BJJ Fanatics Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Bernardo Faria Review


Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Bernardo Faria Review

When there are a ton of different BJJ instructionals online to choose from it can be intimidating to make a purchase. This is especially true if it’s your first time buying a BJJ instructional online. One of the most popular online instructionals from BJJfanatics.com is the Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Bernardo Faria.

Even though it is one of the highest-rated DVDs many people want to know if it is truly worth the investment. In my opinion, this instructional is one of the best investments into your BJJ knowledge that you can buy. That is of course outside of actually going to an academy and starting your jiu-jitsu journey.

With that said, I simply want to give you my review of the Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructional by Bernardo Faria. In addition, we will go over who this instructional is for and what you can expect to learn out of it. But first I simply want to tell you what I like about it.

What I Love About The Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructional

The thing that sets the Foundations Of Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu apart from many other online programs is that it is about mastering the basics of BJJ. Mastering the foundations of BJJ is really what is going to take you to the higher belt levels. It can be easy for someone new to BJJ to simply want to quickly jump into learning the latest submissions and techniques.

However, what is truly important is mastering the basics. The Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional is like having an encyclopedia of all of the basic BJJ techniques and submissions. This makes it a great resource for someone just starting their jiu-jitsu journey.

At the same time, it will also continue to serve you as a great reference guide for the rest of your life. Mastering the foundational techniques of BJJ is something that is an ongoing process that never ends. So whether you are a white belt or brown belt this instructional will continue to serve you.

All in all, I think that spending a small amount on a program that covers the basics of just about all of the foundational BJJ techniques is well worth the money. Of course, it does not substitute actually going to class and training with real people but I can help you advance much faster.

Things That Might Disappoint You About The Foundations Of Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu DVD

All in all, I would give the Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional at least 4 stars out of 5. That said, it is certainly not perfect. One of the major criticism I hear is that it is not perfectly organized. I can understand this to some degree but it can be kinda hard to know what the perfect order of techniques should be.

One example would be learning the stand-up technique and forward rolls towards the end of the instructional when many would say it should be the first few techniques that you learn.

I guess I would have preferred it to be a bit more organized but all the techniques are at least still there. Don’t get me wrong I do believe that there was certainly some thought into how the program is structured but it could be better. That being said, it is still a great resource that you can go back to time and time again.

This instructional actually goes over quite a bit of technique. This is both a positive and a negative thing in many ways. Though I personally like it, some people say that there is not enough depth to each move. Or perhaps that there is not enough explanation on the importance of each part of the technique. You are simply told what to do more than why you might be doing it a certain way.

The thing is that if he were to do that then this instructional would be very long. Which of course is not a bad thing. However, you can probably assume that it would be much more expensive. My advice is that you use this as a quick reference guide for when you forget some of the fundamentals of a technique or submission.

If you are looking for similar instructional that might go into a bit more detail for each technique you would probably need to purchase multiple instructionals. This is because it is hard to go into too much detail when covering such a large amount of information in one instructional. 

Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Bernardo Faria does not go into extreme depth on each area of BJJ but it is all in one instructional. If you are new to BJJ I think it would be a great idea to really master your escapes. 

A good pairing to go with this instructional is Fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escapes Gi & No Gi by Lachlan Giles. This is because the one area you might really want to master and get into more depth with as a white belt is escaping.

After all, you will probably be spending most of your time in bad positions. So it is hard to start to work on your offense until you can first learn to escape. 

Who Is Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu By Bernardo Faria For?

Though the Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program is specifically great for beginners it is really for anyone who truly wants to master the fundamentals of BJJ. So really it is for everyone at all levels of BJJ. That said, if you are a white belt then I even more highly recommend this program.

Don’t make the mistake of jumping into instructional that are way beyond what you should be learning as a beginner. First, get a strong foundation of the fundamentals. This will save you so much headache and frustration in the future. It will also save you time and help you to advance at a much faster pace.

Not having a good foundation of the basics of BJJ is like trying to build a house without a good foundation. The foundations are something that you should constantly refer back to and refine through your whole jiu-jitsu journey.

Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructional Is a Reference Guide of Basic Techniques

The way you should think of this instructional is like a reference guide. Of course, as a white belt and blue belt, it is simply just great for learning the basic techniques. As you get more experienced however it can still be a great resource to fall back on when you are having trouble with executing a technique.

The Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructional has over 5 hours worth of content going over the foundational techniques of BJJ.

A Few Techniques You Will Learn

  • Jumping Guard
  • Front Roll
  • Backward Roll
  • Stand up Technique
  • Pulling the Open Guard
  • Correct Posture in the Standing Position
  • Double Leg Takedowns
  • Single-Leg Takedowns
  • Grip Fighting
  • Basic Judo Throws
  • Scissor Sweep
  • Pendulum Sweep
  • Arm-Bar from a Failed Pendulum Sweep
  • Hand on Belt Sweep
  • Kimura from Closed Guard
  • Cross Choke from Guard
  • Inverted Arm Bar
  • Arm Bar From Closed Guard
  • Underhook the Leg Sweep
  • Basic Spider Guard Sweeps
  • Triangle from Spider Guard
  • Ballow Sweep
  • Tripod Sweep
  • Lasso
  • De La Riva
  • Butterfly Sweeps
  • Basics Of The Knee Shield
  • Top Closed Guard Posture
  • Basics on Opening the Closed Guard
  • Torreando Pass
  • Double Under Pass
  • Basic Positional Transitions
  • Passing the Various Guards
  • Proper Posture From Each Position
  • Passing Half Guard to Mount
  • Half Guard to Knee Slice
  • Knee Slide Side Control To Mount
  • Arm Bar From North/South
  • Kimura From North/South
  • Turning Arm Bar
  • Cross Choke from Side Control
  • Knee On Belly Basics
  • Arm Bars From Knee On Belly
  • Choke From Knee On Belly
  • Arm Bar From Mount
  • Cross Collor Choke From Mount
  • Americana From Mount
  • Back Takes
  • Clock Choke from Turtle
  • Rear Naked Choke
  • Collar Choke From Back
  • Bow and Arrow Choke
  • Escapes From Mount, Side Control, Back, Turtle, Triangle, Arm Bar, Knee on Belly
  • And Much More

So Is This Instructional Right For You?

Whether you are a white belt or more experienced this is a fantastic instructional to invest in. You simply need to think about it in the right way. It is a great resource guide for all of the basic techniques of BJJ. That said, I especially recommend it for beginners.

Too many people jump to instructionals that are way beyond what they should be learning. If you are new to BJJ then you should be working on mastering the basics first. This DVD covers a ton of techniques that are the most important for a beginner to learn.  It is one of my favorite instructionals for BJJ white belts and beginners

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Joshua Paul

Joshua Paul is a BJJ purple belt who lives in Austin, Texas. Joshua loves all forms of grappling and when he is off the mats he is likely spending time with his wife and son.

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