Best BJJ Instructionals for Blue Belts (2026)

The single best investment a blue belt can make in their guard game. Danaher takes the position you’re already playing and turns it into a complete offensive system with sweeps, submissions, and back takes from every half guard variation.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 10+ hours across 8 volumes
• 📅 Part of Go Further Faster series
• 🥋 Gi (principles apply to no-gi)
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Guard / Half Guard

What It Covers

This is a complete half guard curriculum. Danaher starts with the knee shield as your primary retention tool, then builds out to deep half guard entries, underhook half guard sweeps, lockdown sequences, and back take chains. Every volume connects to the next. You won’t learn isolated moves; you’ll build a system where each position has multiple exits.

Specific techniques include the knee shield hip bump, dog fight position, deep half sweep series (Homer Simpson sweep, Waiter sweep), coyote half guard, and the plan B cycle when your primary sweep gets shut down.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Systematic approach: every position has a decision tree, not just a single technique
• Covers both offensive (sweeps, submissions) and defensive (retention, recovery) half guard
• Deep half entries that work even when you’re getting smashed in low half guard
• Teaches you to chain attempts: if the underhook sweep fails, transition to deep half, then to back take

What the Community Says

“Long, dense, and boring. But when you do take the test, you ace it.”

Tsavo Neal, BJJEquipment.com (4.5/5 on GFF series)

“There’s hardly anyone out there that can make theory and practice work together as well as Danaher can.”

BJJ World (5/5)

Weakness

At 10+ hours, this is a serious time commitment. Danaher’s lecture-heavy style means you’ll sit through conceptual explanations before seeing techniques. If you want something faster, Lachlan Giles covers half guard concepts in a fraction of the time on Submeta. And at ~$197, it’s not cheap. Bernardo Faria’s half guard content is available for under $50 on sale, though with far less depth.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who already play half guard and want to turn it from a survival position into their A-game.

Avoid if: You hate lecture-style instruction or you want quick-hit content you can apply in one session.

Pairs with: Danaher’s Pin Escapes (for when you lose half guard and end up under side control).

Most blue belts ignore butterfly guard. That’s a mistake. Wardzinski’s system connects butterfly sweeps to single leg X, X guard, and back takes in a way that makes bigger opponents miserable. If you’re tired of getting smashed in closed guard, this is your alternative.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 8 volumes
• 📅 Updated 3.0 version
• 🥋 Gi (lapel-based entries)
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Guard / Butterfly

What It Covers

The 3.0 version connects side butterfly, lazy butterfly, and half-butterfly into a unified system. Wardzinski teaches the basic butterfly sweep (underhook and overhook variations), then builds to the John Wayne sweep, wrestle-ups from seated position, omoplata attacks, and transitions to single leg X and X guard.

The lapel tie-up system is particularly useful: concrete grips that prevent your opponent from backing out of your guard. Plus a complete overhook system including guillotines and armbars that catch passers off guard.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Presents a “completely functional guard with no holes” (Jitsmagazine.com)
• Connects butterfly to X guard, single leg X, and back takes – not just sweeps
• BJJ Scout published a 6-part YouTube study analyzing Wardzinski’s butterfly system
• Works particularly well for smaller grapplers against bigger opponents

What the Community Says

“Adam is an even better teacher than he is a competitor, and there’s a clear line of instructions throughout. Sound and camera work is impeccable.”

BJJ World

“The clearest gi-first butterfly roadmap with reliable lapel tie-ups. Actionable details on elevating bigger passers from seated positions.”

r/bjj community consensus

Weakness

Heavy lapel and gi grip focus limits direct no-gi carryover. If you train primarily no-gi, Wardzinski’s own “No-Gi Butterfly Guard Rediscovered” or Marcelo Garcia’s butterfly content on MGInAction are better fits. Eight volumes can also feel long; Gabriel Arges covers butterfly in a more condensed format.

My Recommendation

Best for: Gi-focused blue belts who want an alternative to half guard or closed guard, especially smaller grapplers.

Avoid if: You train primarily no-gi or you don’t want to commit to learning lapel-based grips.

Pairs with: Lachlan Giles’ Leg Lock Anthology (butterfly entries to 50/50 and leg entanglements).

Xande Ribeiro’s guard has not been passed in over 10 years of competition. This instructional teaches his retention system: the framing concepts, hip movements, and defensive structures that make your guard nearly impossible to pass.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 4 volumes
• 📅 Released on BJJ Fanatics
• 🥋 Applicable to gi and no-gi
• 🎯 All levels (especially blue belts)
• 🕸 Guard Retention / Defense

What It Covers

Volume 1 teaches the Superhold defense system using knee shield and hip switches. Volume 2 covers cross knee and knee drive defenses against the most common passes blue belts face. Volume 3 introduces the core Diamond Concept framework with Kesa Gatame transitions and framing principles. Volume 4 ties everything together with integration drills you can practice solo.

Specific techniques: superhold defense, Esgrima pass defense, shoulder pressure defense, toreando pass counters, blade drill, and the spur shield concept.

What Makes It Stand Out

• From a man whose guard has literally not been passed in a decade of world-level competition
• Energy-efficient defense based on framing and body architecture, not athleticism
• Includes solo drills for home practice
• Concepts build progressively across 4 volumes

What the Community Says

“One of those invisible Jiu-Jitsu instructionals that’ll teach you unbeatable tactics that are deeply rooted in the bare basics of BJJ.”

BJJ World (5/5)

Weakness

This is purely defensive. You won’t learn sweeps or submissions here. Pair it with an offensive guard system (like Danaher’s Half Guard or Wardzinski’s Butterfly Guard) for a complete guard game. The concepts can also feel abstract until you drill them enough to make them automatic.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who keep getting their guard passed. If upper belts walk through your guard like it doesn’t exist, start here.

Avoid if: Your guard retention is already solid and you need offensive tools instead.

Pairs with: Any offensive guard instructional (Danaher Half Guard, Wardzinski Butterfly, or Ffion Davies Closed Guard).

Price: $79 list price – one of the best value picks on this list.

The most comprehensive guard passing resource ever released. Gordon Ryan doesn’t just show you passes – he gives you a complete decision tree. If the opponent does X, you do Y. No more random attempts that get swept.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 8 volumes (estimated 10-14 hours)
• 🥋 No-Gi (concepts applicable to gi)
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Guard Passing

What It Covers

Gordon’s system starts from “headquarters” – a default passing position where you control the opponent’s legs and choose your attack. From headquarters, he builds out to body lock passing, leg drag chains, toreando sequences, and backstep passes. Each volume covers a different guard type you’ll encounter: half guard, butterfly, De La Riva, single leg X, and open guard variations.

The key innovation is the decision-tree format. Instead of showing 50 disconnected passes, Gordon maps out: when opponent frames here, you transition to this. When they reguard, you switch to that. It’s a flowchart, not a list.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Decision-tree format teaches WHEN to use each pass, not just HOW
• Headquarters position gives you a consistent starting point against any guard
• Covers responses to every common guard reguard and recovery
• From the most dominant no-gi grappler in history

What the Community Says

“Changed how I think about passing. Instead of random attempts, I have a system now.”

Recurring theme on r/bjj discussion threads

Weakness

Strictly no-gi. If you compete in the gi, Lucas Lepri’s “Science of Guard Passing” ($77-127) covers gi-specific grips and techniques better. Gordon’s system also assumes you have a baseline understanding of the major guard positions. True beginners might get lost by Volume 3.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who train no-gi and want a complete passing system they can build their entire top game around.

Avoid if: You only train in the gi and need gi-specific grip fighting for passes.

Pairs with: Gordon Ryan’s “Systematically Attacking the Turtle” for when your pass forces opponents to turtle.

Seven-time IBJJF World Champion. Did not lose a match at Worlds in six straight years. If you compete in the gi, Lepri’s knee cut system is the highest-percentage passing approach at blue belt level.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 6+ hours across 4 volumes
• 📅 Released on BJJ Fanatics
• 🥋 Gi
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Guard Passing

What It Covers

Volume 1 covers the knee cut pass with multiple variations including the tripod knee cut. Volume 2 handles deep half guard defense and spider/lasso guard passing. Volume 3 tackles modern guards: X-guard, lapel guards, and worm guard counters. Volume 4 covers advanced passing sequences and direct back takes from passing exchanges.

Named techniques: knee cut pass variations, reverse De La Riva pass, folding pass, punch pass (spider lasso counter), hip lock pass, Kimura trap system, and single leg X guard passing.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Knee cut focus is the highest-percentage gi pass at every belt level
• “Flawless camera work and impeccable sound” – BJJ World on production quality
• Combines pressure passing AND speed-based approaches
• Direct back takes from passing – turns guard passes into submissions

What the Community Says

“A real masterpiece and an instruction you simply have to own if you’re a modern-day BJJ competitor.”

BJJ World (5/5)

“Clear explanations with a systematic knee slide approach that translated well to sparring.”

Sherdog Forums user review

Weakness

“Lepri just teaches you a bunch of positions. He should show a gameplan – if the opponent does X you react doing Y” (Sherdog Forums). Gordon Ryan’s Passing Anthology provides clearer decision trees. Also gi-only, which limits no-gi applicability. And at $77-127, it’s priced reasonably but covers less total volume than Gordon Ryan’s system.

My Recommendation

Best for: Gi competitors who want a proven knee-cut-centered passing system from the most decorated guard passer in IBJJF history.

Avoid if: You train no-gi primarily, or you need explicit decision trees rather than technique collections.

Pairs with: Xande Ribeiro’s Diamond Concept (to understand the guards you’ll be trying to pass).

Craig Jones has been submitted 3 times since 2017. Three. His escape philosophy: kill attacks before they develop, then escape. At 3 hours with zero fluff, this is the most time-efficient escape system on BJJ Fanatics.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ ~3 hours across 4 parts
• 📅 Released on BJJ Fanatics
• 🥋 No-Gi
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Escapes / Defense

What It Covers

Part 1 covers escape principles: small deliberate movements, defensive positioning, and the mindset of killing attacks early. Part 2 handles side control escapes: hip escapes, the running man position, Heisman escape, and single leg recoveries. Part 3 covers mount escapes: knee-elbow, bridge escapes, kipping movements, and defeating underhooks. Part 4 covers back mount defense: sliding escapes, underhook defense, body triangle escapes, and single hook escapes.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Teaches prevention, not just reaction – kill the attack before executing the escape
• 3 hours total – no philosophy lectures, no filler, no repeated demos
• “Shorter than others without repetition or fluff” – BJJ Beltchecker community
• Craig’s track record proves the system works at the highest level

What the Community Says

“Bad positions are not really that bad with proper defensive knowledge.”

BJJ World (8.5/10)

“Knowing you have these options changes how confidently you enter bad positions.”

BJJ Beltchecker community

Weakness

Strictly no-gi. No gi-specific escape details for collar chokes or lapel-based pins. For more conceptual depth, Danaher’s Pin Escapes (10+ hours) offers a more systematic framework with decision trees. Craig gives you the techniques but less of the underlying theory. Also does not cover submission escapes – for those, see his separate “Edging Your Way Out of Danger: Submission Escapes” ($197, 8 volumes) or Tom DeBlass’s budget-friendly Submission Escapes.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who want immediate, practical escape tools without committing to a 10-hour lecture series.

Avoid if: You prefer deep conceptual understanding of WHY escapes work (get Danaher’s Pin Escapes instead).

Pairs with: Tom DeBlass’s Submission Escapes (covers the submission escapes Craig’s positional set doesn’t).

The most detailed escape system ever assembled. Danaher doesn’t just teach you to survive bad positions – he teaches you to escape INTO attacking positions. 10+ hours of mount, side control, north-south, and back control escapes with the decision-tree approach he’s famous for.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 10+ hours across 8 volumes
• 📅 Part of Go Further Faster series
• 🥋 Gi (principles apply to no-gi)
• 🎯 White belts through black belts
• 🕸 Escapes / Defense

What It Covers

Eight volumes covering every escape scenario. Volume 1 covers escape theory and philosophy. Volumes 2-3 cover mount escapes (bridge-based and elbow escapes with 7+ variations). Volumes 3-4 cover side control (both elbow escapes and knee escapes – 10 knee escape techniques alone). Volume 5 covers the general theory of framing and space creation. Volume 6 analyzes how pin escapes work as a system. Volume 7 covers north-south escapes. Volume 8 covers back control and turtle escapes.

Named techniques: kipping escape (lateral, misdirectional, overhead), elbow escape variations, spinning escape, high leg escape, knee escape, ankle trap escape, tricep post escape, back door escape, shoulder roll, makikomi, hip heist series, underhook series, pin frames system.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Teaches escaping INTO offensive positions, not just back to neutral
• Two core principles (knee escapes and elbow escapes) create a unified framework
• Philosophy-driven: understand WHY escapes work, so you can improvise when standard escapes fail
• Blue belts report immediate mat improvement once they commit to the material

What the Community Says

“Long, dense, and boring. But, when you do take the test, you ace it.”

Tsavo Neal, BJJEquipment.com (4.5/5)

“Can feel like a slog to get through the 8 volumes, but when you apply the escapes on the mats, they work.”

r/bjj community feedback

Weakness

10+ hours is a massive commitment for one topic. Danaher “philosophizes for an hour on general concepts before showing techniques” (common r/bjj criticism). If you want something you can apply in one weekend, Craig Jones covers positional escapes in 3 hours. At ~$197, it’s also significantly more expensive than Tom DeBlass’s Submission Escapes (~$39-49 on sale), though DeBlass covers a different topic.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who want deep understanding of escape mechanics and are willing to invest 10+ hours in study.

Avoid if: You want quick, actionable escape content. Get Craig Jones instead.

Pairs with: Danaher’s Half Guard (for when your escape recovers guard and you need to attack from bottom).

Under 2 hours. ~$39-49 on sale. Covers escapes from every major submission you’ll face at blue belt, including modern leg lock defense. The best value-per-dollar defensive purchase on BJJ Fanatics.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 1 hour 58 minutes across 3 volumes
• 📅 Released on BJJ Fanatics
• 🥋 No-Gi (applicable to gi)
• 🎯 White and blue belts
• 🕸 Submission Escapes

What It Covers

Volume 1: bottom submission escapes including armbar escapes, triangle escapes, omoplata escapes, kimura escapes, and guillotine defenses. Volume 2: leglock escapes covering straight ankle lock, heel hook (inverted and standard), toe hold, kneebar, and Estima lock escapes. Volume 3: top position submission escapes including D’arce choke and body triangle escapes.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Under 2 hours total – respects your time completely
• Includes modern leg lock escapes (heel hooks, Estima lock) that most beginner sets skip
• Budget-friendly at ~$39-49 on sale
• Immediately applicable: techniques you can drill and use the same week

What the Community Says

“Inverted heel hook and Estima lock escapes have worked 100% for me.”

Adrien Breneman, BJJ World reviewer (5/5)

“Required viewing for white belts. White and blue belts have been observed implementing escape sequences cleanly within a week, which is rare with escape material.”

r/bjj community consensus

Weakness

Under 2 hours means limited depth per technique. Danaher’s Pin Escapes spends 10+ hours on positional escapes alone. This covers SUBMISSION escapes only – not positional escapes from mount, side control, or back control. You still need Craig Jones or Danaher for those. DeBlass’s teaching is also less conceptual: you get the technique but less understanding of the underlying principles.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who keep getting submitted and need immediate solutions, especially against leg locks. Also perfect as a first BJJ Fanatics purchase on a budget.

Avoid if: You need positional escapes (this covers submissions only, not pin escapes).

Pairs with: Craig Jones “Don’t Be Finished” (positional escapes) for complete defensive coverage.

At ADCC 2019, Lachlan Giles heel hooked three opponents who outweighed him by 50-100 lbs – all in one day. This is the system he used. Volume 1 covers fundamentals and defense first, making it accessible for blue belts entering the leg lock game.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 12 hours 18 minutes across 8 volumes
• 📅 Released on BJJ Fanatics
• 🥋 No-Gi
• 🎯 Blue belts and above
• 🕸 Leg Locks / 50/50

What It Covers

Volume 1: fundamentals, heel hook mechanics, and defense (start here). Volume 2: defense counters, 50/50 position overview, Senkaku variants. Volume 3: non-heel hook attacks, outside Senkaku. Volume 4: standing opponent heel hooks, sweeps, back takes. Volume 5: counter leg locking, Ashi Garami variations, entries. Volume 6: K Guard entries, De La Riva integration, drills. Volume 7: Reverse De La Riva, inverted entries, top position entries. Volume 8: 5 narrated rolls plus full ADCC competition footage with commentary.

Positions covered: inside heel hook, outside Senkaku, double trouble, saddle/honeyhole, 80/20, K Guard, backside 50/50, and leg drag counter-attacks.

What Makes It Stand Out

• “The structure of the instructional is what sets it apart. Giles doesn’t waste any words.” – jordos93, FightingFit Jiujitsu blog
• Volume 1 covers defense first – learn to survive before attacking
• Volume 8 includes narrated competition footage showing the system in real matches
• Connects entries from multiple guards: butterfly, De La Riva, reverse De La Riva, K Guard

What the Community Says

“The best 50/50 instructional I own. Superb detail and explanations, great structure and editing, easy to navigate and review.”

Multiple r/bjj users

“Specific finish cues clarified why straightening the leg hurts the knee.”

r/bjj community feedback

Weakness

Not ideal as a FIRST leg lock program. At 12+ hours and 8 volumes, it’s extremely dense. Mikey Musumeci’s leg lock system or Craig Jones’s “Battle Tested Leg Attacks” are more accessible entry points for total beginners to leg locks. Primarily no-gi focused with limited gi application. And Lachlan has since moved much of his updated content to Submeta (his own subscription platform), where the material is more current but requires a monthly subscription.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who train no-gi regularly and want a comprehensive leg lock education covering both offense and defense.

Avoid if: You’ve never heel hooked anyone – start with a shorter leg lock intro first.

Pairs with: Tom DeBlass’s Submission Escapes (for immediate heel hook defense while you work through the Anthology).

The most comprehensive takedown system designed specifically for BJJ players, not wrestlers or judoka. Danaher’s “six levels of grip dominance” framework gives you a systematic approach to the standup game that most BJJ schools barely teach.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ 10+ hours across 8 parts
• 📅 Volume 1 of 3-part series
• 🥋 Gi
• 🎯 All levels
• 🕸 Takedowns / Standing

What It Covers

Part 1: stance and grip fighting introduction. Part 2: grip fighting with the six levels of dominance framework. Part 3: motion, kuzushi (off-balancing), and positioning. Part 4: collar drags. Part 5: ankle picks, double legs, and single legs adapted for BJJ. Part 6: snap downs and rear body lock takedowns. Part 7: self-defense applications including Tai Otoshi. Part 8: advanced single leg studies and arm drag techniques.

What Makes It Stand Out

• “The holy grail of takedowns for BJJ everyone has been waiting for” – BJJ World
• Designed for BJJ players, not wrestlers – accounts for guard pulling, submission threats, and gi grips
• Six levels of grip dominance gives you a framework that applies to every standup exchange
• “Professional quality. Great resolution. Great camera work. Great audio.” – Big Mike’s BJJ

What the Community Says

“The holy grail of takedowns for BJJ everyone has been waiting for.”

BJJ World

“Techniques seemed unrelated at first, but repeated viewing revealed the framework.”

Big Mike’s BJJ (reviewer)

Weakness

Sherdog users noted Danaher “has terrible hips” and isn’t the best person to physically demonstrate takedowns. For more practical, quicker standup improvement, Andrew Wiltse’s “Wrestling For Jiu Jitsu” covers BJJ-relevant takedowns in a fraction of the time. At 10+ hours for Volume 1 alone, this is a huge time commitment. And at ~$197, you might get better value from a dedicated wrestling or judo class at your gym.

My Recommendation

Best for: Blue belts who want a systematic understanding of standup for BJJ, not just random takedowns.

Avoid if: You want quick, plug-and-play takedowns for your next competition. Take a wrestling class instead.

Cheaper alternative: Andrew Wiltse’s “Wrestling For Jiu Jitsu” covers the essentials in less time and at a lower price point.