The 7 Best BJJ Instructors: Choose wisely who to learn from

1. John Danaher

The System Builder

Why He’s Here

Danaher accounts for 8% of all instructional runtime on BJJ Fanatics despite being 1 of 1,228 instructors on the platform. His students include Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Nicky Ryan, and Georges St-Pierre. Matt Serra calls him “the Einstein of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.” He dominates 7 out of 8 major instructional categories.

Teaching Style

Comprehensive, systematic, philosophical. Danaher holds a Master’s in philosophy from Columbia, and it shows. Every position gets the full systems treatment: first principles, decision trees, contingency plans. His instructionals average 11.5 hours per title (the catalog average is 2.4 hours). Some people find this level of detail invaluable. Others find it slow – one community comparison noted he “explains stuff in a pseudointellectual manner so watching it takes 2-3x more time to get the same info across” compared to Lachlan Giles.

Start With

Enter the System: Leglocks changed the landscape of competition leg locks and remains his most influential work. For a broader entry point, his Go Further Faster series covers fundamentals across every major position.

Best For

Students who want encyclopedic coverage of complete positional systems. Intermediate to advanced grapplers who appreciate theory and decision-making frameworks alongside technique.

“Everyone who has taken a class with Danaher praises him like no other.”

Sherdog forums

2. Gordon Ryan

The Greatest Competitor Who Also Teaches

Why He’s Here

Gordon is widely considered the greatest no-gi grappler of all time. He won ADCC titles in three different weight classes, has not lost since 2018, and has been submitted only once in his career (Felipe Pena, 2016). But what earns him a spot on this list is that Danaher himself says Gordon is “one of the best teachers I have seen.” His instructionals carry the same systematic depth as Danaher’s, with the added credibility that Gordon has personally used every technique against the best grapplers alive.

Teaching Style

Systematic and methodical. Every instructional follows the same pattern: establish a framework, show every variation, then explain counters and re-counters. Extremely detailed (8-11 hour instructionals are common). The depth is unparalleled for serious students who want competition-tested systems.

Start With

Systematically Attacking the Guard: Passing is his most comprehensive work. For guard players, his Guard Retention series covers the other side of that equation.

Best For

Serious no-gi competitors who want systems tested at the highest level. Intermediate to advanced grapplers willing to invest time in deep, detailed content. Budget-conscious buyers should note his average price ($346) is 3.2x the catalog average.

“Teaching is something I love doing more than just about anything.”

Gordon Ryan

3. Lachlan Giles

The Most Structured Teacher in BJJ

Why He’s Here

Lachlan is the teacher other teachers recommend. Community feedback consistently places him at the top: “the best instructor in BJJ,” “explains clearly, he knows more than almost anyone, and he just puts in way more effort than other instructors.” At ADCC 2019 he submitted three world-class heavyweights by heel hook while being one of the lightest competitors in the absolute division. But his teaching is what earned this ranking.

Teaching Style

Uses a “layered learning” approach: clear overviews first, then systematic progression into details. His PhD background shows in how methodically he structures information. Concise and efficient – where Danaher takes 11 hours per title, Lachlan covers comparable ground in a fraction of the time without sacrificing depth. He makes complex positions digestible.

Start With

Half Guard Anthology is among the highest-rated instructionals ever made. His Leg Lock Anthology: 50/50 is the other standout. For ongoing learning, his Submeta platform ($25/month) includes all his exclusive content.

Best For

Every level. His structured approach makes complex positions accessible to intermediates while giving advanced grapplers clean conceptual frameworks. Best value-for-money on BJJ Fanatics.

“One of the finest instructors on the planet.”

Community consensus

4. Craig Jones

The Entertainer Who’s Actually Elite

Why He’s Here

Craig is the only BJJ instructor who understands that entertainment is part of teaching. He makes jokes, keeps things moving, and never repeats himself. But behind the humor is genuinely innovative content. His Power Ride instructional introduced a new pinning philosophy that changed how people think about top control. His B-Team won the $1 million CJI 2 team tournament.

Teaching Style

Concise, efficient, entertaining. Shorter instructionals than Danaher or Gordon Ryan, but packed with original concepts. He stays on topic, avoids filler, and delivers fresh perspectives on established positions. As one community member put it: “the only guy in BJJ that realizes that entertainment is part of being a good teacher.”

Start With

Power Ride: A New Philosophy on Pinning is widely considered his best work. For guard players, Battle Tested Half Guard is the alternative.

Best For

Grapplers who get bored by lengthy, dry instruction. People who want innovative concepts rather than encyclopedic coverage. No-gi focused athletes who want competition-tested techniques delivered efficiently.

“Craig makes jokes which makes it way easier to pay attention.”

r/bjj community

5. Marcelo Garcia

The Pound-for-Pound GOAT

Why He’s Here

Marcelo Garcia is widely regarded as the greatest pound-for-pound BJJ competitor in history. He dominated opponents often twice his size, winning absolute divisions at middleweight. Eddie Bravo called him the BJJ “messiah.” But what makes him relevant for this list is MG In Action – he pioneered online BJJ instruction before platforms like BJJ Fanatics existed. His students include Matheus Diniz, Jon Satava, Gianni Grippo, and Dillon Danis.

Teaching Style

Lead-by-example. Not the most verbal or theoretical instructor, but his natural game is so innovative that watching him train is educational in itself. His academy and MG In Action featured real training footage alongside technique breakdowns. Students learned by osmosis and direct modeling.

Start With

The Complete Butterfly Guard captures the guard system that made him famous. His X-guard material is equally essential for guard players.

Best For

Visual learners who absorb technique by watching elite performance. Guard players who want butterfly guard, X-guard, back takes, and guillotine innovations from the person who perfected them.

6. Roger Gracie

Proof That Basics Beat Everything

Why He’s Here

Roger is the most dominant gi competitor in BJJ history. His signature cross-collar choke from mount submitted 13 opponents at black belt – everyone knew it was coming, nobody could stop it. At the 2009 IBJJF Worlds, he submitted every opponent on the way to double gold with the same technique. He was never submitted across two decades of elite competition.

Teaching Style

Calm, methodical, fundamentals-focused. Roger teaches why techniques work, not just how. His philosophy – simple basics executed to perfection – is itself the lesson. His six BJJ Fanatics instructionals are all gi-focused, covering closed guard, mount, side control, guard passing, half guard, and turtle attacks.

Start With

The Roger Gracie Closed Guard System (9.5/10 BJJ World rating). His Mount System teaches the exact cross-collar choke details from his competition career.

Best For

Gi practitioners at any level who want to build a game on fundamentals. Grapplers who believe mastery of basics beats collecting techniques.

“Mount improved immediately with the details. Old-school pressure that works on bigger, stronger partners.”

r/bjj community

7. Andre Galvao

The Champion Factory Builder

Why He’s Here

Galvao holds the record for most ADCC gold medals (6) and won 4 consecutive ADCC superfights. His competition record stands at 157-27. But his teaching legacy is building championship teams. Under his tutelage at Atos, he produced the Ruotolo brothers, Kaynan Duarte, Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa, and a steady stream of other world champions. No other coach matches that output.

Teaching Style

Team-builder and program developer. His strength is building championship programs and developing world-class athletes from within a system. Less known as a solo instructional producer compared to the Big Four, but his Atos BJJ OnDemand platform and white belt curriculum on BJJ Fanatics cover foundational skills. His real teaching happens in the gym, not on video.

Best For

Beginners looking for structured white belt curriculum. Competitors who want to understand the Atos system that has produced dozens of world champions across gi and no-gi.

8. Bernardo Faria

Pressure Passing & Deep Half Guard

Bernardo co-founded BJJ Fanatics, the platform that made instructional content accessible. He is also a 5x IBJJF World Champion and one of the most in-demand seminar instructors alive. His teaching specialty is pressure passing – he is widely considered the best pressure passer in BJJ history. His deep half guard material is equally definitive. Community feedback: “as good (if not better) an instructor as he is a competitor.” Warm, enthusiastic teaching style that works for all levels.

Specialty: Pressure Passing Encyclopedia and Deep Half Guard. If you want to improve either position, Bernardo is the first person to study.

9. Mikey Musumeci

Berimbolo & Modern Guard Play

Mikey is undeniably the best person to ever use the berimbolo at the highest level. His 5 IBJJF World titles (4 gi, 1 no-gi) span every belt level from juvenile blue through black. His Berimbolo System runs 32+ hours across three parts, making it the most comprehensive treatment of the position ever produced. Extremely detailed and systematic – he breaks down positions into scenarios methodically enough that complex guard play becomes learnable.

Specialty: The Berimbolo System is the definitive instructional on the position. No one else comes close for crab ride, berimbolo, and modern guard concepts.

10. Ryan Hall

The OG of Conceptual BJJ Instruction

Ryan Hall was teaching BJJ conceptually before it was popular. He was “the Danaher before John Danaher” – most instructors who gravitate toward conceptual teaching cite Hall as an influence on their understanding. His Triangle instructional is one of the most successful and influential works in BJJ history, backed by over 200 competition triangle submissions. His 50/50 Guard instructional remains a necessary source for understanding leg locks from that position. Also a mechanical engineer, his analytical mind shows in everything he produces.

Specialty: The Triangle and The Back are his two essential works. Start with whichever position you use more.

11. Garry Tonon

Leg Locks & Dynamic Submission Grappling

One of the original Danaher Death Squad members who helped popularize the modern leg lock game alongside Danaher. Garry bridges the gap between pure grappling and MMA application – he debuted in ONE Championship MMA in 2018 and won via TKO. Less prolific as an instructional producer than others in the DDS, but his content reflects real competition and MMA experience. His energetic, practical teaching style contrasts with Danaher’s lengthy theoretical approach.

Specialty: Breaking Legs and Breaking Hearts covers his leg lock game. Essential for understanding how the modern heel hook meta developed from the DDS era.

12. Demian Maia

The MMA Grappling Bridge

Widely considered the best pure BJJ practitioner to compete in MMA. Maia achieved his black belt in just 4 years and 7 months (a record at the time) and won the ADCC in 2007. His UFC career (28 fights) demonstrated that pure grappling can work at the highest level of MMA. His teaching is highly technical and precise, focusing on the minute details that make techniques work against resisting, athletic opponents. His Science of Jiu-Jitsu has been ranked the most technical among top BJJ instructional DVDs.

Specialty: The Science of Jiu-Jitsu bridges sport BJJ and combat application. Best for grapplers interested in MMA grappling integration.

13. Priit Mihkelson

The Defensive BJJ Specialist

Priit has no major competition credentials. His entire reputation is built on coaching innovation, and that reputation is enormous. He is called “the most important mind, researcher, and possibly voice on defensive BJJ at present” and “the world’s most sought after instructor of BJJ defense.” His Grilled Chicken Guard and updated turtle position have been compared to “the introduction of wheels on luggage” – simple innovations that change everything. His data-driven, logical approach to defense teaches what he believes should be the first things a white belt gets proficient at.

Specialty: Protecting & Generating Dynamic Offense From The Turtle is his standout BJJ Fanatics title. For his full system, his DefensiveBJJ.com platform covers guard retention, back escapes, and late-stage submission defense.

14. Paul Schreiner

The Teacher’s Teacher

Paul Schreiner has no major competition titles. Like Priit Mihkelson, his reputation rests entirely on teaching ability – and multiple students have called him “the best teacher I’ve ever had out of any discipline.” His Connected Reaction series covers 7 installments (no-gi passing, back attacks, side control escapes, half guard, closed guard, armlocks, and 2-on-1 grips), forming a complete game. Listed among Jitsmagazine’s most underrated BJJ instructors. He trained under Marcelo Garcia and brings deep insight that benefits grapplers at any level.

Specialty: Connected Reaction: No-Gi Passing is his most popular work. Pure fundamentals taught with more depth and clarity than almost anyone else in the sport.