We researched Reddit, product pages, and credible reviews to rank Eoghan O'Flanagan's BJJ Fanatics instructionals by community reception, system clarity, applicability, authority, and production quality.
Down Right Sloppy Half Butterfly
A concise half-butterfly system tying sweeps, leg entries, and upper body attacks into one no-gi guard you can actually hold and score from.
Leglocks: The UK Variant
A comprehensive, organized leglock roadmap that links SLX, saddle, 50/50, false reap, and shin-to-shin into consistent entries and high-percentage finishes.
Shin to Shin
Make seated guard useful against standers with posture breaks, foot tracking, heists, and high-percentage transitions into SLX, X-guard, and leg attacks.
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🥋 #1 Down Right Sloppy Half Butterfly by Eoghan O'Flanagan
Instructor: Eoghan O'Flanagan
Style: System Based
Best for: Intermediate
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 59 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Half-butterfly can be sticky.
Techniques: Half Butterfly, Choi Bar, Saddle Entries
- Under Pressure: Half Butterfly Mastery by Brian Glick – Clear fundamentals and sequencing if you want a calmer, step-by-step build.
- Systematically Attacking From Half Guard by Gordon Ryan – Broader half-guard framework that includes butterfly-half but with more hours.
- Butterfly Guard Rediscovered 3.0 by Adam Wardzinski – Excellent butterfly mechanics that transfer well to half-butterfly.
You learn how to establish half-butterfly, retain it against outside passers, and funnel reactions into sweeps or submissions. The hub is arm saddle and shoulder-crunch mechanics that chain into choi bar, kimura, triangles, and saddle entries. You will not get a move dump; you will get a compact blueprint you can drill and apply immediately.
✅ Pros
- System-first structure makes the position easy to retain and attack from.
- Balances upper-body attacks with efficient saddle entries.
- Compact runtime compared to mega-sets, which helps you implement faster.
⚠️ Cons
- Some players found the teaching flow hard to follow as first exposure.
- Not aimed at gi grips; most content is no-gi specific.
- If you want hours of variations, you may prefer longer half-guard sets.
💡 I got the most value by drilling the arm-saddle hand fighting, then adding choi bar and the first saddle entry as a simple two-lane attack. Recommendation: Buy it now.
🥋 #2 Leglocks: The UK Variant by Eoghan O'Flanagan
Instructor: Eoghan O'Flanagan
Style: System Based, Technique Collection
Best for: All Levels
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 2 hours and 18 minutes
Volumes: 8
Biggest takeaway: Link entanglements, then finish.
Techniques: Single Leg X, Saddle, 50/50
- Enter The System: Leglocks by John Danaher - Deep conceptual leglock framework if you want exhaustive theory.
- Breaking Legs & Breaking Hearts by Garry Tonon - Direct, time-efficient entries and finishes for newer leg lockers.
- Dynamic Outside Ashi by Jason Rau - Focused outside ashi deep dive to sharpen one key path.
Expect coverage across the modern leglock map with emphasis on control before breaking mechanics. It shows how to move between entanglements as reactions change. If you need a single set to orient your leg game, this is the most complete option in O'Flanagan's catalog.
✅ Pros
- Covers all major modern leg positions with clear progression.
- Balances entries and finish mechanics without fluff.
- Great one-stop reference for building a full leglock game.
⚠️ Cons
- Breadth can feel dense if you only want one pathway.
- No-gi only; minimal transfer to collar-and-sleeve grip play.
- Several alternatives have more drilling structure if you need reps.
💡 I got faster results by picking one entry per entanglement, then practicing the transition chain before layering additional finishes. Recommendation: Wait for daily deal.
🥋 #3 Shin to Shin by Eoghan O'Flanagan
Instructor: Eoghan O'Flanagan
Style: System Based
Best for: All Levels
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 2 hours
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Control the near leg first.
Techniques: Shin To Shin, Wrestle Up, X Guard
- Essential Shin to Shin by Shawn Williams - Highly praised teaching style and a complete S2S game plan.
- Systematically Attacking From Open Guard (Seated) by Gordon Ryan - Sticky seated guard mechanics and offense that pair well with S2S.
You learn to connect S2S to hand fighting, wrestle-ups, and balanced off-balances. The curriculum includes answers for both standing and kneeling opponents and counters to common pummels. If you struggle keeping mobile passers in front of you, this fills that gap.
✅ Pros
- Shows how to actually hold S2S against mobile opponents.
- Connects to wrestle-ups so you score even if leg locks fail.
- Foot-tracking and head-position details are easy to drill.
⚠️ Cons
- Teaching style does not land for everyone per community feedback.
- If you want only leg locks, breadth may feel wide.
- Less gi transfer because hand fighting differs with cloth grips.
💡 I improved fast by drilling the heist-to-ankle-pick chain off a collar tie, then adding the SLX off-balance when partners posted. Recommendation: Wait for daily deal.
🥋 #4 Downright Sloppy Outside Heel Hooks by Eoghan O'Flanagan
Instructor: Eoghan O'Flanagan
Style: System Based, Technique Collection
Best for: Advanced
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Heel exposure beats strength.
Techniques: Outside Heel Hook, Outside Ashi, Inside Ashi
- Dynamic Outside Ashi by Jason Rau - If you want a single-lane outside-ashi specialty set.
- Leglocks: The UK Variant by Eoghan O'Flanagan - For a wider leglock map if you need more contexts.
This set is for players who already know inside-heel basics but want confident outside-heel finishes. You get position-by-position entries plus the grip and hip mechanics to finish. Expect a practical, modern take that mirrors how outside-heel hooks are winning in competition again.
✅ Pros
- Focuses on the specific precision outside-heel hooks require.
- Covers multiple base positions so you can funnel reliably.
- Finish mechanics are shown clearly with grips and hip direction.
⚠️ Cons
- Not ideal for beginners without basic ashi literacy.
- Outside-heel hooks have lower margin for error than inside.
- If you want defense, this is almost entirely offensive.
💡 I improved by practicing heel exposure sequences without finishing, then adding the reverse-figure-four finish as the final step. Recommendation: Wait for daily deal.
🥋 #5 Sloppy Seconds: Countering The Outside Passer by Eoghan O' Flanagan
Instructor: Eoghan O' Flanagan
Style: System Based, Footage Breakdown
Best for: All Levels
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 44 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Foot tracking buys time.
Techniques: Shin To Shin, Hip Stomp, Choi Bar
- They Shall Not Pass by Gordon Ryan - Broader guard retention approach that also addresses outside pressure.
- Precise Pressure Passing by Paul Schreiner (negating S2S) - See what passers do to beat S2S so you can anticipate better.
If sprint passers live in your gym, this shows how to slow them down and hit back. You learn angle-denial with frames, shin-to-shin hooks, and quick hip-stomp transitions. The rolling commentary helps you recognize the timing windows in real speed.
✅ Pros
- Directly targets a common problem: lateral blitz passing.
- Includes rolling commentary to translate theory to timing.
- Pairs well with his S2S and half-butterfly material.
⚠️ Cons
- Narrower scope than full guard retention mega-sets.
- If your gym plays tight half pressure, this helps less.
- Some prefer to study passing instead of counters.
💡 I made the counters work when I prioritized foot tracking first, then switched to hip-stomp only when the passer planted. Recommendation: Skip.
Why the 'Downright Sloppy' names?
The titles are a tongue-in-cheek nod to online banter after a high-profile exchange where commentators joked a finish looked 'downright sloppy.' The r/bjj thread even connected the joke to Eoghan's naming. The content itself is not sloppy; community posts note the half-butterfly set is concise and practical, and the outside-heel set emphasizes precision. Treat the titles as branding, not a description of the mechanics.
How to pick your first O'Flanagan set
If you need a guard hub, start with Down Right Sloppy Half Butterfly. If you want broad leglock orientation, pick Leglocks: The UK Variant. If mobile standers are your main struggle, add Shin to Shin. Already solid with inside-heel hooks? Use Downright Sloppy Outside Heel Hooks to round out your finishing. Fighting blitz passers every round? Consider Sloppy Seconds only if you prefer counter-focused study over general retention.
Saving money on BJJ Fanatics
BJJ Fanatics runs daily deals and large sitewide codes. Community advice is to stack the daily deal with active coupons when possible. If budget matters, flag your top two sets and wait for the next 45–50% code. BJJ More tracks current codes and how to stack them effectively so you can time purchases without paying full list.
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