Are you looking for the best instructionals on BJJ escapes? If so I understand that choosing the best instructional on escapes can be intimidating because there are so many options to choose from. However, some are much better than others and we are going to cover the best ones to get started with!
The best BJJ instructional on escapes in Fundamentals Of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Escapes by Lachlan Giles. This is simply because this instructional covers the most content on escapes in both Gi and no-gi BJJ.
Of course, there are a ton of other fantastic BJJ escape instructionals to choose from as well. So in this article, we will cover which BJJ escapes instructionals I believe to be the best you can buy.
How To Choose The Best Instructional On BJJ Escapes
According to many of the top BJJ instructors in the world, the first thing white belts should really focus on is escapes. Honestly, this does make a lot of sense. After all, as a white belt, you are going to be spending the vast majority of your time in bad positions.
Before you will ever get the chance to start working your offense and submitting people, you will likely first need to learn how to escape from bad positions. You do not need to learn 100 escapes to accomplish this, however. Instead, what would be a better approach is to master 1-3 escapes from side control, knee on belly, mount, and back mount.
Really dialing in a few escapes from these positions will get you further down the road than trying to learn too many escapes. Of course, eventually, you will learn more escapes but you need a starting point. So an instructional on escapes is a great place to start.
Best BJJ Escapes Instructional Overall
Fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escapes Gi and No-Gi by Lachlan Giles is in my opinion the best overall BJJ instructional on escapes. Lachlan Giles will show you how to become a master escape artist both in and out of the Gi.
So yes if you are not interested in the gi at all then there will be some information that is not applicable to you. However, it would benefit most people to learn both gi and no-gi escapes. Lachlan Giles does not often disappoint with his instructionals and provides more depth than most.
So even if you are only focused on no-gi this is a great place to start. Lachlan Giles is one of the best and has taught some of the greatest no-gi grapplers on the planet.
Best No-Gi Instructionals On Escapes
If you are focusing on no-gi jiu-jitsu then you might be wondering what the best instructionals are for no-gi escapes. Because there is less friction without the gi, there are going to be slight differences in the way you are going to escape from each position.
Don’t Be Finished: Edging Yourself Out Of Danger By Craig Jones
Craig Jones is not only great at teaching jiu-jitsu he is also very entertaining and funny. You will learn how to escape from all prominent positions in no-gi with escapes you have probably not learned yet.
If you are looking for the best no-gi instructional on escapes then Don’t Be Finished: Edging Yourself Out Of Danger by Craig Jones is a great place to start.
Fundamental Grappling Escapes by William Tackett:
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a little bit biased here seeing as how William Tackett is one of my BJJ instructors. Not only do I attend his classes but I also do private lessons with him. At the same time, this one-on-one experience also gives me the insight to see how truly exceptional he is at teaching jiu-jitsu.
William Tackett always goes into the perfect amount of detail for you to truly get an understanding of his techniques. So if you are looking to learn escapes, especially in no-gi this is a great place to start.
William not only is a great teacher but also a world-class active no-gi competitor who has uses these escapes against some of the best grapplers in the world.
Best Instructional On Leg Lock Escapes
Many people know many of the most basic escapes but panic as soon as someone gets a hold of their legs. If this is you then you are not alone.
The best instructional on leg lock escapes is Get Off My Legs Gringo by Craig Jones. This instructional is a great place to get started if wanna learn how to defend against leg locks.
If you got most of your escapes down but tap as soon as someone gets a hold of your foot then this might be the right escapes instructional for you.
Even if you don’t care to implement leg locks into your game you at least need to learn how to defend against them. Then you can at least escape and execute your game.
Best BJJ Instructional On Side Control Escapes
Who better to learn side control escapes from than 6x ADCC and 6x black belt world champ Andre Galvao? In this side control escapes instructional you will learn the very basic and the advanced techniques to escape side control.
Learning to escape side control is a very crucial step. After all, it is likely the first position you will need to escapes from before your opponent tries to move to the mount or take you back. If you get good at side control escapes then they are less likely to make it that far.
Not only will you learn how to escapes side control but Andre will show you how to transition straight from escape to an attack!
Another great side control escape instructional is Fundamentals Of Side Control Escapes by Pedro Sauer. Unlike Andre’s instructional this one is taught in the gi.
When the gi is involved there is more friction and it makes it harder to escape. So if you are focused more on gi then you might check out this instructional instead!
Best BJJ Instructional On Mount Escapes
Andre Galvao also has an amazing escapes instructional on mount escapes. It is crucial that you learn how to escape from the mount position in BJJ and in MMA.
In MMA or in self defense being mounted is especially dangerous. After all, you have to worry not only about submissions but also punches, elbows, and headbutts.
However, even in BJJ it is a very bad position to be in. You have to carry their weight and have slim to nothing when it comes to attacks from bottom mount.
Best BJJ Instructional For Back Escapes
Not many people would argue that Gordon Ryan is the best no-gi grappler of all time. When asked what he thinks newbies should focus on he said learning how to escape from bad positions.
His take was that if you can learn how to escapes from all different positions then you will be less scared to take risks offensivly.
On top of that, most white belts are going to find themselves in bad positions anyway. So the best thing you can do is get good at them fast.
All that said, Gordon Ryan is probably better at back escapes than anyone on the planet. And in his instructional Pillars of Defense: Back Escapes he shows you his secrets.
Best Instructional On Front Head Lock Escapes
Another great Craig Jones escapes instructional is Mexican Ground Karate Volume 1: Front headlock escapes. It is fundamentally important that you master front headlock escapes.
In this instructional you will learn front headlock escapes from various positions. This would include guillotine escapes, D’arce Chokes, and more.
So stop letting people get easy front headlock chokes on you. Instead, learn how to avoid them in the first place and escape them if you need to.
Best Submission Escapes Instructionals
Last but not least is the best instructional on submission escapes. Now that you know how to escape from most of the bad positions, it’s time to take it one step further and learn how to escape from submission attempts.
Probably the best new instructional on escapes is New Wace Jiu Jitsu: A New Philosophy Of Submissions Escapes by John Danaher.
In this instructional, you will learn submission escapes from guillotines, triangles, armbars, leg attacks, and more.
Best Instructionals On Submission Escapes In The Gi
Another great submission escape instructional is Jiu-Jitsu For Old Guys: Submission Escapes. This is marketed to older grapplers but is great for anyone who wants to learn practical escapes that do not require a lot of athleticism.
Unlike John Danaher’s instructional this one is taught in the gi. Gi’s make escapes harder and it is important to learn the escapes both in and out of the gi.