Top 5 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques You Need to Learn

Some people learn jiu-jitsu for fun, others roll for exercise or for self defense. Whatever your reason, there are a few techniques you’ll have to learn to enjoy yourself.

For those with years of experience: I get it, your sensei is the greatest, and your coach said my list sucks. For those new to the sport: Find a quality gym and learn some murder yoga. You can even look these techniques up on YouTube to help with the visuals before you go. 

There are many lists, but this one is mine: Oss!

Mount Escape

One of the most dangerous places you can be is under the mount. Learning how to escape can save you from a large arsenal of attacks that can be performed from this dominant position. Allowing an opponent to gain the mount will cost you points in competition, and possibly some teeth in a bar fight.  

Side Control Escape 

Mount won’t be the only bad position you’ll ever find yourself in. This escape is an important tool to help your survivability. You cannot mount an offense if your opponent is constantly dictating where the action goes. Being able to fight your way back to a better position is one of the most important fundamentals. 

Kimura

There is more to jiu-jitsu than defense. The kimura is a great way to threaten your opponent even if they are on top of you. Of course, it is easier to pull off if you're in the dominant position. This can end a match in moments, or let you hit a beautiful sweep if your opponent is slipping. Bonus points if you learn the variation of this, the americana. 

Guillotine

Another way to take control of a situation is the guillotine. Granted, this technique will not always end in a successful finish, and you can learn to use that. Throwing up a well timed guillotine attempt may throw a wrench in your opponent's plans. Just make sure not to gas your arms out going for a finish that is not there. It can also be used to dissuade someone from takedown attempts, or as part of a sweep.

Omoplata

Everyone needs to have at least one WTF submission in their arsenal. My favorite is the omoplata. The main reason I stretch is to still be able to see the look of astonishment in people’s eyes when I attempt this. Granted, I’ve only ever tapped a few people with an omoplata. Sometimes, it leads to a sweep but it’s just mostly for fun. At the very least, it makes opponents reconsider their hand placement on the mat.

Bonus: cardio

So this isn’t a technique you can learn on YouTube, but it can leave you defenseless if neglected. Most new practitioners are not fully prepared for how taxing a round of grappling can be. The grind of constantly having your movements countered, and flexing nearly all your muscles will leave you spent. Make sure you get some good workouts under your belt before you start trying to belt up.