We ranked every Isaac Doederlein instructional on BJJ Fanatics by community reception, clarity of system, and who gets the most benefit in the gi.
Footwork Passing vs the Seated Guard
A complete footwork-first gi passing system that turns seated guards into easy finishes.
Collar & Sleeve Guard a Systematic Approach
Make collar and sleeve your safest gi guard with structured attacks.
Footwork Passing vs the Supine Guard
Turn prone guards into angles using ribs and C grip toreandos.
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🥋 #1 Footwork Passing vs the Seated Guard by Isaac Doederlein
Instructor: Isaac Doederlein
Style: System Based, Drill Heavy
Best for: All Levels
Format: Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 42 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Win the angle before grips land.
Techniques: Toreando, Knee Slice, Leg Drag, Forklift Pass, Angle Creation, Hand Fighting
- Pressure Passing Encyclopedia by Bernardo Faria – A slower, chest to chest pressure style if movement passing is not your game.
- Modern No Gi Guard Passing by Kaynan Duarte – Translates concepts to no-gi with clear finishing sequences.
- Outside Passing by Jason Rau – Loose, angle based passing that pairs well with Isaac's entries.
You will learn how to control stance, distance, and angles before grips so your first step wins. The system splits choices into front door vs back door and chains toreandos into knee slices, folds, and leg drags. You will not get heavy over under pressure here; it is built for fast, mobile gi passing.
✅ Pros
- Clear decision tree makes live passing faster under pressure.
- Footwork sequences chain smoothly into controlling finishes.
- Volume structure and drills are easy to apply in class.
⚠️ Cons
- Not ideal if you rely on heavy pressure pins.
- Gi centric grips require adaptation for no-gi.
- Runtime details and exact total length are not shown.
💡 I found the front door vs back door language makes timing reads obvious, which removes hesitation when opponents frame or post. Recommendation: Buy it now.
🥋 #2 Collar & Sleeve Guard a Systematic Approach by Isaac Doederlein
Instructor: Isaac Doederlein
Style: System Based, Technique Collection
Best for: All Levels
Format: Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Control posture, then attack in waves.
Techniques: Collar Sleeve, Omoplata, Triangle, Collar Drag, Scissor Sweep, Dlr Integration
- Double Sleeve Guard by Jonathan Thomas - Another safe long range gi guard with strong control.
- Spider Guard Mastery by Michael Langhi - World class spider guard that pairs with collar sleeve.
- Cross Collar Sleeve Guard by Romulo Barral - Advanced collar sleeve layers from a legend.
You will build a collar sleeve game that holds distance and punishes posture. The plan connects retention to omoplata, triangles, collar drags, and sweeps. It is gi only and assumes you like using grips to slow faster passers.
✅ Pros
- Covers entries, retention, and attacks in one cohesive plan.
- Great safety-first guard for smaller athletes against pressure.
- Priced accessibly compared to mega sets.
⚠️ Cons
- No direct no-gi translation inside the curriculum.
- Less emphasis on wrestle ups than modern meta sets.
- Exact runtime is not listed on the page.
💡 I like how Isaac frames collar sleeve as one grip set that handles distance, posture, and off balances without constant style switching. Recommendation: Wait for daily deal.
🥋 #3 Footwork Passing vs the Supine Guard by Isaac Doederlein
Instructor: Isaac Doederlein
Style: System Based, Drill Heavy
Best for: Intermediate
Format: Gi
Runtime: 1 hour and 48 minutes
Volumes: 4
Biggest takeaway: Choose ribs or C grip by frame.
Techniques: Ribs Toreando, C Grip Toreando, Leg Drag, Over Under Stack, Knee Pinch, Knee Slice
- Battle Tested Pressure Passing by Bernardo Faria - A direct pressure blueprint when you cannot win footraces.
- Modern No Gi Guard Passing by Kaynan Duarte - A no-gi path that mirrors some outside passing reactions.
You will learn to split supine guards into zones and choose between ribs or C grip toreando entries. The set connects to over under stacks and leg drags to finish. It assumes comfort with standing movement and rewards players who already hit toreandos on seated guards.
✅ Pros
- Organizes supine passing choices with simple zone cues.
- Includes stack options to slow scrambles when needed.
- Pairs perfectly with the seated passing curriculum.
⚠️ Cons
- Best results if you are already good at footwork.
- Less focus on bodylock style passing.
- Price is higher than many single-volume guard sets.
💡 I like how the ribs vs C grip distinction gives you a quick scan so you do not force the wrong toreando. Recommendation: Wait for daily deal.
How we ranked Isaac Doederlein instructionals
We weighted r/bjj reception the heaviest, then judged how cohesive the system feels on the mats. We favored instructionals that give a simple decision tree and live-ready sequences. Instructor authority and production clarity rounded out the score. When posts conflicted, we reflected that in pros and cons and nudged the community rating down.
Seated vs supine: which footwork passing set first
If your training room sits to play guard a lot, start with the seated set. You will use those entries daily. If your room pulls to supine and frames, the supine set gives you ribs vs C grip choices and stack links. Most passers benefit from learning seated first, then layering supine to round out angles.
Will these translate to no-gi
They are gi focused. The collar and sleeve set is gi only. The footwork passing sets rely on grips but the angle and pivot concepts still help no-gi. If you mainly train no-gi, pair Isaac with Kaynan Duarte or Jason Rau passing to see similar reactions with wrist and head control instead of collars.
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