BJJ Tutorial Encyclopedia
Andrew Smith is a 3rd-degree BJJ black belt based out of Richmond, VA (Revolution BJJ). He runs BJJ Path, a video tutorial website.
What this page is
The intention of this page is simply to categorize and link to all of my BJJ tutorials. I've broken them down by category (just click the broad category to find any lesson you're looking for):
As a result, some fit into multiple categories, so there are some that are listed more than once. Hopefully this will help you figure out where to go if you're struggling with a position, or if you just want to learn more about a technique. If you're looking for the crazier side of things, check out Break All the BJJ Rules and Get Away With It. Happy training!
Kimuras
- How to pass the guard using the Kimura
- How to "Catch the Trail Arm" and Get the Kimura Grip - a BJJ Tutorial
- Advanced Kimura Grip Concepts: Trail Arm Catch Leg Entanglement
- Kimuras from the Bottom: the Stepover Finish and Armbar
- The Re-Kimura
- Advanced Kimura Grip "Trail Arm" Concepts
- Kimura Grip Trail Arm Series: Chaining and El Gato
- Advanced Kimura Grip Concepts: the "Trade"
- Kimura Attacks from the Bottom Half Guard
- Advanced Kimura Attacks from Half Guard Bottom
- Kimuras from the Takedown Attempt
- Countering the Spinning Armbar from the Bottom with a Kimura
- Executing a Spinning Armbar from the Kimura, and the Reverse
- How to Do a Head Scissors (Carlson Gracie Choke)
- How to Use the Kimura from the Turtle Position in BJJ
- BJJ Kimura Grip Rolling Back Take
- How to Dig Out a Kimura
- 3 Ways to Finish a Stepover Kimura
- Kimura From Side Control
Triangles
- Closed Guard Triangle Set Ups
- Overhook Triangle Setups
- Scissor Guard Triangle Set Ups
- Triangle Maintenance - Dealing with the Hand in the Collar
- How to Set Up the Triangle Choke from Side Control
- Shin on Shin and Open Guard Triangles - a Brief BJJ Tutorial
- Setting up the Reverse Triangle and Dealing with the Hidden Arm
- Dealing with Tall Posture in the Triangle
- Double Under Pass Defense to Triangle Choke Set Ups
- Triangles from the Back Mount and Turtle Position
- Fine Tuning Your Triangle Choke Finish
- Details on How to Finish a Triangle Choke
- 8 Alternative Finishes from the Triangle Choke Position
- How to Catch a Triangle on a Stubborn Opponent
- Hip Bump Sweep Triangle Set Up
- 3 Different Types of Triangle Choke
Revolution BJJ/Absolute Jiu Jitsu
Leglocks
- How to Do a Kneebar in BJJ
- How to Set Up a Toe Hold
- Leglocks from the Knee Cut Guard Pass Position
- Fancy and Funky Leglocks!
- Leglocks from the Top of Reverse De La Riva Guard
- Setting Up Heel Hooks from the Bottom
- How to kneebar someone from the bottom of half guard
- Vaporizer Leglock Setups and Finishes
- Alternate Finishes from the Toe Hold
- Super Sneaky Ninja Toe Hold Attacks: a BJJ Leglock Tutorial
- Heel Hooks from Combat Base
- Leg Locks from Mount (Bottom!): a BJJ Tutorial
- How to Set Up a Heel Hook Leglock from Deep Half Guard
- How to Do an Inverted Heel Hook
- Leglocks From Side Control
- How to Escape the Straight Ankle Lock
- X-Guard Leglocks
- How to Escape a Heel Hook
- "Bear Trap" Calf Slicer and Sweep Set Up
- The Straight Ankle Lock for BJJ
- Belly-Down, Straight-Ankle Lock
- 3 Ways to Get to the Backstep/Kneebar Position
- Modified X-Guard (and Footlocks)
- Sweeping Into Straight Ankle Locks
- Single Leg X-Guard
- How to Escape a Kneebar
Armbars
- How to Finish an Armbar When They Grab One Arm
- How to Finish the Armbar: The RNC Defense Grip Break
- Standing Sweeps Into Armbars
- How to Use the Lapel to Set Up an Armbar from Guard in BJJ
- How to Do a Belly Down Armbar from Guard
- How to Set Up a Tight Armbar from Guard
- How to Break Grips on an Armbar Defense
- How to Wristlock Against a Lapel Grab Armbar Defense
- How to Do an Armbar from the Back
- How to Switch From Omoplata to Armbar
- Side-Switch Armbar From Closed Guard
- How to Defend the Armbar From the Back
- How to Maintain the Armbar Finish Position (Top)
- How to Use the "Pocket" Grip to Control and Finish the Armbar
- How to Defend an Armbar From Guard
Revolution BJJ
Miscellaneous Submissions
- How to Reverse Armbar in BJJ (Butterfly Guard)
- Three Nasty Omoplata Finishes
- How to Do a Wristlock
- How to Set Up a Monoplata
- How to Set Up Lapel Guard for BJJ (and Catch a Triangle)
- Details on How to Finish a Triangle Choke
- Basic Gi Chokes from the Back: a BJJ Tutorial
- How to Do a Head Scissors (Carlson Gracie Choke)
- Three Easy Omoplata Set Ups
- How to Do the Clock Choke in BJJ (and Defend It)
- Omoplata Troubleshooting
- How to Cross Choke from the Mount
- Sneaky Cross Choke from Open Guard
- X-guard Sweeps Into Submissions
- The Loop Choke
- Guillotine Variations
- How to Ezekiel Choke Someone
- How to Switch From Omoplata to Armbar
- Brabo Choke
- How to Defend a Guillotine Choke
- How to Defend a Brabo Choke from Turtle (and Take the Back!)
- The Rolling Loop Choke
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Revolution BJJ
Closed guard
- Standing Sweeps Into Armbars
- The Closed Guard "Xande" Sweep
- Closed Guard Cross Grip Arm Drag Sweep Series (a Goatfury BJJ Tutorial)
- Closed Guard Overhook Combinations
- Setting Up and Finishing the Arm Triangle from the Bottom
- Closed guard Triangle Set Ups
- Shawn Williams/Old School Rubber Guard Submissions
- How to Use the Lapel to Set Up an Armbar from Guard in BJJ
- How to Pull Guard for BJJ Competition
- How to use Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Defend Against Punches on the Ground
- Sweeping to S-Mount
- How to Break Posture in Closed Guard
- How to Do a Pendulum Sweep
- Hip Bump Sweep Triangle Set Up
- How to Defend Against the X-Choke From Closed Guard
- 5 Different Ways to Pull Guard
- Side-Switch Armbar From Closed Guard
- How to Do an Overhead (Balloon) Sweep
- How to Prevent the Tozi/São Paulo Pass
Revolution BJJ
Open guard
- Butterfly Guard
- How to Do a Tripod Sweep
- Advanced Waiter Sweep Options from Deep Half Guard
- Deep half guard tutorial - entries and sweeps (sport BJJ)
- Taking the Back from Deep Half Guard: a BJJ Tutorial
- Basic Half Guard Tutorial
- Half Guard Sweeps - "Old School"
- Basic De La Riva Guard
- De La Riva Guard "Ball and Chain" Sweep Series
- Basic Deep De La Riva Guard: a BJJ Sweeps Tutorial
- Using Lapel Guard to Set Up the Omoplata (BJJ Tutorial)
- How to Set Up Lapel Guard for BJJ (and Catch a Triangle) - a Tutorial
- Lasso Guard BJJ Tutorial: Setting Up Triangles and Omoplatas
- Reverse De La Riva Guard: Taking the Back
- How to Set Up Worm Guard
- Wormimbolo BJJ Tutorial - Using the Worm Guard to Set Up a Berimbolo
- Reverse De La Riva Guard Sweeps for No-Gi
- 3 Advanced Options from 50/50 Position
- Spider Guard for BJJ
- How to Spider Guard Sweep a Standing Opponent
- Attacking From the Guard Pull
- How to Use Overhooks in Butterfly Guard
- Sneaky Cross Choke from Open Guard
- How to Reverse Armbar in BJJ (Butterfly Guard)
- X-guard Sweeps Into Submissions
- Butterfly Half Guard
- Scissor Half Guard
- X-Guard Leglocks
- How to Set Up X-Guard
- "Bear Trap" Calf Slicer and Sweep Set Up
- How to Take the Back From X-Guard
- The Easiest BJJ Sweep
- How to Take the Back From Half Guard (Bottom)
- How to Take the Back From De La Riva Guard
- How to Get From Spider Guard to X-Guard
- How to Arm Drag From Butterfly Guard
- The Sickle Sweep for BJJ
- Modified X-Guard (and Footlocks)
- How to Do an Overhead (Balloon) Sweep
- "Shin on Shin" for BJJ
- The Rolling Loop Choke
- Shaolin Sweep
- Sweeping Into Straight Ankle Locks
- Single Leg X-Guard
Revolution BJJ
Passing the guard
- How to Do a Knee Cut Guard Pass
- How to Do a Leg Staple Guard Pass
- How to Pass Butterfly Guard
- 3 Low Butterfly Guard Passes for BJJ Competition
- How to Do an X-Pass in BJJ
- Deep Lasso Guard Pass to Half Guard Smash
- Tozi/Wilson Guard Pass (part 1)
- Tozi/Sao Paulo/Wilson Pass - uncrossing the feet and finishing the pass
- Tozi (Sao Paulo/Wilson) Pass Details Part 4: Windshield Wiper Finish
- Tozi/Sao Paulo/Wilson Pass - No-Gi Troubleshooting Details
- Arm Trap (Dirtball) Pass: Tozi Pass Tutorial Part 5
- Advanced Knee Cut Pass Variations
- Passing Reverse De La Riva Guard
- Passing Leg Lasso Guard: Deep Hook
- How to Pass Leg Lasso Guard (Shallow)
- Duckunder Counter to the Berimbolo
- Leg Drag to Back Take (a BJJ Tutorial)
- Passing 50/50 guard for BJJ (and taking the back)
- How to Pass the Half Guard: The Hip-Switch Method
- How to Open the Closed Guard
- Leg Staple Guard Pass Combinations
- How to Do a Backstep Guard Pass
- Four Basic Ways to Pass the Guard
- 3 Ways to Get to the Backstep/Kneebar Position
- 7 Toreando Guard Pass Variations
- The "Tripod" Guard Pass for Half Guard
- How to Pass Spider Guard
- The "Logsplitter" (Biceps) Guard Opening
- How to Pass Scissor Half Guard (Z Guard)
- How to Defend Against the X-Choke From Closed Guard
- Knee Cut Guard Pass - Dealing With the Scissor Defense
- Maintaining Posture in Closed Guard
- How to Leg Drag Guard Pass
- How to Crossface to Pass Half Guard
- Yogafoot for BJJ
- The Double Under Guard Pass
- The Over/Under Guard Pass
Guard maintenance
- Preventing the Guard Pass
- Basic Guard Maintenance Drills
- Double Under Stack Pass Defense 1
- Double Under Stack Pass Defense 2
- Turning Away Safely to Turtle and Recovering Guard
- Dealing with pants grips
- Countering the Hip Switch from Half Guard (or a Kimura Attempt)
- How to Defend the Over/Under Pass Defense (and Set Up a Crucifix)
- Knee Cut Pass Defenses (Late Stage)
- Countering the Twister Pass for BJJ
- Backstep Deep Half Guard Pass: Sweeping and Taking the Back from the Bottom
- How to Defend the Toreando "Bullfighter" Guard Pass
- Single Leg X-Guard
- The Movable Frame Concept in BJJ (a Guard Maintenance Deep Dive)
- How to Prevent the Tozi/São Paulo Pass
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Mount
- Reverse Armbar from Mount - a Goatfury BJJ Tutorial
- How to Establish S-Mount
- Transitioning from Reverse Armbar to S-Mount
- Leg Locks from Mount (Bottom!)
- How to Cross Choke from the Mount
- Double Attack From Mount
- Sweeping to S-Mount
- Technical Mount
- 4 Ways to Get to Mount From Side Control
- 4 Ways to Get to the Mount Position
The Back
- How to Do an Armbar from the Back
- How to Counter a Ninja Roll in BJJ
- How to Ninja Roll in BJJ
- Basic Gi Chokes from the Back: a BJJ Tutorial
- Triangles from the Back Mount and Turtle Position: a BJJ Tutorial
- Escaping the Harness
- Leg Drag to Back Take
- Reverse De La Riva Guard: Taking the Back
- Taking the Back from Deep Half Guard: a BJJ Tutorial
- How to Do the Clock Choke in BJJ (and Defend It)
- How to Set Up a Crucifix
- How to Take the Back From X-Guard
- How to Escape the Back From the Knees
- 3 Ways to Use a Duckunder
- How to Take the Back From De La Riva Guard
- 3 Ways to Take the Back from Side Control
- How to Defend the Armbar From the Back
- How to Defend a Brabo Choke from Turtle (and Take the Back!)
- How to Take the Back From Turtle
Side Control and Knee on Stomach
- How to Set Up a Mounted Triangle Using the Lapel
- How to Set Up the Triangle Choke from Side Control
- Unconventional Side Control Escapes: a BJJ Tutorial
- How to Attack From North/South in BJJ
- How to Do a Spinning Armbar
- Side Control Troubleshooting: How to Control the Inside Arm
- 3 Ways to Take the Back from Side Control
- Bridge and Roll Escape From Side Control
- How to Use Shoulder Pressure
- Kimura From Side Control
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Revolution BJJ
Escapes
- Skateboard Escape from the Back to Deep Half
- Bow and Arrow Choke Escape
- Escaping the Triangle Choke
- The "Crunch and Turn" Basic Back Escape
- How to Escape the Mount by Catching the Foot: a Basic BJJ Tutorial
- Unconventional Side Control Escapes
- Escaping from S-Mount and Technical Mount into Leglocks
- Escaping the Harness
- Escaping the Back Take from Turtle
- Countering the Twister Pass for BJJ
- How to Escape Side Control: Modified Kesa Gatame
- How to Escape an Armbar (in the Gi)
- How to Escape Knee on Stomach
- How to Escape the Straight Ankle Lock
- How to Escape the Omoplata
- How to Escape a Heel Hook
- How to Escape a Headlock
- How to Escape the Back From the Knees
- 7 Ways to Escape Side Control
- Bridge and Roll Escape From Side Control
- How to Defend a Guillotine Choke
- How to Defend Against the X-Choke From Closed Guard
- How to Defend an Armbar From Guard
- How to Defend and Escape the Cross Choke (X-Choke)
- How to Escape a Kneebar
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Recommended moves for beginners and white belts
Although any of the above techniques can potentially be executed by any skill level, certain moves are going to be considered much more fundamental and important for building a strong game from the bottom up.
- Fine Tuning Your Triangle Choke Finish
- Details on How to Finish a Triangle Choke - a BJJ Tutorial
- Setting Up and Finishing the Arm Triangle from the Bottom
- Closed guard Triangle Set Ups
- Basic Half Guard Tutorial
- Basic Guard Maintenance Drills
- Basic Gi Chokes from the Back: a BJJ Tutorial
- Escaping the Harness
- The "Crunch and Turn" Basic Back Escape
- How to Escape the Mount by Catching the Foot: a Basic BJJ Tutorial
- Four Basic Ways to Pass the Guard
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Takedowns and throws based largely off judo and wrestling constitute a huge portion of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game. Here are some throws and takedowns that work well in a jiu jitsu context, along with a few conceptual tutorials that deal with a much broader scope.
- 3 Judo Throws for BJJ
- Sacrifice Throws for BJJ
- Kimuras From the Takedown Attempt
- Combinations in BJJ
- 3 Different Types of Partner Drills for BJJ
- 5 Different Ways to Pull Guard
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Comments or suggestions?
If you've got any thoughts on the way this is organized, good or bad, feel free to let me know! I want this to be easy to use, and I want it to help you get better at jiu jitsu.
About the author
Andrew Smith teaches gi and no-gi seminars across the country. Check out his schedule of upcoming seminars and bio here. If you're interested in booking Andrew for a seminar, email him here.
Comments
Andrew Smith (author) from Richmond, VA on December 29, 2017:
Thanks, George! Stop by any time.
george george on December 29, 2017:
Nice work you did there.
Andrew Smith (author) from Richmond, VA on November 03, 2016:
Awesome! Glad to help out.
Kretzkid on November 03, 2016:
Amazing stuff! Can't wait to go through it all, I've learned a lot already!
Andrew Smith (author) from Richmond, VA on October 09, 2016:
Glad to hear it, Patrick! Please feel free to share this page.
Patrick on October 09, 2016:
This is awesome! I've been a subscriber of your youtube channel for years now but found this page only today by accident. Thanks a lot for sharing and all the hard work!
Andrew Smith (author) from Richmond, VA on May 27, 2016:
Good call, Alex! I'll add some in over time. :)
AlexR on May 26, 2016:
great job, but where is the take down section?
