Lingo

Bjj as a second language. Clueless. I walked into class the first week practicing fundamental techniques like circling. But what they do not tell you is the terminology behind the techniques you needed to know... and I found that out the hard way.

Grapplette: "So what position am I in now? Side-guard?"
Instructor: *raises his eyebrows with a look of confusion*
Grapplette: *the you know what I'm talking about look!!*

For the record:

Mount: a dominant position where you are on top of your opponent. You can be in Full Mount or Side Mount.

Guard: a dominant neutral position (more or less) where you are controlling your opponent between your legs. There are many different guards, and this I needed help from Stephan Kesting (at grapplearts.com). He summed that there are "Closed Guard, Open Guard, Spider Guard, Half Guard, Butterfly Guard, de la Riva guard just to name a few. Furthermore, guard positions usually have further variation, depending on exactly how you grip with your hands and where you place your feet".

Circle: In opponent's Guard -> Stack -> Side Mount -> Full Mount -> 100 kilo!!