Beginner's Guide
Introduction to Jiu Jitsu Concepts
At its most basic description, jiu jitsu or Brazilian jiu jitsu is a grappling martial art (no strikes allowed) where opponents try to gain positional control over their opponent and/or submission (opponent giving up). More on this later.
Submission Saga is a video game built around the concepts of jiu jitsu in its many forms, so it's important to understand many of the terms and ideas to understand the game. While jiu jitsu is done in both the Gi (kimono) and without (generally rash guard and shorts), Submission Saga focuses on jiu jitsu from the No-gi perspective.
Key Concepts
- Position
- Different grappling situations in jiu jitsu are generally grouped into broad “Positions” which describe the orientation of the two opponents in given scenarios. These positions vary from neutral to both opponents, to heavily favoring one opponent. Submission Saga uses a subset of these but not all of them.
- Move
- A jiu jitsu technique. Any body movement, trick, or idea used by one player to accomplish a specific goal while grappling to gain an advantage. Most involve either moving to a more dominant position, submitting your opponent, or maintaining current position.
- Submission
- A move that attempts to get an opponent to submit or tap. When a submission is landed in competition, that is the end of the match and the player who submitted or tapped has lost.
- Points
- Systems used in jiu jitsu to track the dominant positions that each competitor gets to. If there is no submission in a match, the most points decides the outcome.
- Sweep
- A move from bottom guard that attempts to knock your opponent over to take top position.
Positions
Used in Submission Saga
- Standing
- Any situation where both opponents are on their feet. This is the starting position in Submission Saga. Neutral.
- Guard
- One player is seated and the other is either standing or on their knees. The seated player has their legs in between themself and their opponent to some degree. The player on top is generally trying to get past the legs to “pass” the guard. Generally neutral (no points).
- Half Guard
- A position where the bottom guard player has one leg of their opponent trapped. They often use one leg to hook the top player's leg and the knee of the other leg to keep distance from the opponent.
- Side Control
- The top player is past their opponent's legs and pinning them (perpendicular torsos). Favors the top player (scores 3).
- Mount
- Top player is pinning their opponent with their knees on either side of their opponent's torso, directly on top of them. Heavily favors the top player (scores 4).
- Turtle
- One player is on their hands (or elbows) and knees and the other is behind them. Favors the top player.
- Front Headlock
- One person has the other's head trapped with their arms. Favors the player holding the headlock.
- Back Control
- One person is fully behind the other with two legs wrapped around the waist in between their legs (or figure foured). Attacker usually has a seatbelt grip (one arm under the armpit of the opponent and the other over the shoulder by the neck, with hands clasped). Very heavily favors the attacking opponent. (4 points)
- Single Leg X
- Most basic leg entanglement position. Bottom player holds one of their opponent's legs with two of theirs. One foot on their hip on the outside and the other leg pinched with their foot in between the opponent's legs. Generally favors the bottom attacking player.
- Saddle (Cross Ashi)
- More advanced and dominant leg entanglement position. Favors the attacker more heavily.
