Translating Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Terminology

Last updated on 09.04.2022 by
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When you start out learning Jiu Jitsu, learning the terminology can feel like you’re learning a new language. Trying to learn the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu terminology seems like you’re trying to learn a language from another planet.

In the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system, Eddie Bravo has a lot of crazy alternate names for different techniques and positions.

Here is our master list of the 10th Planet lingo, translated for non-10th Planet students.

10th Planet Expertise Disclaimer

None of us at Jiu Jitsu Legacy are 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu students, so this list likely isn’t complete. If you’re a student at a 10th Planet school or know any terminology we missed, please let us know in the comment section below!

Why did Eddie Bravo create the 10th Planet terminology?

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Terminology

When you first hear the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu terminology being used, your first thought was probably… why?

Why did Eddie Bravo create his own Jiu Jitsu language and not just use the normal terminology? Believe it or more there is a method to Eddie’s madness.

The main reason that Bravo began using different Jiu Jitsu terminology was for coaching purposes. Only he and his student know the instructions he’s given during a fight or match. 

It’s much like a quarterback shouting nonsense to the offense that only they understand. Eddie didn’t want their opponents to know what he was saying when he was coaching.

Another reason was to set apart 10th Planet from other Jiu Jitsu schools. It also seems kind of cool to know a language that you and only a few others can speak amongst one another.

Finally, many of the terms refer to positions that were relatively common in BJJ, and yet were unnamed. It is difficult to talk about positions without having a name for them – Judo is notorious for having relatively few names, often resulting in ambiguity. By naming these positions Eddie made it easier to think about and talk about BJJ – even if his names sometimes seem absurd.

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Terminology

A2

A series of warm ups that starts with passing guard and going into the spider web position.

Apollo Choke

The Apollo choke is an arm triangle done when holding a lockdown half guard.

Apollo Control

Similar to the Apollo choke, but where you’re just controlling your opponent’s head and arm to set up sweeps.

Baby Arm

An armlock variation, where the opponent’s arm looks like a baby arm during the submission.

Banana Split

The banana split is a submission that attacks the opponent’s groin. You like both of your opponent’s legs in a position similar to the crucifix and stretch them in opposite ways. Putting immense pressure on their groin that will force those that aren’t that flexible to tap.

Note: This term exists outside of the 10th Planet system. Eddie was not afraid to reuse existing vocabulary when it was applicable and fit his sense of style.

Barn Hook

A variation of the William’s guard, where you reach under your top leg and cup your opponent’s shoulder.

Baseball Bat

A grip you hold on your opponent’s arm when in the truck position that’s similar to holding a baseball bat.

Bermuda Triangle

A no-armed triangle, where you’re under hooking your leg.

Bolt Cutter

A grip break which is used when your opponent is in the truck and they are defending by clasping their hands together.

Bolt Cutter Choke

A bolt cutter choke is a variation of a no-gi paper cutter choke.

Buggy Choke

The buggy choke is a submission option for when your opponent has you in side control. You hug your leg like in mission control and cross your feet together to lock on this choke.

Capoeira Pass

A backstep to get out of half guard or go to reverse half guard.

Carni Shoulder Lock

The Carni shoulder lock is an arm lock that was invented by the Martinez brothers Ritchie and Geo Martinez.

Chill Dog

Chill dog is a variety of rubber guard that is similar to the New York position. You’re holding your leg the same, but you have your opponent’s arm trapped on the mat.

Crackhead Control

Crackhead control is a rubber guard position, where you’re grabbing your leg palm down behind your opponent’s head. You then cross your ankles to lock the control in.

Crotch Ripper

A crotch ripper is a submission that attacks the opponent’s groin by putting an extreme stretch on the body part. Your legs are controlling the opponent’s legs in a crucifix variation as you stretch their legs apart.

Dog Fight

Dog Fight is a half guard position, where you have an underhook and are sitting up. You can do a variety of different sweeps from this position and it is used in other systems.

Electric Chair

The electric chair is a technique that is both a sweep and a submission. It is where you grab a half guard lockdown, underhook your opponent’s leg and transition into a sweep or submission.

Electric Stone Sweep

A variation of the electric chair sweep, where you go under the opponent’s leg and sweep them backwards.

Electric Underhooks

The electric underhooks are the underhooks you get before going into the electric chair.

D Warmups

Standing pass drills that 10th Planet students do as warm ups.

Dead Orchard

The dead orchard is a high guard position created by 10th Planet black belt Nathan Orchard. It’s a high guard, where you figure-four your legs behind your opponent’s shoulder to attack armlocks, wrist locks, and Americanas.

Defcon 4 Calf Crank

The defcon 4 calf crank is the most powerful variation of the vaporizer. It is where you do a push kick movement out on your foot that is controlling the opponent’s leg. At the same time, you pull down on your opponent’s foot, putting extreme pressure on their calf.

Double Bag

Double bag is a rubber guard variation, where you grab both of your feet with your hands. It provides a variety of different sweeps and submission options.

Fishnet

Fishnet is a controlling position, where you lace your arms between your opponent’s legs to keep them in place.

Fire & Flip

Fire and flip is another way to bring your foot in front of your opponent’s face. You grab your foot with the same side hand and bring it over.

Fly Trap

A reverse triangle when you are on bottom in side-control.

Gangsta Lean

The gangsta lean is a 10th Planet variation of the mounted triangle.

Garcia

The butterfly sweep made famous by legend Marcelo Garcia.

Ghost

The ghost is a spin move escape to get out of side-control or quarter guard.

Gogo Clinch

A variation of a gogoplata, where a Gable grip is used to lock it in.

Gogo Launch

The gogo launch is where you have a gogoplata with a foot grip and use it to sweep your opponent.

Granby Warm Up Series

A series of warm ups done before class that mainly consists of granby rolls.

Gun Show

Gun show is a rubber guard variation, where you reach under your opponent’s neck and cross grab your rubber guard leg.

Hail Mary Series

The Hail Mary series are a group of different warm ups that 10th Planet students do at the beginning of class.

High Noon

A method of breaking your opponent’s grip, when they’re in the truck position. You grab your hand and pull back like you’re shooting a revolver to break the grip.

Hindu Control

The controlling position before you lock in a Hindulotine.

Hindulotine

The Hindulotine is a guillotine variation, where you wrap around your foot when locking in the submission.

Hog Tie

The hog tie is a way to enter into the truck position. From top side-control, you grab the toes of your opponent’s far foot to pull them over into the truck position.

Honeyhole

The honeyhole is the term that 10th Planet uses for the side saddle of inside Ashi Garami leg weave position.

Invisible Collar

A rubber guard position, where you’re under hooking your leg and knee on the same side. Your other leg then comes up and you cross your ankles behind your opponent’s head.

Iron Sheik

A neck crank variation when you have the back mount with your opponent belly down. It looks similar to the pro wrestler Iron Sheik finishing move called the camel clutch.

Jailbreak

A move that is used to make space when you’re on bottom in side-control.

Jaws of Life

The position in lockdown from half guard, where you have double underhooks on your opponent.

Jiu Claw

The 10th Planet term for a reverse omoplata.

Kamikaze Calf Crank

A calf crank/crush that was developed within the 10th Planet system.

Kung Fu Move

Kung Fu is a move done to bring your foot in front of your opponent’s face in a rubber guard. Your outside arm comes inside your opponent’s neck to grab your foot and bring it over.

Kung Fu Move(Flying)

The same movements as the regular Kung Fu Move, but from standing.

Leg D’arce

A d’arce choke variation, where you mix a d’arce together with a mission control style rubber guard.

Lockdown

The lockdown is the patented half guard that was innovated within the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system. You do a lockdown from half guard reversing your leg position, where your outside leg goes over your opponent’s leg. Then you triangle your legs together and hook under your opponent’s foot to complete the lockdown

Loco Plata

A variation of the gogoplata, where you grab your toes and triangle your legs together.

Mantis

A pseudo guard position, where you can go into inversions or enter into leg lock positions. 

Meat Hook

The meat hook is where you go over your rubber guard leg and underhook your opponent’s shoulder.

Middle School Sweep

A variation of the old school sweep, where you grab the opponent’s foot with your outside hand.

Mission Control

Mission control is the most basic version of the rubber guard. It is where you underhook your leg, and put it behind your opponent’s head to break their posture.

Monkey Mount

A mount variation that allows your opponent to get quarter guard to set up various leg locks and back takes.

Muffle

An entry into the truck position, where you triangle your opponent’s legs and are facing away from their head.

Ninja Choke

A ninja choke is similar to a d’arce choke, but performed with no arm in.

New Jersey Position

Similar to New York position, but you’re not over hooking the opponent’s arm.

New Jersey Sweep

A sweep from the New Jersey position, where you use the opponent’s momentum to sweep them over.

New York Position

New York is a rubber guard position, where you’re over hooking your leg as you have it behind the opponent’s head. One hand is over hooking the shin and the other is over hooking your knee with the opponent’s arm trapped inside.

Old School Sweep

Old school is a half guard sweep, where you grab your opponent’s foot with your bottom hand. You finish the sweep by driving forward as you keep control of the foot. This sweep is also used in every other Jiu Jitsu system.

Pimp Hand

The pimp hand is a variation of the stiff arm. Generally used to recover a guard or get in position for a sweep or submission.

Pry Bar

A method to break your opponent’s grip when going for an armbar.

Pump

The pump is where you cross your ankles behind your opponent’s head with your hands locked behind your legs. In this position, you squeeze your legs together to force your opponent to put their elbow on your chest.

Pyramid

A guard position, where you have an overhook and your leg is across your opponent’s back. Your other knee comes in front of their shoulder and connects to your heel to make a pyramid shape.

Rear Swim Move

A backwards swimming motion with your arm to get take out of an underhook.

Rubber Guard

Everyone in Jiu Jitsu knows what rubber guard is and many white belts and blue belts have attempted to use the guard with varying degrees of success.

Rubber guard is a mix of high guard and shin guards used to keep your opponent’s posture broken. Allowing you to either get easier subs, sweeps, or even strike.

Also one thing you must know is there are numerous variations of rubber guard with different names.

Samurai to Back

A forward roll from on top in half guard to take your opponent’s back.

Slow Triangle

A triangle variation, where you cup under the opponent’s far arm to make space and throw up your triangle.

Spider Hook

Spider hook is where you’re hooking the opponent’s leg with your arm when going for an armbar.

Spider Web

The top position, where you have a series of different options when you’re holding an armbar.

Straight Jacket

A straight jacket is an armbar variation, where you trap an opponent’s arm to their body with your legs. This technique was given that name, because it looks like the opponent is in a straight jacket.

Stoner Control

Stoner control is where you have a triangle on your opponent’s leg on bottom and gone under their other leg.

Sorcerer

The sorcerer is a mixture of a double armbar and a neck crank. Both of your feet are hooked at the front of your opponent’s neck.

Stock

The stock is where you underhook your opponent’s leg with your rubber guard leg as you overhook their arm.

Super Stomp

The super stomp is the transition from lockdown, where you let the lockdown go and place your foot on the mat. Generally transitioning to butterfly or rubber guard.

Top Stoner Control

This position is when your knee is between your opponent’s legs from top position.

Truck

The truck is an entry position used within the 10th Planet system to enter into various submissions including the  twister, banana split, vaporizer, calf slicers, and more.

Twister

One of the best known terms in 10th Planet lingo is the twister. Eddie Bravo’s signature submission that he first learned when he competed in amateur wrestling. He innovated the technique and turned it into a really effective neck crank/spine lock.

Twister Side Control

Twister side control is a variation of a reverse Kesa-Gatame side-control used to set up various submissions like the twister. 

Vaporizer

The vaporizer is a leg compression lock that is a mix between a calf slicer, toehold, and heel hook. There are also different variations of the vaporizer.

Whip Down

The whip down is done from a half guard lockdown, where you use the lockdown to whip your opponent down.

Whip Up

Opposite of the whip up is where you use your lockdown half guard to whip your opponent up.

Zombie

The zombie is a pummel you do with your arm to get your opponent’s hand on the mat.

100% Sweep

A sweep off a failed or fake guillotine, where you use a reverse full nelson to sweep your opponent.

While not as successful as its name may imply, it is a very effective sweep.

Help us out!

This list isn’t complete! There are way more terms that need to be added and there is a good chance Eddie will continue innovating and adding new terms as time goes on.

If you’d like to help us out, then please hit us up and tell us what terms need to be added to this list.