6 Important Beginner BJJ Techniques

Beginner Technique 1: Guard Replacement with Hip Escape

Why? You’ll use this side control escape more than any other side control escape from your first rolls right up to black belt.

You have to learn to move your hips on the bottom for all escapes and this is the first one you should learn.  It teaches you the 2 most important hip movements for escaping from the bottom in BJJ:

• Bridging
• Hip escape

Replacing guard is your number one priority when your opponent has passed your guard.  And if you become skilled at this side control escape technique then you’ll also learn a lot about guard retention in BJJ – the movements can be very similar with a lot of carry-over between techniques.

Common Mistake: Trying to bench press your opponent off of you instead of using your arms to create “frames”

Beginner Technique 2: Scissor Sweep

Why?  This sweep teaches you all of the elements that are used in all other guard sweeps:

1. Breaking the opponent’s balance
2. Moving your hips to create an angle
3. Controlling grips so opponent can’t posture or post a hand
4. Using the power of your legs instead of your upper body

The scissors sweep combines very well with many other guard techniques (the triangle and cross collar choke, for example) in combination attacks.

The scissor sweep was the first technique in BJJ that I could actually get on people in live sparring!

Common Mistake: Most beginners fail to execute a sharp pull to off balance the opponent before attempting to scissor the legs.

Beginner Technique 3: Triangle Choke from Guard

Why? The triangle choke is one of the signature submissions in BJJ.  It works from white belt all the way to the highest levels of MMA and international competition, both gi and no-gi.

The triangle choke teaches you how to use your legs to attack and choke your opponent.  It is the primary threat from the bottom when you’re confronted with a larger, stronger opponent or a superior wrestler whom you are unable to reverse and obtain the top position.

The triangle choke is very versatile and can be setup many different ways from the different guards.  First you’ll learn how to correctly perform the mechanics of the basic triangle choke and in the future, you will discover that many different roads lead there.

Common Mistake: Attacking the triangle when the opponent has a strong posture. Posture is the best defense against the triangle and if you are attacking the triangle while your opponent has a strong defense then your success rate will be low.

Technique 5: “Upa” / Bridge and Roll Escape vs Mount

Why? Powerful hip bridges are the beginning to nearly ALL escapes on the ground.

It is critical to learn to utilize the power of your hips and explosive bridge to escape the mount. One of the principles of BJJ is employing your strongest muscle groups whenever you can.  For this escape you’re using your thighs, hamstrings and lower back instead of relying on the strength of your arms to push him off of you.

Bench pressing your way out of mount gives your opponent an almost automatic armbar.  Pushing with the arms is a habit that new students must abandon as soon as possible when learning BJJ.  The bridge and roll gives the student a high-percentage escape from the bottom, without which he is often stuck, or worse, gives up their back!

Common Mistake: Not trapping the opponent’s arm when bridging. The opponent may then post the arm defensively and maintain their top position.

Beginner Technique 6: Elbow to Knee Escape vs Mount

Why?  When you combine the elbow to knee escape with the bridge and roll escape  you’ll learn to combine bridging and shrimping movements to escape bottom positions.

And when you combine it with technique #1 (guard replacement with hip escape vs side mount) you’ll also learn how to frame with your arms, bridge to create space and move the hips.

You’ll use this escape in your BJJ fundamentals class and you’ll see it used in the UFC. It is that important to all levels, and especially in the first 2 years of your BJJ training you will definitely need your escapes, so drill this technique a lot!

Common Mistake: Not moving the hips enough to create the room you need to wedge your knee inside. Many warmups start with the shrimp movement and this technique is a perfect example of how to use it for real!