How do positions, control and submissions work in BJJ?
Your position is how your body is placed in relation to your partner. You learn to hold your partner in place and escape when they're holding you. An IBJJF competition analysis describes how control, positions and submissions work together.
For example, a submission can be a joint lock or choke that makes an opponent concede. The idea is to establish control first, then work toward a submission from a useful position.
One way classes explore a specific position is positional sparring; this guide explains how a clear task and reset give the round a purpose.
If you hear the word “frame” in class, see what a frame does in BJJ before you ask about it in a specific position.
If your next question is about entering an event, use this first-tournament event-information checklist to check the exact organizer and event page before registering.
Gi vs. No-Gi BJJ: What changes?
The main difference is what you wear and which grips you can use. Both formats still teach you to work for position and control.
Gi BJJ: jacket and pant grips
In Gi, you wear a woven jacket and pants. Your partner can grip the fabric, including the collar and sleeves. In class, notice how those grips help someone hold or move a partner.
No-Gi BJJ: no jacket or pant grips
In No-Gi, you wear fitted athletic clothes, such as a rash guard and shorts or compression clothing. There are no jacket or pant grips. In class, notice how partners keep control without holding that fabric.
Stephan Kesting explains that sleeve and collar grips aren't available in No-Gi, while holds around a partner's arm or head can work in both formats.
Which BJJ format should a beginner try first?
You can try either Gi or No-Gi first. Choose the one that interests you and has a class time you can make. After you've tried both, compare how it felt to work with and without fabric grips.
Phantom's weekly schedule lists adult Fundamentals in both formats. Check it for current times, then see the adult program for class levels.
Learning Jiu Jitsu at Phantom
You can start as a beginner. Phantom has separate adult and kids programs at its Herndon academy. The Adult Jiu Jitsu Program includes Fundamentals and Advanced. Parents can read about the Kids Jiu Jitsu Program.
Once you find a class time that works, Try a Class with Us. The academy will reach out to arrange your visit.
In his Google review, Michael Flo says Frank explains the fundamental principles behind movements so students understand not only the how but also the why
. He says two years of training fundamentally reshaped and deepened his understanding of Jiu Jitsu.
If you are comparing academies, use these checks for choosing a BJJ gym to guide what you observe and ask.