Principles-first choke defense, including arm triangle survival and escapes.
The Bottom Line
You stop getting strangled while learning. The framework highlights prevention and dismounting. You will not get an offensive kata gatame system here.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: Students who get stuck often
Skip if: You want offense only
Tech focus: Arm Triangle Defense, Dismount Counters, Front Headlock Defense
Biggest takeaway: Prevent first, then escape
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What You'll Learn
Defense matters. This volume covers choke survival and escapes, including arm triangle prevention and dismount counters. If you keep getting caught, this is a pragmatic way to plug leaks before buying more offense.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- Arm Triangle Defense
- Dismount Counters
- Front Headlock Defense
Format & Level
- Instructional style: Conceptual
- Skill level: All Levels
- Format: Both
- Runtime: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Should You Buy It?
Skip. I recommend learning defenses to try your arm triangle harder without fear of getting stuck under mount.
Why Stephen Whittier?
Stephen Whittier is a veteran coach known for principle-driven teaching across fundamentals and pressure passing.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- Defense sets are underrated and boost confidence to attack.
- Principles-based framing helps retention.
- Good for coaches building a fundamentals library.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- One user called Whittier's production rough in another title.
- Less exciting than offense-focused courses.
- Not a deep offensive arm triangle system.
Smart Alternatives
- Gordon Ryan: Strangle Escapes – Context on arm triangle escape coverage and scope (review). (2022)
Sources & References
Official listing: View First Principles Submissions Defense Vol. 2: Chokes on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.
