Best Jozef Chen Instructional: Ranked and Reviewed

Chen’s most complete system. Six parts covering the full tripod position in three clear phases: entering, maintaining, finishing. Over 30 minutes dedicated to grip strategy alone, plus narrated rolling demonstrations and applied games that transfer directly to live sparring.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ ~3 hours across 6 parts
• 📅 Released: August 2024
• 🥋 No-Gi
• 🎯 Intermediate to Advanced (requires passing fundamentals)
• 🕸 Guard Passing / Tripod System

What It Covers

Part 1 covers the pre-passing phase: distance management, lower and upper body positioning, and pass maintenance for half-pass situations. Part 2 breaks down half butterfly passing with push-pull game dynamics, overhook sequences, multi-range passing strategies, underhook principles, and float passing tactics.

Part 3 focuses on shin pummeling techniques and elbow posting strategies, with specific applications against knee shield and Reverse De la Riva. Part 4 is a dedicated 30+ minute grip chapter covering wrist control methodology, scoop grips, hamstring grips, pulling grips, whizzer, pushing grips, and trap smother concepts with X guard examples.

Parts 5 and 6 bring it together with a three-phase tripod passing system: entering the tripod, maintaining the position, and offensive finishing. Narrated rolling demonstrations with different partners show how the concepts connect in live rounds, followed by applied games for retention.

What Makes It Stand Out

• Three-phase system (entering, maintaining, finishing) gives a clear progression instead of random technique dumps
• 30+ minutes on grip strategy alone: wrist control, scoop grips, hamstring grips, whizzer, trap smother – the most detailed grip work in any passing instructional
• Headquarters position with split squat stance forces opponents supine while controlling their legs
• Head positioning rule (keep head on opposite side from legs) prevents single-leg counters
• Games and applied rounds transfer directly to sparring – not passive drilling

What the Community Says

“I’ve watched the jozef chen one, he’s already very articulate and concise. If Danaher and Musumeci had a kid, Chen would be his antichrist.”

u/SpinningStuff, r/bjj (54 upvotes)

“Very practical approach to passing inside-based guards… organized in phases, with games rather than drills to master everything faster.”

Ognen Dzabirski, BJJ World (8.5/10 rating)

“Def gonna add some of his passing tips – things like fighting frames, neutralizing underhooks, closing space. Very basic stuff but stuff that he really went in detail.”

u/nbayerrr, r/bjj (52 upvotes, after attending Chen seminar)

Weakness

The tripod position has a steep learning curve. As u/InteractionFit4469 put it: “I literally cannot do tripod passing. I always get swept.” u/Suokurppa added that “Chen style tripod passing requires flexibility that I for example don’t have.” Multiple r/bjj users recommend starting with Jason Rau’s Modern Split Squat Passing instead: as u/No_Investigator9908 (20 upvotes) said, “the split squat passing will get you better results faster. I love Jason Rau’s content because its high level and very easy to absorb whereas Josef gets more complex and rambles on a little bit.” u/Mysterious_Alarm5566 (28 upvotes) agreed: “Split squat is just a lot easier to enter than the Tripod pass. I’d start there.”

Craig Jones’ Higher Tripod Passing covers similar territory with wrestling-inspired additions (duck unders, cowcatcher/head wrap, “Tiananmen Square Lockdown” position) and Jones openly credits Chen as the source. u/saltface14 (106 upvotes) described Craig’s version as Chen’s system “translated from autism into simple, easily digestible content.” Chen’s teaching style is polarizing: u/Background_Field2981 (27 upvotes) noted he “has great details but glosses by them with super sonic speed” and compared him unfavorably to Danaher’s ability to pause, repeat, and emphasize key points.

My Recommendation

Best for: Intermediate-advanced no-gi grapplers who want a systematic approach to beating inside position guards (SLX, X guard, leg lock guards). Particularly strong if you already know the basics and want a focused system rather than encyclopedic coverage.

Avoid if: You’re new to passing (start with Jason Rau’s Modern Split Squat Passing for faster results), you prefer a more methodical teaching pace (Craig Jones’ Higher Tripod Passing covers the same concepts with more accessible delivery), or you want comprehensive coverage across all passing styles (Gordon Ryan’s Systematically Attacking the Guard).

Pairs with: Engaging Without Regrets (also by Chen) for the pre-passing engagement phase, and Outside Passing for maintaining flanking angles after the initial pass.

Chen’s first instructional as a black belt and his most refined work. A methodical outside passing system covering the full sequence: force the guard player supine, establish your angle, keep the flank, finish the pass. Includes troubleshooting for K guard, RDLR, and half guard responses.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ Just over 2 hours across 5 parts
• 📅 Released: 2025
• 🥋 No-Gi
• 🎯 Intermediate to Advanced
• 🕸 Guard Passing / Outside Passing System

What It Covers

Part 1 (~20 minutes) covers transitioning guard players from seated to supine position using strategic pushing, stepping, and body positioning techniques. Part 2 teaches optimal angle positioning for outside passing, with feinting concepts, muscle tension/relaxation strategies, grip instructions, and training round applications.

Part 3 is the core of the system: keeping the flank. Joint-by-joint positioning relative to the opponent, foot traps, knee drops, hip switching on near and far legs, upper body connections, and collar tie grip applications. Part 4 covers finishing passes from the tripod position with weight distribution, leading edge concepts, frame breaking, reactive post defense, and specialized training rounds.

Part 5 is troubleshooting: addressing K guard, RDLR, and half guard responses. Includes lasso techniques for far leg entanglement and campaign strategies within guard positions.

What Makes It Stand Out

• BJJ World’s Ognen Dzabirski called it “arguably Jozef Chen’s best work so far” – his most refined system
• First instructional as a black belt, representing the most mature version of his passing philosophy
• Troubleshooting section specifically addresses K guard, RDLR, and half guard – the three guards that kill most passing attempts
• Movement-based system rather than technique-dependent – adapts to any ruleset or opponent style
• Training rounds built into each section force you to apply concepts under pressure

What the Community Says

“Arguably Jozef Chen’s best work so far… a movement-based system that will stay true as long as guard and passing are part of BJJ.”

Ognen Dzabirski, BJJ World (8.5/10 rating)

“Watched it through a week ago, one of the best passing/camping instructional I’ve seen. Shows a bunch of tweaks he’s made to the hip and knee toreando and they’ve worked great in the limited time I’ve experimented with them.”

u/Aced9G0d, r/bjj (99 upvotes)

“I watch his stuff and have his patreon. He’s like the opposite of instructors that take forever to get to a point. He’s just zipping along at his Gen Z, ADHD pace.”

u/Impressive-Potato, r/bjj (28 upvotes)

Weakness

At just over 2 hours for the price, it’s notably shorter than Gordon Ryan’s Systematically Attacking the Guard (10+ hours across 8+ volumes). The cheeky title (“Things I Didn’t Show To Craig Jones”) is fun marketing but may set expectations for secret techniques when the reality is systematic methodology. Craig Jones’ Higher Tripod Passing covers adjacent territory with wrestling-inspired additions and reportedly more accessible delivery. And the teaching style concern applies here too: u/No_Investigator9908, who requested a refund for Engaging Without Regrets, noted that “the structure of his instructionals do not flow well and he tends to go off on tangents instead of sticking to the important details. He’s literally the opposite of a Jason Rau instructional.”

My Recommendation

Best for: Intermediate-advanced no-gi passers who can get to a flanking angle but struggle to maintain it and finish. Especially valuable if opponents keep recovering guard from side positions.

Avoid if: You need comprehensive passing coverage across all positions (Gordon Ryan is broader), or you’re looking for a beginner passing system.

Pairs with: Tripod Passing (also by Chen) for beating inside position before transitioning to outside angles, and Engaging Without Regrets for the initial engagement phase.

The only instructional on BJJ Fanatics dedicated entirely to the engagement phase of passing – the moment you make contact with a seated or open guard player. BJJ World rated it 9/10, calling it a ‘rare focus on distance management and engagement concepts.’ Short, concept-dense, and unlike anything else on the market.

Quick Facts

• ⏰ ~71 minutes across 2 parts
• 📅 Released: Late 2023 / Early 2024
• 🥋 No-Gi
• 🎯 Intermediate to Advanced
• 🕸 Guard Passing / Pre-Passing & Engagement

What It Covers

Part 1 (Posture and Folding) covers posture analysis from seated guard perspectives, the risks and advantages of seated vs. supine guard play, pin mechanics and maintaining top control, and grip fight domination from top position. Chen breaks down exactly when staying engaged is worth the risk vs. when you should disengage and reset.

Part 2 (Using Movements & Game Design) covers guard variations you’ll encounter during engagement: shin-on-shin, sit-up guard, inverted/leg lock guards. Movement techniques including cross step and back step for engagement, preventing opponent stand-ups from top, and approximately 30 minutes of active partner games for concept integration. These are interactive games with varied resistance, not passive drilling against a compliant partner.

What Makes It Stand Out

• BJJ World 9/10 – the highest rating of any Chen instructional, praising the “rare focus on distance management”
• Covers an almost completely unaddressed topic – very few instructionals teach the engagement phase specifically
• ~30 minutes of active partner games force concept integration through play rather than rote drilling
• Wrestling-style formatting with short, digestible chapters keeps each concept focused
• Pairs naturally as a “pre-passing” module before Chen’s other two instructionals

What the Community Says

“Rare focus on distance management and engagement concepts… the efficient order and format in which he delivers the info.”

Ognen Dzabirski, BJJ World (9/10 for intermediate-advanced; 7.5/10 for beginners)

“It’s good. Very conceptual and a more advanced instructional where you’ll need to already have a decent understanding of most types of passing. This topic is something I’ve wanted to learn for a while from Jozef.”

u/JeremySkinner, r/bjj (8 upvotes)

“This is the only instructional I’ve bought and requested a refund for.”

u/No_Investigator9908, r/bjj

“It’s incredible.”

u/Rude-Island-3612, r/bjj (10 upvotes)

Weakness

At ~71 minutes total for $197, the price-to-runtime ratio is the worst of Chen’s three releases. Gordon Ryan’s Systematically Attacking the Guard covers engagement, passing, and finishing across 8+ volumes for a similar price point. The teaching style is the biggest risk factor: u/Background_Field2981 (27 upvotes) wrote that Chen “has great details but glosses by them with super sonic speed” and needs to learn “how to emphasize the important points if he wants to up his dvd sales.” u/Stillgettingsomemilk (6 upvotes) was blunter: “You can really feel the autism when he’s explaining things.” If you want a slower, more structured pace, Jason Rau’s instructionals or Danaher’s Go Further Faster series are better fits. Dzabirski rated it 7.5/10 for beginners vs. 9/10 for intermediate-advanced.

My Recommendation

Best for: Intermediate-advanced no-gi passers who lose the initial exchange against seated guard players. Especially useful if you consistently get swept or entangled within the first 5 seconds of engaging an open guard.

Avoid if: You want a complete passing system (buy Tripod Passing instead), you prefer step-by-step techniques over conceptual principles, or you’re a beginner without passing experience.

Pairs with: Tripod Passing (also by Chen) as the natural follow-up once you’ve won the engagement, and Outside Passing to complete the full Chen passing blueprint.