This article is for you if you’ve ever wanted to become a solid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced martial artist, this article will bring 7 highly effective techniques to your attention.
Although you likely came across most of these throughout your BJJ training, knowing they’re the best will help you use them more often. As a result, you’ll win more spars, competitions, and real fights.
Surprisingly, all the submissions we’ll discuss are basic yet highly effective. As such, you won’t need to train them for months or even years until you can use them in real life. Contrary, you’ll learn them quickly, as they’re straightforward.
You could perform one of these positions if you tried to use one that didn’t work. Anyways, they all work together; consequently, you can use them one after another if one doesn’t work on the opponent.
The list is formatted as follows: #1 is the most effective BJJ position. #7 is the least effective of the list. Stay tuned to the end of the article to find out which is the most effective one!
Before we dive into the article, I wrote a piece about BJJ Gi vs. No-Gi – If you want to learn which one is the winner, follow the link!
#7 – Toreando pass
The first highly effective Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique we’ll discuss is the toreando pass. Those of you who are familiar with this technique might be pretty confused. So, let me explain myself.
Most times, the best finishes start with an accurate and effective pass. How can you expect to submit the opponent if you can’t bypass his guard? Well, you really can’t.
The toreando pass is when you pass the opponent’s guard around the legs instead of inside or under. The technique involves rapid movement and is used by many pro-BJJ fighters.
Here’s how to execute the toreando pass:
- Open the opponent’s guard
- Grab his knees
- Back away and slam his knees to the ground
- Take your legs in a wide circle
- Walk around a little bit past 90 degrees
- Force his legs in the other direction
- Establish side control
The toreando pass is one of the most critical passes in the grappling world. If you can utilize its benefits, you’ll win more matches and spars by going through the opponent’s guard unexpectedly.
It won’t take as long to learn this pass. So, I highly recommend you watch the following guide to understand the toreando pass’ basics.
And remember, the most beautiful finishes start with an excellent guard pass. Thus, don’t underestimate their importance!
I did write a comprehensive guide to the Toreando pass. Follow the link to learn how you can start mastering it yourself!
#6 – Wrist lock
Wrist locks are, in my eyes, great techniques to use in sparring, real street fights, and dangerous self-defense situations.
You can use it whenever you want and from most positions. Likewise, most BJJ practitioners, let alone the average person on the street, won’t see the wrist lock coming.
However, a warning before we move on: it can be an excruciating submission. Use it with caution, especially in training. It can end up injuring yourself and the person you’re fighting against. But, of course, don’t hesitate to use it if the situation calls for it.
Here’s how to execute the wrist lock:
- Gain elbow control
- Gain arm control
- Grab the opponent’s wrist
- Twist it in any direction.
- Stop when the opponent taps out
I did write a complete guide to the wrist lock; follow the link to learn more about it!
Some Jiu-Jitsu practitioners claim it is a dirty technique. However, I’m afraid I have to disagree.
It’s a legitimate and legal technique, especially in real life. Martial arts, BJJ included, teach us how to fight so we can defend ourselves if we ever need to.
A well-executed wrist lock can be everything you need to finish an opponent.
However, in training, it’s easy to injure your training pal. Hence, have extra care and focus when you use it. Then, stop the fight and release the pressure when you feel the tap-out coming.
If you want to learn how to win more BJJ fights, follow the link!
#5 – Kimura
Kimura is one of these techniques you must know – if you’re training in BJJ. It’s not even as complicated as the others.
You can perform the Kimura from many positions, even when the opponent is in his guard position.
The basics of Kimura are isolating the shoulder joint from the body.
Here’s how you perform the Kimura: (From a full-guard position)
- Grab the opponent’s elbows
- Pull them toward you
- Turn to the left and come up toward his elbow
- Glue his elbow to your chest
- Grip his wrists (with a c-grip)
- Turn your entire body to the right (while grabbing his elbow)
- Wait for the tap-out
Now, you might find an issue with more muscular guys, as you’ll need to use more force (which you might sometimes not have)
In that case, you want to tighten your elbows and not have them as far away from the opponent’s body. Then, you can slide to the side, allowing you to use your entire body compared to just your arms. Here’s how it looks:
If you want to learn the Kimura, a highly effective BJJ finishing move, follow the link!
#4 – Triangle choke
If you have never heard of the triangle choke, be prepared to be amazed. It’s one of the most popular and effective grappling techniques Jiu-Jitsu offers.
You can use it from many positions, including the full guard, while in mount or side mount. These are the most common positions; however, executing it from a side mount is more complex than in the bottom—from the guard or open guard.
Because of its effectiveness, the triangle choke is one of the most important grapples worth knowing. You can’t really go wrong if you decide to use it.
Here’s how you perform the triangle choke:
- Be at the bottom
- Have the opponent’s arms between your legs
- Get into pre-triangle (have your legs wrapped around him)
- Pull your legs down (to apply more pressure)
- Wait for the tap-out
The following section will discuss the armbar. However, it’s important to mention something before we do that. You can quite easily switch from the triangle choke to the armbar.
I’ve seen a few advanced practitioners do it, and they have found significant success. So, don’t be afraid to switch back and forth between techniques until something sticks, especially when you’re more advanced.
I wrote a complete guide to the Triangle choke; follow the link to learn more.
#3 – Armbar
The armbar is a popular grappling technique because of its: 1. effectiveness – and 2. simplicity. It’s always this combination of effectiveness and simplicity that makes the absolute best techniques in the world of martial arts.
Executing the armbar will require pre-planning so as to surprise the opponent. For example, if you go strictly by the book, it might be challenging to avoid the opponent avoiding your armbar.
The fundamentals of the armbar are trapping the opponent’s arm in between your legs. If you can do that, you’ll be controlling the fight.
If you can get the armbar in a street fight, you can cause so much pain the attacker will be forced to surrender. However, you can apply slight pressure to show you can go more until authorities solve the situation. Remember, you can always use small amounts of pressure in a self-defense scenario to gain control over the situation.
Here’s how to perform the armbar: (One variation)
- Be on top (guard position)
- Get close to the opponent
- He will push you now (a natural defensive instinct)
- One arm goes over, one under
- Slide to the direction of his arm
- Pass your leg through (the one you slid)
- Sit
- Control his hand
- Raise your hip
- Hyperextend his elbow
The armbar has many variations. Therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with all of them, allowing you to use and defend them.
I have a complete guide to the Armbar on my website. Follow the link to learn how you can start practicing the Armbar yourself!
#2 – Rear naked choke
The rear naked choke is a classic submission used in many martial arts. The naked refers to not having to wear a Gi, as many grappling techniques require utilizing the opponent’s Gi for leverage and momentum.
The rear naked choke is famous because of its simplicity. It’ll take about 10 seconds (sometimes much less) to make the opponent go to sleep. Likewise, the recovery time will be about the same.
You have to have control over the opponent’s back to perform the rear naked choke. You can use various passes to ensure such a position occurs. Although it might seem simple to execute, the pre-execution may be more difficult than the actual technique.
Here’s how to perform the rear naked choke:
- Start behind your opponent
- One hand goes over the shoulder
- The other hand goes under the armpit (this hand holds the other hand)
- Grab his shoulder with the one hand
- Grab this hand with the other hand
- Pull backward
- Pull your forearm down (to create more force)
- Wait for the tap-out
Performing the rear naked choke really is not that difficult. You’ll need a bit of practice and an understanding of the main concepts; that’s it. After that, it won’t be long before you can use it in real life and spars.
I decided to list this technique as far up the list because it’s simple. Yet, it’s one of the most effective BJJ positions if you perform it accordingly.
If you have wondered whether BJJ is effective against bigger/stronger opponents, follow the link to see the answer.
#1 – Straight arm lock
You can perform the straight arm lock from many positions, including from side control. This section will focus on such a position and how to perform the straight arm lock from side control. But do know that you can achieve it from other positions.
You can move to the straight arm lock from the Kimura. This combination is wildly successful because they complete each other (when you have side control.)
When you try to perform the Kimura from the side, you’re not as likely to force the opponent to tap out, especially if he’s stronger/bigger than you. In that case, moving to the straight arm lock is your best bet.
Here’s how to perform the straight arm lock from side control:
- Gain side control
- Lock the opponent’s hand with your biceps
- Put your hand on the ground
- Grab the opponent’s wrist
- Pull outward
- You won’t need as much force to force the opponent to tap out
- Apply pressure
- Wait for the tap out
The straight arm lock doesn’t need as much pressure to cause high physical pain. Thus, be careful when applying sudden pressure, especially when in training. You can end up hurting your training partner this way.
I have a complete guide to the Straight arm lock, so follow the link to learn how to start learning it today!
When should I learn these Jiu-Jitsu techniques?
As I mentioned in this article, all these techniques are highly effective but basic and straightforward. Thus, you can start learning them when you first step onto the mat.
Of course, you’ll have to learn the basics of BJJ before even considering honing your wrist lock. However, you can start learning and perfecting them after you finish learning the basics, hence, guards, mounts, and basic passes.
Learning these grappling positions will make you a much more capable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. Likewise, they’ll help you win more fights by familiarizing yourself with them and learning the fundamental defensive moves against them.
As you can imagine, your opponent likely knows these positions as well. Thus, you must focus on your defensive intuitions as much as your offensive ones, if not more.
The primary rule of thumb is you can learn these techniques the moment you understand essential guards, passes, and mounts! Hopefully, this motivates you to start.
If you want to learn about the rear naked choke and how you can start winning more fights with it, follow the link to a complete guide I wrote on the topic.
How can I learn BJJ techniques faster?
Progressing faster is a highly desirable trait, especially for those wanting to become solid fighters quickly. Nonetheless, I don’t know many people who wouldn’t want to see results sooner. As such, here’s how to learn BJJ techniques, or ground grappling, faster.
You can learn BJJ techniques (submissions/grappling) faster by constantly perfecting your basics (guards and mounts.) If you understand these basic concepts, learning new offensive or defense techniques will be much easier than for those not always working on their basics.
As mentioned in the video, learning the most effective BJJ techniques shouldn’t take too long. But, it can be pretty easy to misunderstand the small details.
Understanding and applying small details in your game is the difference between good and excellent BJJ fighters.
Be careful not to fall into the trap of expecting to see results sooner than in reality. Your motivation will significantly decrease if you expect to see results and not see them.
If you want to learn about the Triangle choke and what makes it so effective, follow the link!
Final words
We’re already in the end, wow! I’ve had a blast writing this guide, as I want more people to start their BJJ journeys. Therefore, I hope this guide did its job and motivated you to either keep or start learning martial arts.
I’m confident that BJJ is one of the world’s most effective, practical, and applicable martial arts.
If you desire to become a solid fighter, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the many benefits and techniques BJJ teaches. In that case, you better start training as soon as possible, so you can start working on the most powerful BJJ techniques I mentioned in this article.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you’d also enjoy reading about BJJ’s belt ranking system and how it works.