
Compare BJJ technique databases, apps, and mapping tools with evidence-based insights and a comprehensive directory.
This research-backed guide defines what technique databases are, how they differ, and how to choose the right one for your training. Learn from cited sources and explore our directory of 24 platforms.
BJJ has the largest technique video collections of any martial art
Submission SearcherA BJJ technique database is a structured collection of techniques, positions, and instructional content used to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It can take the form of a video library (like Submission Searcher's 5,627+ videos), an interactive map (like GrappleMap), an app with flowcharts (like BJJFlowCharts), or a written resource (like BJJ Heroes). These tools supplement in-gym training by providing searchable, organized access to technique instruction. Our interactive technique map lets you explore positions and techniques by connection.
Technique databases serve different learning needs. Video libraries offer breadth and quick reference. Mapping tools help visualize how techniques connect. Written analysis provides historical context and conceptual depth. Progress tracking tools turn isolated study into structured skill development.
The BJJ community has built one of the largest collections of technique video content of any martial art. Free platforms like Submission Searcher host thousands of videos. Paid platforms like Digitsu offer structured curricula from world champions. Open-source projects like GrappleMap map position transitions. No single resource covers everything, but together they form a rich ecosystem for studying the art.
BJJ technique databases come in various formats. From comprehensive video libraries and interactive mapping tools to specialized apps for tracking progress and analyzing techniques, each type offers unique approaches to studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Understanding the fundamental challenges that make creating the ultimate BJJ technique database so difficult.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has thousands of named techniques, each with variations. A single guard pass can have a dozen entries depending on grip, angle, and counter. Unlike sports with fixed playbooks, BJJ evolves through live training and competition. Documenting everything in one place would require constant updates and a structure flexible enough to capture nuance.
Every BJJ technique links to others through transitions, counters, and follow-ups. A sweep leads to a pass; a pass leads to a submission. Representing these relationships requires graph-like structures (nodes and edges), not flat lists. Platforms like GrappleMap and BJJDex attempt this; each makes trade-offs between depth and usability.
More content means more to search and organize. Submission Searcher has thousands of videos; finding the right one depends on filters and categories. Smaller, curated platforms (Infighting, BJJ Atlas) are easier to navigate but cover less. No platform has solved the balance perfectly.
New techniques and variations emerge from competition and instructionals. A database built today will be incomplete in a year. Maintenance is costly. Most platforms rely on user submissions, instructor partnerships, or small teams. Keeping pace with BJJ's evolution is a structural challenge.
BJJ cannot be learned from text alone. Research in PMC and Scientific Reports confirms that visual feedback improves motor skill acquisition. Video production, multiple angles, and clear progression mapping require time and money. Free platforms often rely on user-uploaded content with inconsistent quality. Premium platforms invest in production but charge accordingly.
BJJ has no universal nomenclature. Techniques have Portuguese, Japanese, English, and multiple names. The flower sweep is also the pendulum sweep. Inside sankaku is also the saddle, 4/11, or honey hole. Eddie Bravo uses creative nicknames; John Danaher prefers Japanese Judo terminology. According to BJJEE (Max De Michelis), the BJJ community has the largest database of technique videos of any martial art but lacks the nomenclature to search it effectively. This impacts database design and usability.
No single platform achieves everything below. Use this as a checklist when comparing options. Research shows that interleaving observation with physical practice benefits motor memory consolidation, and visual feedback improves motor skill accuracy.
Search and browse that matches how you think
The best technique databases let you locate specific moves quickly. That means search by position name, submission type, or instructor. Logical categories (guard, passing, submissions) and filters (gi, no-gi, belt level) reduce time spent hunting. BJJ practitioners often review techniques when tired after training. A database that requires minimal effort to navigate gets used more often.
Search by position or technique name
Filter by format and skill level
Clear category structure
Video and diagrams that show the move
BJJ is a physical art. Text descriptions alone rarely suffice. Published research in PMC and Scientific Reports shows that visual feedback improves motor skill accuracy, and that interleaving observation with physical practice benefits retention. The best databases offer video from multiple angles, clear progression steps, and in some cases animated position maps. Quality matters more than quantity.
Video from multiple angles
Step-by-step breakdowns
Position diagrams where helpful
Build from fundamentals to advanced
A random collection of techniques is less useful than one organized by difficulty and dependency. Prerequisites matter: you need a basic guard before berimbolo. The best platforms show which techniques connect, suggest logical next steps, and offer curricula (e.g. white to blue belt fundamentals). Flowcharts and position maps excel here because they visualize these relationships.
Prerequisites and progressions
Belt-level or difficulty tiers
Technique connections visible
Web, mobile, and offline options
Technique study happens between classes, on commutes, and at the gym. Web-only platforms limit when you can study. Mobile apps and offline downloads extend usefulness. Cross-device sync (if you start on desktop, continue on phone) reduces friction. Not every platform needs all of this, but the more flexible the access, the more likely you are to use it consistently.
Web and mobile availability
Offline access where possible
Sync across devices
Learn from others and track your own progress
Some platforms include discussion, Q&A, or user-submitted content. Others focus on personal tracking: what you have learned, what you drill, how you perform in rolls. Both add value. Community helps with questions and motivation. Progress tracking (watch history, technique logs, roll stats) helps you identify gaps and measure improvement over time.
Progress tracking and logs
Q&A or community where available
Personal learning history
Start with your budget. Free options like Submission Searcher suit those who do not want to pay. Freemium platforms (BJJFlowCharts, BJJ Mental Models) let you try before subscribing. Paid platforms (Digitsu, Outlier) offer premium instruction and analytics. Your learning style matters next. Video libraries suit those who learn by watching. Flowcharts and position maps suit visual learners who prefer structure. Written analysis (BJJ Heroes) suits those who want conceptual depth.
Platform preference affects access. Web-only tools limit when you can study. Mobile apps and offline downloads extend usefulness. Goals matter too. Beginners need fundamentals; Infighting and BJJFlowCharts cover that. Competition prep benefits from match analysis; Outlier excels there. Conceptual frameworks come from BJJ Mental Models. Try free trials or free tiers before committing. Our interactive technique map lets you explore positions by connection and build your game systematically.
Five platforms we researched in depth. Each offers distinct functionality and caters to different learning approaches. We provide a fair assessment of strengths and limitations.
Submission Searcher is the largest free database of BJJ, wrestling, and MMA techniques, with thousands of video techniques across 600+ categories. Filter by video length (under 1 minute to over 10 minutes), belt level, attack or defense, and format (gi, no-gi, MMA). Free registration unlocks watch history, category statistics, progress graphs, and leaderboards. Categories include chokes, joint locks, and positional grappling. Users can submit techniques.
The platform excels at breadth. If you want to sample many instructors and styles without paying, it is the best free option. The filters make it easy to narrow by position or submission type. One limitation: quality varies because content is user-submitted. For structured curricula or premium instruction, paid platforms like Digitsu or BJJFlowCharts offer more consistent depth.
GrappleMap is an open-source database of interconnected grappling positions and transitions, maintained on GitHub by Eelis. It uses stick-figure animations to show how positions connect. The project includes a search page, per-position pages, a Composer tool for creating transitions, and an Explorer for navigation. Positions are tagged (standing, overhook, wrist control) with incoming and outgoing transitions.
GrappleMap suits practitioners who think spatially. It is not a video library. It is a position map. If you want to see how half guard connects to back takes or how one sweep leads to another, GrappleMap visualizes that. A separate commercial product, GrappleMap Academy, offers a structured BJJ technique library with knowledge graphs and a smaller, curated set of techniques.
Digitsu offers 50+ premium courses from world champions, with 1,000+ videos and 50,000+ students worldwide since 2010. Instructors include Lucas Lepri (7x IBJJF world champion), Dominyka Obelenyte (4x world champion), Mason Fowler, Eddie Cummings, and Igor Gracie. Subscription is around $25/month with promotional pricing. Features include offline downloads, live Q&A sessions, and an AI chatbot.
Digitsu is best for practitioners who want instruction from competition-proven athletes. The BJJ Stats Database adds competition analytics, submission trends, and an experimental ELO ranking system. Compared to single instructionals, the subscription model gives access to multiple instructors and topics. It is a strong choice if you value depth over the largest free catalog.
Outlier launched in 2023 as an analytics-focused BJJ platform with AI-powered search for techniques, positions, and moves. It offers match analysis (breaking down competition footage), submission and position statistics, training sequences, and a technique library. Subscribers get access to a Discord community. The platform offers a one-week free trial and had an early adopter rate of $12/month.
Outlier stands out for match breakdowns and data-driven insights. If you compete or study high-level matches, the ability to search techniques within footage is unique. A coaching platform version is in development. It is newer than established players like Digitsu or BJJFlowCharts, so the library is still growing. Worth trying the free trial to see if the analytics fit your style.
BJJFlowCharts is an app (iOS and Android) with 8 courses, 675 videos, and 100 flowcharts. New videos are added every Friday. The free Fundamentals course covers white to blue belt curriculum. Creator MaX is a BJJ black belt from the Rickson Gracie lineage. The app also offers Danaher and Gordon Ryan flowchart products for BJJFanatics instructionals, plus an eBook and Blueprint Series.
The flowchart format is the main draw. Techniques are organized as decision trees: if they do X, you do Y. That structure helps visual learners and anyone building a systematic game. A 30 Days Free trial is available. Compared to video-only platforms, BJJFlowCharts emphasizes connections between moves. Good for beginners who want a clear path and intermediates refining their sequences.
Use a technique database to supplement mat time, not replace it. Watch or read before or after class. Take notes. Drill techniques with a partner. Focus on a few concepts at a time. According to research (PMC), interleaving observation with physical practice produces accuracy comparable to pure physical practice at retention. Track what you learn if the platform supports it (e.g. BJJ Buddy, Grapplr).
A reference list of BJJ technique databases, apps, and mapping tools. Use this to compare platforms by type (web vs. app), pricing (free, freemium, paid), and key features. Expand any row for a detailed overview. Platforms range from free video libraries (Submission Searcher) to premium instruction (Digitsu), open-source position maps (GrappleMap), and AI-powered analytics (Outlier, Grappling AI). Click any name to visit. Our interactive technique map lets you explore positions by connection.
| Name | Type | Platform | Pricing | Key Features | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Web | Web | Free | 5,627+ videos, 600+ categories, filter by belt | ||
Web | Web | Free | Open-source, stick-figure transitions | ||
Web | Web | Paid | Knowledge graph, 20 techniques | ||
Both | Web, iOS, Android | Paid | 50+ courses, 50,000+ students | ||
Web | Web | Paid | AI search, match analysis | ||
Web | Web | Free | Written articles, technique history | ||
Web | Web | Free | Flow chart creation | ||
App | iOS, Android | Freemium | 675 videos, 100 flowcharts | ||
App | iOS, Android | Freemium | Training journal, technique tagging | ||
Web | Web | Freemium | 100+ mental models, podcast | ||
App | iOS | Free | Mind map, 50+ positions | ||
Web | Web | Free | 90 essential beginner techniques | ||
Web | Web | Free | Interactive knowledge map | ||
App | iOS, Android | Freemium | AI analytics, WHOOP | ||
App | iOS, Android | Paid | 1,000+ no-gi, lifetime $59 | ||
Web | Web | Free | 25 clips, open-source | ||
Web | Web | Free | Position-based browsing | ||
Web | Web | Free | Interactive exploration | ||
Web | Web | Free | Node-based flowcharts, AI helper, belt checklist | ||
Web | Web | Free | 90+ templates, personal flowcharts | ||
Web | Web | Free | Position guides, submissions chart, roadmap | ||
Web | Web | Freemium | 90+ techniques, 10 languages, PWA, spaced repetition | ||
App | Web, iOS, Android | Freemium | 103 submissions, 62 positions, mastery model | ||
App | Web, Mobile | Beta | AI frame-by-frame roll analysis |
Explore our interactive technique map to discover connected moves and build your game.
A BJJ technique database is a structured collection of techniques, positions, and instructional content used to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It can take the form of a video library (like Submission Searcher's 5,627+ videos), an interactive map (like GrappleMap or BJJDex), an app with flowcharts (like BJJFlowCharts), or a written resource (like BJJ Heroes). These tools supplement in-gym training by providing searchable, organized access to technique instruction. They do not replace mat time.