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Best Priit Mihkelson Instructionals: Ranked Picks
A black belt’s ranking of every Priit Mihkelson instructional on BJJ Fanatics, built from hands-on mat testing and cross-checked against named reviews from BJJ World and Seymour Yang (Meerkatsu). The focus is defensive BJJ: guard retention, the turtle and panda, back escapes, and late-stage submission defense.
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Jump to a pick
- 1. Running Man & The Baby Bridge: Essential Postures To Keep You Safe
- 2. Sideways Open Guard
- 3. (Re)Back Takes, Escapes, Survival & Prevention
- 4. Protecting & Generating Dynamic Offense From The Turtle
- 5. The Grilled Chicken Guard Retention System
- 6. The Sitting Turtle
- 7. Reverse and Regular Hitchhiker Armbar Escape
- 8. Back Escapes: Introducing The Hidden Posture
- Comparison table
- FAQ
The top picks, up front
2026 editionRunning Man & The Baby Bridge: Essential Postures To Keep You Safe
Priit MihkelsonBuild a connected escape cycle that keeps you safe and lets you re-guard under real pressure.
≈3h 40m · all levels · gi & no-gi · $Sideways Open Guard
Priit MihkelsonA structured side-on open guard that stifles modern passing and sets up wrestle-ups.
≈6h 35m · all levels · gi & no-gi · $$(Re)Back Takes, Escapes, Survival & Prevention
Priit MihkelsonA modern, prevention-first back defense system with answers to hooks, chokes, and body triangles.
≈2h 49m · intermediate · gi & no-gi · $Priit Mihkelson built a defensive system that runs against the grain of most BJJ instruction. Seymour Yang, who trained with him directly, called Priit “a master jiu-jitsu engineer skilled at analysing, breaking apart techniques.” This ranking covers his full BJJ Fanatics catalogue, from the running man and baby bridge escape cycle to the grilled chicken guard, the panda and turtle, and his back-escape and armbar-escape courses. Order is based on hands-on use plus named reviews from BJJ World and Meerkatsu.
Running Man & The Baby Bridge: Essential Postures To Keep You Safe
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: connect escapes into cycles. List price $79.
What it covers
You learn a complete defensive cycle from side control. You will connect running man, hawking, turtle, and the baby bridge. You will not learn flashy submissions here.
Specific techniques: running man and running man invert, the baby bridge counter-sweep, hawking, the stick, panda, sitting turtle to running man, defensive wrist fighting, and toreando and over-under counters from the belly-down position.
Why it stands out
- Teaches a cohesive escape system that scales.
- Concepts translate to gi and no-gi immediately.
- Explains transitions between positions very clearly.
It was so important for me that Priit was there to observe and correct my technique. The MBB does have to be executed with a lot of accuracy to work.
Seymour Yang, Meerkatsu (seminar report, 2022)Offense is secondary and lightly covered. It requires mat time to internalize timing, and some drills feel repetitive without a partner.
Defensive grapplers who want a connected escape cycle from side control. My take: I would start here because it gives you the decision tree that the rest of Priit’s material plugs into. Recommendation: buy it now.
You want flashy submissions or a finishing-focused curriculum.
Notable alternatives: Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes: Go Further Faster by John Danaher (highly structured pin and turtle escape alternative), The Turtle Guard Revisited by Eduardo Telles (classic turtle offense approach for contrast), and Guard Retention Anthology: Through The Legs and Close Range (alternative guard retention model to compare with). Read the full review.
Sideways Open Guard
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: angles beat speed. List price $127.
What it covers
You learn a pressure-forward, side-on guard with clear frames. You will stop fast passing and create wrestle-up opportunities. You will not get a move-dump of random guards.
Techniques: Sideways Open Guard, Wrestle Up, Framing.
Why it stands out
- Eight-volume depth with logical progressions.
- Pairs well with grilled chicken fundamentals.
- Strong answers to leg drags and toreandos.
Less submission focus than some expect. It requires reps to calibrate angles and pressure, and eight volumes can feel long for casual learners.
Guard players who keep getting speed-passed and want a structured side-on guard. My take: I find this is the cleanest way to pressure forward from supine without getting speed-passed. Recommendation: buy it now.
You want a submission-heavy guard or a short, casual course.
Notable alternatives: Guard Retention Anthology: Around and Under (different but respected retention framework to compare) and No Gi Open Guard Volume 1: K Guard (modern no-gi guard entries to pair with it). Read the full review.
(Re)Back Takes, Escapes, Survival & Prevention
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: prevention beats escape. List price $97.
What it covers
You learn how to stop back takes early and escape safely. You will address hooks, body triangles, and late-stage scenarios. You will not get a submission-focused curriculum.
Techniques: Hook Clearing, Body Triangle Escape, Choke Defense.
Why it stands out
- Prevention-first lens reduces time spent in danger.
- Body-triangle answers are practical and specific.
- Integrates cleanly with baby bridge and turtle.
Late-stage ideas can be risky if mistimed. An intermediate baseline helps for best results, and there is less material on offensive follow-ups.
Intermediate grapplers who get their back taken often and want a prevention-first answer. My take: I like how it reframes back defense as controlling the hook and seatbelt battles before they escalate. Recommendation: wait for a daily deal.
You are a beginner or want a submission-focused back curriculum.
Notable alternatives: Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes: Go Further Faster by John Danaher (highly structured back escape fundamentals alternative) and The Naked Turtle by Eduardo Telles (no-gi turtle and back survival contrast). Read the full review.
Protecting & Generating Dynamic Offense From The Turtle
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: safety enables offense. List price $79.
What it covers
You learn a defensive-first turtle with clear hand fighting and posture rules. You will stand up, re-guard, or counter safely. You will not get a pure submission encyclopedia.
Techniques: Turtle, Standing Up, Reguard.
Why it stands out
- Clarifies hand fighting and hook prevention.
- Shows safe transitions from turtle to offense.
- Easy to integrate with running man cycles.
The standout from this volume, for me at least, was the clock choke defense.
BJJ World review · scored 5/5Less finishing detail than specialist turtle systems. Learning the posture takes patience and trust, and some gyms prefer different turtle philosophies.
Grapplers and coaches who want safe hand-fighting rules and stand-up options from turtle. My take: I use these turtle checks to stop chokes first, then move without panic. Recommendation: wait for a daily deal.
You want a finishing-heavy turtle offense encyclopedia.
Notable alternatives: The Turtle Guard Revisited by Eduardo Telles (offense-centric turtle lineage to compare ideas) and Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes: Go Further Faster (fundamental escapes that pair with turtle entries). Read the full review.
The Grilled Chicken Guard Retention System
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: structure beats speed. List price $79.
What it covers
You learn posture and timing to stop common passes. You will build a repeatable structure under pressure. You will not get flashy sweeps or submissions here.
Specific techniques: the grilled chicken posture (intro and maintenance), pushing and lifting defense, side-to-side and side-to-side collapse defense, leg drag defense, knee cut defense, skull ride defense, double under defense, invert and grapevine recovery, and leg lock defense.
Why it stands out
- Accessible to less-flexible bodies.
- Concepts apply in gi and no-gi equally.
- Pairs well with Sideways Open Guard.
Less offense than some expect. The production is early compared to newer releases, and there is some redundancy if you own Sideways Open Guard.
Less-flexible grapplers who want a repeatable retention structure to stop common passes. My take: I still reference this to calibrate posture and timing before drilling newer guard material. Recommendation: wait for a daily deal.
You want an offense-heavy guard or already own Sideways Open Guard.
Notable alternatives: Guard Retention Anthology: Through The Legs and Close Range (a thorough, different lens on retention) and Around and Under: Guard Retention Anthology (complementary angles and entries). Read the full review.
The Sitting Turtle
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, system based. Biggest takeaway: hooks are optional. List price $79.
What it covers
You learn a sitting turtle structure that blunts hooks and strangles. You will connect to re-guards and stand-ups. You will not find submission chains here.
Specific techniques: the sitting turtle (panda) and active panda postures, guard-pass prevention, defense against seatbelt strangles and back hooks, and counters out of cross ashi garami, with paths to pull guard or stand up.
Why it stands out
- Great add-on to the running man package.
- Clear answers to common back attacks.
- Simple solo checkpoints you can drill.
The explanation behind the Sitting Turtle system is the art of showing your back without risk.
BJJ World review · scored 5/5Offense requires separate study. Early reps feel awkward for some, and there is less detail for lapel-based threats.
Grapplers who want confidence to expose the back safely and recover positions. My take: I like it for building confidence to expose the back safely and recover positions. Recommendation: wait for a daily deal.
You want submission chains or detailed lapel defense.
Notable alternatives: The Turtle Guard Revisited by Eduardo Telles (classic turtle pathways for offense). Read the full review.
Reverse and Regular Hitchhiker Armbar Escape
Priit MihkelsonStyle: conceptual, technique collection. Biggest takeaway: reverse path exists. List price $97.
What it covers
You learn classic and reverse hitchhiker mechanics with structure cues. You will troubleshoot late-stage armbars more confidently. You will not get a full submission escape library beyond armbars.
Techniques: Reverse Hitchhiker, Hitchhiker, Baby Bridge.
Why it stands out
- Clear reasoning for reverse direction escapes.
- Includes converting escapes to top position.
- Pairs well with the back and turtle series.
Narrow scope means less overall system impact. Late-stage choices are unforgiving if timed poorly, and some gyms dislike hitchhiker reliance.
Intermediate grapplers who want a targeted fix for late armbars when standard defenses stall. My take: I like keeping this in my back pocket for late armbars when standard defenses stall. Recommendation: wait for a daily deal.
You want a broad submission-escape library beyond armbars.
Notable alternatives: Countering a Hitchhiker by Gordon Ryan (video reference) (shows common counters you must anticipate). Read the full review.
All picks, side by side
Comparison tableSwipe sideways for details · the price column stays pinned →
| # | Instructional | Instructor | Runtime | Level | Format | Category | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Running Man & The Baby Bridge: Essential Postures To Keep You Safe | Priit Mihkelson | 3h 40m across 4 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Defensive escape system | $ | Check price → |
| 2 | Sideways Open Guard | Priit Mihkelson | 6h 35m across 8 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Open guard system | $$ | Check price → |
| 3 | (Re)Back Takes, Escapes, Survival & Prevention | Priit Mihkelson | 2h 49m across 4 volumes | Intermediate | Gi & No-Gi | Back defense system | $ | Check price → |
| 4 | Protecting & Generating Dynamic Offense From The Turtle | Priit Mihkelson | 2h 38m across 4 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Turtle system | $ | Check price → |
| 5 | The Grilled Chicken Guard Retention System | Priit Mihkelson | 2h 14m across 4 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Guard retention system | $ | Check price → |
| 6 | The Sitting Turtle | Priit Mihkelson | 2h 15m across 4 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Sitting turtle system | $ | Check price → |
| 7 | Reverse and Regular Hitchhiker Armbar Escape | Priit Mihkelson | 2h 37m across 4 volumes | Intermediate | Gi & No-Gi | Armbar escape fix | $ | Check price → |
| 8 | Back Escapes: Introducing The Hidden Posture | Priit Mihkelson | 4h 1m across 4 volumes | All levels | Gi & No-Gi | Original back escapes course | $ | Check price → |
Which Priit Mihkelson course should you start with?
If you want immediate survival skills, start with Running Man & The Baby Bridge. If guard-passing speed is your nemesis, go to Sideways Open Guard. If your back gets taken often, pick the newer (Re)Back Takes before the older Back Escapes.