Your anti-lapel, anti-inversion blueprint that turns modern guards into predictable passes.
The Bottom Line
You will learn to shut down squid, worm, and inverted guards before they develop. You will build a pass sequence that alternates pressure and mobility. You will not get no-gi leglock material here.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: Gi passers vs lapels
Skip if: You play pure no-gi
Tech focus: Lapel Guard Counters, Reverse Stack Pass, Torreando
Biggest takeaway: Beat modern guards with pressure
📋 Jump to a section (Click to expand)
What You'll Learn
Galvao tackles modern lapel and inverted guards with a pressure-first, principle-driven approach. This eight-part system shows how to neutralize squid, worm, and reverse de la worm entanglements before they start. You learn when to reverse stack, when to torreando, and how to finish with paper-cutter chokes or kimura routes once hips are pinned. The structure is cohesive: stabilize side control, then cycle between mobility and pressure passes.
If you are frustrated by lapel grips and endless inversions in gi, this is the anti-meta playbook.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- Lapel Guard Counters
- Worm Guard Passing
- Squid Guard Passing
- Reverse De La Worm
- De La Riva Passing
- Reverse Stack Pass
- Torreando
- Side Smash
- Paper Cutter Choke
- Kimura
Format & Level
- Instructional style: System Based, Conceptual
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Format: Gi
- Runtime: 6 hours and 58 minutes
- Volumes: 8
Should You Buy It?
Buy it now. I ranked this first because r/bjj consistently points to it when lapel guards are the problem and the curriculum hangs together as a real system.
Why Andre Galvao?
Andre Galvao is a multiple-time IBJJF world champion and ADCC champion, and the head coach of Atos. His favorite area is guard passing and top pressure.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- Often recommended when people ask for lapel guard passing resources.
- Praised for being a system, not a move dump, with clear order of operations.
- Users say the reverse stack and torreando sequences translate well across weight classes.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- Some feel Galvao is not the most charismatic on camera compared to others.
- Heavy gi focus; no-gi specialists may not need the lapel sections.
- Price feels high if you only want one or two passes.
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Smart Alternatives
- Killing The Butterfly Guard – Focuses a common modern seated guard with similar pressure-first ideas. (Price: $127.00, 8 vols)
- Killing The Knee Shield Half Guard – Targets knee-shield specialists that block your knee cut and mobility. (Price: $127.00, 8 vols)
Sources & References
Video Breakdowns
Official listing: View Passing Modern Guard Using Old School Concepts on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.
