Banned Techniques

These rules exist to keep everyone safe and training. Jiu jitsu only works when you can trust the people you’re rolling with. That trust starts with knowing what’s off limits, why it matters, and respecting the boundaries at your level.

If something on this list is unfamiliar, ask a coach. If you’re unsure whether a technique is allowed for you, default to not using it.

Banned at All Levels

These techniques are never allowed at Golden Jiu Jitsu, regardless of rank:

• Jumping on your training partner — jumping guard, flying submissions, falling with a guillotine from standing, kawazu gake
• Scissor takedown (kani basami) — high risk of knee and ankle injury from uncontrolled leg scissors
• Slams — lifting and throwing someone to the ground who is attached to you
• Suplex takedowns and ura nage — spiking someone on their head or neck
• Flash submissions (Estima lock, Mir lock) — these require speed over control and bypass the “position before submission” principle
• Grabbing or bending individual fingers (including thumb)
• Any striking — punching, kicking, kneeing, elbows, headbutts
• Biting
• Groin contact — shoving into or off of someone’s groin

Training Above Your Level

If you’re a white belt rolling with a higher belt, you can use techniques that are normally banned at your level (except Z-locks and outside toe holds) if and only if:

1. You talk to your training partner beforehand and they agree
2. You get this permission every session; it doesn’t carry over

This applies to leg locks, knee reaping, and other level-restricted techniques. If your partner says no, that’s a complete answer.

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Level-Based Restrictions

Some techniques are restricted by experience level. If a technique is banned at your level, don’t use it in live rolling.

X = Banned · ✓ = Allowed

Technique	Kids	White	Blue	Purple	Brown/Black
Straight Footlock	X	✓	✓	✓	✓
Cloverleaf	X	✓	✓	✓	✓
Muffler Choke	X	✓	✓	✓	✓
Wrist Lock	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Spinal Crank	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Knee Reaping	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Inside Toe Hold	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Groin Stretch	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Calf Slicer	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Bicep Slicer	X	X	✓	✓	✓
One-Handed Artery Choke	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Two-Handed Artery Choke	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Heel Hook (No-Gi)	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Tani Otoshi	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Osoto Gari	X	X	✓	✓	✓
Neck Crank	X	X	X	✓	✓
Heel Hook (Gi)	X	X	X	✓	✓
Z-Lock / Hip Lock	X	X	X	✓	✓
Outside Toe Hold	X	X	X	X	✓

Class Overrides

When we’re working a specific technique series in class (e.g., a leg lock lesson), the coach may temporarily allow techniques from this list for drilling purposes. This override never applies to live sparring rounds afterward.

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Why These Are Banned

• Heel Hooks

  Heel hooks are part of the game. Banning them entirely doesn’t make you safer because you will encounter them at other gyms and in competition. The goal is controlled exposure at the right time.

  The core safety issue: with most submissions, your body registers pain before damage occurs. Heel hooks are different. Your knee often won’t hurt until ligaments are already torn. This is why you must tap to tightness, not pain, and why training partners need to apply these slowly and with control.

  Inside heel hooks primarily attack the MCL and ACL. Outside heel hooks can damage the LCL and sometimes the ACL, and more commonly break the tibia/fibula when people refuse to tap.

  Heel hooks in the gi are more dangerous than no-gi because the added friction makes escaping harder. Gi heel hooks are allowed for purple belts and above with mutual consent obtained each round.

• Toe Holds

  Outside toe holds (rotating the foot away from the centerline) are significantly more dangerous than inside toe holds. They come on faster, have less range of motion during the attack, and often stress knee ligaments in addition to attacking the ankle. They’re restricted to brown/black belts only.

  Inside toe holds are allowed at blue belt and above.

• Knee Reaping

  Knee reaping involves external rotation of the leg while controlling the foot, knee, and hip. When both people are playful, it’s not particularly dangerous. When either person is stubborn or explosive, it becomes very dangerous very quickly.

  The risk: if someone tries to explosively escape by forcing more external rotation on their own leg, they are at high risk of ligament damage.

  Knee reaping is banned at white belt because the primary submission available from a reaping position is the straight footlock, but the position itself is a dead end without the other leg attacks that are also banned at white belt. It opens up at blue.

• Wrist Locks

  Wrist locks attack small ligaments and fragile bones. They tend to be applied with too much speed and too little control, especially by less experienced grapplers. Allowed at blue belt and above.

• Cranks & Spinal Locks

  Spinal cranks are not particularly risky in most situations, but if someone doesn’t tap, the consequences are catastrophic. They’re banned at beginner levels for that reason. Neck cranks specifically have the added issue of being widely considered a bad-faith move and won’t earn you good training relationships.

• Leg Entanglements (Safety Note)

  Leg entanglements themselves are not banned at any level. You don’t need to avoid entering leg entanglement positions when rolling with white belts.

  What you do need is awareness. If your partner is newer and doesn’t know what’s happening, they may react by moving fast and in the wrong direction. Be ready to let go instantly. Don’t put someone in a position where a panicked reaction could injure them.