TOP 10s: 10 Submissions that every white belt should know
TOP 10s: 10 Submissions that every white belt should know
Being a brand-new, fresh-faced white belt can be a truly daunting experience. Where warm-ups hurt, drilling techniques seem like rocket science, and sparring feels like a gladiatorial fight to the death. Learning to shrimp, breakfall, frame, and bridge, all while trying to avoid the moniker of the “spazzy white belt”. It’s a tough ask.
Nevertheless, as you build your skills, you set your sights on the light at the end of the sweaty tunnel: submissions. Sage advice from your coach is always “position over submission” - that is to say, it is better to establish a dominant position than squander it trying to hit a crazy flying armbar you saw on YouTube. But let’s face it, is there anything better than getting the tap?
You may not be able to hit them every time, but here is our Top 10 submissions that every white belt should learn and add to their game. These aren’t the flashiest, but they get the job done:
10. Rear-Naked Choke
Hailed as the highest percentage submission on even the biggest BJJ stages, from ADCC to IBJJF. The appeal is obvious. Take the back. Catch your breath. Squeeze the life out of your opponent. No flashy set-ups, no tricks; just careful mechanics and a bit of bite. With short choke and lapel variations of this choke, the RNC is the ultimate control position and finish to close out an intense round with even the biggest training partners.
9. Guillotine Choke
They say that experience can be a harsh master: it gives you the test first and the lesson after. This could not be more true than for the guillotine. We have all ducked our heads or shot poorly, only to have our windpipes crushed by a heavy front headlock choke. Remember, folks, it doesn’t always pay to lead with your head! Needless to say, a strong, effective guillotine is one of your earliest opportunities not just to secure the finish, but to turn defence into attack.
8. Kimura
Part submission, part control system. Be ready to make this finish your entire personality. As ADCC semi-finalist Josh Saunders puts it, the Kimura is great for every single weight class, whether you are sparring the lightest rooster-weight, or the heaviest of the high-calorie open weight competitors. Not only does the kimura carry an incredibly high percentage of success rate, but it also opens up a host of new control positions and techniques to help you dominate the round. Not to mention, you can hunt kimura traps from virtually anywhere, from closed guard, to side, control, seated guard to standing.
7. Triangle (from closed guard)
We get it, you’ve got bendy legs. Congratulations, you are the envy of the entire gym. For brand new white belts, learning how to apply a strong triangle from closed guard is likely to be one of the most complicated moves in your flourishing arsenal. While far harder to lock up for those with shorter, stockier legs (take it from me, as a veritable hobbit), the control and crushing power is undeniable. While this technique has far more moving parts than most on this list, not to mention a dozen or more killer details to perfect, you would be hard-pressed to find a move to practice that is as rewarding as the triangle from closed guard. Lock your legs up, control the head, and take your pick of how to finish your opponent.
6. Arm Triangle Choke
The rear-naked choke’s musclier twin. As far as control submissions go, it is hard to think of a better candidate. Nothing says a dominant win like pinning your opponent to the mat, unable to move, before cinching in a rasping arm-triangle choke. Hit this one from mount or side control without losing a controlling position. The arm triangle is also the perfect place to start developing your taste buds for all the Darce and Anaconda chokes to follow at blue belt…
5. Bow and Arrow Choke
It is about time we introduced a small amount of gi-wizardry to this list. The bow and arrow choke is likely to be one of the first unique gi submissions you learn. It is also a fantastic answer to an opponent frantically defending against an RNC. If you can’t fully sink your arm behind your opponents head, then no problem. Just a small gi grip on the opposing side, twist, grab the pant leg, and voila! Turn your opponent into a human longbow. Just remember to keep that elbow tucked, there is nothing more annoying than them slipping out at the last second.
4. Straight Ankle Lock
Okay, okay…hear me out. Will your coach be mad if you don’t bother to try to pass the guard, establish control, and work your finishes from there? Yes. Will your training partners be equally mad if you keep trying to dive all over their feet? Also, an emphatic yes. Does that mean that you shouldn’t bother with foot locks? Absolutely not. If anything, learning a good ankle lock helps you understand how best to escape, and it allows you to add a little bit of variety to your early game.
Just remember, NO twisting of the heel or toes….straight to jail.
3. Armbar
It wouldn’t exactly be much of a list without one of the most instantly recognisable finishes in BJJ, MMA, and Judo. The humble armbar can be hit from virtually anywhere and allows you to become a formidable threat even when playing defensively. While it is the submission that everyone knows, it is arguably the move that everyone messes up the most. There is nothing worse than trying to throw up a Hail Mary armbar only to fall on your butt grasping nothing but thin air. Oh, and leave the flying armbars to Youtube. Gary who works in accounting, has a wife, three kids, and a mortgage needs his knees to go to work tomorrow.
2. Cross-Collar Choke
Old school, simple, and brutally effective. Establish grips high on the collar and squeeze the life out of your opponent with a simple scissoring motion. Hit this from side control or mount without giving up a dominant control position. Just be careful not to get bump swept…and try to keep your fingers out of your opponents mouth. Nobody wants that.
1. The Americana (or Keylock)
Was it ever in doubt? Old Faithful. The very first submission you should be adding to your locker. While you will virtually never see this finish at a high level of jiu jitsu, it is a staple to help cultivating your game, recognising the importance of positioning, pressure, and how your opponent resists and attempts to escape. High calorie grapplers love it, flexible rooster weights may indeed hate it, but one thing is for sure…it works. Out of all of the submissions on this list, the Americana allows a relatively new BJJ player to test their set up, refine it, and finish without losing positional control. Simply pin the farside arm, slide your other hand underneath and connect your hand to wrist and paint the mat with your opponents arm. Simples. Bonus points if you combo it with armbar and kimura variations.