The Seven Submissions Every White Belt Should Learn First
IBJJF competition rules restrict white belts to a specific set of fundamental submissions — no leg locks beyond the straight ankle lock, no advanced neck cranks or wrist locks. That restriction turns out to be good curriculum design: these seven submissions between them cover the large majority of finishes at every belt level in competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and they teach the positional understanding that everything more advanced later builds on.
Rear Naked Choke
The rear naked choke is the single most statistically common finish in BJJ — studies of competition data put it behind roughly 30% or more of all wins. It requires minimal strength relative to most other submissions and is genuinely difficult to escape once fully locked in, which is exactly why it’s worth prioritizing early: you get a very high return on a relatively simple mechanical skill.
Armbar
The armbar is arguably the most versatile joint lock in the sport, attackable from mount, closed guard, side control, and more positions than almost any other submission. It’s consistently ranked among the top submissions by frequency in both BJJ competition and MMA, and because it works from so many positions, learning it well pays off no matter what position your game ends up built around.
Triangle Choke
The triangle is the submission most coaches tell white belts to obsess over, because it’s a genuinely strong attacking option from the bottom of guard — a position beginners spend a lot of time in by default. The key technical detail beginners miss is angling the hips roughly 30 degrees off to the side of the trapped arm rather than staying square, which is what actually generates the choking pressure.
Kimura
The kimura is a shoulder lock most white belts encounter as their first real introduction to attacking the arm rather than just the neck. It works from a wide range of positions — guard, side control, north-south, even standing — which makes it one of the more transferable submissions to learn early.
Americana
Also called a ‘key-lock,’ the americana is typically taught alongside or just before the kimura, most often from mount or side control. It relies more on precise wrist and elbow control than speed or strength, which makes it a good vehicle for learning control-based submission mechanics before moving to faster-paced attacks.
Guillotine Choke
The guillotine is fast, works from the closed guard or standing, and is especially effective against opponents who shoot for a takedown with poor head positioning — a very common mistake among other beginners, which makes this submission disproportionately useful in white-belt-level sparring and competition specifically.
Straight Ankle Lock
The only leg lock permitted at white belt under IBJJF rules, the straight ankle lock targets the ankle joint directly rather than the knee or hip that more advanced leg locks attack. It’s a reasonable introduction to leg-lock mechanics without the higher injury risk that heel hooks and knee-reaping positions carry — both of which are restricted to higher belts for exactly that reason.
How to Actually Learn These
- Drill each submission’s entry from multiple starting positions, not just the one your coach happens to show first — the armbar and kimura in particular show up from many different positions.
- Focus on the position before the submission. All seven of these are taught alongside a dominant position (mount, guard, back control, side control) because the submission rarely works without first controlling the position it comes from.
- Tap early and often when submissions are locked on you in training. Learning to recognize a fully secured submission from the receiving end is just as valuable as learning to apply one.
- Ask your coach which of these your gym’s specific game plan emphasizes first — different schools sequence this curriculum differently, and following your own coach’s system beats mixing techniques from outside sources.