10 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Techniques Every White Belt Should Master

When stepping onto the mats for the first time, the flood of movement, grips, and terminology can feel overwhelming. The beauty of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), however, is its structure. White belts aren’t expected to know everything , but laying a strong foundation is key to long-term progress. Mastering fundamental techniques builds confidence, improves safety, and enhances your overall understanding of the art.

Whether your goal is self-defense, competition, or just improved fitness, the techniques listed below are essential. These are not flashy moves but rather the practical, high-percentage skills that help you survive, escape, and control your opponent efficiently. Let’s break down the 10 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques every white belt should focus on mastering.

Closed Guard

The closed guard is often the first guard position students learn. It involves wrapping your legs around your opponent’s waist while controlling their posture with grips on the sleeves, collar, or head. From here, you can defend, sweep, or submit.

Why it's important:

• Teaches distance control
• Allows transitions into submissions (e.g., armbar, triangle)
• Develops grip fighting and posture management

Learning how to maintain and break posture from this position sets the tone for understanding guard-based strategies in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Hip Escape (Shrimping)

You’ll hear it in every class: “Shrimp out!” The hip escape, or shrimp, is one of the most important movements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It helps you create space and recover guard or escape bad positions.

Key benefits:

• Helps escape side control and mount
• Builds core strength and mobility
• Reinforces the importance of framing and distance

You’re not always going to overpower your opponent. Learning how to move efficiently is half the battle.

Bridge and Roll Escape (Upa)

When you’re stuck under mount, the bridge and roll (upa) is your go-to escape. It uses leverage and timing to trap your opponent’s arm and roll them off.

White belts must understand:

• How to isolate an arm and trap a leg
• Timing the bridge for maximum momentum
• Common mistakes like failing to block the posting arm

Escaping mount is vital. The sooner you develop this habit, the less time you’ll spend flattened under pressure.

Scissor Sweep

From the closed guard, the scissor sweep introduces the concept of off-balancing your opponent and using your legs to reverse the position.

What it teaches:

• Off-balancing techniques (kuzushi)
• Proper hip movement and timing
• How to transition directly to mount after a successful sweep

Sweeps are fundamental in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as they allow you to move from defense to offense seamlessly.

Triangle Choke

The triangle choke is a staple submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It allows you to use your legs to choke your opponent by isolating their neck and one arm.

Why white belts should learn it:

• Teaches leg dexterity and control
• Introduces key submission mechanics
• Reinforces the value of breaking posture in guard

This submission is particularly effective against larger opponents and is a great addition to any beginner’s arsenal.

Rear Naked Choke

When you’ve taken someone’s back, the rear naked choke (RNC) is the finishing move you’ll most often see at all levels of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — from casual rolls to black belt competitions.

White belts should focus on:

• Proper hand positioning (no crossing fingers)
• Keeping chest-to-back pressure
• Using hooks or body triangle to control the back

Mastering this choke teaches control, patience, and finishing mechanics.

Side Control Fundamentals

Side control is one of the first dominant positions you'll encounter in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. While submissions are possible from here, control is the main objective for beginners.

Essentials to practice:

• Shoulder pressure and head control
• Knee placement and hip management
• Preventing guard recovery

Maintaining dominant positions is more critical than hunting submissions early on. Solid side control turns defense into offense.

Mount Maintenance and Escape Awareness

While being in mount is a dominant position, many white belts struggle to hold it or escape from it. Mastery on both sides of the position is crucial.

Important concepts:

• Maintaining low mount vs. high mount
• Using grapevines and knee pressure
• Recognizing when to transition to back control

Mount is both a goal and a threat in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, depending on which side of it you’re on.

Standing Guard Pass (Toreando Pass)

Passing the guard is a massive part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the toreando pass is a great starting point. It teaches you how to move laterally and avoid entanglement.

Why it's beginner-friendly:

• Emphasizes speed and footwork over strength
• Helps you avoid submissions from bottom players
• Works well against open guards

As you get better, guard passing becomes an art form. But it all starts with learning how to control the legs and move around them.

Basic Takedown (Single Leg)

Even though Brazilian Jiu Jitsu often starts on the ground, knowing how to take the fight there is essential — especially for self-defense or competition.

White belts should start with the single leg takedown because:

• It’s low-risk and highly effective
• Builds confidence in standing exchanges
• Sets up guard passes immediately after landing

You don’t need to be a wrestler. Just learning the basics can make a world of difference.

In Ending

As a white belt, focus less on fancy techniques and more on mastering the fundamentals. The above ten techniques form the blueprint for success in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They teach balance, timing, control, and awareness — everything that advanced movements build upon.

Avoid the temptation to skip ahead. True skill comes from drilling the basics repeatedly until they become second nature. Make these techniques your bread and butter, and your future in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will be much smoother.

And if you're thinking about getting your child involved in kids Brazilian jiu jitsu, check out Guto Campos Academy — a respected place where discipline, technique, and fun come together to create well-rounded young grapplers.

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