Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a plethora of moves, positions and variations within each of these categories. Whilst it may not be necessary to become advanced in Worm guard, Trucking, Gogoplata’s and other niche moves, there are some positions that are vital to learn. Often referred to as the fundamentals, these moves are commonly used by all when practicing BJJ. Because of this, it’s important to understand a basic grasp of these positions so that you can be offensive and defensive from each area.
Table of Contents
Mount
The mount is commonly used in MMA as it allows for the top person to strike without little reply. In brief, the mount is where the bottom player lays flat on their back and the top player sits on top of their opponent with their knees touching the floor. Within the mount, you can have a low position with each player’s hips touching, or you can climb into a high mount which is where the top practitioner’s hips are closer to the opponent’s armpits.
The mount is one of the most offensive positions throughout BJJ. It allows for a number of chokes and joint locks to be attacked whilst the bottom player cannot attack the person on the top. Whilst in the bottom position, the idea is to escape the pin and either reverse the position and get on top or recover to a guard. It is important whilst on the bottom to frame correctly and keep your arms tight and your neck tucked. This is a basic way to defend against armlocks and chokes.
Closed Guard
The closed guard is also a position typically used in MMA and is also popular in sport Jiu Jitsu. This involves the bottom player to be on their back with their legs wrapped around the hips of the opponent, with their feet crossed together. This keeps the top player locked into the position and stops them from moving past the legs to start attacking the upper body.
Whilst this position isn’t great in MMA for the bottom player, it is also offensive. Even though it’s a bottom position – it offers a variety of sweeps to the mount position as well as submissions such as triangles and kimuras.
With this said, it is a great position in sport BJJ as strikes aren’t allowed.
For the top player, the idea is to escape the closed guard which can be done by standing up and unlocking the feet, or leaning into their hips whilst on the knees to break the feet open. To untrained opponents, those in the top position may look dominant – however, a skilled BJJ player is comfortable whilst playing bottom closed guard as it is a deceivingly aggressive position.
Half guard
This position is when the legs are wrapped around the opponents one leg, as opposed to both their legs like the closed guard. In short, the half guard can be seen as a neutral position in sport BJJ although is negative on the bottom in MMA due to strikes.
The idea of half guard is to stop opponents from passing your legs to get to superior positions such as mount and side control. By keeping the leg entangled, you can use the half guard to sweep and submit the opponent. It is important to get the underhook in the half guard which can lead to sweeps or back takes. Ideally whilst in the position, the bottom player doesn’t want to get flattened on their back as it weakens the position and sweeps become less likely.
Whilst in the top position of half guard, the idea again is to untangle the legs. This can be done by adding pressure and flattening the opponent to enter the upper body. Alternatively, you can try to stand to change to an open guard or knee cut to get through the legs. Again, the key to passing the half guard is often by controlling the underhook. If you try passing without an underhook it can lead to sweeps and submissions. With this said, the underhook is key for both those on the top and the bottom.
Back mount
Referred to as the back position, this is the strongest in all of BJJ. Here you have access to the opponent’s throat and can threaten chokes as a result. If you have the opponents back then they are in deep trouble, whilst you can think about setting up submissions.
If you have your back taken, then the only priority is to escape the position. By getting your head to touch the mat and snaking away from the opponent you can avoid getting choked. However, this is tough against an experienced practitioner and fighting for grips is one of the most important parts to defend chokes.
If you lose the grip fighting battle then you can get punished with a rear naked choke. Arguably even harder to defend in the Gi, the player on the back can also use the lapel to force Gi chokes such as the bow and arrow. Because of this, getting to the back is often the main priority for BJJ practitioners as it enables dominance over a vulnerable opponent.
Side control
Side control is a pin position where the top player holds the bottom player down from a 90 degree angle. The idea on top is to minimize space by keeping your knees glued to their hips and your shoulders tucked into their face.
By doing this, it makes it difficult for the bottom player to escape and it can be a very physically uncomfortable position due to the distribution of the top practitioner’s weight.
Whilst on top, you can transition to mount or the back or even attack submissions from side control. These include americanas and Gi chokes. Because of this, the position is considered one of the best in BJJ.
From the bottom, the objective is to escape. To do this, you need to maximise space which can allow for you to recover guard by moving away from the top player and by putting your legs into the space. You can also reverse the side control position if the top player’s weight is badly distributed by powerfully bridging into them. Being stuck in bottom side control is arguably the most tiring position to be in whilst training, so it is ideally avoided or escaped as quickly as possible.
Open guard
The open guard has a variety of sub-guards such as De La Riva, Spider Guard, Lapel guards and so on. It is called open guard as it has more distance between the top and bottom player. Often, there is no leg entanglement which means there is less close proximity compared to using closed or half guard. Usually, the top player is standing whilst the guard player is seated in some fashion.
Similar to half guard, it can be seen as a neutral position in sport BJJ. This is because the top player can get swept or submitted and they can also pass or submit from the top as well. With this in mind, it is a personal preference in choosing to be a guard player or guard passer. In modern times, the bottom open guard allows for various leg lock entries such as heel hooks and ankle locks.
Knee on belly
An old school position, the Knee on belly is a controlled move from the top which pins the bottom player down by the knee which crushes into their stomach. This position is often used in self defence situations and is popular in law enforcement as it can control the bottom practitioner. Like side control, the idea of being on the bottom in this position is to escape as it offers little attacking qualities whilst being vulnerable to chokes and joint locks.
From the top, submissions such as armbars and baseball chokes are available – but it is often used as a transition position. Because of the knees position, it allows to slip into mount or go into side control. This means it is versatile whilst still offering attacks of its own.
Turtle
The turtle is when the bottom player mimics the body of a turtle and curls up into a ball. With their head and arms tucked, it is a passive position which can also be vulnerable. At the same time, it can be used to escape even worse positions and can also be used to sweep if done correctly. As well, it is often used to recover guard and enhance the turtle player’s position.
Whilst this position is awful in MMA for obvious reasons, it is often used tactically in BJJ. For instance, you may escape the bottom of side control or the back into a turtle position. It is also used in competition to stop passing and avoid points being given. In brief, it stops the top player from opening up your body and defends against submissions.
However, it can also be penetrated leading to submissions and problems of ifs own. Unskilled practitioners may turtle out of panic and get their back taken or get moved into the crucifix position. Because of this, it can be a positive or negative position depending on how the practitioner uses it. However, most would agree that it’s far better to be attacking the turtle rather than being in the turtle.
Butterfly guard
The butterfly guard is a commonly used position which involves the guard player sitting down with their legs under the top player. The idea is to use your feet as hooks to elevate the guard passer. Combined with controlling the opponent’s arms, this leads to sweeps or armlocks. It is commonly used in MMA and is used in both Gi and Nogi.
When on top, it often requires sitting on the opponent’s feet and avoidance of standing due to the personal preference of the guard passer. Like many guard positions, it is neutral for both involved but can be passed with body lock control or by standing and entering an open guard. This position is often considered as one of the fundamental guards in BJJ and allows users to also transition into different forms of guard.
The Kimura
Although primarily used as a submission, the Kimura can also be seen as a position within itself. It allows the player with the Kimura grip the ability to dominate their opponent and lead to sweeps, back takes and submissions. Because of this, the grip can be attacked from almost anywhere, including the back position or during stand up. As this is a submission, it is always best to be applying the Kimura rather than having it applied to yourself.
However, if a player tries too hard to force the Kimura then it can have negative effects. For instance, holding onto it from bottom half guard can lead to a Kimura reversal resulting in yourself getting submitted. As well, you can get passed by focusing on the arms whilst simultaneously forgetting leg positioning. Having said this, overall the Kimura is a great move that can open up defensive opponents.
Takedowns
Takedowns are a key position in BJJ and are often taken from Wrestling and Judo. Starting from standing, the idea is to beat your opponent to the floor which is done by targetting the legs. By removing the weight from their legs, you can make them trip or fall over and land on top of them.
Typically in BJJ, you can opt for Judo moves which are more traditionally used in the Gi. These include foot sweeps, hip tosses and throws. Wrestling moves are often more Nogi focused and use single and double leg takedowns. Depending on your style, you may choose a Wrestling or Judo game for takedowns, or a combination of the two. It is important to learn takedowns both offensively and defensively especially if you like a passing game from the top.
Guard pulling
Like takedowns, guard pulling begins at the start of a BJJ match. The idea is to pull to a guard and sit to the floor. This can be to avoid engaging in takedowns if the opponent is significantly stronger or if the practitioner is happy to play guard.
This is often used in sport Jiu Jitsu as it means the opponent cannot get points for a takedown and you can begin the match in a favoured position. Although not wise for MMA, guard pulling is popular in BJJ and is especially effective if the pull leads straight into a sweep.
Summary
Overall, there are a lot of positions in BJJ. We have not mentioned all of them as it would be overwhelming to note everything at once. However, these are the key positions and are worth learning whether on the top or bottom. In learning these, you are building the foundations to your Jiu Jitsu which can lead to implementing other areas of the sport into your game.
