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Make Z Guard Great Again – In-Depth Review

Turn knee shield into a full system for survival, sweeps, and submissions. Craig Jones’ signature half-guard blueprint, reviewed in depth.

By MaxBlack belt, Checkmat – ex-university teacher

Black belt reviewerHands-on, long-term test

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At a glance

The verdict

Make Z Guard Great Again

Craig Jones · BJJ Fanatics

This is Craig’s knee-shield masterclass. You will build frames, get reliable underhook and overhook attacks, and learn counters to common knee-shield passes. If you already like half guard, this makes it dangerous and much harder to smash.

Runtime5h 4m, 6 volumes

FormatNo-Gi

LevelAll levels

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Buy it / Skip it

Buy if

Half-guard lovers who want to turn knee shield into a real offensive system, plus anyone who keeps getting their half guard smashed and wants reliable frames, sweeps, and submissions.

Skip if

You never play half guard, you are a true beginner without half-guard fundamentals, or you already own an earlier Z-guard release and do not want the overlap.

Pros & cons

What is great

Best place to learn Z guard; tons of nuance and structure.
Small adjustments made half guard effective quickly.
Fun delivery keeps attention while covering deep details.
Doubles as a playbook to beat others’ knee shields.
Thorough and practical for hobbyists and competitors.

What could be better

Overlap with earlier Z-guard releases; some redundancy.
Dense for true beginners without half guard fundamentals.
Some prefer other half-guard styles or octopus variations.

What is inside

What you’ll learn

Craig’s signature knee-shield system shows how to build Z guard for offense and survival. You learn entries, counters to common passes, sweeps, submissions, and how to reverse-engineer others’ knee shields. It is a thorough half-guard blueprint that doubles as anti-knee-shield training.

Format & level

Instructional style: System based, technique collection
Skill level: All levels
Format: No-Gi
Runtime: 5 hours and 4 minutes
Volumes: 6
Released: 2022

Should you buy it?

Wait for a daily deal. I realized the knee shield is a hub: build it right and you can wrestle up, sweep, or enter legs without exposing yourself.

Why Craig Jones?

Craig Jones is a two-time ADCC silver medalist and B-Team cofounder with a reputation for clean, teachable systems. He broke out at ADCC 2017 with headline submissions. Under coach Lachlan Giles, Jones refined half-guard innovations and modern leg entries. His instruction balances humor with highly actionable details. He is also an active promoter and team leader.