I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time hunting down every single free BJJ instructional worth watching, and I’m about to save you from making the same mistakes I did. Because here’s the thing: there’s only a few free BJJ instructionals worth watching, and I’m about to show you where to find them.
Ultimate Submissions
Stop getting stuck in dominant positions without knowing how to finish. This free course teaches you the highest-percentage submissions that actually work in sparring, so you can start tapping people instead of just surviving.
Pendejo Guard
Finally, a guard system that’s both effective and entertaining. This free instructional gives you a rock-solid guard game with Craig Jones’s signature humor, teaching you techniques that work without boring you to death.
Submeta by Lachlan Giles
The most systematic BJJ learning platform ever created. Start with free foundational courses, then upgrade with code BJJMORE for a discount. Lachlan’s layered learning approach builds your game step-by-step without overwhelming you.
Why Free BJJ Instructionals Matter (Especially for Beginners)
Before we dive into the treasure hunt, let’s be real about something: most white belts don’t need a 47-volume series on the subtle nuances of wrist control. You need simple, effective techniques that work on day one.
The beauty of free instructionals? They’re usually laser-focused on the essentials. No fluff, no 3-hour philosophical tangents about the nature of grips (looking at you, Danaher). Just pure, practical BJJ that you can use immediately.
BJJ Fanatics Free Instructionals: How to Access the Good Stuff
BJJ Fanatics occasionally drops completely free instructionals, and I mean completely free — not those “free with purchase of your firstborn” deals. Here’s how the system works:
The Free Products Section is your best friend. BJJ Fanatics rotates offerings regularly, and I’ve caught some absolute gems:
- Ultimate Submissions (free bjj instructional by multiple instructors)
- Train Safe series (free Danaher instructional)
- Pendejo Guard (free Craig Jones instructional)
- High Percentage Gi Passes (free Gordon Ryan instructional – though this one’s gone 404 now — told you to act fast!)
The catch? These disappear faster than your guard retention against a decent passer. When you see something free, download it immediately.
Lachlan Giles’s Submeta: The Systematic Free Approach
Now we’re talking. As I explain in my Submeta review, you can always get all the foundational courses on Submeta for free. And after you finish those you can get $16 off your first month with code ‘BJJMORE’.
Thanks, Lachlan!
Here’s what you get on Submeta without paying a cent:
Foundations I: Escapes
This is pure gold for white belts. Lachlan covers escapes from mount, side control, north-south, and back control with his signature systematic approach. Remember my philosophy: you can’t attack until you can survive. This course nails that concept.
Introduction (4-Hour Course)
Four hours of Lachlan explaining essential techniques and training methods? For free? This alone is worth more than half the paid instructionals I’ve reviewed.
Understanding Guard Passing
Here’s where Lachlan’s academic background shines. Instead of showing you 47 different passes, he teaches you the principles behind guard passing. This is exactly the kind of systematic thinking that separates good instruction from random technique dumps.
Face Choke
Advanced stuff here, but Lachlan’s teaching on the controversial face choke is technically flawless. Plus, it’s a technique that actually works when people turtle up on you.
No-Gi Open Guard Overview and Advanced Bolo/Crab Overview
These give you a taste of modern no-gi concepts without drowning you in details. Perfect for testing whether you want to dive deeper into Submeta’s paid content.
Why I’m mentioning Submeta in a free instructionals guide: Unlike other platforms, these foundational courses are permanently free. You get Lachlan’s structured teaching style complete with review questions and troubleshooting exercises. It’s like getting a preview of what systematic BJJ instruction should look like.
YouTube Gold: Free Series That Actually Follow a System
Look, YouTube is flooded with random BJJ technique videos. But buried in there are some genuinely systematic instructional series that rival paid content:
Tom Halpin’s Back Attacks Series
This is comprehensive back attack instruction that builds sequentially. Halpin covers back-take control, “straight-jacket” arm traps, and body-triangle finishes. Watch from the beginning — this isn’t random technique spam.
BJJ Wrestling Plan by Rich Salamone
Eight volumes, over 17 hours of wrestling for grapplers. Wrestling is the missing piece for most BJJ players, and Salamone breaks it down systematically.
Rory van Vliet’s Guard Passing Study
A 17-part series covering the floating pass system inspired by Gordon Ryan’s approach. It’s not as polished as Gordon’s paid content, but the systematic progression is solid.
Dominique Bell’s Single Leg X
Short but complete series on single-leg-X guard entries, counters, and sweeps. Bell keeps it focused and practical.
These aren’t as polished as professional instructionals, but they follow the systematic approach I always advocate for.
My own free BJJ instructional
You can download the first chapters of my instructional for free. I call this an instructional, some people would call it an ebook. I call it an instructional because I think it’s really helpful and provides a lot of scaffolding on how you learn jiu jitsu, so I think ebook undersells it.
How to Actually Catch Free BJJ Instructionals (My System)
After hunting free content for years, here’s my battle-tested system:
1. Monitor BJJ Fanatics’ “Free Products” Page Religiously.
2. Follow Submeta’s Social Media Lachlan announces monthly free courses (recent examples: Smash Pass, Berimbolo). These are limited-time offers on top of the permanently free foundational courses.
5. Check BJJ Fanatics Daily Deals While not free, their daily deals sometimes drop premium instructionals to $20-30.
My Honest Take: Are Free Instructionals Actually Good?
Here’s the truth: the best free instructionals are still limited in scope. They’re a good way to get started with watching instructionals, but the best stuff is paid.
