Efficiency over force
Use structure, timing, posture, and leverage instead of trying to overpower a training partner.
Technique Library · BJJ / Grappling
Build your
foundation.
A structured companion for students beginning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. Start with the movement, positional awareness, training habits, and mindset that help lessons make more sense on the mats.
Owner-authored learning guide
Adapted from Misho Ceko’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners: A Practical Guide to Start Your Journey .
This module gives you language and questions to bring to class. It supports, but never replaces, coached practice. Train within your level, tap early, release immediately, and ask a coach when you are unsure.
Start here
Three ideas to
carry forward.
Position before submission
Create control first. A safer, more stable position gives you better choices and more time to learn.
Learning over winning
Approach every drill and roll as feedback. Ask what happened, then return to one useful detail.
A coach-led starter set
Individual
techniques.
These names give you a focused language for class. Each technique comes from the book’s foundational movement or beginner toolkit chapters; learn its setup, application, and safety cues directly from your coach.
01 · MovementHip escape · shrimp
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A foundational movement for creating space when you are underneath a training partner.
Coach focus: Ask your coach how frames, hip movement, and timing work together before using it in an escape.
Chapter 3.2.1 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners02 · MovementBridge · upa
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A hip-driven movement used to disrupt balance and create a transition opportunity.
Coach focus: Learn how to connect your feet, hips, and shoulder safely rather than relying on a sudden burst of force.
Chapter 3.2.2 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners03 · MovementTechnical stand-up
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A controlled way to return to your feet while protecting posture and space.
Coach focus: Practice the posture, hand placement, and balance slowly before adding any partner context.
Chapter 3.2.3 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners04 · ControlCombat base
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A balanced transitional posture used when preparing to pass guard or defend a sweep.
Coach focus: Keep your weight composed and ask how the position changes between gi, no-gi, and live training.
Chapter 3.4.1 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners05 · EscapeMount escape · bridge and shrimp
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A defensive sequence that pairs bridge movement with a hip escape to recover a safer position.
Coach focus: Start with survival posture and frames; do not push or force your way out of a bad position.
Chapter 5.4.1 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners06 · EscapeSide-control escape · frames and hip escape
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A defensive response that uses structure and space to work back toward guard.
Coach focus: A coach can show how to build frames, protect space, and move the hips without straining the neck or shoulders.
Chapter 5.4.2 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners07 · SweepScissor sweep
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A closed-guard sweep that introduces angle, weight distribution, and leverage.
Coach focus: Focus on control and off-balancing mechanics before thinking about the top position that follows.
Chapter 5.3.1 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners08 · SweepHip bump sweep
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A closed-guard sweep used when a training partner’s posture comes forward.
Coach focus: Ask your coach how posture, an angle change, and controlled hip movement create the opportunity.
Chapter 5.3.2 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners09 · SubmissionArmbar from mount
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A joint-locking technique that begins with positional control and isolation.
Coach focus: Practice only under direct coaching. Control comes before pressure; tap early and release immediately.
Chapter 5.2.1 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners10 · SubmissionTriangle choke from guard
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A guard-based choke that depends on posture control, angle, and careful leg positioning.
Coach focus: Work with a coach on safe setup and release cues. Never force a choke or ignore a training partner’s tap.
Chapter 5.2.2 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners11 · SubmissionRear naked choke from back control
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A back-control submission built around secure position before any finishing mechanics.
Coach focus: Learn the control position first. Apply only in supervised practice and release immediately on a tap or coach instruction.
Chapter 5.2.3 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners12 · SubmissionGuillotine choke
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Coach demonstration coming soon
No video is available yet. Chicago MMA will add only coach-approved instruction here.
A no-gi-focused choke entry where positioning and body alignment matter more than arm strength.
Coach focus: This is a coach-led technique. Keep the pace controlled, communicate clearly, and never apply force to the neck.
Chapter 5.2.4 · Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners01
What BJJ asks of you
Understand the art
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling practice built around control, leverage, and problem-solving. The book begins with a simple distinction: use position and efficient movement before trying to force an outcome.
- The standing, transition, and ground phases
- Gi and no-gi as different training environments
- A learning mindset that values patience and adaptation
02
Your first months
Start on the right foot
A new student does not need to prove anything on day one. Show up clean, listen closely, ask when you are uncertain, and give yourself time to learn the room, the vocabulary, and the pace of training.
- What a beginner class commonly includes
- Hygiene, respect, and partner awareness
- Why consistent attendance matters more than early results
03
The base layer
Build your movement
Shrimping, bridging, rolling, technical stand-ups, posture, and base are the movements the book presents as the foundation for efficient grappling. Learn the shapes first, then ask your coach how they connect to live positions.
- Hip escape and bridge mechanics
- Technical stand-up and balanced posture
- Solo practice that complements partner drilling
04
Control before finish
Learn the position map
The book’s roadmap favors positional awareness before submissions. Learn to recognize guards, side control, mount, back control, turtle, and the neutral moments between them, then focus on improving your safety and control one decision at a time.
- Offensive and defensive position families
- How position changes the available options
- Survival, escape, and guard-retention priorities
05
Technique with context
Develop a small toolkit
Armbar, triangle, Americana, guillotine, sweeps, escapes, and guard retention belong in a beginner’s vocabulary. This module names them as coached learning targets—not moves to force. Ask an instructor to teach the setup, control, and safety cues for your level.
- Leverage before strength
- Tapping early and releasing immediately
- Practicing one coached detail at a time
06
Live training
Roll to learn
Rolling is where drilling meets movement and resistance. The book recommends approaching early rounds as practice: manage intensity, choose partners thoughtfully, prioritize safety, and measure progress by clearer decisions rather than by winning.
- Light, positional, and live sparring contexts
- Partner selection and communication
- Learning over scorekeeping
07
Stay in the process
Strengthen the mental game
Frustration, plateaus, and difficult rounds are part of long-term training. The book returns to humility, consistency, and reflection: take notes, set modest goals, and let small improvements accumulate instead of chasing a fast result.
- Responding to setbacks without ego
- Consistency over short bursts of intensity
- Recognizing flow and useful progress
08
Conditioning and recovery
Support your training
BJJ places demands on strength, movement, endurance, and recovery. Build sustainable habits around warm-ups, mobility, basic conditioning, rest, and speaking with qualified professionals when pain, injury, or uncertainty is involved.
- Warm up and cool down with intention
- Mobility and strength that support the mats
- Recovery and injury-prevention awareness
09
Awareness first
Keep self-defense in context
The book addresses BJJ’s self-defense applications through control, escapes, takedown awareness, and protection from guard. A safe real-world priority is always awareness, distance, de-escalation, and leaving when possible; train technical responses with an instructor.
- Escaping grabs and holds
- Takedown awareness and balance
- How sport and self-defense contexts differ
10
The long game
Stay curious and progress
As your foundation grows, set goals, track small wins, build a personal style, and decide whether competition or mentoring belongs in your path. The closing message is simple: be a good training partner and keep returning to the work.
- Short- and long-term goal setting
- Competition as an optional learning experience
- A lifelong practice of learning and contribution
Bring it back to the mats
Choose one
useful question.
The fastest way to make a guide practical is to carry one idea into your next session. Ask a coach how the day’s technique connects to a position, movement, or decision in this module, then drill it with care.