Most Common Positions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

As you go through your Jiu Jitsu journey it’s important to understand some terminology before starting. There are four common positions in Jiu Jitsu.  They are Guard, Side Control, Mount, and Back Mount. It is imperative to focus on these positions in order to make them a superior part of your game.  When we say positions, we’re not referring to on the feet but on the ground; which is what Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is commonly known for, ground fighting.  These are the positions that you’ll primarily be working out of.  

The first one is Guard:  This position is when you’re inside your partners legs and he closes and locks his feet behind your back.  We refer to this as closed Guard.  Anytime the feet are open and not locked we call it open Guard.  Think of it like a circuit that is opened and then closed.  As you progress through your Jiu Jitsu journey and start to advance you’ll learn other types of open Guards.  Such as: Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard and Lasso Guard just to name a few.  There are many types of open guards and you’ll definitely end up with some favorites.

The next position we’ll look at is Side Control: Other common terms that have the same meaning are Side Mount or Cross Body.  In this position you are chest to chest with your partner hugging his neck/hug and far shoulder. and typically on your knees.  There are various ways to hold this position.  Such as: 100 kilo’s, where both legs are sprawled and you’re hugging the neck and your other arm is by the hip. As well as Scarf Hold which is fairly popular.

The next position would be when you transition to the top.  This is called Mount: This is when you’re sitting on your partners torso; one knee on each side. This is the Mount Position. Although not as common some people may refer to this as Front Mount.                                                       

Now, if your partner were to turn and give up his back, this would be referred to as Back Mount:  If your partner were to pop up on his knees and you were to get your hooks in; this is still called Back Mount. Also known as Rear Mount.  Whether you’re both belly down, or belly up, both facing to the side, it doesn’t matter, this is still considered a  Back Mount Position.

These are the four most common positions you’ll be learning about throughout your journey.  These aren’t the only positions you’ll learn as you go through your journey in Jiu Jitsu.  Here are three other positions that we want to tell you about.  The first one is called Turtle: In this position your partner will be balled up on his elbows and knees.  Believe it or not attacks can be made from both people in this position.

Another position from Side Control is the Knee on Belly.  You would pop up from Side Control putting your Knee on your partners belly.  This is a good position to be able to attack from using strikes or submissions.  The good thing is your very mobile here.  You can move around, transition to the other side, or you can disengage.  The Knee on Belly is a great position.

Lastly, another variation of the Guard position is the Half Guard.  This is where one of your legs is stuck between your partners legs.  He’s going to hold on, doing a figure four with his legs around your one leg.  You’re now stuck inside of his Half Guard.  These are the main positions that you’ll learn about in the Jiu Jitsu program.  Focus on the first four: Guard, Side Control, Mount and Back Mount.  As you become more comfortable, and skilled you’ll start dabbling in the other positions: Turtle, Knee on Belly and Half Guard. Learning these positions first will make your game more complete. https://www.bjjnc.com/program/bjj/