The bottom player in a blue gi locks closed guard around a kneeling partner in a black gi and talks through a detail.

A BJJ study companion

Find the right lesson for the position you are in.

FiveStripe organises public instructionals by position and technique, so you can easily review positions or techniques from your training.

26 positions · 225 techniques · Beginner path

Explore positions

Start from where you are on the mat.

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Standing

Two grapplers stand face to face on the mats, one holding a collar grip and a sleeve grip.

Standing

Every match starts here. Grip fighting, takedowns, guard pulls and the defence that stops you being taken down.

48 resources · 2 variants

Guards

Closed Guard

Legs locked around the opponent's waist. The classic BJJ position - a fortress for the bottom player and a puzzle for the top player.

72 resources · 2 variants

Half Guard

One of the opponent's legs is trapped between yours. A crossroads position that both players pass through constantly.

85 resources · 5 variants

Butterfly Guard

Seated with both feet hooked inside the opponent's thighs. The best guard for lifting and sweeping a kneeling opponent, gi or no-gi.

27 resources · 2 variants

De La Riva Guard

Your outside leg wraps around the opponent's lead leg from the outside. The gateway to berimbolos, back takes and countless sweeps.

33 resources · 2 variants

Reverse De La Riva

Your inside leg hooks the opponent's lead leg from the inside while a knee shield keeps them off you. The no-gi answer to knee cut passers.

22 resources · 2 variants

Spider Guard

Feet on the opponent's biceps with sleeve grips. A gi guard that controls posture at range and feeds triangles, omoplatas and sweeps.

19 resources · 2 variants

Lasso Guard

One leg threaded over the opponent's arm and under their armpit with a sleeve grip. The stickiest gi guard for stopping passes and setting up omoplatas.

17 resources · 2 variants

Collar Sleeve Guard

A cross collar grip and a same-side sleeve grip with a foot on the bicep or hip. A simple, powerful gi open guard built around the triangle and omoplata.

16 resources · 2 variants

X-Guard

Underneath a standing opponent with your legs crossed around one of their legs and their other leg on your shoulder. A sweeping position that almost always ends on top.

29 resources · 2 variants

Single Leg X-Guard

Both legs controlling one of the opponent's legs with your outside foot on their hip. Equal parts sweeping guard and leg lock entry.

32 resources · 2 variants

K-Guard

A hooking leg behind the opponent's knee with your arm underhooking the same leg. The modern no-gi guard for entering the saddle, 50/50 and back takes.

23 resources · 2 variants

The bottom player wraps the standing opponent's lead leg while holding the gi lapel, in a worm-guard entry.

Lapel Guards

Open guards that wrap the opponent's own lapel around their leg. Slow, suffocating gi guards made famous by Keenan Cornelius.

19 resources · 2 variants

Open Guard

Everything that is not closed guard. The concepts of distance, frames, hooks and retention that every specific open guard relies on.

49 resources · 3 variants

Passing

Guard Passing

Getting past the legs. The passing positions and systems - standing, pressure, headquarters, body lock and leg drag - that turn any guard into side control or mount.

85 resources · 5 variants

Pins

Side Control

Chest to chest, perpendicular to the opponent. The first pin most passes arrive at, and the position everyone needs to be able to escape.

75 resources · 2 variants

The top player sits beside the opponent and wraps the head and near arm in the scarf hold kesa-gatame.

Kesa Gatame (Scarf Hold)

Sitting beside the opponent with their head under your arm and their arm trapped. A judo pin that BJJ players love to hate - heavy, hard to escape and full of submissions.

17 resources · 2 variants

The top player plants one knee in the bottom player's torso with the other leg posted for base.

Knee on Belly

Your knee across the opponent's stomach with your other foot posted wide. A mobile, painful pin that scores points and forces reactions.

21 resources · 2 variants

North-South

Chest on chest with your head at the opponent's hips and theirs at yours. A stalling pin with one famous choke and a lot of kimuras.

22 resources · 2 variants

Mount

Sitting on the opponent's torso with your knees on the mat. The most dominant pin in the rules and the one every beginner must learn to escape.

73 resources · 3 variants

Back and crucifix

Back Control

Behind the opponent with hooks or a body triangle and the seatbelt grip. The most dominant position in jiu-jitsu and home of the rear naked choke.

45 resources · 2 variants

Crucifix

Behind a turtled opponent with one of their arms trapped between your legs and the other controlled by your arms. A back-take variant with brutal chokes and shoulder locks.

20 resources · 2 variants

Turtle

On hands and knees, curled up. A transitional position where the bottom player is safe from points but exposed to the back.

37 resources · 2 variants

Front headlock

Front Headlock

The opponent's head is under your chest and controlled by your arms. The hub for guillotines, D'Arces, anacondas and go-behinds.

30 resources · 2 variants

Leg entanglements

The bottom player wraps both legs around one of a standing opponent's legs in ashi-garami.

Leg Entanglements

Positions where your legs control one of the opponent's legs. The leg lock game - ashi garami, the saddle, 50/50 and outside ashi - plus how to defend it.

70 resources · 5 variants