Ju-jitsu words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 49 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

JJIF

The Ju-Jitsu International Federation, the world governing body. It publishes the rulebooks and the Sporting Code, and runs the world championships. The Ju-Jitsu Asian Union (JJAU) is its Asian continental body.

Sporting Code

The JJIF document that holds the detailed rules for categories, dress, weigh-in, challenges and formats. If a rulebook appendix and the Sporting Code disagree, the Sporting Code is the valid one.

Age categories

Masters (35 and older), Adults (18 and over), U21, U18, U16, U14, U12 and U10 (U8 as well in ne-waza). An athlete is placed by the age they reach in the calendar year and may enter only one age category and one weight category in an event. Younger categories use extra safety rules, and the match times differ.

Weight divisions

Men's and women's weight classes for each age category, listed in the appendices (with changes from 1 January 2024 in Fighting). Competitors enter the class they belong to or the one immediately above.

Fighting: the three parts and scoring

Strike scoring criteria

To score, an atemi must touch the opponent no harder than light contact, be applied with hikite or hikiashi (the pulling back of the other arm or leg), and have good dynamic, balance and control. In under-16 categories head strikes must not touch the opponent. A kick that the opponent catches counts as not using hikiashi.

Engagement

A part 1 exchange that starts when both athletes move in and begin to strike, and ends when they move apart, both stop, or they go to part 2. Only one technique can be scored in each, with the first ippon-level technique taking priority; simultaneous equal hits give no points.

Takedown (fighting)

A throw or takedown scored in part 2 if the opponent lands flat on the back, side, abdomen or chest and the thrower stays level or above. Landing on the knees, all fours or seated does not score, and a takedown after picking an opponent up from part 3 is not scored. If both end without control, it is a simultaneous action.

See also: Part 2, Part 3, Simultaneous action

Toketa

The call that a hold has ended, for example because the held person catches both legs (closed guard), turns the opponent, gets on their feet or knees, or both leave the area.

Full ippon

An ippon scored in each of the three parts, which wins the match immediately. The winner's score is set to 50 and the loser's to 0.

Simultaneous action

Two equal actions at the same moment, such as both strikes landing together or a takedown countered so that neither is in control. No score is given.

Fighting: fouls and settlement

Hansoku-make

Disqualification from the match: the offender's score is set to 0 and the opponent's to 50. A severe disciplinary foul (such as an intent to injure, or serious unsportsmanlike behaviour) also expels the competitor from the whole event with all results lost. If both are disqualified the match is replayed.

Mubobi

A minor foul for setting up an action that puts the competitor in danger. It can be given to one competitor while points are given to the other for the same action.

Passivity

Showing no activity aimed at scoring, a minor foul. Examples are going straight to part 2 or 3 without being active in part 1 (a genuine attempt in at least two engagements), refusing to go to part 2 within about 30 seconds, or only blocking. A penalty is not given when the competitor seizes a real opportunity.

Forbidden action

Minor fouls such as acting after mate or sonomama, strikes to the legs, locks on fingers or toes, a hand or foot in the face in part 2 or 3, leaving the fighting area, wasting time, and not resetting the gi after mate.

Dangerous technique

A major foul (chui): a hard-contact strike, a straight strike to the head even if it misses, an uncontrolled strike that is not stopped, a takedown that lands the opponent on face, head or neck, or a hard or violent takedown. If the opponent moved into the strike without protecting themselves, no chui is given.

Forbidden technique

A severe technical foul that is punished with hansoku-make: locks on the neck or spine, strangling with bare hands, combining a takedown with a submission in a way that risks harm, kani-basami (the scissor takedown), twisted locks at the knee or foot, or an action that may injure the opponent.

Fusen-gachi and kiken-gachi

Fusen-gachi is a win by walk-over when an opponent does not appear after being called three times over three minutes. Kiken-gachi is a win by withdrawal when an opponent withdraws or cannot continue. In fighting the loser's score is set to 0 and the winner's to 50.

Injury time

At most 2 minutes per competitor per match (a combined 2 minutes in ne-waza) for treatment, with the official doctor having the final say. A competitor who loses consciousness may not compete for the rest of the tournament, and a fight stopped by head trauma means a suspension from JJIF competitions of three weeks.

Coaches

One coach per athlete may sit at the edge of the match area. Coaches must behave as role models, may challenge referee decisions only as the Sporting Code allows, and can be dismissed from the area for offensive behaviour.

Duo

Pre-attack

The preparatory action, such as pushing, an atemi, a pull or a combination, that must come before every real attack. Both the pre-attack and the attack are shown.

Performance (duo)

Each attack is judged in four parts: the attack, the first defence, the throw, takedown or submission, and the closing (an atemi, lock, choke or control). In series C a fifth part is added for the control of the weapon. Parts may be combined, for example when the defender sweeps directly.

Duo scoring

Three jury referees each give 0 to 3 points for every part of every attack, in about ten seconds, against written guidelines. The video referee adds a variety score for the whole performance. A technique that is not powerful, balanced, controlled, effective, and neither too fast nor too slow, loses points.

Variety

A score from the video referee at the end of a performance for using different throws and different closings, with less credit if the same technique is used in two or three or more attacks.

Wrong attack

Showing an attack of the wrong number, which gets 0 points for the attack part. A red flag shows it where the system allows, or the mat referee signals it. A coach can challenge wrong attacks, weapon control and variety.

Couple

The two athletes who compete together, in a men's, women's, mixed or open category. A couple's age division follows the older athlete, and a couple can enter its own gender category plus the open one. Younger age groups perform fewer series.

Duo qualification rounds

Three rounds, one for each series in turn, with couples in blocks and one couple on the mat at a time, performing against a ten-second limit per defence. Scores are summed to rank the couples, the best four go on, and ties are broken by the later rounds and then by the variety score.

Duo medal phase

The knockout part: a semi-final (first against fourth, second against third) and a final, as face-offs in which a red couple and a blue couple each show a selection of six fixed techniques. The loser of a semi-final gets bronze.

See also: Couple

Hantei and jury

Three seated jury referees give the scores, the mat referee runs the performance, and a video referee also judges. At the end of a face-off the mat referee calls Hantei, the decision, and announces the winner by raising an arm toward the winning couple.

See also: Couple

Duo penalty

A couple that arrives late or unprepared starts with a deduction of 4 points, decided by a majority of the refereeing team.

See also: Couple

Duo equipment

A gi, with red belts in qualification and one couple wearing red and the other blue in face-offs. Weapons must be soft or rubber, and the stick must be 50 to 70 cm long.

See also: Couple

Ne-waza: scoring

Continuity

The guide for whether a move can score: it must be a continuous sequence toward a scoring aim or a submission. Continuity breaks when there is a clear pause and any scoring attempt has already been completely prevented.

Top half guard control

A top player with one leg trapped in the opponent's half guard who controls the chest. It earns an advantage if lost, but only when it comes from trying to pass an open or closed guard or an opponent who pulled directly to half guard.

Top position

Being on top of and facing the opponent when they are seated, on their back or on their side with a hip on the mat, or being behind the shoulder line with hip control when the opponent is belly-down or on a knee. Takedowns and sweeps must land the scorer in top position for the three-count to begin.

Ne-waza: submissions, fouls and settlement

Legal submissions (ne-waza)

In open-rank under-18 and older matches, all chokes (not with bare hands or fingers on the throat), shoulder and elbow locks, wrist locks, straight ankle locks, compression locks, straight kneebars and internally rotated ankle locks. Leg locks with lateral or rotational force on the knee are allowed only in No Gi for under-21 and adult athletes, and neck or spine locks are not allowed.

Passivity (ne-waza)

Not trying to progress. Standing, it draws a penalty after ten seconds. On the ground the referee says Fight and points to the athlete, who has ten seconds to attack or advance. It is not called against someone defending, or for an athlete who holds full mount, back mount or back control.

Double guard pull

Both athletes trying to play guard at once with neither on top. After 20 seconds both are penalized and the match restarts standing; the first to reach top position gets an advantage.

See also: Guard, Top position, Advantage

Fleeing the mat

Leaving the match area on purpose to stop the opponent scoring or keeping a dominant position gives a penalty and 2 points to the opponent. Leaving it deliberately while under a submission attack is a disqualification.

Minor fouls (ne-waza)

Penalized acts such as passivity, a hand or foot in the face, going to the ground without a grip, grabbing inside the sleeves or pant legs, putting a hand inside the gi, using an untied belt, a foot in the belt or collar, delaying the match, speaking during the match, and jumping to guard or flying submissions in under-16 matches.

Major fouls (ne-waza)

Fouls that disqualify at once. Disciplinary ones are profanity, hostility, biting, striking or gouging, disrespect and not taking the match seriously. Technical ones include acting to injure, leaving the area under attack, neck or spine cranks, slamming an opponent from guard or back control, finger or toe locks, bare-hand strangles, rotational leg locks outside the allowed divisions and spiking the head into the mat.

Knee reaping

A leg-entanglement action that can twist the opponent's knee. A full reap (the leg crossing the opponent's body midline) with a trapped foot, or any reap with a submission on the reaped leg, is a disqualification; a partial reap with a standing or trapped foot but no submission is a penalty. All of this is allowed in No Gi for under-21 and adult athletes.

Prohibited acts by division

A table of which holds are allowed in which age group and, for events using belts, which belt level. Younger and beginner divisions allow fewer techniques, for example no wrist locks, leg locks or jumping to guard, and some acts such as spinal locks are banned for everyone.

Match times (ne-waza)

Five minutes for masters, adults and U21, four for U18, three for U16, U14 and U12, and one and a half for U10 and U8, with at least five minutes' rest between one athlete's fights and ten before a medal fight.

Medalists and repechage

Medals come from a tree bracket with a repechage (a double elimination that gives the beaten quarter-finalists a path to the two bronze matches) or from a combined pool bracket. Detailed rules cover what happens if both semi-finalists or finalists are disqualified or injured.

Belt and experience divisions

Elite world ranking events are open-rank, but smaller events may divide by belt (gi) or experience level (No Gi, from novice through beginner, intermediate and expert). Judo black belts, wrestlers and MMA fighters cannot enter beginner divisions, and a world champion is moved up a level.

Referees, area and equipment

Match area

The mats in two colours: the fighting area (in ne-waza at least 8 m by 8 m) plus a surrounding safety area one metre wide, together at least 10 m by 10 m. Extra mats outside the safety area are not part of the match.

Referee team

A mat referee (MR) runs the match inside the area. Video referees (VRs) watch live and correct the MR by majority, or side referees (SRs) score with the MR by majority. A table referee oversees the secretariat and times injury and hold time, and a tatami head referee supervises. Referees should come from different countries from the competitors.

Video replay challenge

A coach stands and raises their event ID to ask for a review of the most recent action. A rejected challenge loses the right for the athlete for the rest of the event, except in a medal match. Advantages for submissions and passivity penalties cannot be challenged.

Uniform inspection

Every athlete's attire is checked before competing, with a short time to change, and failing to change means losing. Patches go only in authorized places, nails must be short, long hair tied with a soft band, and no jewelry, hard objects or ointments are allowed.

Referee gestures

The commands and decisions also have hand signals, for example a raised arm in the competitor's belt colour with the number of points shown, a closed raised fist for a penalty, and crossed fists overhead for disqualification.

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