The Jiu-Jitsu Mindset · Data Study
Do Women Submit More Than Men in Jiu-Jitsu? The ADCC Data Says Yes
Here is a stat that surprises most people: at the ADCC World Championship, women finish a higher percentage of their matches than men do — 37% versus 30%. But how they get there could not be more different. BJJ Heroes dissected 62 women's matches across four championships, and the results reshape a few assumptions about women's grappling.
Submission rate: women vs. men (ADCC)
Share of matches ending in a submission.
Women finish more — but with almost no leg locks
The 7-point submission gap is notable on its own, but the bigger story is the toolkit. Where lower-body attacks make up around 22% of men's finishes, in the women's division leg locks account for just 13% — and across four championships, BJJ Heroes recorded zero heel-hook submissions among the women. The likely drivers: greater flexibility, smaller feet, and a preference for more traditional, position-first games.
Guard over wrestling
If the men's game is defined by wrestling and top control, the women's game is defined by the guard. Sweeping is the most-utilized way women advance position, led by the classic butterfly hook sweep rather than the wrestle-ups that dominate the men's division. Their takedown rate (33%) trails the men's (46%), while their guard work — sweeps and back-takes from the bottom — is markedly more effective. The top guard passer, Wales' Ffion Davies, dominated the metric with her knee-cut.
The submission queens
No one has finished more at the ADCC than Beatriz Mesquita, whose 2017 run saw every win come by submission. Alongside her, Gabrielle Garcia and Bianca Basilio round out the division's top submission artists — a group that, tellingly, mixes elite guard players and relentless top-pressure passers.
Frequently asked questions
Do women submit more than men in BJJ?
At the ADCC, yes. Women finished 37% of their matches by submission across four championships, versus 30% for men — a 7-percentage-point difference.
Why don't women use heel hooks?
They rarely do at the elite level. BJJ Heroes recorded zero heel-hook finishes across four ADCC women's divisions, with leg locks overall at just 13% of finishes. Greater flexibility, smaller feet, and more position-first, guard-based styles are the likely reasons.
Who is the best female submission grappler at ADCC?
Beatriz Mesquita has the strongest submission record in the division, highlighted by a 2017 run in which every victory came by finish. Gabrielle Garcia and Bianca Basilio also rank among the top female finishers.
Sources & method
Figures from BJJ Heroes' ADCC Female Division stats and analysis (62 matches across four championships) and their ADCC 2024 analysis. Current as of July 2026.
Related reading: The most common submissions in jiu-jitsu · Are leg locks taking over jiu-jitsu? · Catch The Jiu Jitsu Mindset on YouTube and Spotify.