5 Fundamental Jiu Jitsu Techniques Every Beginner Must Learn

When you walk into your first BJJ class, you will be shown a lot of things very quickly. Warm-up drills, falling safely, shrimping, bridging — and then the techniques themselves, which seem to multiply by the session. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and to start chasing every new move you see. But here is the truth that every experienced practitioner will tell you: the highest-level competitors in the world still win with the basics. The techniques that will carry you furthest in jiu jitsu are not the fancy inverted guards or heel hook systems you see on highlight reels. They are the fundamental positions and movements that have worked for decades, at every belt level, against every body type. Master these five, and you will have a genuinely solid foundation to build on. If you are still deciding whether to take the plunge, our beginner BJJ classes are designed specifically for people at exactly this stage — read on, then come and try it for free.

1. The Closed Guard: Your First Weapon

Closed guard is the position where you are on your back with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist, ankles crossed behind their back. It is the most important foundational position in jiu jitsu, and for good reason — it is one of the few ground positions where the person on the bottom has a genuine and equal chance of attacking or escaping.

From closed guard, you can control your opponent's posture, break their base, and attack with a wide variety of submissions: triangles, armbars, omoplatas, and chokes. You can also sweep them — use their weight and momentum to reverse the position and end up on top. The closed guard is not a passive, defensive position. Used correctly, it is an active attacking platform.

Why Beginners Should Prioritise Closed Guard

As a beginner, the closed guard gives you a way to stay safe while still being a threat. When someone larger or more athletic is on top of you, being able to close your guard and control them buys you time and options. You do not need to be strong to use closed guard effectively — the legs are the strongest part of the body, and using them to control someone's hips immediately neutralises much of their physical advantage.

Focus first on breaking your opponent's posture — pulling their head down towards your chest so they cannot sit up and apply pressure. Once posture is broken, the submissions and sweeps open up naturally. Spend time drilling this with a partner at a slow, cooperative pace before trying it in live rolling.

2. The Armbar from Guard: Your First Submission

The armbar is arguably the most fundamental submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — a straight-arm lock that hyperextends the elbow joint. There are many variations, but the armbar from closed guard (the juji gatame) is the one every beginner should learn first, because it flows directly from the closed guard position you are already developing.

The mechanics are straightforward in principle: you control one of your opponent's arms, swing one leg over their head, squeeze your knees together to secure the arm, and extend your hips to apply pressure to the elbow. Done correctly, the leverage is immediate and decisive. Done with poor mechanics, it is easy for a training partner to simply pull their arm free.

Key Mechanical Points for the Armbar

The most common mistake beginners make with the armbar is trying to rush to the finish before the position is properly set. Before extending your hips, you need to have control of the wrist (thumb facing upwards), your knees pinched together above and below the arm, and your hips positioned tight against the shoulder joint. Many beginners also forget to keep their feet hooked or their ankles crossed over the opponent's chest, allowing escape. Take your time in drilling — the hip extension should be the last step, not the first.

The armbar is a submission used at the highest levels of competition, including by Roger Gracie himself, who famously submitted all his opponents by collar choke or armbar at multiple World Championship events. The technique works — you just need to respect its mechanics.

3. The Bridge and Roll (Upa) Escape: Your First Escape from Mount

You will be put in bottom mount — your opponent sitting on your chest, controlling both sides of your upper body — more times than you can count as a beginner. The bridge and roll (also called the upa or bump-and-roll) is the foundational escape, and it works on a simple and powerful principle: you cannot be mounted by someone you roll over the top of.

The mechanics: trap one of your opponent's arms by grabbing their wrist and pulling it to the mat, simultaneously trap the same-side foot with your own leg, bridge explosively (driving your hips upward) to break their base, and roll them over the trapped arm as your bridge reaches its peak. Land in top position and proceed to work your guard pass.

Why This Escape Matters

Bottom mount is one of the most dangerous positions in BJJ, both in sport and in practical terms. Learning a reliable escape is not optional — it is a survival skill. The bridge and roll requires no exceptional strength or flexibility. It requires timing, commitment, and the understanding that the bridge must be explosive rather than gradual. A slow bridge is easy to counter; a sudden, committed bridge is very hard to stop.

Drill this with a cooperative partner hundreds of times before expecting it to work in live rolling. The body needs to learn the movement pattern so deeply that it becomes automatic under stress.

4. The Rear Naked Choke: Back Control and Submission

Back control — your chest on your opponent's back, both hooks (heels) inserted inside their thighs — is the highest value position in BJJ. It scores the most points in competition and, in practical terms, gives you almost complete control over another person's movement while exposing them to the rear naked choke.

The rear naked choke (mata leao, or "lion killer") works by compressing the carotid arteries on either side of the neck, reducing blood flow to the brain. Applied correctly, it produces unconsciousness in approximately six to ten seconds. It does not require great strength — it requires correct mechanics and positional control.

Maintaining Back Control

The submission is only available if you can keep the back position. Beginners often focus so hard on finishing the choke that they lose the position in the process. The priority should be: hooks in, seatbelt grip secured (one arm over, one arm under), chin tucked to prevent your own neck being attacked. Once the position is stable, work the choke hand under the chin, link your hands, and extend to finish.

The rear naked choke is used in sport BJJ, MMA, and self-defence contexts with equal effectiveness. It is a technique worth thousands of hours of drilling.

5. The Knee-on-Chest Pass: Passing the Guard

Passing the guard — moving from inside your opponent's guard to a dominant position such as side control or mount — is one of the most technically demanding skills in BJJ. As a beginner, you need one reliable passing concept, and the knee-on-chest (or knee slice) pass gives you a foundation that works at all belt levels.

From inside the guard, when your opponent opens their legs, one approach is to immediately step one foot forward (the lead leg), thread your same-side knee across their thigh towards their hip, and drive forward through their guard to reach side control. The knee acts as a wedge that prevents them from re-closing their guard or recovering to their knees.

The Principles Behind Guard Passing

More important than any specific passing technique is the underlying principle: control the hips, and the guard falls apart. A guard player who can move their hips freely can recover from almost any passing attempt. A guard player whose hips are pinned or controlled has very few options. Whether you learn the knee slice, the toreando, or a pressure pass, every effective guard pass operates on this same principle.

At beginner level, focus on not getting submitted in the guard rather than aggressively chasing the pass. As your positional awareness improves, the passing game will develop naturally alongside it.

Conclusion

These five techniques — closed guard, armbar from guard, bridge and roll escape, rear naked choke from back control, and a basic guard pass — give you a genuine, functional framework for your first year of jiu jitsu. They are not shortcuts; they are the building blocks that every practitioner returns to, regardless of belt level. Work them diligently, be patient, and trust the process. You can explore these and many more techniques in our beginner classes, which are designed exactly for people at this stage. For a broader view of the journey ahead, read our post on your first 30 days of jiu jitsu and our guide to the BJJ belt system. When you are ready to step on the mat, book your free trial and come and see what it's all about.