standing to lift or walk the opponent over. The legs turn them; the armbar is what is left when they land.

  • Diagonal Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Diagonal ashi garami is a transitional leg entanglement position — the specific angle that makes the Z-lock hip submission Submission grappling reference.

  • Diagonal Ashi Garami — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending diagonal ashi garami in no-gi — an inside structure with an ashi name. Square up, hide the inside heel, deny the hip, and do not file it with the outside positions.

  • DomplataTop PositionsAdvanced

    The domplata in no-gi: from mount, trap the arm under your thigh, swing the leg over the head and sit back with the foot blocking the neck.

  • Electric Chair SweepSweepsAdvanced

    Electric chair sweep — extends the top player's far leg outward from the lockdown in half guard, levering them over their own trapped leg. Distinct from…

  • Game OverLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Game Over (Z-lock, Leg Knot) — an entanglement in which the attacker controls both of the opponent's legs in a crossed configuration. Immediate heel hook…

  • Game Over / Z-Lock — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending Game Over and the Z-lock in no-gi — three live finishes from one position. Deny the second leg, hide the heel, and understand why the name is a claim.

  • GogoplataGuardAdvanced

    The Gogoplata is a choke applied by pressing the shin or instep into the opponent's throat from the high guard position. The Submission grappling…

  • Imanari RollLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Imanari roll — inverted standing-to-ground entry threading directly to ashi garami or cross ashi garami. Submission grappling reference.

  • Inside SankakuLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Inside sankaku in no-gi: the triangled upgrade of cross ashi (the saddle) — a figure-four around the near leg with the top leg crossing past the far leg. The most locked-down inside heel hook position

  • Inside Sankaku — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending the inside sankaku in no-gi — the saddle with the triangle closed. Why every reliable answer happens before the lock, and what to do if it does not.

  • Inverted GuardGuardAdvanced

    Inverted guard — the guard player's hips are elevated above the head, back toward the mat, feet pointing at the opponent's head. Primary entry to…

  • Inverted Guard PassGuard PassingAdvanced

    Inverted guard pass — deny the inversion, collapse the hips, and pass the transitional hub that feeds berimbolo and leg entanglement entries. Submission…

  • Irimi Ashi SweepSweepsAdvanced

    The irimi ashi sweep: stepping into the opponent's space while controlling a leg to unbalance and force the sweep. A Submission grappling reference.

  • Japanese NecktieFront HeadlockAdvanced

    The Japanese Necktie — palm-to-palm lock over the neck and under the armpit, shin behind the head, finished by falling to the side. Choke-crank hybrid…

  • Junny LockLeg LocksAdvanced

    The Junny lock — an inside heel-hook variant hit on the opponent's reaping leg while they reap you. Their own entanglement supplies the knee-line control.

  • Junny Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Junny lock escape — the counter that catches your own reaping leg. Release the reap, deny the wrap its heel, extract along the leg's own line.

  • Lateral Knee BarLeg LocksAdvanced

    Lateral knee bar — kneebar applied from back exposure or leg ride positions, where the attacker is positioned behind the opponent's leg. Mechanically…

  • Lateral Knee Bar EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Lateral knee bar escape — keep the knee bent and the hip to the mat in turtle, rotate toward the trapped knee to kill the lateral vector, then lace the ankle and curl.

  • LocoplataTop PositionsAdvanced

    The locoplata in no-gi: the gogoplata delivered from mount instead of from guard, with gravity behind the shin and the free arm pressing the head down.

  • Mexican NecktieFront HeadlockAdvanced

    The Mexican Necktie continues the Japanese Necktie when the opponent rises: grip kept, legs in as back-control hooks, choke-crank finished from behind…

  • Mikey LockLeg LocksAdvanced

    The Mikey lock in no-gi — the opponent's foot beside your neck rather than under your armpit, attacking the foot and the knee at once. The grip that beats the heel slip.

  • Mikey Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Mikey lock escape — flip the foot and hide the heel before the modified lace closes, clear the knee line and extract to seated guard, chase the rotation late.

  • MonoplataTriangle systemAdvanced

    The monoplata — the mount-side omoplata-family lock. The arm is trapped bent, the shin presses the shoulder line, and the attacker sits back. Related…

  • Mutual Ashi GaramiLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Mutual ashi — also called criss-cross ashi — is the position where both players are in overlapping single-leg entanglements. Submission grappling…

  • Opposite-Side TriangleTriangle systemAdvanced

    Opposite triangle (hantai sankaku) — the figure-four locked on the reversed side; a trapping position and armlock platform. Submission grappling…

  • Reverse XLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Reverse X is the inverted X-guard variant that creates direct cross ashi entries and back takes. The leg configuration exposes Submission grappling…

  • Reverse X — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending reverse X in no-gi — a waypoint that platforms nothing. The danger is where it leads, the exits are cheap right now, and that is exactly why you should take one.

  • Rolling ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Rolling armbar — trap a turtled opponent's near arm, post a shin on the head and somersault forward over your own inside shoulder to land perpendicular with the hips on the elbow.

  • Shotgun ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Shotgun armbar — the wrist trapped in the attacker's armpit with their own forearm as the fulcrum under the elbow. Played from K-guard, Z-guard and the clamp, and from the top pins.

  • Side TriangleTriangle systemAdvanced

    Side triangle (yoko sankaku) — the wedge captures head and far arm from a lateral position. Available from side control and scrambles. Submission grappling…

  • Standing RNCBack PositionAdvanced

    Standing RNC — rear naked choke applied from standing back control before hooks are established. Different technical demands from the ground RNC…

  • Suloev StretchLeg LocksAdvanced

    The Suloev stretch is a posterior knee submission from back control, hyperextending the opponent's isolated leg by driving hips down against posterior…

  • Suloev Stretch EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Suloev stretch escape — never leave the trailing leg straight under the backpack, step through or sit down to kill the extension, and curl the hamstring hard when trapped.

  • TarikoplataTriangle systemAdvanced

    Tarikoplata — a kimura-grip shoulder lock with the leg brought over the trapped shoulder to reinforce the grip and amplify the finish. Submission grappling…

  • Top Mir LockArmbarAdvanced

    The Mir lock from a pin: the bottom player's framing arm is overhooked above the elbow, folded across your chest and turned up and away.

  • Top Shotgun ArmbarArmbarAdvanced

    Top shotgun armbar — the near arm taken from a pin without rotating at all. The wrist is clamped in the armpit, the attacker's forearm is the fulcrum, and the mass falls through the joint.

  • Tren LockLeg LocksAdvanced

    The tren lock in no-gi — a V-lever under the knee, closed with a leg triangle, finished by opening the knee against a short Achilles lock. Entries, defence and the reverse variation.

  • Tren Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Tren lock escape — deny the reap its path, attack the free leg with a yoke lock while the V is forming, and clear the knee before the triangle closes.

  • Truck / Crab RideLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Truck (crab ride) — elevated control of one leg behind the turtled opponent; heel hook and back take access. Submission grappling reference.

  • Truck / Crab Ride — DefendingLeg EntanglementsAdvanced

    Defending the truck in no-gi — the calf slicer, the kneebar and your back, all live at once. Free the hooked leg, do not turn away, and use the effort it costs to hold.

  • Truck Ankle LockLeg LocksAdvanced

    The straight ankle lock from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line ankle lock, taken from beneath and behind. Distinct from the tren lock, which is an outside-line attack.

  • Truck Banana SplitLeg LocksAdvanced

    The banana split from the truck in no-gi — the common entry, and the one the position is built for. Your legs stretch one leg, your arms pull the other, and the tension runs diagonally across the hips

  • Truck KneebarLeg LocksAdvanced

    The kneebar from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line kneebar, taken when the twister and the calf slicer are denied. Entry, mechanics and why the position is worked for rather than held.

  • Truck Toe HoldLeg LocksAdvanced

    The toe hold from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line toe hold. Your legs hold the leg, your hands take the figure-four, and the rotation direction is the part that changes.

  • TwisterFolkstyle ControlsAdvanced

    The Twister is a spinal rotation submission executed from the truck (crab ride) position. One leg hooks between the opponent's Submission grappling…

  • Twister EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Twister escape — keep the near leg tight in turtle, tuck the chin to kill the head-control half, and strip the hook to spin out of the truck.

  • Twister Side ControlFolkstyle ControlsAdvanced

    Twister side control is the positional platform for the Twister submission sequence. Specific body and leg positioning create access to the truck and the…

  • Ushiro X — Reverse X GuardGuardAdvanced

    Ushiro X is an inverted X-guard position in which the bottom player faces the same direction as the opponent. The inversion Submission grappling reference.

  • Ushiro X PassGuard PassingAdvanced

    Ushiro X pass — deny the hip inversion, close the inside space, and defeat the cross ashi / back take dilemma from reverse X guard. Submission grappling…

  • Woj Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Woj lock escape — hide the heel, rotate the hips toward the entangled side and extract. Do not bridge: hip extension is what finishes it. No late stage.

  • Z-LockLeg LocksAdvanced

    The Z-lock is a hip submission — the only submission in the lower limb system that targets the hip joint rather than the knee Submission grappling…

  • Z-Lock EscapeEscapes & DefenceAdvanced

    Z-lock escape — deny the diagonal-ashi geometry at entry, rotate the hip internally to close the abduction angle, belly-turn into the attacker. The hip signal lags.

  • Flying ArmbarStandingElite

    Flying armbar — standing-to-submission attack; jumping directly to an armbar lock. The highest-risk standing entry. Submission grappling reference.

  • Flying TriangleStandingElite

    Flying triangle — jumping from standing to lock a triangle choke. Elevated risk; precise timing required. Submission grappling reference.

  • Kani BasamiStandingElite

    Kani Basami — scissors takedown. Sacrifice technique with elevated knee injury risk. Elite-level timing and angle requirement. Heavily…

Concepts2

  • Judo Throws in No-Gi — The Mechanical Case

    The throws don't change between gi and no-gi — the invariants are identical. What changes is the gripping system.

  • The Kimura Trap

    The kimura trap in no-gi grappling: the figure-four grip as a control system. Every defence it forces opens another attack — takedown counter, sweep, back take, armbar.

Health33

  • AC Joint Injuries in Grappling

    AC joint sprain and separation from shoulder-first landings, posted arms, and sustained shoulder pressure — grading, differentiation, and return to training.

  • Ankle Injuries in Grappling

    Ankle sprains and straight ankle lock injuries — distinguishing the mechanisms, prevention, and management for grapplers.

  • Breakfall Mechanics for No-Gi Throws

    How to fall safely from no-gi throws — the four breakfall types (back, side, front rotational, throwing-arm-trapped), the mechanics of dissipating impact.

  • Cauliflower Ear in Grappling

    Cauliflower ear — auricular haematoma — causes, prevention with ear guards, drainage decisions, permanent changes, and what responsible gym culture looks…

  • Cervical Spine in Throws — Loading Profiles and Tap Protocol

    Neck loading mechanisms specific to being thrown — distinguishing throw-receiver landing from suplex, lateral drop, kani-basami.

  • Concussion and Head Injury in Grappling

    Concussion mechanisms in submission grappling, recognising the symptoms, red flags requiring emergency care, and the graded return-to-training protocol.

  • Does Grappling Help Mental Health? The Evidence

    An honest look at the evidence that grappling helps anxiety and depression — what the research actually supports, how large the effect is, the mechanisms, and where the claim is overstated.

  • Eating Disorders in Weight-Class Sport

    Anorexia, bulimia, BED, OSFED, ARFID, orthorexia in weight-class grappling — recognising disordered patterns, clinical urgency, coach responsibilities…

  • Elbow Hyperextension in Grappling

    Elbow hyperextension from armbar — understanding the mechanism, the injury timeline, and the tapping culture that prevents it.

  • Eye Injuries in Grappling

    Corneal abrasions, subconjunctival haemorrhage, orbital fracture, retinal detachment, and traumatic hyphaema — how they present, which need emergency…

  • Female Athlete Health in Grappling

    Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), menstrual cycle and training, iron and bone health, and the specific health considerations for female…

  • Grappling Past 40: Which Positions Stress Older Joints

    The position-specific injury mechanics nobody writes — why stacking, leg entanglements, deep inversions, and shoulder locks load an older grappler's tissue hardest, and the concrete adaptation for eac

  • Hand, Wrist, and Finger Injuries in Grappling

    Hand and wrist injuries in grappling: jammed fingers, skier's thumb, mallet finger, and scaphoid fractures — mechanisms, grading, and recovery.

  • Hip Injuries in Grappling

    Hip flexor strain, labrum tears, femoroacetabular impingement, groin strain, and the hip injuries that guard-heavy grapplers are most exposed to…

  • Injury Prevention and Prehabilitation

    The most common injury patterns in grappling and a systematic approach to reducing risk before injuries occur.

  • Injury Rehabilitation for Grapplers

    The framework principles behind returning to training after injury — biological healing timelines, graded loading, what 'cleared to train' actually…

  • Knee Ligament Injuries in Grappling

    ACL and PCL injuries from heel hooks, kneebars, and reaping — mechanism, severity, prevention, and the honest rehabilitation timeline.

  • Longevity in the Sport

    How to train for decades, not just years — the structural, habitual, and cultural factors that determine how long a grappler can continue training.

  • Lower Back Injuries in Grappling

    Lumbar strain, disc injury, SI joint dysfunction, and the red flags that require emergency care — mechanisms in grappling, return-to-training, and the…

  • MCL Sprain in Grappling

    Medial collateral ligament sprains from inside heel hooks and knee exposure errors — why they are frequently undertreated and how to manage them.

  • Mental Health and Grappling

    Competition anxiety, training stress, and the psychological pressures of grappling — a health-angle treatment distinct from the social dynamics content.

  • Mobility and Flexibility for Grapplers

    The distinction between mobility and flexibility, and why grapplers need strength through range — not just range.

  • Neck Injuries in Grappling

    Cervical strain and compression injuries from guillotines, front headlock pressure, and neck cranks — mechanisms, distinguishing disc from soft tissue…

  • Recovery and Sleep for Grapplers

    Why grappling recovery is not just rest, and how sleep is the most important adaptation tool a grappler has.

  • Rib Injuries in Grappling

    Rib bruising, cartilage damage, and fracture from side control pressure, body triangle, and knee on belly — frequently undertreated, with breathing…

  • Shoulder Labrum and Rotator Cuff Injuries in Grappling

    Labrum tears and rotator cuff damage from kimura, americana, and omoplata — distinguishing the mechanisms, recognising the injury, and returning to…

  • Skin Infections in Grappling

    Ringworm, staph, impetigo, and mat herpes — what each is, how transmission works, and the school's duty of care.

  • Standing Knee Injuries — Throws and Shots

    ACL, MCL, and meniscus injury mechanisms specific to standing exchanges — distinct from leg-lock knee trauma.

  • Strength and Conditioning for Grapplers

    Why generic gym programming fails grapplers, and what a grappling-specific strength and conditioning approach looks like.

  • Supplements and Anti-Doping for Grapplers

    Which supplements have evidence, which are a waste of money, and which carry contamination or anti-doping risk — plus how strict liability works in…

  • Training While Pregnant and Return to Sport Postpartum

    What the evidence says about grappling during pregnancy, how to modify training each trimester, return-to-sport postpartum, diastasis and pelvic floor…

  • Weight Management for Grapplers

    A performance-nutrition approach to body composition — not weight cutting. What healthy, sustainable weight management looks like for a competitive…

  • Youth Athletes in Grappling

    Growth plate injuries, maturation timing, weight-cutting in minors, specialisation versus varied training, and training-load considerations for under-18…

Social Dynamics14

  • Child Safeguarding in Grappling

    What safeguarding means for minors in grappling, the supervision and reporting standards a responsible youth programme requires, and what parents should…

  • Coach–Student Power Dynamics

    The inherent power imbalance in coaching relationships, the specific risks it creates, and what responsible professional coaching looks like.

  • Consent on the Mat

    Physical contact norms in training, how to establish and respect consent with training partners, and what schools should formalise.

  • Disability and Adaptive Grappling

    Adaptive grappling as primary consideration, not a footnote — the practical, structural, and cultural factors for including grapplers with disabilities.

  • Ego and Aggression in Training

    Managing competitive drive, ego, and aggression in a way that builds everyone in the room — including you.

  • Hazing in Grappling Culture

    What hazing is, how it shows up in schools (sandbag rounds, initiation rolls, beltings, punishment of new students), why it is damaging regardless of…

  • Hygiene Standards and Enforcement

    What responsible mat hygiene looks like, why it matters beyond personal comfort, and how to address violations without shame but without hedging.

  • Leaving a Gym — When It's Right, and How to Do It Well

    The practical, honest guide nobody writes — when leaving a gym is the right call, how to do it without burning bridges, and which gym politics are normal versus a sign to go.

  • LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Submission Grappling

    What a genuinely inclusive gym looks like in practice — beyond tolerance to active welcome.

  • Mental Health in Grappling Culture

    The cultural dimension of mental health in grappling — the toughness narrative, identity-sport entanglement, and what a healthy training culture actually…

  • Racial and Cultural Dynamics in Submission Grappling

    The sport's history and current dynamics — acknowledging what is real and what equitable mat culture requires.

  • Recognising and Responding to Predatory Coaching

    Warning signs of predatory coaching behaviour, grooming patterns, and what to do — for students, for parents, for school owners.

  • Tapping Culture

    Why tapping culture is not just a safety mechanism — it is the social contract that makes grappling training possible. The full social dynamics treatment.

  • Women in Submission Grappling

    The specific training environment considerations for women in grappling — not a separate inferior track, but an honest account of the challenges and what…

Curriculum28

Standards11

Competitive Meta51

  • Adele Fornarino

    Australian competitor whose ADCC 2024 performance — gold in the −55kg division and gold in the women's absolute — produced one of the most-cited single.

  • Andre Galvao

    Brazilian competitor and co-founder of Atos Jiu-Jitsu — six ADCC titles and four superfight defences, the most decorated competitor in ADCC history.

  • Athlete Compensation in No-Gi Grappling

    Analysis of the current compensation landscape across major no-gi formats, the role of the instructional economy as a primary income source.

  • Beatriz Mesquita

    Brazilian competitor whose 2017 ADCC −60kg gold and multiple IBJJF No-Gi World Championships place her among the most decorated female submission.

  • Braulio Estima

    British-Brazilian competitor whose 2009 ADCC double gold and the foot-attack mechanic that bears his name.

  • Craig Jones

    Australian competitor and coach whose game integrates heel hook entries, back attacks, and Z-guard half guard. Founder of the Craig Jones Invitational.

  • Danielle Kelly

    American no-gi competitor, ONE Championship grappler, and the inaugural ONE Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion.

  • Dean Lister

    American no-gi competitor whose 2003 ADCC absolute title and his often-quoted articulation that ignoring leg attacks ignores half the human body are.

  • Drug Testing in Submission Wrestling

    Analysis of the current drug testing infrastructure across major no-gi formats, the institutional question of competitive integrity.

  • Eddie Bravo

    American no-gi system architect and tournament founder.

  • Eddie Cummings

    American no-gi competitor whose EBI heel hook campaign in 2015–2016 operationalised the early Danaher Death Squad leg lock system in competition before.

  • Elisabeth Clay

    American no-gi competitor and multiple ADCC medallist.

  • Ethan Crelinsten

    Canadian no-gi competitor and founding B-Team member whose game centres on leg entanglement entries chained into back attacks.

  • Ffion Davies

    Welsh no-gi competitor and ADCC champion at -60kg.

  • Garry Tonon

    American no-gi competitor whose heel hook entry game and EBI dominance helped operationalise the early Danaher Death Squad leg lock system.

  • Georges St-Pierre

    Canadian MMA welterweight champion whose wrestling-and-pressure no-gi grappling game influenced a generation of grapplers outside pure submission.

  • Gordon Ryan

    American no-gi competitor with the most decorated record in modern submission wrestling history.

  • Greg Souders

    American coach and theorist who formalised the application of ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach to grappling instruction.

  • Hélio Gracie

    Brazilian practitioner who refined the guard-based, leverage-dependent submission system that became the technical foundation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

  • Jason Rau

    American coach and instructional source whose mechanical articulation of guard and passing detail operates at a resolution suited to instructional.

  • Jean Jacques Machado

    Brazilian-American competitor and coach whose grip-independent guard game and submission hunting produced ADCC titles and lasting coaching influence.

  • John Danaher

    New Zealand-born coach whose systematic submission grappling approach and six-hub taxonomy produced multiple world-level no-gi competitors.

  • Jozef Chen

    American competitor and passing-system architect whose outside passing framework codified J-point camping and the high tripod pass.

  • Kade Ruotolo

    Kade Ruotolo brings high-amplitude wrestling entries into no-gi: the blast-double feeds a front-headlock-to-back system finishing with the rear-naked choke.

  • Kaynan Duarte

    Brazilian no-gi competitor and ADCC absolute champion.

  • Kazushi Sakuraba

    Japanese MMA competitor whose submission wrestling game produced victories over multiple Gracie family members in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

  • Ken Shamrock

    American catch wrestler and Pancrase pioneer whose submission wrestling game bridged the catch wrestling tradition with the emerging no-gi submission.

  • Lachlan Giles

    Australian no-gi competitor whose game is centred on the K-guard leg entanglement entry system and inside heel hook finishing mechanics.

  • Marcelo Garcia

    Brazilian no-gi competitor and coach whose butterfly guard, arm drag to back take, and guillotine systems defined the pre-DDS era of submission grappling.

  • Mario Sperry

    Brazilian competitor and coach whose top pressure game and Vale Tudo background made him one of the dominant figures of early ADCC competition.

  • Masakatsu Funaki

    Japanese submission wrestler and Pancrase co-founder whose shoot wrestling system was one of the earliest structured no-gi submission disciplines.

  • Mateusz Szczecinski

    Polish coach and instructional source whose articulation of mechanical detail across guard, passing, and submission systems is widely cited.

  • Mica Galvao

    Brazilian no-gi competitor and ADCC champion.

  • Mikey Musumeci

    American no-gi competitor and ONE Championship grappling champion.

  • Nathiely de Jesus

    Brazilian no-gi competitor and ADCC competitor at +65kg.

  • Nicky Rodriguez

    American competitor whose collegiate wrestling background and 2019 ADCC −99kg silver showed elite wrestling translating directly to no-gi grappling.

  • Nicky Ryan

    American no-gi competitor who emerged as a teenage prodigy through the Danaher Death Squad before later transitioning to the B-Team.

  • Renzo Gracie

    Brazilian competitor and coach whose New York academy connects the Gracie tradition to the Danaher Death Squad and the modern no-gi era.

  • Ricardo Arona

    Brazilian no-gi competitor and multiple ADCC medallist known for top pressure and leg lock integration in the early-to-mid-2000s ADCC era.

  • Rickson Gracie

    Brazilian competitor and coach whose pressure-based positional game and back control philosophy influenced the development of modern no-gi submission.

  • Roger Gracie

    British-Brazilian competitor whose pressure-based top game and submission system translate directly into no-gi and MMA contexts.

  • Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza

    Brazilian competitor whose mid-2000s ADCC record — multiple weight-class medals plus a 2005 absolute silver — represents the high-water mark of pure.

  • Royce Gracie

    Brazilian competitor whose performances at UFC 1, 2, and 4 established BJJ's credibility in no-gi submission contexts.

  • Royler Gracie

    Brazilian competitor whose three consecutive ADCC −66kg titles (1999–2001) and 1999 Pride match against Sakuraba defined a founding era of no-gi grappling.

  • Shintaro Higashi

    Japanese-American judoka and no-gi competitor whose game shows high-percentage judo throws transferring cleanly into no-gi grappling.

  • State of Competitive No-Gi Grappling — 2026

    Annual analysis of competitive no-gi grappling — ADCC 2024 results, technical trends, format developments, and what the data means for the sport in 2026.

  • The History and Development of No-Gi Submission Grappling

    The history of no-gi submission grappling — from catch wrestling and early ADCC through the Danaher leg-lock era to the modern judo-wrestling integration.

  • The Multi-Platform Commercial Structure of No-Gi Grappling

    Analysis of the current multi-platform commercial environment.

  • Tye Ruotolo

    Tye Ruotolo treats the scramble as offence, not recovery: first-mover connection in the in-between phase opens submissions from top, bottom, and disadvantage.

  • Weight Classes in No-Gi Submission Grappling

    Analysis of the weight class structures across ADCC, WNO, CJI, and CBI, the role of the absolute division.

  • Xande Ribeiro

    Brazilian competitor whose 2007 and 2009 ADCC −99kg titles and two-decade career place him among the most consistently decorated submission grapplers.

Invariant50

Drill5

  • Breakfall Ladder — Four Types Solo

    Solo safety drill that cycles through the four breakfall types — back, side, front rotational, throwing-arm-trapped — at progressive heights.

  • Connection-First Entry Drill

    Trains the sequential requirement of INV-07 through alternating leg entanglement entry variations. Variation one reaches for the heel before seating the…

  • Fixed-Point Removal — Teaching the Armbar's Anchor

    Demonstrates INV-12 through a mounted armbar vehicle. Attacker establishes pressure on the elbow over the hip brace — partner confirms pressure. Attacker…

  • Inside-Space Maintenance Under Extraction Pressure

    Demonstrates INV-LE01 through a direct structural comparison. From established ashi garami, the drill partner attempts leg extraction for 30 seconds with…

  • Kimura Fixed-Point Hunt

    From a side control kimura grip, the drill partner is instructed to find any movement that eliminates submission pressure without releasing their arm…