Free printable BJJ flowcharts
A BJJ flowchart maps your jiu-jitsu as positions joined by arrows, and each arrow names the reaction that sends you down that branch: they post the hand, you take the kimura; they sit back, you invert. The flowcharts below are free to download and print. Each PDF has the chart on page one and study notes for every position after it.
Download a BJJ flowchart
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Half guard kimura attacks
Kimura attacks from bottom half guard for when your partner defends the leg attacks.
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Tripod and reverse tripod sweeps
Standing-open guard tripod and reverse tripod sweeps with finishing mechanics and common error fixes.
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K-guard from closed guard
A system for entering K-Guard from closed guard, establishing control, and transitioning to triangles, armbars, and leg entries based on opponent reactions.
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Half butterfly passing
A system for switching between half butterfly outside passing and flank passing based on opponent reactions.
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Ankle pin passing from wide guard
Ruotolo-style leg pin passing. A passing system using foot pinning on opponent's ankle to control wide guard and transition to various passes.
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Five no-gi takedowns from judo
A system of five takedowns for no-gi grappling that minimize risk of front headlock exposure.
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Arm drag to back take
A system for using arm drags to create angles and secure back control from standing or close quarters.
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Single leg X escape to armbar
A systematic escape from single leg X guard that transitions into an arm bar attack.
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S-mount control and finishes
A system for establishing S-mount control and applying submission pressure through vibration and positional adjustments.
Want a chart for your guard or your pass? Ask in the Discord and it might be the next one.
What a BJJ flowchart is
A flowchart is a decision map. The boxes are positions and techniques, and the arrows are what your partner does and what you do next. Linear notes give you the steps of one technique. A flowchart shows how techniques connect, which is closer to how a roll goes, and it makes the gaps in your game easy to see.
How to read a jiu-jitsu flowchart
Start at the shaded box: that's the entry position. Follow an arrow when its condition is true in the roll, for example "when their weight loads over the trapped heel." Where a box splits, your partner's reaction picks the branch. Arrows that loop back to an earlier box mean the attack failed and the system resets, so you always have a next move.
Reading one, step by step
Take the tripod sweep chart. Box 01 is the entry: closed guard opening. The arrow under it reads "when their hands open guard and hips start rising," so you only move on when that happens. That takes you to feet to hips guard (02), then cross sleeve control (03), then the ankle grip with a hip clamp (04).
At 04 the chart splits. If the hip clamps their foot and they're still standing tall, you go to the standard tripod (05). If you grabbed the cross collar instead of the sleeve, you land in 06, and that box is there to tell you why the sweep feels stuck: their spine is stacked, so the arrow sends you back to 03 to fix the grip.
From the standard tripod there are two finishes. When their weight loads over the trapped heel, off-balance them and finish (07, 09, 11). When the target leg steps away from your hooking foot, switch to the reverse tripod (08 through 13). Two paths, one decision, and the arrow tells you which one you're on.
That's the whole skill: know the box you're in, check which arrow's condition is true, follow it. The ▶ times on the boxes are the moments in the source video for each step, and the interactive version opens the video there.
How to make your own BJJ flowchart
Five steps, and the first chart can take ten minutes.
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Pick one position you actually play
Start where you spend the most time in rolls, not with the whole sport. One guard or one pass is enough for a first chart.
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Write the entry
The first box is how you get there: the grip, the guard pull, or the pass that lands you in the position.
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Add their two or three common reactions
What do training partners do to you from here? Each reaction becomes an arrow out of the box.
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Answer each reaction
Put your technique at the end of each arrow. A reaction with no answer is the gap to ask your coach about.
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Label the arrows and revise after class
Write the condition on each arrow. After a roll, add the branch that came up and fix the one that didn't work.
Common mistakes when making a BJJ flowchart
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Mapping the whole sport
A chart of everything doesn't get studied. One position or one system per chart, around 6 to 15 boxes, is a size you'll actually re-read.
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Boxes that lead nowhere
A box with no arrows out is a note, not a decision. Every position you play from needs at least two: what they usually do, and what you do then.
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Unlabeled arrows
The label is the cue you'll feel in a roll, like "when their weight loads over the trapped heel." Without it, the chart is a list with lines.
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No way back
Attacks fail. Draw an arrow from the failed attack back to where you restart, so the chart keeps going instead of ending.
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Never revising it
Rolls show you which branches are real. Add the reaction that surprised you and cut the one that never happens.
Flowchart, game plan, or notebook?
They do different jobs. A notebook holds the details of one technique: grips, angles, the cue your coach keeps repeating. A flowchart connects techniques by your partner's reactions, so you know what comes next. A game plan is one short path through your flowchart for a match: your opening, your guard or pass, your pin, your finish.
Map your own game
Free in the browser, no account needed to start. Grapple Flows can also draft a flowchart from a voice note or a YouTube video for you to edit.
Build a flowchartFrequently asked questions
Are these BJJ flowcharts free?
Yes. The PDFs are free to download and print, with no account. The interactive version of each one is free to open on Grapple Flows too.
Can I print them for my gym?
Yes. Print them for yourself, your training partners, or the gym wall. Keep the Grapple Flows footer on the page so people can find the interactive version.
What's in each PDF?
Page one is the flowchart, sized for US letter paper. The pages after it are study notes: the details for each position and which reaction leads to which branch, numbered to match the chart. Each one comes as a white, printer-friendly PDF and as a dark poster for a screen or the gym wall.
Is a flowchart better than a notebook for BJJ?
They do different jobs. A notebook holds the details of one technique. A flowchart shows how techniques connect and what to do when the first one fails. Many people use both: details inside each box, and the flowchart for the game plan.
How do I make a BJJ flowchart online?
Open the Grapple Flows editor, add a box for your entry position, and connect boxes with labeled arrows. It's free, runs in the browser, and you don't need an account to start.