New to Jiu Jitsu? Here's what you should know.

The art of jiu jitsu is a ground based martial art which uses positional control to ultimately submit an opponent through various choke holds and joint locks. It is known as the “Gentle Art” which comes from the original Japanese word JuJutsu, “Ju” meaning “gentle” and “Jutsu” meaning “art”. It is “Gentle” in the sense that there is no kicking or punching.

What's involved in jiu jitsu?

Rather than striking, jiiu jitsu focuses on gaining a dominant position of control on the ground. There are two main reasons for this, 1) standing and trading punches with someone carries a lot of risk, even if your stand up game is good; and 2) many physical altercations end up on the ground whether it’s intended or not. With these two things in mind, jiu jitsu seeks to close the distance, control, and submit. And when done effectively, a smaller, less powerful person can defend themselves against a larger, more powerful opponent.

What is the goal of jiu jitsu?

Even though jiu jitsu does not focus on striking, it’s important to recognize that all the dominant positions in jiu jitsu are dominant because they pose the least risk to you and the most risk to your opponent even if striking is involved.  With this is mind, there are 3 main dominant positions we’ll look at briefly below.

The 3 main dominant positions in jiu jitsu:

1. Mount- your opponent is laying down on their back and you are straddled on top.
2. Side Control- your opponent is laying down on their back and you are on top, but rather than straddled you are laying across their body. Also known as side mount, or side pin.
3. Back Control- your opponent is facing away and you are on their back with your arms and legs wrapped around them for control. About 40% of submissions in MMA organizations like UFC and ONE Championship are from the back control position. And more than half of submissions in jiu jitsu tournaments happen from this position! 

Of course, there are many more positions in jiu jitsu, such as guard, knee on belly, lots of leg entanglements, etc. Some of these would also be considered dominant positions. For the sake of beginners who are trying to get a grasp on what jiu jitsu is, we’ll leave you with the three above because the majority submissions, points in tournaments, and training falls within these positions.

If you are new to the sport, you have probably said to yourself “I don’t know what to do or where to start.” Like anything else, knowing what to do takes time. But if you consider the goal of jiu jitsu and what the three dominant positions are, you can sum up jiu jitsu as the art of achieving one of these dominant positions and then submitting your opponent. Conversely, and equally as important, it is the art of escaping and defending submissions when on the receiving end of one of these positions.