Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or as its short-hand name goes, BJJ, is a sport that focuses predominantly on the grappling aspect of a physical altercation. While the sport was mainly used for self-defense purposes in Brazil almost a century ago, it has evolved to other parts of the world, and can now be practiced for competition. What is Brazilian jiu-jitsu and what kinds of techniques does it incorporate? That’s what we’ll answer below.
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
What Types of Submissions Are There?
In general, you will find that there are three types of submissions in jiu-jitsu:
- Arm Locks: These include arm bars, wrist locks, shoulder locks, and any other type of submission that focuses on the hands, wrists, or arms.
- Leg Locks: Leg locks focus on the knees and ankles, and in most cases, are illegal in practice and in competition until you reach a certain belt level (usually brown).
- Chokes: As their name imply, chokes are any submission that focus on either cutting off oxygen supply or cutting off blood supply to your opponent’s brain.
In theory, each of these submission types are relatively harmless during training so long as your training partner knows when to tap. On the street, they can be lethal, having the potential to break bones and ligaments.
What Are the Different Types of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Guards?
You’ve probably heard a lot about the “guard” in jiu-jitsu, as well as what it’s used for. In short, the guard is a position in jiu-jitsu in which you’re lying down on your back and you have your opponent in-between your legs. At first glance, it might seem like this is a bad position for you. But in reality, it’s actually a very good position for you.
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
From here, you can utilize your submissions in a variety of ways, as well as go for sweeps to get to a dominant position. Like submissions, there are many different types of guards that you will encounter. These include:
- Open Guard: When you have your opponent in-between your legs but your legs are open.
- Closed Guard: When you have your opponent in-between your legs but your legs are closed.
- Half-Guard: When you have both of your legs wrapped around a single of your opponent’s legs rather than their body.
What is Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique used for? Aside from increasing your awareness and abilities in self-defense situations, you can participate in jiu-jitsu tournaments, which can be quite fun and even offer you the opportunity to win prizes and make new friends.