17 Of The Best Signature Submissions In Modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Which athletes have found a finishing move that they go back to for success? Here are 17 black belts known for a signature submission.

Jun 19, 2023 by Joe Gilpin

17 Of The Best Signature Submissions In Modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Athletes at the highest levels of the sport are developing their techniques to work against elite opposition, and have go-to moves in their arsenal that they get tons of success with. What are some of the most notable signature submissions in modern Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

Gordon Ryan - Rear Naked Choke

The 5-time ADCC World Champion has developed a back attack system that rivals any that come before, and his ability to find and finish the rear naked choke is unmatched. Gordon's rear naked choke is his best attack, earning him a third of all his submission victories.

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Mikey Musumeci - The Mikey Lock

Mikey Musumeci's variation on the heel hook uses his own head as a lever to create more twisting pressure - leading to more power and a faster tap. The Mikey Lock was debuted at WNO and became Mikey's signature hold.

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Craig Jones - Inside Heel Hook

Craig rose to prominence in grappling off the back of his powerful leg lock game. As one of the first to develop his leg locking to the elite level we see today, Craig's inside heel hook (particularly from the knee shield) is one of the most feared submission locks today.

Victor Hugo - Kneebar

Victor's big man flow has helped set him apart as one of the best grapplers on the planet, and his leg locking stands out from any of his contemporaries. Victor has hit kneebars in the open class finals of gi and no-gi Worlds, earning him the reputation for best kneebar in current BJJ.

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Elisabeth Clay - Toe Hold

Liz Clay has earned her reputation as one of the most aggressive submission hunters in the game, and her go-to attack is the toe hold. The twisting foot lock is responsible for more of her submission victories than any other technique.

Rene Sousa - The Buggy Choke

The buggy choke has exploded in popularity the last few years and Rene Sousa has cemented himself as one of the best buggy choke artists around. The WNO and WNX veteran has found a ton of success with the arm triangle variation.

Grace Gundrum - Dead Orchard

Grace Gundrum may be the best grappling talent from 10th Planet currently competing, and her signature in competition has become the dead orchard. This high guard armbar variation gives her a ton of control and the ability to attack either arm, making it a really fearsome attack.

Fellipe Andrew - Triangle Choke

The IBJJF heavyweight world champion has one of the deadliest front triangles in the world, something that he launches into from his open guard and combines with a very strong botinha foot lock.

Mateusz Szczecinski - Straight Ankle Lock

Maybe no one in grappling today has a better straight ankle and Aoki lock than Mateusz Szczecinski. The Polish ADCC-veteran gets lightning fast taps once he locks into position, a testament to his breaking mechanics.

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Kade & Tye Ruotolo - The Darce

The Ruotolo twins have a deep arsenal of techniques that they use at an elite level, but their most recognized submission hold is the darce. Both brothers have the ability to lock into their arm-triangle variation from anywhere, making their opponents pay for any errant underhooks.

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Ffion Davies - Armbar

Ffion Davies, the current WNO, IBJJF, and ADCC World Champion, has finished a quarter of all her submissions with her armbar. Her ability to attack the arms is in part a holdover from her original martial art, judo, and helps her stand out from the talented field.

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Tarik Hopstock - The Tarikoplata

Tarik's kimura variation, where he engages his legs for more power on the traditional shoulder lock, has taken off in past years. The Norwegian black belt developed this technique as a colored belt and has now seen it permeate the sport as an effective finishing hold.

Bianca Basilio - Straight Ankle Lock

The two-time IBJJF World Champion has a game that she has developed around her straight ankle lock, one of the most powerful IBJJF gi-legal foot locks in grappling today. Bianca's ankle lock has given her more submission wins than anything else in her arsenal.

Paulo Miyao - The Baratoplata

Paulo has made a career out of signature offense like the berimbolo, but in the last few years Paulo has made a point out of using the baratoplata. The twisting shoulder lock has paired well with Paulo's game, giving him an upper body attack when opponents shut down his inversions.

Jay Rodriguez - The Buggy Choke

B-Team athlete and ADCC veteran Jacob Rodriguez has found a lot of submission wins with arm triangle variations, including the anaconda and darce, but he has found his most memorable success with the buggy choke. The rising star landed his buggy in the ADCC Trials finals, punching his ticket to Worlds.

Ben Eddy - The Hindulotine

Ben Eddy, the 10th planet grappling standout, has one of the most unusual signature moves on the list with his guillotine variation. The Hindulotine engages Ben's legs and flexibility to create a strong squeeze with tons of control.