A deep review of John Danaher’s systematic escape framework covering mount, side control, knee-on-belly, North-South, rear mount, and turtle. The first installment in the Go Further Faster gi fundamentals series.
Last updated: March 2026
Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes: Go Further Faster
Danaher’s systematic escape blueprint: two core principles (knee escapes and elbow escapes), a universal 5-step method, and 10+ hours of positional detail from mount to turtle.
- ⏰ 10+ hours
- 📅 Released 2019
- 🎯 John Danaher
- 🥋 Gi (transfers to no-gi)
- 🏆 8 volumes
- 💰 $157
Product Details
| Full Title | Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes: BJJ Fundamentals – Go Further Faster |
| Instructor | John Danaher |
| Runtime | 10+ hours across 8 volumes |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Release Date | 2019 |
| Price | $157 (frequently on sale; originally ~$197 at launch) |
| Format | Gi (techniques transfer to no-gi) |
| Series | Go Further Faster (GFF) – Part 1 of 8 |
| Where to Buy | BJJ Fanatics |
The Go Further Faster Series
Pin Escapes was the first release in Danaher’s “Go Further Faster” (GFF) series, a gi-focused fundamentals curriculum that covers every core BJJ position across 8 instructionals. That Danaher chose escapes as the starting point is deliberate: his philosophy is that survival and escapes should be mastered before anything else. You can’t attack effectively if you’re constantly stuck under side control.
- Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes (this instructional)
- Guard Retention
- Half Guard
- Closed Guard
- Open Guard
- Passing the Guard
- Half Guard Passing and Dynamic Pins
- Strangles & Turtle Breakdowns
The series is designed to take practitioners from survival (this instructional) through guard play, and finally to passing and attacking. Each installment builds on the previous one, but Pin Escapes stands alone perfectly well. You don’t need the other volumes to get value from the escape framework.
What This Instructional Teaches
Danaher reduces all pin escapes to two fundamental principles: knee escapes (using leg and knee power to create space and reguard) and elbow escapes (using elbow frames and hip movement to work out from pins). Every technique across all 8 volumes is a variation of one of these two principles.
On top of this, he presents a universal 5-step heuristic for escaping any pin. This decision-making framework applies to mount, side control, knee-on-belly, North-South, rear mount, and turtle. Rather than memorizing dozens of disconnected techniques, you learn a single process that adapts to whatever bad position you’re in.
What sets this apart from most escape instructionals is the “escape to attack” philosophy. Tsavo Neal of BJJ Equipment noted that Danaher pushes practitioners to escape into attacking positions rather than just returning to neutral. You don’t just get out of mount; you end up in a guard position where you can immediately sweep or submit.
Danaher also delivers an unusually thorough breakdown of framing. He deconstructs frames into three key components and three main configurations from bottom side control, explaining not just what frames to use but why certain frames hold and others collapse.
Volume-by-Volume Breakdown
Volume 1: Essentials of BJJ Escapes
Theory-focused introduction. Danaher covers escape philosophy, what constitutes a pin (structural analysis), and foundational movement drills: bridging, shrimping, hip heisting, spinning, rolling, and sitting up. He shows how all fundamental movements work together as an integrated escape system and introduces the two major escape principles: knee escapes and elbow escapes. This volume is pure theory. If you need to see techniques immediately, skip ahead and come back later.
Volume 2: Escaping Mount (Bridge Escapes)
Five bridge-based escape components plus seven elbow escape variations from mount. Heavy emphasis on the Upa (bridge and roll), which appears in roughly half the chapters. Danaher breaks down bridge mechanics and timing in a way that makes a basic white belt technique feel entirely new. The Upa coverage alone is more detailed than what most instructionals spend on all mount escapes combined.
Volume 3: Dealing with Side Control (Elbow Escapes)
Seven distinct elbow escape variations from side control, plus additional mount escapes using ankle trap concepts. Danaher connects mount escapes and side control escapes through shared principles, showing how the same elbow escape framework adapts to different pin positions. He covers transitioning from escape directly to guard recovery.
Volume 4: Dealing with Side Control (Knee Escapes)
Ten chapters covering different knee escape methods from side control. This is where Danaher’s emphasis on using leg strength against the weaker parts of an opponent’s pin structure really shines. He shows transitions from knee escapes to half guard, butterfly guard, and full guard. Ten chapters on knee escapes from one position may sound excessive, but each variation addresses a different opponent response.
Volume 5: General Theory of Framing and Space
The framing volume. Danaher deconstructs framing into three key components and three main bottom side control framing configurations. He explains why some frames work and others collapse under pressure, how frames create space and prevent re-pinning, and how knee escapes transition into back control, half guard, butterfly guard, and full guard. This volume is where many practitioners say the system “clicks.”
Volume 6: How Pin Escapes Work
High leg escapes, ankle traps, shoulder rolls, and spinning escapes. Danaher analyzes pin angles and insertion points, giving you a structural understanding of where to attack each pin. This is the most technique-dense volume, with less theory and more drilling options than the earlier volumes.
Volume 7: North-South Solutions
Side pin escapes covering side control, knee-on-belly, and three North-South escape directions: double over, double under, and over-under. North-South escapes are rarely covered in depth anywhere else. Most instructionals treat it as an afterthought. Danaher gives it a full volume.
Volume 8: Getting Out of Back Control & Turtle Escapes
Rear mount escapes using elbow escape mechanics with a “sliding” concept, body triangle escapes, turtle escapes via shoulder roll, inside leg escape (which depends on whether your opponent has the seatbelt grip), and hand-fighting principles from turtle. The volume ends with a summary of the “5-step method” that ties the entire 8-volume system together.
What Reviewers Say
“Danaher succeeds at delivering a groundbreaking DVD instructional without any flaws.”
BJJ World (5/5 rating)“I’m getting more out of Danaher than I am from any other teacher in a video instructional so far.”
Bridget Jack Jeffries, BeltChecker Forum“The techniques work effectively. The kipping escape became my favorite mount escape.”
Tsavo Neal, BJJ Equipment (4.5/5 rating)“Quite boring to sit through… long, slow, dense, verbose, and repetitive.”
Tsavo Neal, BJJ Equipment“Informative, but Danaher’s voice puts me to sleep within 30 minutes.”
Anthony Restuccia, BeltChecker Forum“Only palatable at 2x+ speed.”
Slideyfoot, BeltChecker ForumThe pattern across reviews is consistent: the content is exceptional and the delivery is a grind. Many practitioners watch at 1.5x-2x speed. If you’ve watched other Danaher instructionals, you already know what to expect. If this is your first, prepare for a lecture series, not a highlight reel.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What’s Great
- Most comprehensive escape instructional available. Covers mount, side control, knee-on-belly, North-South, rear mount, and turtle in one system.
- Two-principle framework (knee escapes + elbow escapes) makes the entire system memorizable. You learn a system, not a list of techniques.
- The 5-step heuristic gives you a universal decision tree for any pin position.
- Framing theory (Volume 5) is described by multiple reviewers as the best explanation of frames they’ve seen.
- Techniques work. Tsavo Neal reported successfully applying escapes on first attempts. Multiple r/bjj users report becoming nearly impossible to hold in mount or side control.
- Transfers to no-gi despite being taught in the gi.
What’s Weak
- 10+ hours of lecture-heavy instruction. Many watch at 2x speed. Anthony Restuccia says Danaher’s voice puts him to sleep within 30 minutes.
- Roughly equal time on theory vs. technique. If you want quick reference clips, Lachlan Giles’ Fundamentals of BJJ Escapes covers more positions at a lower price and in less time.
- For no-gi-only practitioners, Danaher released New Wave Positional Escapes, which is his updated no-gi version with more counter-offense emphasis.
- Priit Mihkelson’s Running Man and Baby Bridge offer a more innovative, posture-based approach to escapes. Danaher’s system is thorough but traditional.
- Bernardo Faria’s Escapes from Everywhere covers comparable ground in 4 volumes with a simpler, more accessible teaching style.
GFF Pin Escapes vs. New Wave Positional Escapes
Danaher released an updated escape instructional in the New Wave series. Here’s how they compare:
| GFF Pin Escapes (this) | New Wave Positional Escapes | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Gi | No-gi |
| Volumes | 8 | 8 |
| Runtime | 10+ hours | 10+ hours |
| Focus | Foundational escape framework | Counter-offense and escaping to attack |
| Best for | White-blue belts building an escape foundation | Purple+ belts who want escape-to-attack transitions |
| Relationship | GFF is the foundation; New Wave is the evolution. Start with GFF unless you’re no-gi only. | |
If you train primarily in the gi or want the foundational framework, start with this GFF version. If you’re no-gi only or already have solid escapes and want to add counter-offense, go with New Wave Positional Escapes.
Who Should Buy / Who Should Skip
Buy Pin Escapes GFF if you…
- Are a white belt or blue belt who wants a complete escape foundation
- Keep getting stuck under mount, side control, or knee-on-belly
- Learn best from systematic, principle-based instruction
- Want one framework that covers every bottom position
- Train in the gi (but want techniques that transfer to no-gi)
- Don’t mind lecture-heavy, detailed instruction
- Want to understand why escapes work, not just memorize sequences
Skip Pin Escapes GFF if you…
- Want quick reference clips (Lachlan Giles’ Fundamentals of BJJ Escapes is shorter, cheaper, and covers more positions)
- Find verbose, conceptual teaching frustrating
- Already have solid escapes and want advanced counter-offense (get New Wave Positional Escapes instead)
- Are no-gi only (New Wave is the better fit)
- Prefer innovative, non-traditional escape systems (look at Priit Mihkelson’s Running Man and Baby Bridge)
Related Danaher Go Further Faster Instructionals
Pin Escapes is the first volume in the GFF series. Here are the other installments and how they connect:
FAQ – Danaher Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes
Is Danaher’s Pin Escapes GFF good for beginners?
Yes. This is arguably the best escape instructional for white belts and blue belts. Danaher designed the GFF series specifically for beginners, and he chose pin escapes as the first installment because he believes survival should be mastered before anything else. The two-principle framework (knee escapes and elbow escapes) makes the system accessible. The only caveat is the lecture-heavy teaching style, which requires patience.
How long is Pin Escapes and Turtle Escapes by Danaher?
Over 10 hours across 8 volumes. It is one of the longest instructionals on BJJ Fanatics. Many practitioners watch at 1.5x-2x speed. Plan for multiple viewing sessions rather than trying to absorb it all at once.
Is this instructional gi or no-gi?
The Go Further Faster series is gi-focused, but the escape principles transfer to no-gi. The knee escapes and elbow escapes framework works the same regardless of what you’re wearing. If you train exclusively no-gi, consider Danaher’s New Wave Positional Escapes instead, which was designed specifically for no-gi with more counter-offense emphasis.
How does this compare to Lachlan Giles’ escape instructional?
A Reddit user who watched both (taking 48 typed single-spaced pages of notes) concluded: Danaher wins on depth, Giles wins on breadth. Giles covers more positions at a lower price and is recommended for white belts. Danaher is better for practitioners who want extra detail on mount and side control escapes specifically. Giles also includes practical advice on how to incorporate material into training, which Danaher largely omits.
What is the 5-step escape method Danaher teaches?
Danaher presents a universal 5-step heuristic that applies to escaping any pin position. It is a systematic decision-making framework that tells you what to do step by step regardless of whether you’re stuck in mount, side control, knee-on-belly, North-South, or rear mount. The 5-step method is summarized at the end of Volume 8 and ties the entire system together.
Should I get GFF Pin Escapes or New Wave Positional Escapes?
GFF Pin Escapes is the foundational version, taught in the gi, focused on building a complete escape framework from scratch. New Wave Positional Escapes is the updated no-gi version with more emphasis on escaping into attacking positions (counter-offense). If you’re building your escape game from scratch, start with GFF. If you already have solid escapes and want the no-gi evolution, get New Wave. They complement each other rather than overlap.
Is Danaher’s teaching style boring?
Many people think so. Tsavo Neal of BJJ Equipment called it ‘long, slow, dense, verbose, and repetitive.’ Anthony Restuccia says Danaher’s voice puts him to sleep within 30 minutes. Slideyfoot finds it only tolerable at 2x speed. But others, like Bridget Jack Jeffries, say they get more out of Danaher than any other video instructor. The content quality is universally praised. Whether the delivery works for you is personal preference.
Ready to Build an Unbreakable Escape Game?
Danaher’s Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes gives you a complete system for getting out of every bad position in BJJ. 8 volumes, 10+ hours of technique and theory.
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