柔の道
Every word this journal leans on, in twelve languages: what it means, said plainly, and the posts where it shows up.
You are on your back or seated, using your legs between you and the other person. Sounds bad, is actually a fighting position with attacks. Comes in flavors: closed, open, half.
GuardGuardaガード가드防守（guard）防守（guard）Guardiaالغارد (الحرس)Гард (защита)La gardeGardaGuard
Sitting on someone's torso. If you are on top, good. If you are under it, you are working on the worst real estate in the sport.
MountMontadaマウント마운트骑乘（mount）騎乘（mount）Montadaالماونت (الامتطاء)МаунтLa montée (mount)Mount (dosiad)Mount
Chest-to-chest at a right angle, legs free. Heavy.
Side controlCem quilosサイドコントロール사이드 컨트롤侧压（side control）側壓（side control）Control lateralالسيطرة الجانبيةСайд-контрольLe contrôle latéralSide control (boczne trzymanie)Side Control
Behind someone with your legs hooked in. The best position in jiu-jitsu. Their best position when it happens to you is called learning.
Back controlPegada das costasバックコントロール백 컨트롤背后控制（back control）背後控制（back control）Control de espaldaالسيطرة على الظهرКонтроль спиныLa prise de dosKontrola plecówBack Control
From guard, flipping the person on top so you end up on top.
SweepRaspagemスイープ스윕扫倒（sweep）掃倒（sweep）Raspaje (sweep)السحب (السويب)Свип (переворот)Le balayage (sweep)Sweep (przewrócenie)Sweep
Getting around someone's legs (their guard) to a dominant position.
PassPassagemパスガード패스过腿（pass）過腿（pass）Paseتجاوز الغارد (الباس)Проход гардаLe passage de gardePrzejście gardyPassen
A choke or joint lock that ends the round when the other person taps. Subs, for short.
SubmissionFinalizaçãoサブミッション서브미션降服（submission）降伏（submission）SumisiónالإخضاعБолевой/удушающий (сабмишн)La soumissionPoddanie (submission)Submission
Patting your partner or the mat (twice, clearly) to say stop, you got me. Verbal "tap" counts. It resets the round, not your dignity.
TapBaterタップ탭拍垫（tap）拍墊（tap）Tocar (tap)الطبطبة (التاب)Стук (тап)TaperKlepnięcie (tap)Abklopfen (Tap)
Sparring. Free practice against resistance, usually five or six minute rounds.
RollRolarローリング롤링滚（rolling）滾（rolling）RodarالرولينغРоллRoulerRolowanieRollen
Repeating a technique on a cooperative partner. Most of class.
DrillDrillドリル드릴对练（drill）對練（drill）DrillالدريلДриллDrillerDrillowanieDrillen
The hip-escape movement from the warm-up. You move along the mat like a shrimp. It is the most used movement in the art and the reason warm-ups exist.
ShrimpFuga de quadrilエビ새우 빼기虾行（shrimp）蝦行（shrimp）Escape de cadera (shrimp)حركة الجمبريКреветкаLe shrimpKrewetka (shrimp)Shrimpen
Breaking balance before a technique. The reason your sweeps fail.
Kuzushi (崩し)Kuzushi (崩し)崩し쿠즈시(崩し)崩し（kuzushi）崩し（kuzushi）Kuzushi (崩し)كوزوشي (崩し)Кудзуси (崩し)Kuzushi (崩し)Kuzushi (崩し)Kuzushi (崩し)
An all-purpose grunt of acknowledgment borrowed from Japanese martial culture. Means yes, hello, understood, respect, depending on context. Use sparingly until you absorb your gym's dialect.
Oss / osuOss / osuオス／押忍오스(押忍)Oss / 押忍Oss / 押忍Oss / osuأوس / أوسوОсс / осуOss / osuOss / osuOss / Osu
From 道着 (dōgi), the cotton jacket-and-pants uniform. No-gi is the same art without it.
GiKimono / gi (着)道着／ギ도복/기(着)道服 / gi（着）道服 / gi（着）Gi (着)الجي (着)Ги (着)Le gi (着)Gi (着)Gi (着)
Start with whichever one your gym actually teaches at times you can attend. The honest version of the gi versus no-gi answer, tribalism removed.
No-giNo-giノーギ노기no-gino-giNo-giالنو-جيНо-гиNo-giNo-giNo-Gi
Sparring. Free practice against resistance, usually five or six minute rounds.
SparringSparringスパーリング스파링实战實戰SparringالسبارينغСпаррингSparringSparingSparring
From back control, arms around the neck, no gi required, hence "naked." The sport's most famous ending and the reason back control is the best position in jiu-jitsu.
Rear-naked chokeMata-leãoリアネイキドチョーク（裸絞）리어 네이키드 초크裸绞（rear-naked choke）裸絞（rear-naked choke）Mataleónالرير نيكد (الخنق الخلفي العاري)Удушение сзади (rear-naked choke, мата леон)L'étranglement arrièreDuszenie zza pleców (rear-naked choke)Rear-Naked-Choke
The gi's own lapels, crossed at your neck and used against you. Being submitted by your own clothing is a rite of passage; my first one is documented in the progress post, both occurrences.
Cross-collar chokeEstrangulamento cruzadoクロスカラーチョーク（十字絞）크로스 칼라 초크十字领绞（cross-collar choke）十字領絞（cross-collar choke）Estrangulación cruzada de solapaخنق الياقة المتقاطعУдушение скрестным захватом за воротникL'étranglement croisé au colDuszenie krzyżowe za kołnierzCross-Collar-Choke (Kreuzwürger)
The front headlock choke. Famous for catching people who dive at legs with their chin up, which is why coaches keep saying chin down.
GuillotineGuilhotinaギロチン길로틴断头台（guillotine）斷頭台（guillotine）Guillotinaالغيوتين (المقصلة)ГильотинаLa guillotineGilotynaGuillotine
A choke made of someone's legs, locked around your neck and one of your own arms. Geometry as a weapon; the name describes the shape your predicament makes.
TriangleTriânguloトライアングル（三角絞め）트라이앵글(삼각 조르기)三角绞（triangle）三角絞（triangle）Triánguloالمثلث (الترايانغل)ТреугольникLe triangleTrójkątTriangle (Dreieckswürger)
A collar choke from the back where the finisher ends up shaped like an archer. Among the strongest chokes in the gi, and weirdly elegant to watch from the wall.
Bow and arrowArco e flechaボウアンドアロー보우 앤 애로우弓箭绞（bow and arrow）弓箭絞（bow and arrow）Arco y flechaالقوس والسهم«Лук и стрела»L'arc et la flèche„Łuk i strzała"Bow-and-Arrow-Choke
Their two legs and whole body against your one elbow, levered straight. Arrives slowly enough to tap to, which is the entire system working as designed.
ArmbarArmlockアームバー（腕十字）암바十字固（armbar）十字固（armbar）Armbarالأرم بار (مفصل الذراع)Армбар (рычаг локтя)La clé de bras (armbar)Balacha (armbar)Armbar (Armhebel)
A shoulder lock with the wrist held in a figure-four grip, named after the judoka Masahiko Kimura, who used it to beat Hélio Gracie in 1951. You will hear this name more than any other on this list.
KimuraKimuraキムラ키무라木村锁（kimura）木村鎖（kimura）KimuraالكيموراКимураLa kimuraKimuraKimura
The kimura's mirror image, attacking the shoulder the other direction, usually from on top. Also called the keylock.
AmericanaAmericanaアメリカーナ아메리카나美式锁（americana）美式鎖（americana）AmericanaالأمريكاناАмериканаL'américaine (americana)AmerykanaAmericana
A shoulder lock applied with the legs, from guard. The name is Portuguese for shoulder blade, and the position looks impossible the first dozen times you see it.
OmoplataOmoplataオモプラッタ오모플라타肩胛固（omoplata）肩胛固（omoplata）OmoplataالأوموبلاتاОмоплатаL'omoplataOmoplataOmoplata
The one leg attack most gyms allow early.
Straight ankle lockChave de pé retaアンクルホールド（足首固め）스트레이트 앵클락直腿踝锁（straight ankle lock）直腿踝鎖（straight ankle lock）Candado recto de tobilloقفل الكاحل المستقيمУщемление ахиллаLa clé de cheville droiteProsta dźwignia na staw skokowyGerader Fußhebel (Straight Ankle Lock)
The one most gyms forbid until upper belt, because it attacks the knee with very little warning between tight and injured. Gym rules about leg locks vary more than rules about anything else: learn yours in week one, the etiquette post's quiet-rules lesson in its sharpest form.
Heel hookChave de calcanharヒールフック힐훅希尔勾（heel hook）希爾勾（heel hook）Heel hookالهيل هوكХилхукLe heel hookHeel hookHeel Hook
From back control, arms around the neck, no gi required, hence "naked." The sport's most famous ending and the reason back control is the best position in jiu-jitsu.
Mata-leãoMata-leãoマタレオン마타 레옹Mata-leãoMata-leãoMata-leãoماتا ليونМата леонMata leonMata leonMata Leão
Base in BJJ is the connection to the ground that lets you absorb force without falling over. You notice it like electricity, only when it goes out.
BaseBaseベース베이스底盘底盤BaseالقاعدةБазаLa baseBazaBase
A frame in BJJ is a bone placed where muscle would fail: structure that holds weight you could never lift. Why the skeleton outlasts the biceps.
FramesFramesフレーム프레임框架支架MarcosالفريماتФреймыFramesRamyFrames
Pulling guard means choosing the bottom on purpose: trading the takedown battle for a fight you have prepared. Why it exists and why it confuses everyone.
Pulling guardPuxar para a guarda引き込み가드 풀링拉guard拉guardJalar la guardiaسحب الغاردЗатяжка гардаTirer la gardeŚciąganie gardyGuard ziehen
Open mat is unstructured training time. No instruction, just rounds and whoever showed up. What it is for, and how a beginner uses one without wasting it.
Open matOpen matオープンマット오픈 매트Open matOpen matOpen matالبساط المفتوحОпен-матL'open matOpen matOpen Mat
Most BJJ gyms welcome traveling visitors who email first, bring a clean white gi, and roll politely. The drop-in ritual, learned by doing it wrong once.
Drop-inTreino de visitante出稽古방문 수련客场训练客場訓練Entrenar de visitaالتدريب كزائرДроп-инEntraînement en visiteurTrening gościnnyDrop-in
A first stripe in BJJ usually arrives somewhere between two and six months, and it does not mean you are good. What the tape on the belt actually measures.
StripeGrauストライプ스트라이프杠條GradoالشريطПолоскаBarretteBelkaStreifen
You are not out of shape, or not only. Beginners gas out because panic burns oxygen and inefficiency burns everything else. Both improve faster than cardio.
Gassing outFicar sem gásガス欠탈진没气沒力Quedarse sin gasolinaنفاد النفَسВыдыхатьсяS'épuiserBrak gazuDie Luft geht aus
BJJ rounds start from the knees to fit more pairs on the mat safely, because takedowns are the riskiest thing in the room. What that choice costs and buys.
Starting from the kneesComeçar de joelhos膝立ちスタート무릎 시작跪姿开局跪姿開局Empezar desde las rodillasالبدء من الركبتينСтарт с коленейCommencer à genouxStart z kolanAuf den Knien beginnen
Jiu-jitsu means the gentle art because 柔 (jū) names a method, yielding to force instead of meeting it, not a temperament. The mat explains the word eventually.
Yawara (柔)Arte suave (柔)柔(やわら)부드러운 무술 (柔)温柔的艺术 (柔)溫柔的武術 (柔)El arte suave (柔)الفن اللطيف (柔)Мягкое искусство (柔)L'art doux (柔)Łagodna sztuka (柔)Die sanfte Kunst (柔)
The standard way to tie a BJJ belt, step by step in plain words, why it unties itself mid-roll, and why nobody minds.
BeltFaixa帯띠腰带腰帶CinturónالحزامПоясCeinturePasGürtel
Getting handled by upper belts is not evidence you are failing. It is the curriculum working. What those rounds are for, and how to stop dreading them.
Upper beltsGraduados上の帯상급 벨트高段位高階帶Cinturones superioresالأحزمة الأعلىСтаршие поясаCeintures avancéesWyższe pasyHöhere Gurte
Shoes off the mat, clean gi, short nails, ask before you roll, and let the higher belt set the pace. The etiquette nobody posts on the wall.
Gym etiquetteEtiqueta da academia礼儀作法체육관 에티켓礼仪禮儀Etiqueta de la academiaإتيكيت الناديЭтикет залаÉtiquette de la salleEtykieta klubuGym-Etikette