What Is BJJ? A Complete Beginner's Guide
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport focused on ground fighting and submission holds. Unlike striking arts, BJJ teaches you to neutralize an opponent through technique, leverage, and body mechanics — not raw strength. A smaller person with good technique can often control and submit a larger, stronger opponent.
Origins of BJJ
BJJ traces its roots to Japanese Judo and Jujitsu. In the early 20th century, Mitsuyo Maeda, a champion Japanese judoka, emigrated to Brazil and taught grappling to the Gracie family. Carlos Gracie and his brother Hélio Gracie adapted these techniques, placing greater emphasis on ground work (newaza) and developing what became known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
The Gracie family proved the effectiveness of BJJ through challenge matches and the early UFC events in the 1990s. Royce Gracie — relatively small compared to opponents from other disciplines — won the first UFC tournaments, demonstrating that leverage and positional control could overcome size and power.
How BJJ Works
BJJ competition takes place primarily on the ground. Competitors attempt to:
- Achieve dominant positions (mount, back control, side control)
- Score points for achieving and maintaining those positions
- Force a submission, which wins the match instantly
A submission is a hold that forces the opponent to "tap out" — signal that they give up. Common submissions include chokes (cutting off blood flow or air to the brain or lungs) and joint locks (hyperextending joints like the elbow, shoulder, or knee).
The Core Concept: Position Before Submission
A fundamental principle in BJJ is "position before submission." Attempting a submission from a bad position is risky — if it fails, you may lose your position. Skilled BJJ competitors first establish dominant positions, which both score points and set up submission attempts.
The hierarchy of positions generally runs from least dominant to most dominant: guard (opponent between your legs), half guard, side control, north-south, knee on belly, mount, back control. Back control is typically considered the most dominant position.
Gi vs No-Gi
BJJ is practiced in two formats:
Gi — competitors wear a traditional kimono (gi). The gi allows collar chokes, lapel guards, and other grips specific to the uniform.
No-Gi — competitors wear shorts and a rash guard. Without a gi to grip, the game is often faster and more focused on leg locks and body control.
Most major federations (AJP, IBJJF) run both gi and no-gi divisions, though the allowed techniques can differ significantly between formats.
Why Rules Matter
BJJ competition rules vary by federation and belt level. What is legal at black belt may be illegal at white belt — particularly for joint locks that target the knee, heel, or spine. A technique applied incorrectly or at the wrong level can cause injury and result in disqualification.
Understanding the rules for your specific federation and belt level is essential for:
- Safety: Knowing which techniques are legal prevents accidental injury
- Strategy: You cannot plan a match without knowing the scoring system
- Competition: Illegal technique violations result in instant disqualification in most federations
The major BJJ federations each have their own ruleset. The most prominent are AJP, IBJJF, ADCC, AIGA, and Grappling Industries — each with distinct scoring, allowed techniques, and tiebreak rules.
Use the interactive rules reference on this site to look up the exact rules for your federation, belt level, and age category.