Many grapplers today are looking for ways to improve their jiu-jitsu game on and off the mats. Since we now live in the internet age many grapplers are turning to BJJ instructionals to improve their game. This guide, however, is going to focus on helping you find the right no-gi instructionals for your stage of jiu-jitsu.
As more and more people are switching to no-gi jiu-jitsu there is now the need to find instructionals that focus on the no-gi competitor. In this guide, my goal is to help you find the best no-gi instructionals to help your game.
There are a ton of no-gi instructionals to choose from. However, not all are created equal and not all are going to be the right choice for you and where you are in your jiu-jitsu journey. I
If you are brand new to jiu-jitsu for example, then you probably want to purchase a no-gi instructional that focuses on the basics of jiu-jitsu before worrying about advanced techniques.
Why Buy A No-Gi Instructional In The First Place
If you have yet to purchase a jiu-jitsu instructional online you might think the prices seem a bit steep. Though I do believe that most instructionals can bring a ton of value, they are by no means cheap.
Some instructionals cost hundreds of dollars. That is the same price you might pay for a few months’ worths of training at an academy. On the other hand, it’s also about the same price you would pay for a few private lessons from a good no-gi jiu-jitsu competitor or instructor.
That being said, whether or not purchasing one of these no-gi jiu-jitsu instructionals is worth the money depends on your personal financial situation.
I can not really say whether or not you would feel that they are a worthy investment. If you are struggling financially, of course, I would probably tell you to save your money.
If you have a limited amount of money you can spend on jiu-jitsu then priority number one should always be paying monthly to your academy. However, if you have some extra money you want to invest in learning, then these no-gi instructionals are an excellent option to help you develop your game at a faster pace.
To me, the number one thing you can do to make sure you are not wasting money is to choose the right course from the start. If you are new to jiu-jitsu then you are going to waste your money purchasing the latest leg lock instructional.
Choosing The Right No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Instructional
The best way to get the most out of a no-gi jiu-jitsu instructional is by choosing the right one from the start. If you are a white belt then you want to choose a no-gi instructional that is made for beginners. Look for a no-gi instructional that focuses on the fundamentals and escapes. Trying to learn the latest leg locks or wrestle-up techniques should come after learning the basics.
Or perhaps you have been doing no-gi for a while but never really mastered your wrestling takedowns. In this instance, you might want to choose an instructional focusing on no-gi takedowns and throws.
On the other hand, maybe you are ready to start learning leg locks. The only problem being is that your academy is lagging behind on their leg game. If that is the case you might want to choose an instructional on leg locks.
This is why learning jiu-jitsu online is a great supplement to your academy. Now you can expand your knowledge in all areas of jiu-jitsu even if your academy does not put a lot of focus on that specific area. The internet now allows us to keep up with everything going on in the jiu-jitsu world.
But again, until you are more advanced in jiu-jitsu you need to keep focusing on your no-gi basics. This is why the first no-gi instructionals we are going to cover are for white belts and beginners.
No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Instructionals For White Belts and Beginners
As a white belt, you need to be focusing on no-gi instructionals that are suited to your skill level. It is the time to focus on the fundamentals of your no-gi game and learn the simple tried and true techniques.
The first area you might want to focus on is no-gi escapes. After all, you are probably going to spend your first year getting smashed by the higher belts. It is also the time to master a handful of techniques both offensive and defense from each position in jiu-jitsu. Trying to learn too much at once is going to be simply overwhelming for you.
If I could go back in time to my first day of jiu-jitsu this is what I would tell myself to do. Focus on getting good at a few different techniques from each position and drill them over and over. An example plan would look like this:
What To Focus On As A No-Gi White Belt
- Master a handful of no-gi guard passes and half guard passes
- 1-2 guard breaks
- 2-4 no-gi takedowns
- 1-2 no-gi escapes from side control, knee on belly, mount, and back mount
- 1-3 no-gi submissions from side control, knee on belly, bottom guard, mount, and back mount
- 1-2 no-gi sweeps from guard and half guard
So with that in mind let’s look at some no-gi jiu-jitsu instructionals that might be best suited for white belts!
*Note: This Post Contains Affiliate Links.
10th Planet Fundamentals by JM Holland & Zach Maslany:
You can’t think about no-gi jiu-jitsu without 1oth planet. After all, from my understanding, Eddie Bravo was the first person to open a jiu-jitsu school that did not have gi classes. It was actually quite a controversial move at the time and many were even offended by it. Now many jiu-jitsu schools are only focused on no-gi.
If you are interested in the 10th planet system this no-gi instructional is right up your alley. It covers 10th planet warm-ups, flow rolls, and some of the most unique no-gi jiu-jitsu techniques you can find. On top of that, it teaches the fundamentals so it is a great place to start.
Find Out More About This BJJ Instructional Here!
No-Gi Instructionals On Escapes ( Another Great Place To Start For White Belts )
According to many top no-gi grapplers, the first thing someone new to jiu-jitsu should learn is escapes. This makes perfect sense seeing as how you are going to be spending the most of your time in bad positions.
Though it is more fun to learn how to submit to people than learning how to escape, learning a few escapes from each position might be more important. Of course, I am not saying that you need to master every no-gi escape ever created. Instead, learn just 1-3 escapes from side control, knee on belly, mount, and back mount.
Focus on these escapes until you really get them down and are pretty good at escaping from each position with other white belts, blue belts, and maybe even purple belts. For these reasons, a no-gi instructional that focuses on escapes 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.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
Fundamentals Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Escapes Gi & No-Gi by Lachlan Giles
This instructional is a great guide to help you become a master escape artist! This instructional covers the fundamental jiu-jitsu escapes for both gi and no-gi players and enthusiasts. 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.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
Get Off My Legs Gringo by Craig Jones:
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. This no-gi 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 no-gi 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.
Find Out More About How To Defend Against Leg Locks Here!
Instructionals for No-Gi Guard Passing
After escapes, one of the first things you should probably focus on is learning to pass the guard. When it comes to passing the guard you are going to need a bit of a different system for no-gi guard passing than you would in the gi.
With that in mind let’s look at some no-gi instructionals for guard passing. Who better to start with than the great Marcelo Garcia!
The Complete No-Gi Guard Passing System by Marcelo Garcia:
Marcelo Garcia according to many people is the greatest no-gi competitor of all time. As a nine-time world champion, he certainly deserves to be placed amongst the greatest for sure.
Though it is hard to say who is truly the greatest. That said, Marcelo Garcia is not one of the best no-gi competitors but he is also considered to be one of the best teachers.
Marcelo Garcia teaches how to effectively pass the guard in no-gi jiu-jitsu. After all, knowing how to pass the guard is fundamental to any jiu-jitsu game. It will equip you to learn how to attack the most common no-gi guards including, the butterfly guard, the inverted guard, the De La Riva, and more.
Outside of perhaps learning how to escape, learning how to pass the guard is certainly one of the first things you should master.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
No Gi Pressure Passing By Bernardo Faria:
One of the best systems of passing the guard in no-gi is pressure passing. Pressure passing works for everyone but as someone who is over 30, pressure passing is amazing.
With pressure passing you do not have to be the most athletic person in the gym to pass your opponents guard. With that said, who is better to learn from than 5x world champion Bernardo Faria.
This no-gi instructional will teach you a ton of pressure passes from everywhere.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
No-Gi Instructionals On Takedowns
Its hard to implement your no-gi game if you can’t first get your opponent to the ground. Many traditional BJJ takedowns rely on the use of gi grips and do not work so well without the gi.
So when learning takedowns in no-gi you are going to need to focus more on takedowns from wrestling rather than judo. Or at the very least you are going to need to learn to modify the judo throws to work without the gi.
Takedown Dominance By Andre Galvao:
Andre Galvao is not only a 6 time ADCC champion, he is also a 6 time black belt world champion and a takedown monster. Andre did not come from a wrestling background but has learned how to takedown some of the best wrestlers in the world.
This no-gi instructional is not going to teach you every takedown in the book. Instead, it focuses on the highly effective no-gi takedowns that are simple and work.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
No-Gi Instructionals On Guard And Half Guard
Your guard and half guard game are going to look a bit different in no-gi vs the gi. So here a few no-gi instructionals to help our your guard and half guard game.
The Half Guard Anthology By Lachlan Giles
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
The No Gi Open Guard Bundle By Lachlan Giles:
Bundle up and save by getting both the Lachlan Giles K-Guard series and the De La Riva & Waiter no-gi open guard instructional together.
Learn the no-gi open guard for one of the best to ever do it. You will learn how to sweeping, leg locking, and back takes from the bottom position.
Find Out More About This No-Gi Instructional Here!
Nicky Ryan’s Wrestle Up Series By Nicky Ryan:
Unless you are living under a rock you know that learning how to wrestle up from the bottom position is getting a lot of attention right now. Understandably so as it can be a very effective way to grapple from the bottom position.
This no-gi instructional will show you how to wrestle up from bottom position using double legs, single legs, ankle picks and more.
No-Gi Instructionals On Leg Locks
You can’t do no-gi without a good leg lock game. If you want to keep up with modern jiu-jitsu then leg locks are a must. Like it or not they are here to stay. So check out one of these no-gi leg locks instructionals and avoid getting left behind.
Leg Lock Anthology 50/50 by Lachlan Giles:
Lachlan Giles never fails to impress his fans when it comes to quality content. He always gives great detail and does not hold back on teaching his leg lock secrets. So if you need to catch up on your leg lock game you might want to look into Lego Lock Anthology by Lachlan Giles!
Craig Jones Leg Lock Instructionals:
Craig Jones is well known for being a leg lock master. He is considered to many to be one of the top no-gi grapplers of all time. Much of this is attributed to his amazing leg lock game. He actually not one instructional but rather I’ll just mention Craig Jones’s three separate instructionals on leg locks.
If you are brand new to leg locks you want might want to start with leg lock defense. This brings me to the first to check out in the Craig Jones leg lock series, which is Get Off My Legs Gringo. This is because even if you do not care so much about submitting people with leg locks you should at least know how to defend against them. Especially if you are interested in no-gi jiu-jitsu.
Next, is Craig Jones’s classic, Down Under Leg Attacks. This no-gi instructional is his foundational program and an introduction the leg lock system. Last but not least, is Battle Tested Down Under Leg Locks. This really builds on down-under leg attacks but with some new leg lock techniques, he has further perfected.