BJJ Glossary — Key Jiu-Jitsu Terms Beginners Mix Up
Guard, pass, sweep, mount, back, submission… all the jargon you hear at the gym, in one place. Position, technique, competition and culture terms explained for beginners.
Walk into a gym for the first time and the jargon comes at you fast. "Recover your guard", "take the back from mount", "look for the sweep"… once you start understanding it, class gets a lot more fun. Here are the BJJ terms beginners most often mix up, grouped into positions, techniques, and competition and culture.
Position terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Guard | A position on your back where you control the opponent with your legs. The heart of jiu-jitsu. |
| Mount | Sitting on top of the opponent's torso — the dominant top position. |
| Back | Controlling the opponent from behind. In IBJJF scoring it is worth 4 points, the most, like the mount. |
| Side control | Pinning the opponent crosswise from the side. |
| Knee on belly | A pressure position with your knee on the opponent's stomach. |
| Turtle | A curled-up defensive posture, like a turtle. |
| Half guard | An in-between position trapping one of the opponent's legs. |
Technique and movement terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pass | Getting past the opponent's guard into a top position. |
| Sweep | Reversing the opponent from the bottom so you end up on top. |
| Submission | A finish with a joint lock or choke that makes the opponent tap. |
| Tap | The signal of surrender. Tap twice with your hand or say "tap". |
| Scramble | A messy exchange where positions tangle and both fight for the upper hand. |
| Frame | Using arms and legs to create space and hold off pressure. |
| Bridge / Shrimp | Basic escape movements: lifting the hips or moving them away. |
| Berimbolo | A spinning back-take — a signature technique of modern jiu-jitsu. |
Competition and culture terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gi / No-Gi | The two competition formats, with or without the kimono. |
| Oss | A jiu-jitsu culture word for greeting, agreement and encouragement. |
| Rolling / Sparring | Free, live practice that simulates a real match. |
| Open mat | Free rolling time without a class — a chance to train with others. |
| Absolute | An open-weight division with no weight limit. |
| IBJJF | The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, which runs the World Championship. |
| Weigh-in | Weighing on competition day to confirm your weight class. |
| BYE | Skipping the first round and advancing because of the bracket size. |
Source: IBJJF Rule Book (submission and scoring rules)
You don't memorize terms — you absorb them
You don't need to know everything from day one. Hear them in class a few times and they'll stick naturally. When a word comes up that you don't know, just ask your instructor — that's how everyone learned.
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