Glossary
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu terms, in plain English.
New to BJJ? You will hear a lot of words on the mat. Here is what they mean — for students, parents, and anyone trying to figure out if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for them.
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
- A grappling-based martial art focused on ground control, leverage, and submissions. No striking. The foundation of modern mixed martial arts.
- Gi
- The traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu uniform — a heavy cotton jacket and pants tied with a belt. Used for gripping techniques in class and tournaments.
- No-Gi
- BJJ trained in athletic shorts and a rashguard instead of a gi. Faster, more slippery, no fabric grips.
- Rolling
- Live sparring against a resisting partner at a pace both training partners agree on. The point where technique gets tested in real time.
- Drilling
- Repetition of a single technique with a cooperating partner to build muscle memory before live training.
- Guard
- Any position where you are on your back or bottom using your legs to control or attack a standing or kneeling partner. Closed guard, open guard, and half guard are the most common.
- Mount
- Dominant top position where you sit on your partner's torso. Heavy, high control, lots of submission threats.
- Side Control
- Top position perpendicular to your partner — chest to chest, controlling the upper body. A common pin and submission setup.
- Back Take
- Getting behind your partner with your chest to their back. The most dominant position in BJJ.
- Submission
- A joint lock or choke that forces a partner to tap. Tournament matches end with a submission, points, or time.
- Tap
- Signaling that you are caught and giving up — usually by tapping the mat or your partner with your hand. Always tap early. Egos heal slower than joints.
- Sweep
- Reversing position from bottom to top without using a submission. A core skill in guard play.
- Pass (Guard Pass)
- Getting around a partner's legs from standing or kneeling to reach side control or mount.
- Sparring (Live)
- See rolling. Both partners working at real speed and resistance with full technique.
- Belt System
- BJJ ranks are white, blue, purple, brown, black for adults — plus stripes on each belt. Kids have their own colored belt system (white through green) before they reach blue as a teen.
- Stripe
- A piece of tape on the end of a belt marking progress within a belt rank. Most adults earn four stripes before the next belt.
- Tap, Snap, or Nap
- Old saying — submit (tap), get injured (snap), or fall asleep from a choke (nap). The point: tap early, no shame.
- Self-Defense
- Practical application of BJJ — how to handle being grabbed, pushed, pinned, or taken down. A core focus at AMP, especially for kids classes.
- Family Class
- AMP's signature class where parents and kids train the same techniques on the same mat at the same time. The class that makes AMP different.
- Winning Ways
- AMP's 12-week life-skills curriculum built into every kids class — respect, courage, teamwork, focus, perseverance.
- Free Trial
- Your first class at AMP BJJ — free for every member of the family. Try it before you commit.
- Open Mat
- Unstructured training time where students of all levels show up to drill or roll at their own pace. Often on weekends.
- Tournament
- Competition where BJJ practitioners face opponents of similar belt and weight. AMP runs in-house tournaments and supports comp team athletes traveling to IBJJF and NAGA events.
- IBJJF
- The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation — the largest sanctioning body for BJJ tournaments worldwide.
Easier to learn it on the mat.
All the words make sense once you are doing them. Try a free class at any AMP BJJ academy.