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Writer's pictureMichelle Fecteau

Where Some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Moves Get Their Names From


As like many words, or titles, the names given to something often times have a back story to their appropriated counterpart. This is no different to where many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves get their names from. Let’s check out a few.


Ezekiel Choke


The Ezekiel choke move is defined by the aggressor using their sleeve and wrist in a scissoring motion which blocks the opponent’s trachea.




Named after a famous Brazilian judo Olympian, Ezequiel Paraguassu. While training, Paraguassu decided to hone in on his ground work and really refine it. He mastered this specific choke technique and used it many times, ultimately becoming his signature move, and from then on, the Ezekiel choke was named.


Omoplata


Omoplata is a Portuguese word that means scapula or blade bone. This move has the ability to work as a shoulder lock, submission, a sweep or even a transition toward other positions.


Omoplata Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Omoplata

Named after a famous Brazilian judo Olympian, Ezequiel Paraguassu. While training, Paraguassu decided to hone in on his ground work and really refine it. He mastered this specific choke technique and used it many times, ultimately becoming his signature move. The Ezekiel choke was then named.


The technique uses the legs to form an entanglement with the opponents’ arms and shoulders.


The Worm Guard


The worm guard is a grappling position. The person in the bottom, open guard places their leg on the opponent’s hip, then grabs their opponent’s lapel on the same side the leg is placed.


The other leg should swing up and place the bottom person in a sitting position with the leg interlacing with the opponents’. Next, roll the body to the side, taking the opponent to the ground. Check out the video.




As a fairly new move introduced in 2014 by Keenan Cornelius, the name of this move was coined by Cornelius’s coach, Andre Galvao. He described the move like fighting a worm, hence, The Worm Guard.


Kimura


Also referred to as the Kimura lock or double wristlock, it’s a grappling submission hold. It relies on a double wrist grip to isolate the shoulder and elbow joints and allows the attacker leverage.




Even though this was born far before Masahiko Kimura himself (one of the best judoka of his generation). Kimura used this move to defeat one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Helio Gracie and from then on, the technique was known as the Kimura.


The number of technical moves are quite nearly endless as are the coined names for them.


Do you know what your favorites’ back stories are?


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