Jiu-Jitsu Words You Need to Know

If you're reading this, you've likely stumbled into some Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym - either on purpose or on accident - and you've found yourself staring like a deer in headlights when your coach or training partner says a word that you have never encountered. Never fear, we are here for you. 

As you'll come to find out, jiu-jitsu is more than a sport or martial art. It's an entire culture, and as with any culture, it comes with its own specialized lingo. Sometimes the words are universal across the BJJ community, sometimes they are specific to your own academy or team affiliation. It's the same phenomena you've come to expect from, say, northern UK versus southern. 

What's important to remember is: the longer you spend on the mat, the more you'll become familiar with the "jiu-jitsu language." It's just like going to a different country and immersing yourself in the language; you're going to begin to recognize words relatively quickly, then you'll understand more and be able to converse with others, and eventually you'll become fluent yourself! But if you want to get a leg up on that particularly journey, we've created this cheat sheet of important jiu-jitsu words that you should know. 

Here's what we cover in the full article at the Kingz USA site (here): 

• Oss
• That Thing You Wear
• The Person Who Teaches You
• The Stuff You Do on the Mat
• A Note About Technique Names