Terminology

Quick reference for BJJ terminology in English, Portuguese (Brazil), and Japanese where applicable.

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Core Positions

Term	Portuguese	Japanese	Definition
Mount	Montada	Tate-shiho-gatame	Sitting on opponent's torso with knees on ground
Guard	Guarda	—	Bottom position using legs to control/attack
Side Control	Cem Quilos	Yoko-shiho-gatame	Perpendicular chest-to-chest control
Back Control	Pegada das Costas	—	Controlling opponent from behind with hooks

Guard Types

Term	Portuguese	Definition
Closed Guard	Guarda Fechada	Legs locked around opponent's waist
Open Guard	Guarda Aberta	Guard without locked legs, using feet/shins
Half Guard	Meia-Guarda	One leg trapped between opponent's legs
Spider Guard	Guarda Aranha	Grips on sleeves, feet on biceps
De La Riva Guard	Guarda De La Riva	Hook behind opponent's leg (named after Ricardo De La Riva)
Butterfly Guard	Guarda Borboleta	Feet hooked inside opponent's thighs
X-Guard	Guarda X	Legs crossed in X-shape under opponent

Submissions

Chokes/Strangles

Term	Portuguese	Japanese	Definition
Rear Naked Choke	Mata-Leão	Hadaka-jime	Choke from behind using arms
Triangle Choke	Triângulo	Sankaku-jime	Choke using legs in triangle configuration
Guillotine	Guilhotina	Mae-hadaka-jime	Front choke with arm around neck
Bow and Arrow	Arco e Flecha	Okuri-eri-jime var.	Collar choke pulling collar and leg

Joint Locks

Term	Portuguese	Japanese	Definition
Armbar	Chave de Braço	Juji-gatame	Hyperextending elbow joint
Kimura	Kimura	Ude-garami	Shoulder lock with figure-4 grip
Americana	Americana	Ude-garami var.	Shoulder lock with arm bent upward
Omoplata	Omoplata	Ashi-garami	Shoulder lock using legs
Kneebar	Chave de Joelho	Hiza-gatame	Hyperextending knee joint
Heel Hook	Chave de Calcanhar	Kakato-garami	Twisting ankle/knee via heel control

Movements & Techniques

Sweeps

Term	Portuguese	Definition
Scissor Sweep	Raspagem Tesoura	Sweep using scissoring leg motion
Flower Sweep	Raspagem Balão	Sweep using pendulum motion
Hip Bump Sweep	Raspagem de Quadril	Sweep using hip thrust and arm post

Escapes & Passes

Term	Portuguese	Definition
Shrimp	Fuga de Quadril	Sideways hip movement for creating space
Bridge (Upa)	Ponte / Upa	Explosive hip thrust from bottom
Technical Stand-Up	Levantada Técnica	Safe method to stand from ground
Torreando Pass	Passagem Torreando	Pass by controlling legs and circling
Knee Slide Pass	Passagem de Joelho	Passing by sliding knee across

Training Terms

English	Portuguese	Japanese	Definition
Drilling	Treino Técnico	Uchikomi	Repeated practice of techniques
Rolling	Rolar	Randori	Free sparring practice
Positional Sparring	Treino Específico	—	Sparring from specific positions
Flow Rolling	Rolar Leve	—	Continuous movement without resistance

Competition Points (IBJJF)

Action	Portuguese	Points
Takedown	Queda	2
Sweep	Raspagem	2
Guard Pass	Passagem de Guarda	3
Knee on Belly	Joelho na Barriga	2
Mount	Montada	4
Back Control	Pegada das Costas	4

Belt System

Belt	Portuguese	Time at Belt
White	Faixa Branca	1-2 years
Blue	Faixa Azul	2-3 years
Purple	Faixa Roxa	1.5-2 years
Brown	Faixa Marrom	1-2 years
Black	Faixa Preta	Lifetime

Body Mechanics Terms

Term	Portuguese	Definition
Frames	Estrutura	Skeletal structure to maintain space
Posture	Postura	Proper spine and body alignment
Base	Base	Stable foundation, usually three points
Leverage	Alavanca	Mechanical advantage using fulcrums
Weight Distribution	Distribuição de Peso	How body weight is allocated

Common Phrases

English	Portuguese	When to Use
"Let's roll"	"Vamos rolar"	Starting sparring
"Good roll"	"Bom treino"	After sparring
"One more time"	"Mais uma vez"	Repeat technique
"Relax"	"Relaxa"	Don't use strength
"Hip out"	"Sai o quadril"	Move hips away

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Related Resources

• Map of Combat - Visual overview
• Quick Reference - Position cheat sheets
• Beginner's Journey - Structured learning