How to Succeed in Americana From Side Control

Steve and Matt explore the three core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: Frames, Levers, and Wedges.  All techniques in Jiu-Jitsu can be defined in terms of these mechanics.

Frames: Creating solid structures with the strong parts of your body, such as your elbows and knees.  You use these frames to create obstacles for your opponent and control the distance.

Levers: Latching onto an opponent's limb and manipulating it for leverage.  Submissions are generally applied against a lever.

Wedges: Using parts of your body to block and restrict your opponent's movement.  Wedges can also be used offensively, as in the case of knee on belly, where the knee is a wedge.

We maintain an online database of the mental models governing Jiu-Jitsu at: bjjmentalmodels.com