The best no-gi submissions for beginners

You do not need a wide catalogue of submissions to be dangerous on the mats. The opposite is true: a small number of high-percentage finishes, understood deeply and drilled often, beats a long list of half-learned ones. The submissions below are the ones worth learning first in no-gi — not because they are flashy, but because they are reliable, they appear from positions you will reach constantly, and they teach mechanics that transfer everywhere.

A word before the list: a submission is the end of a sequence, not the start. Every one of these works only once you have the controlling position first — the principle the site calls position before submission. Chase the position; the finish follows.

1. The rear-naked choke

The highest-percentage finish in grappling, full stop. From back control, the rear-naked choke wraps the neck and closes off the arteries — no strength contest, no joint to wrench, and it is legal under every rule set. It is the clearest example of position before submission: the hard part is taking and keeping the back; the choke itself is almost an afterthought once you are there. Explore the whole system at the back-attacks hub.

2. The guillotine

A choke you can hit from almost anywhere the head drops in front of you — a sloppy takedown attempt, a scramble, a guard exchange. The guillotine is one of the first submissions most beginners land in live training because the opportunity arrives so often. It also teaches the front-headlock control that underpins a large family of attacks; see the front-headlock hub.

3. The armbar

The fundamental joint lock. The armbar isolates the elbow and extends it past its range — and because it can be attacked from mount, from guard, from side control, and from standing, it teaches you to see the same finish from many positions. Learning to feel when an arm is isolated is one of the most transferable skills in the sport. More at the armbar hub.

4. The triangle

A choke made with the legs. The triangle traps the head and one arm and uses your own legs to close the choke — a vivid lesson in leverage, because a smaller person can finish a much larger one with it. It is mechanically demanding at first (the angle matters more than the squeeze), which is exactly why learning it early pays off for years.

5. The kimura

A shoulder lock with a grip you will use constantly — for control, for sweeps, and for the finish itself. The kimura is forgiving to learn because the grip is strong and the position is stable, and it chains into so much else that it doubles as a control system. See the kimura hub for the full family.

How to actually get good at them

Pick one or two, not all five. Drill the entry and the controlling position far more than the finish — the Foundations path sequences exactly this, position before submission, and the technique library breaks down each move’s mechanics and common errors. And whichever you train, train it with partners who tap early so you can both work at speed without anyone getting hurt.

New to the sport? Start at the start hub.