Category: BJJ Guides

The armbar from guard is one of the first submissions every BJJ practitioner learns and one of the last you ever stop using. At black belt level it remains a high percentage finish if you understand the mechanics. This guide breaks down the armbar from closed guard step by step, with the details that turn a missed attempt into a clean tap.

The Setup From Closed Guard

You start in closed guard with your opponent posturing on top of you. The armbar requires you to break their posture before you can attack.

1. Pull your opponent’s head down towards your chest using collar grips, neck control, or hooks behind their head
2. Once their head is broken down to your chest, identify which arm to attack. Either arm works, but generally you attack the arm they are using to base on the mat
3. Control the wrist of the arm you are attacking with your same side hand
4. Underhook their attacking arm with your other hand, palm up, hugging their arm to your chest

The Pivot

This is the single most important step and the one most beginners get wrong. The pivot creates the angle that makes the armbar finishable.

1. If you are attacking your opponent’s right arm, your left foot should already be on the mat or hooked behind their back
2. Push off your left foot and rotate your hips so your body forms a 90 degree angle to theirs
3. Your right hip should now be tight against your opponent’s right side, almost in their armpit
4. Your right leg climbs up high on their back, ideally with the back of your knee against their shoulder

Without this pivot, the armbar is just you trying to extend their arm with no leverage. With the pivot, the armbar finishes itself.

The Leg Over

1. From the pivoted position, swing your top leg (the right leg in our example) over your opponent’s head
2. The leg should pass close to their face, not arc out over their shoulder
3. Pinch your knees together once both legs are around them
4. Your hips should be lifted slightly, with your opponent’s elbow trapped just above your hip line, thumb up

Critical detail · The arm has to be straight with the thumb pointing up before you finish. If the arm bends or the elbow rolls, the lock is on the muscle rather than the joint and your opponent can escape.

The Finish

1. Hold the wrist of the trapped arm so it cannot rotate
2. Pinch your knees together to keep their head and shoulder controlled
3. Slowly lift your hips up against the elbow joint
4. The arm hyperextends, your opponent taps

Critical detail · Slow extension wins more armbars than explosive bridges. A slow finish gives them time to feel the joint and tap. A fast bridge often pops the arm out before the lock catches.

Common Mistakes

• No pivot · Trying to throw the leg over without the hip rotation. The armbar fails because there is no angle
• Elbow below hip line · Their elbow ends up below your hip and the arm pulls free
• Knees not pinched · Their head and shoulder slip out when your knees are open
• Bridge too hard · You launch them off you instead of finishing the lock
• Arm bent at finish · You hyperextend nothing because the arm was bent in your grip
• Losing wrist control · They turn their thumb down and roll out of the armbar

What to Do If They Defend

If your opponent defends by stacking you up onto your shoulders, transition to a triangle by hooking the arm closest to their other shoulder.

If they grip their own arm to prevent you extending, switch to a kimura on the gripping arm.

If they roll forward to escape, follow them and finish on the other side, or recover guard and reset.

Drilling the Armbar

The armbar from guard is high reward only if you drill it dozens of times. Pick a class to focus only on this submission. Have a partner give you cooperative resistance and run the full sequence twenty times. Then add resistance gradually until you can hit it in live rolling.

By the time you have drilled the armbar 200 times across a few weeks, the pivot and leg over become automatic. That is the threshold where the armbar starts hitting in live rolls.

Most BJJ practitioners are bad at takedowns. The art has historically focused on the ground game and treated the standup phase as a way to get to the floor. In no gi BJJ that gap is even bigger because gi grips are not available. These five takedowns work without grips, work for grapplers without wrestling backgrounds, and stay reliable from white belt to black.

1. The Double Leg

The most fundamental wrestling takedown and one of the highest percentage takedowns in any combat sport. Drop your level by bending your knees, drive forward off your back foot, and shoot in to grab both of your opponent’s legs above the knees. Drive your shoulder into their hip and use your arms to pull their legs together while you continue forward.

Critical detail · The shot has to start with a level change, not a forward lean. Drop your hips by bending your knees first.

When to use it · When your opponent is squared up to you and reachable in one explosive step.

2. The Single Leg

The most common takedown in MMA and a high percentage option for no gi BJJ. Shoot in like you are going for the double, but commit to one of your opponent’s legs. Wrap your arms around their lead leg, with your head against their hip, and drive forward.

From the single leg position you can run the pipe (drive forward and dump them on their back), trip out their other leg, or lift the leg high to off balance them.

Critical detail · Head position matters. Your head should be against their hip, not against their belly. Heads against bellies invite guillotines.

3. The Snap Down

A wrestling staple that works against opponents who keep their head low or post their forehead against your chest. Cup the back of their head with both hands and pull down sharply while stepping back. As they stumble forward, transition to a front headlock or take their back.

Critical detail · The snap is sudden, not a long pull. The goal is to disrupt their balance, not pull them onto their face.

When to use it · Against opponents who post their head on you in clinch, or who reach forward with their arms in stance.

4. The Body Lock

A clinch takedown that does not require getting under your opponent. From an underhook, pull your opponent close and lock your hands behind their back. From the body lock you can sit back into a sweep, trip them with your leg, or back step and twist them to the mat.

Critical detail · Lock your hands tight and squeeze your opponent in close. The body lock fails if there is space between you.

When to use it · Against opponents who are taller than you and harder to shoot under. Body lock takedowns are the foundation of how Khabib and Islam Makhachev grapple.

5. The Arm Drag to Back Take

Less of a takedown and more of a positional change, but it gets you to back control which is the best position in BJJ. Snake one of your arms inside your opponent’s elbow and grab the back of their tricep. Pull their arm across your body while you step around to their back.

From there, climb to back position with both hooks in or pull them down to a seated back take.

Critical detail · The arm drag is a two part move. First you control the arm. Second you change angles to their back. Skipping the angle change just gives them a chance to face you again.

Why These Five

The five takedowns above cover three different ranges and three different opponents. The double and single leg cover a longer range. The snap down covers the head-down opponent. The body lock and arm drag work in tight clinch positions.

You do not need every wrestling and judo throw to be effective at standup BJJ. Master these five and you will land takedowns against most opponents below black belt.

How to Drill Takedowns

Most BJJ academies do not drill takedowns enough. Add ten minutes of takedown drilling to your warm up before each class. Pick one takedown per week and drill it 50 times slowly with a cooperative partner. Over a few months your standup will go from non-existent to functional.

If your gym has a wrestling specific class or open mat, attend it. Wrestling crossover is the fastest way to fix the standup gap that affects most BJJ practitioners.

The rear naked choke is the most reliable submission in grappling and the most common way you will get tapped at every belt level. Defending it well requires understanding three layered phases of defence. Stop the back take in the first place. Strip the seatbelt grip if they get the back. Defend the choking arm if they finish the seatbelt. This guide covers every stage with the techniques that actually work in live rolling.

Phase 1: Stop the Back Take

The best rear naked choke defence is never giving up your back. Most beginners give up the back by exposing it during scrambles, while turning to escape mount, or while shrimping out of side control with poor framing.

Three habits prevent most back exposures.

• Always turn into your opponent during a scramble, never away from them
• If you must turn away, keep your elbows tight to your body so they cannot get a body lock or seatbelt
• If you start to lose mount or side control, recover guard rather than turning to your knees and giving them the back

Phase 2: Strip the Seatbelt

Once your opponent has back control with both hooks in and a seatbelt grip (one arm over your shoulder, one under your armpit, hands clasped), the rear naked choke is the next step. Defending here means getting the seatbelt off before they release it to start the choke.

1. Both hands need to fight the choking arm. Specifically, the arm coming over your shoulder, not the one under your armpit
2. Use both hands to pull that arm down across your chest
3. While you pull the arm down, work your hips towards the side of the choking arm
4. Push your head into the crook of their elbow to deny the choking arm a path under your chin
5. Once you create space, peel the choking arm over your head and turn into the position

Phase 3: The Choke Is Locked

If your opponent has the choking arm under your chin and is reaching for the figure four lock with their other hand, you have very little time. Two priorities apply.

• Tuck your chin · Drop your chin into your chest as hard as you can. This denies the choking arm full depth on the artery side of your neck
• Both hands fight the arm · Grab the choking arm with both hands and try to peel it down. Do not try to defend their other arm or push their head. Both hands on the choking arm, always

If you cannot get the arm off and the choke is in deep with the figure four locked, tap. A rear naked choke can put you out in five to seven seconds and there is no honour in being unconscious.

Common Mistakes

• Defending with one hand · Both hands on the choking arm, every time
• Trying to push their head off · Their head is not the choke. The arm is. Ignore the head
• Tucking too late · Chin tucks the moment you feel an arm near your neck, not after they have it locked
• Panic flailing · Calm, controlled defence is much more effective than thrashing
• Forgetting to escape · If you successfully strip the seatbelt and turn into them, follow through and recover guard rather than rolling back into the same back take

Drilling RNC Defence

Have a partner take your back with one hook in or both. Practise stripping the seatbelt grip and escaping. Add resistance gradually until they actively try to lock the choke while you defend. Most BJJ academies do not drill back defence enough. Doing it on your own time will dramatically improve your survival rate against higher belts.

Tap before you go out, every time. The skill of defending the RNC is built across hundreds of attempts where you fight as long as you can and tap when it is locked. Do not try to be a hero on a choke that takes seconds to render you unconscious.

When to Tap

If the choke is locked, your opponent is squeezing, and you have already failed to peel the arm off, tap. The risk of going unconscious from a tight RNC is higher than from any other submission, and unconsciousness can do real damage. There is no shame in tapping to a higher belt’s choke and learning from it.

Closed guard is the foundational BJJ position and the source of three of the most reliable submissions in the entire art. The armbar, the triangle, and the kimura. Each one threatens a different attack vector. Together they form a chain that is very hard to defend at any belt level. This guide covers all three with the setup details that make the difference between hitting them and missing.

The Closed Guard Position

Closed guard is the position where you are on your back and your legs are wrapped around your opponent’s waist with your ankles crossed behind their back. From here, your job is to break their posture, control their hands and arms, and chain together attacks until something opens up.

Posture control is the most important skill. If your opponent is upright with their back straight, your attacks have no leverage. If you can pull their head down to your chest, you have multiple attacks immediately available.

The Armbar from Closed Guard

The classic finish that most BJJ students learn first.

1. Break your opponent’s posture by pulling their head and shoulders forward
2. Control one of their wrists and underhook the same side arm with your other hand
3. Pivot your hips so your body forms a 90 degree angle with theirs (left foot points to their right hip)
4. Place your right leg over their head, pinning the captured arm against your hip
5. Squeeze your knees together and slowly extend your hips up to apply the armbar

Critical detail · Keep your opponent’s elbow above your hip line through the whole movement. If their elbow drops below your hip line, the armbar slips off and they pass your guard.

The Triangle Choke from Closed Guard

One of the highest finishing rate submissions in BJJ when set up correctly.

1. Break your opponent’s posture by pulling their head down
2. Control both their wrists and pin one of them across your body to your opposite shoulder
3. Their other arm is now isolated. Trap it against your chest
4. Open your guard, throw your same side leg over the trapped shoulder and around their neck
5. Lock your other leg over your foot and pull your opponent’s head down with your hands
6. Pinch your knees together and lift your hips to finish the choke

Critical detail · The triangle is finished with the leg across the shoulder cutting off the artery, not by squeezing the neck directly. Make sure you have one of your opponent’s arms inside the triangle and one outside before you lock it.

The Kimura from Closed Guard

A shoulder lock that works from many positions, including closed guard.

1. Sit up using your guard and grab one of your opponent’s wrists with your same side hand
2. Reach your other arm over their elbow and grab your own wrist behind their shoulder, forming a figure four grip
3. Pivot your hips out to the side away from the trapped arm, keeping your knee against their hip
4. Lift the trapped arm away from their body to apply the shoulder lock

Critical detail · Many beginners try to finish the kimura by pulling the arm towards them. The actual finish involves pushing the wrist towards the opponent’s head, away from their hip line.

Chaining the Three

The three submissions work together because each one defends against the others.

• If your armbar fails because they pull their elbow back, you can transition into a triangle
• If your triangle fails because they posture up, you can transition to an armbar on the other arm
• If they defend the armbar by gripping their own arm, you can attack the kimura on the gripping arm

Drilling these chains is the difference between a guard player who occasionally finishes a submission and a guard player who is dangerous on the bottom against any opponent.

Common Mistakes Across All Three

• Not breaking your opponent’s posture before attacking
• Trying to finish without first controlling the wrists or arms
• Opening your guard too early and giving up position
• Trying for the submission with grip strength instead of leverage
• Failing to recover guard if the submission fails

How to Drill the Chain

Pick one submission and drill twenty reps slowly. Then drill the second submission, then the third. Then drill flowing between them with a partner who alternates which arm to defend with. Within a few weeks of consistent drilling, the three submissions become a single chain in your head and your guard becomes a real attacking platform.

Being mounted is one of the worst positions in BJJ. You are pinned, your opponent has scoring position, and they can attack with strikes (in MMA) or submissions (in BJJ) without much risk to themselves. Knowing how to escape mount is essential before you can do anything useful in BJJ. This guide covers the two highest leverage mount escapes for beginners.

Why Mount Is So Bad

Mount lets your opponent control your hips, attack your neck and arms, and rain down pressure with their body weight. In sport BJJ, mount scores 4 points. In MMA, mount means strikes you cannot effectively defend. Escaping mount has to be priority one before working on any offensive game.

Escape 1: The Bridge and Roll (Upa)

The classic Helio Gracie mount escape. Used when your opponent is sitting high on your chest and posting one hand to balance.

Step by Step

1. Trap the wrist of one of your opponent’s posting arms with your hand on the same side
2. Trap the foot on the same side by hooking your same side foot over their ankle
3. Bridge explosively up and to the side of the trapped arm and foot
4. Your opponent will not be able to post on the trapped side and will roll over
5. Land in their guard, posture up, and start working your guard pass

Common mistakes · Bridging without trapping both the arm and the foot first. Bridging straight up instead of up and over to the side. Not following through and landing in guard.

Escape 2: The Elbow Knee Escape

Used when your opponent is sitting low on your hips and not giving you a chance to bridge them off. The goal is to recover guard rather than reverse position.

Step by Step

1. Frame your forearms against your opponent’s hips to create space
2. Bridge slightly to off balance them and slide your nearest knee underneath their leg
3. Pivot your hips to the side and bring your knee through to the inside of their leg
4. Once your knee is inside, hook their leg with your foot and recover half guard
5. Keep working from half guard to recover full guard

Common mistakes · Trying to push directly off your opponent without bridging first. Bringing the knee through too high and getting it stepped over. Stopping at half guard and not continuing to full guard recovery.

When to Use Which Escape

If your opponent is sitting high on your chest, you can usually bridge them off with the Upa. They are top heavy and have nowhere safe to post their weight.

If your opponent is sitting low on your hips, the bridge will not lift them effectively. Use the elbow knee escape to slide out underneath them.

Most experienced opponents will adjust their position based on what you try, so you will need both escapes and the ability to flow between them depending on what they give you.

What to Do If They Take Your Back

A common counter to your mount escape is for your opponent to take your back when you bridge. If they do this, your priority becomes getting their hooks off and turning into them, not finishing the original escape. Plenty of beginners escape mount only to give up back control because they kept thinking about the upa instead of adjusting.

How to Drill These Escapes

Have a partner mount you and ask them to apply easy pressure. Practise both escapes one after the other, twenty repetitions of each. Then ask them to slowly increase resistance until you can hit each escape against a fully resisting opponent.

Mount escapes are the kind of skill that becomes easy with reps and impossible without them. There is no shortcut. Spend ten minutes a class working escapes specifically and within a few months your time spent in mount will drop dramatically.

BJJ has hundreds of submissions but only a handful of them carry their weight at white belt. These five give you a complete attack system from the most common positions, work in both gi and no gi, and stay relevant through every belt rank. Learn these properly before chasing flashier finishes and you will tap people who have a year more training than you.

1. The Rear Naked Choke

The single most reliable submission in all of grappling. Set up from back control, with both hooks in or with a body triangle. Slide your choking arm under your opponent’s chin so your bicep is on one side of their neck and your forearm is on the other. Lock your hand to the bicep of your other arm and place that other hand behind your opponent’s head. Squeeze and lift your choking arm.

Common mistakes · Squeezing too soon before your arm is properly under the chin. Crossing your feet when you have hooks in (gives your opponent an ankle lock). Forgetting to use your second hand to deny defence behind their head.

2. The Cross Collar Choke from Mount

The most reliable gi finish from mount and a foundational submission for understanding choke mechanics. Sit in mount. Reach your right hand deep into your opponent’s right collar, palm up, four fingers in. Your hand should be deep, around the back of their neck. Then reach your left hand into their left collar, palm down, sliding under your right arm. Drop your weight forward and squeeze the elbows together.

Common mistakes · First grip not deep enough. Trying to reach the second grip without committing your weight forward to keep mount. Pulling instead of squeezing.

3. The Armbar from Guard

The first attack a BJJ student usually learns from guard, and one that stays in your game forever. From closed guard, control one of your opponent’s wrists and underhook their arm with your same side hand. Open your guard and pivot your hips so your body forms a 90 degree angle with theirs. Place your top leg over their head, push their captured arm up against your hip, and slowly extend your hips up to finish the armbar.

Common mistakes · Not pivoting your hips before throwing the leg over. Letting your opponent’s elbow slide past your hip line during the finish. Bridging too hard and losing the position.

4. The Triangle Choke from Guard

One of the highest percentage submissions in BJJ when set up correctly. From closed guard, control your opponent’s wrists and break their posture. Push one of their arms across your body and trap the other against your chest. As they pull their trapped arm out, throw your same side leg over their shoulder and around their neck. Lock your other leg over your foot and squeeze.

Common mistakes · Not pulling your opponent’s head down before locking the triangle. Locking the triangle too high on the neck. Not pinching your knees together at the finish.

5. The Kimura

A shoulder lock that works from guard, side control, half guard, north south, and standing. Trap one of your opponent’s wrists with your hand on the same side. Reach your other arm over their elbow and grab your own wrist behind their shoulder. Lift their arm away from their body to apply the lock.

Common mistakes · Not securing the figure four grip tightly. Trying to lift the arm before you have the grip locked. Failing to control the opponent’s hip with your other leg, which lets them roll out of it.

Why These Five

These submissions cover every standard position you will spend time in as a white belt. Rear naked choke from back. Cross collar choke from mount. Armbar from guard. Triangle from guard. Kimura from anywhere. Together they give you a credible threat in every situation.

They also remain world class submissions at black belt level. Charles Oliveira finishes UFC fights with these exact five submissions. Roger Gracie won ten Mundials largely on the back of cross collar chokes from mount. Master these before you spend a year learning gogoplatas.

How to Drill These

Pick one submission and drill it 100 times in your next class. Slowly. Pay attention to the details that make it work. Then drill it on different sized partners. Then try it in live rolls against blue belts who know what is coming.

The fastest way to a tight submission game is repetition on a small number of moves, not exposure to a long list of techniques. Pick a few of these and become annoying with them.

Your first competition day is one of the most stressful and rewarding things you will do in BJJ. The IBJJF runs the largest competitive BJJ events in the United States and the world, and registration is open to anyone with a valid IBJJF account. This guide walks through everything you need to do, from choosing the event to weighing in, to making sure you do not get disqualified before your first match.

Step 1: Pick the Right Event

The IBJJF runs about 30 to 40 events a year in the United States, ranging from small Open events at local venues to huge majors like the Pan American Championship and the World Championship.

For your first tournament, pick a smaller IBJJF Open. They are cheaper, the competition is wider in skill, and you will not be travelling internationally to discover that the only person at your weight is a four time Pan champion. Look on the IBJJF website calendar for events near your city.

The big US events most beginners eventually compete at are the Pan Championship (Florida, March), the World Championship (California, summer), and the No Gi Worlds (Nevada, fall). Start smaller.

Step 2: Set Up Your IBJJF Account

Go to ibjjf.com and create an account. You will need:

• Your full name as on government ID
• Your date of birth
• Your academy and head instructor (your professor must be IBJJF registered)
• Your current belt rank

You will also need an IBJJF membership, which is a separate annual fee (around $45 to $90) on top of any tournament entry. Buy it at the same time as you set up the account.

Step 3: Register for the Event

Tournament registration opens about six weeks before the event and closes roughly two weeks before. The earlier you register, the cheaper the entry fee. Late registration prices can be double the early bird rate.

You will need to pick:

• Belt division · Your current belt
• Age division · Adult, master 1, 2, 3, etc. based on your age
• Weight division · The IBJJF runs 9 weight classes from rooster to ultra heavy
• Optional Absolute · Open weight bracket, additional fee, available at higher belts

Make sure your weight class is realistic. You weigh in with your gi on, and the IBJJF gi adds about 1.5 to 2 kg to your raw bodyweight.

Step 4: Prepare Your Gi and Equipment

The IBJJF has strict gi rules. Your gi must be one of the approved colours (white, blue, or black), the right material thickness, the right belt knot, and free of major rips or modifications. The patches must be approved IBJJF brands. Improperly fitted or modified gis will fail gi check and you will not be allowed to compete.

Read the IBJJF gi check rules in detail before the event. Buy a competition cut gi from an approved brand if you are serious. Pack two gis in case one fails check.

Step 5: Train for the Specific Format

IBJJF matches at white belt are five minutes long. Blue belt is six minutes. Purple is seven. Brown is eight. Black is ten. Train rolls at home that match your competition time and intensity. Focus less on new techniques in the last few weeks before the event and more on drilling what you already do best.

Pay attention to the IBJJF rules around scoring. Many beginners lose matches because they do not understand the points system and stop scoring when they should keep advancing.

Step 6: The Day Before

• Arrive at the venue early to know where everything is
• Check your weight on the official scale, with your gi on
• If you are over your weight, decide whether to cut or move up
• Pack your competition bag: two gis, rash guard, mouth guard, water, snacks, energy gels, athletic tape, flip flops
• Sleep early. The first matches start at 8 am at most events

Step 7: Tournament Day

The day usually goes like this.

• Arrive 90 minutes before your division · You will see when your division starts on the bracket released the night before
• Weigh in · You will be called to weigh ins about 30 to 45 minutes before your first match. You weigh in fully dressed in your competition gi. If you fail, you have a few minutes to try again. If you fail again, you are out.
• Pre-match staging · You wait in a holding area near your mat
• Match call · The referee calls your name. You bow on, fight, bow off
• Win or lose · If you win, you wait for the next round. If you lose, you head to the consolation bracket if your division has one, or you are done

Step 8: Common Beginner Mistakes

• Showing up too late and missing weigh ins
• Wearing a gi that fails the gi check
• Picking a weight class you cannot reasonably make
• Trying brand new techniques in your first match instead of your A game
• Pulling guard against a wrestler in points based competition
• Not knowing the scoring rules and stopping advancing when you have a lead that can be reversed
• Cutting weight too aggressively the day of and gassing in your first match

Step 9: After the Tournament

Win or lose, your first IBJJF tournament is a milestone. Watch your matches back if you have video. Note which positions worked and which did not. Plan the next event within three to four months while the lessons are fresh.

Most of what slows down a competitor’s progress is fear of the next event. Once you have done one, the second is much easier. Do at least three IBJJF tournaments before you decide if competition is for you.

The Craig Jones Invitational is the most disruptive thing to happen to competitive BJJ in twenty years. Founded in 2024 by ADCC veteran Craig Jones in direct counter to ADCC, the inaugural event paid $1 million to the winner of each weight class plus $10,001 to every competitor. It was held the same weekend as ADCC 2024 and pulled away a chunk of the world’s best grapplers. This is how it happened and why it matters.

What Is the Craig Jones Invitational

The CJI is a no gi submission grappling tournament held in Las Vegas. The first edition ran on August 16 and 17, 2024, at the Thomas and Mack Center, with two weight classes of 16 competitors each. The winner of each weight class won $1 million. Every competitor received a $10,001 appearance fee. A best submission bonus paid $50,000.

For context, the previous biggest one off prize in BJJ history was around $50,000. CJI raised that ceiling twentyfold in a single event.

Who Is Craig Jones

Craig Jones is an Australian BJJ black belt and ADCC veteran. He is a multiple time ADCC silver medalist, a leg lock specialist who came up through the John Danaher Death Squad system, and one of the most charismatic figures in modern grappling.

His instructional sales, podcast appearances and online presence built him a personal brand that he then leveraged into the CJI. The funding for the inaugural event reportedly came largely from a single anonymous backer in the venture capital world, but Jones structured the entire thing.

The CJI 2024 Results

The inaugural event delivered some of the best grappling in years.

• Under 80 kg Final · Kade Ruotolo defeated Levi Jones-Leary by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
• Over 80 kg Final · Nick Rodriguez defeated Fellipe Andrew by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:32 of round one
• Mackenzie Dern vs Ffion Davies superfight · Davies won by armbar in round two
• Craig Jones vs Gabi Garcia · Jones won the intergender superfight

Kade Ruotolo and Nick Rodriguez each took home $1 million. Every other competitor took home $10,001 minimum, plus appearance fees that varied for the headliners.

Why CJI Was Held the Same Weekend as ADCC

The timing was deliberate. ADCC 2024 was held the same August weekend in Las Vegas. Craig Jones explicitly framed CJI as an alternative for grapplers who felt ADCC was underpaying its athletes. ADCC pays comparatively modest prize money for the level of athletes it attracts, with the world champion in each weight class taking home around $10,000. Compared to CJI’s $1 million, the gap is enormous.

Several elite grapplers chose CJI over ADCC, including the entire Ruotolo brothers contingent and Nick Rodriguez. ADCC still ran, with Gordon Ryan defending his Superfight title in dual matches against Felipe Pena and Yuri Simoes, but the headlines were split between the two events.

CJI 2 in 2025

CJI returned in 2025 with the same prize structure. The event built on the inaugural success and confirmed that the format was sustainable. Competitors who medalled at CJI 2 came away with life changing money in a sport where most professional grapplers struggle to make ends meet.

How CJI Changed BJJ

CJI’s impact on grappling has been broader than just one event. Several effects show up clearly in the sport now.

• Athletes have a credible alternative to ADCC for the first time in 25 years
• Other promotions including UFC BJJ have increased prize pools and appearance fees to remain competitive
• The conversation around BJJ as a viable professional sport has shifted from theoretical to actual
• Sponsors and investors are now treating elite grappling as a real commercial opportunity
• Younger grapplers can now imagine a career path that pays

Criticisms of CJI

Not everyone loves CJI. Common criticisms include:

• The bracket is small (16 competitors per weight class), so good grapplers miss out
• The invite only format means promoter discretion picks the field
• The format does not have the historical depth of ADCC
• The funding model relies heavily on single backers and may not be sustainable long term

None of these are dealbreakers. The event has run twice now without major issues and the sport is unambiguously better off for its existence.

What CJI Means for the Future of BJJ

For the first time in BJJ history, an elite grappler can win a single tournament and walk away with $1 million. That single fact has changed how athletes plan careers, how they price instructional sales, and how they think about training. The ripple effects will be felt for years.

Whether CJI persists for decades like ADCC has, or whether it remains a periodic disruptor, the sport will not go back to a world where BJJ pays nothing.

The biggest source of confusion for new BJJ fans is the patchwork of rulesets across competitive grappling. IBJJF runs gi competition with one rulebook. ADCC runs no gi events with another. EBI runs sub only with overtime. CJI runs a hybrid format with the biggest prize money in the sport. Each ruleset rewards a different kind of grappler. This article breaks down all four side by side.

The Quick Comparison

Here is the high level summary before the details.

• IBJJF · Gi or no gi, points based, conservative submission rules, the standard sport BJJ tournament format
• ADCC · No gi, points based with no scoring in first half, all submissions legal at senior level, biennial world championship
• CJI (Craig Jones Invitational) · No gi, sub only with judges decisions, $1 million prize per division
• EBI (Eddie Bravo Invitational) · No gi, sub only with overtime ride times, smaller field invite event

IBJJF Rules in Detail

IBJJF stands for International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation, founded in 2002 by Carlos Gracie Jr. It is the largest BJJ governing body and runs the gi BJJ World Championship (the Mundial), the Pan American Championship, the European Open, the World No Gi Championship, and Pan kids and masters events.

Match length depends on belt rank. Adult black belt matches are 10 minutes for the gi Worlds final, with shorter times for early rounds. Points are awarded as follows.

• Takedown · 2 points
• Sweep · 2 points
• Knee on belly · 2 points
• Guard pass · 3 points
• Mount or back mount · 4 points
• Back take · 4 points

Heel hooks are illegal in IBJJF gi competition at any rank. Reaping the knee is illegal. Slamming is illegal. The IBJJF system favours technical positional grappling and was designed to be safe at scale across thousands of competitors.

ADCC Rules in Detail

ADCC matches run for ten minutes total with the first six minutes scoreless. Points are awarded only in the second half (with negative scoring possible at any time for stalling or pulling guard). Overtime is five additional minutes if needed.

• Takedown to dominant position · 2 points
• Sweep to top · 2 points
• Knee on belly · 2 points
• Guard pass · 3 points
• Mount or back mount · 3 points
• Pulling guard · minus 1 point
• Stalling · minus 1 point

All submissions are legal at the senior level including heel hooks, slams and neck cranks. The scoreless first half is the defining feature. It pushes both grapplers to attack rather than play for a positional lead.

CJI Rules in Detail

The Craig Jones Invitational launched in August 2024 as the headline grabbing alternative to ADCC. It is held in Las Vegas, runs as a 16 person bracket per weight class, and pays $1 million to each weight class winner plus $10,001 to every competitor and a $50,000 best submission bonus.

Matches are sub only with judges scoring if no submission occurs. Heel hooks and all leg attacks are legal. Slams are legal. The bracket is invitation only with two weight classes (under 80 kg and over 80 kg). The format favours aggressive submission hunting and high paced grappling.

The 2024 inaugural event was won by Nick Rodriguez at over 80 kg and Kade Ruotolo at under 80 kg. CJI 2 was held in 2025 with the same prize structure.

EBI Rules in Detail

The Eddie Bravo Invitational was founded by 10th Planet’s Eddie Bravo in 2014. It is sub only with no points or judges decisions. If the regulation match ends without a submission, the match goes to EBI overtime.

EBI overtime works like this. Each grappler picks a starting position (back mount with seatbelt grip or spider web). Each gets one round on offence and one on defence. The grappler who finishes faster from offence wins. If neither finishes, the grappler who escapes faster on defence wins. If both fail to finish or escape, total ride time decides.

EBI’s overtime format heavily rewards grapplers who can finish from the back, which has shaped a generation of leg lock and back take specialists. The event has been less active in recent years but the rules format is still used at smaller sub only events.

Side by Side Comparison

• IBJJF · Gi/No Gi, Points + Subs, 10 min, conservative subs, large open field, frequent events
• ADCC · No Gi, Points (2nd half) + Subs, 10 min, all subs legal, invite only or trials, every 2 years
• CJI · No Gi, Sub Only + Judges, format varies by event, all subs legal, invite only, $1M prize
• EBI · No Gi, Sub Only + Overtime ride time, ~10 min reg, all subs legal, invite only, smaller events

Which Ruleset Suits Which Grappler

• Pure technical grapplers with strong guard work · IBJJF gi rewards them most. Marcelo Garcia, Roger Gracie, Buchecha
• Aggressive submission hunters · ADCC and CJI suit them. Gordon Ryan, Kade Ruotolo
• Leg lockers and back take specialists · EBI is purpose built for them. The 10th Planet system thrives in this format
• Cardio monsters · ADCC’s longer matches and overtime favour them
• Wrestlers crossing into BJJ · ADCC scores their takedowns heavily, an advantage

Which Ruleset Should a Beginner Care About

Most BJJ practitioners will only ever compete under IBJJF rules. It is the standard for almost every local tournament, the gi Mundial, and the smaller no gi events that grow out of the IBJJF infrastructure.

If you watch competitive grappling as a fan, ADCC is the must watch event. CJI is the must watch alternative. EBI is the most fun ruleset for casual viewing. IBJJF Mundial is the most prestigious gi event in the world. Knowing the rules of each one makes watching the matches dramatically more interesting.

If you ask any serious grappler what tournament matters most, they will say ADCC. Held every two years since 1998 and run under a unique submission focused ruleset, the ADCC World Championship is widely regarded as the most prestigious grappling event in the world. It is where Roger Gracie became Roger Gracie, where Marcelo Garcia made his name, and where Gordon Ryan dethroned an entire generation. This guide covers the format, the history, and why every BJJ fan should care.

What Is ADCC

ADCC stands for Abu Dhabi Combat Club. It was founded in 1998 by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates after he became fascinated with submission grappling during a visit to the United States. The first ADCC World Championship was held in Abu Dhabi in 1998 and the event has been held every two years since.

The full name is the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. It is no gi only, invitation only, and features the best grapplers from BJJ, wrestling, judo, sambo and MMA backgrounds. Winning ADCC is the most respected single accomplishment a grappler can put on a resume.

The ADCC Format and Weight Classes

The men’s tournament has six weight classes:

• Under 66 kg (under 145 lbs)
• 66 to 77 kg (145 to 170 lbs)
• 77 to 88 kg (170 to 194 lbs)
• 88 to 99 kg (194 to 218 lbs)
• Over 99 kg (over 218 lbs)
• Absolute (open weight)

The women’s tournament runs at under 60 kg, over 60 kg, and absolute. Each weight class is a single elimination bracket, and the field includes the best grapplers from across the BJJ world plus invitees from MMA, judo, wrestling and sambo.

There is also a Superfight, a one off match between the previous ADCC absolute champion and a hand picked challenger. The Superfight has been the headline match at every ADCC since 2000. Roger Gracie, Marcelo Garcia and Andre Galvao have all held the title. Gordon Ryan has won the last three.

The ADCC Rules

ADCC matches run for ten minutes (six minutes scoreless followed by four minutes scored), with five additional minutes of overtime if needed. The unique twist is that the first half of the match awards no points. This is designed to encourage submission attacks rather than position pulling for the lead. Negative scoring is also possible.

• Takedown to dominant position · 2 points
• Sweep to top position · 2 points
• Passing the guard · 3 points
• Knee on belly · 2 points
• Mount or back mount · 3 points
• Pulling guard · minus 1 point
• Stalling · minus 1 point

All submissions are legal at the senior level, including heel hooks, neck cranks and slams, which are banned in IBJJF gi competition. This is one of the things that makes ADCC distinct.

ADCC Trials and Qualification

The main ADCC bracket is by invitation, but most spots come from the ADCC Trials, which are held in different regions of the world in the year leading up to the World Championship. The Trials are open to any grappler willing to register, and the winner of each trials event earns a guaranteed spot at the World Championship.

There are typically four to six Trials events in the cycle, held in places like North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Winning a trial is itself a major accomplishment.

The Greatest ADCC Champions

Some names show up over and over in ADCC history.

• Marcelo Garcia · 4x ADCC champion across multiple weight classes. Considered by many the greatest pure grappler ever.
• Roger Gracie · ADCC absolute champion, multiple weight class champion, and the man who defined heavyweight grappling for a decade
• Andre Galvao · ADCC champion in his own weight class and the absolute, plus 6 medals across his ADCC career
• Jacare Souza · 2005 ADCC champion at 77 to 87 kg, ADCC Hall of Fame 2024
• Fabricio Werdum · 2x ADCC champion at over 99 kg (2007 and 2009)
• Gordon Ryan · Multiple ADCC champion in weight class, three time absolute champion and three time superfight champion
• Kade Ruotolo · Youngest ADCC champion in history at 19 years old, 2022

ADCC vs IBJJF Worlds

ADCC and the IBJJF World Championship are the two most prestigious sport BJJ events but they are very different.

• IBJJF Worlds is gi only and held annually. ADCC is no gi only and held every two years.
• IBJJF allows any black belt to register and compete. ADCC is invitation or trials qualifier only.
• IBJJF rules ban heel hooks, slams and many leg attacks. ADCC allows them.
• IBJJF Worlds runs roughly 80 black belts per division. ADCC runs 16 per division.

ADCC tends to favour more aggressive grapplers because of the no point first half and the legal heel hooks. IBJJF rewards more positional and tactical play.

Why ADCC Matters

ADCC matters because the field is the best in the world, the rules force action, and the prize for winning is permanent legendary status in the grappling community. An ADCC gold medal opens doors for life. Coaching positions, sponsorships, instructional sales, super fight invitations all flow from it.

The biennial cycle also creates an unusual amount of build up. ADCC gets two years of hype before each event, and the entire grappling community plans training, weight cuts and competition around it. No other tournament has the same gravitational pull.

Who Will Win ADCC 2026

ADCC 2026 looks wide open. Gordon Ryan retired from competition in February 2026 due to ongoing health issues, opening up the absolute and superfight divisions. Mikey Musumeci is committed to UFC BJJ and is unlikely to compete at ADCC, although he has previously stated his weight class is not in the bracket anyway. The Ruotolo brothers are heavily focused on ONE Championship MMA. The middle weight classes look stacked with elite specialists.

For the first time in over a decade ADCC will not have Gordon Ryan as the centrepiece. That changes the entire shape of the event.