Submeta Review (2026): The Best Way to Learn BJJ Online?

What Is Submeta?

This Submeta review covers everything you need to know about Lachlan Giles’ BJJ learning platform – from pricing and discount codes to content quality and how it compares to BJJ Fanatics.

Submeta is the online learning platform from Lachlan Giles – my favorite BJJ instructor and the most systematic teacher in the sport. He launched it in April 2022 with a clear thesis: BJJ students learn better through structured, layered courses than through random technique videos or 8-hour instructional downloads.

Lachlan is a 3rd-degree BJJ black belt, holds a PhD in Physiotherapy from La Trobe University, and coaches at Absolute MMA St Kilda in Melbourne. He became a household name at the 2019 ADCC when he submitted three world-class heavyweights (Kaynan Duarte, Patrick Gaudio, Mahamed Aly) via heel hooks in the absolute division – while weighing just 77kg.

The teaching philosophy: Submeta is built around the “flipped classroom” model that Lachlan discussed on The Sonny Brown Breakdown podcast and the BJJ Mental Models podcast (Ep. 179). Students watch video courses before class, then direct their own training. The platform adds active recall through quizzes, troubleshooting sections in every course, and layered progression from foundations to advanced.

The simple version: It’s like having private access to Lachlan’s complete teaching system, organized so beginners can follow a clear path from white belt to advanced techniques.

Submeta Cost: Per-Instructor Pricing Explained

Submeta uses a per-instructor subscription model. Each instructor has a separate subscription tier, and costs add up if you want multiple.

The catch: You subscribe per instructor. Want both Lachlan and B-Team? That’s $38+/month. Add Adele and Levi and you’re past $50/month. Compare that to a single $79 BJJ Fanatics instructional that you own forever.

Value perspective: At $20/month, you’re paying about $0.65 per hour of Lachlan’s instruction. If you actually use the systematic approach – complete courses, do the exercises, follow the Sets – it pays for itself quickly. A single private lesson with a black belt costs $80-150.

Use my discount code ‘BJJMORE’ for $16 off your first month.

What You Actually Get on Submeta

Courses (174+ from Lachlan alone): These are the core value. Each course is 1-3 hours of systematic instruction on one topic – escapes, guard, passing, submissions. They include review questions and troubleshooting that actually help you learn, not just watch.

Sets (34 curated bundles): This is what makes Submeta different from a random video dump. Sets group related courses into complete systems. The Leg Locks Set has 22 courses. The Pressure Passing Set has 10. The Half Guard Set has 14. Think of Sets as roadmaps through Lachlan’s massive library – they tell you what to study next.

Key Sets include:

• Passing: Distance Passing (10 courses), Pressure Passing (10), Mid Range Passing (12), Knee Cut (4), Under the Legs (7), Half Guard Passing (8)
• Guard: No-Gi Open Guard (12), Gi Open Guard (15), Half Guard (14), Guard Retention (10), Inside Position Guards (13), K-Guard (5)
• Submissions: Leg Locks (22 courses), Straight Armlocks (10), Kimura (8), Core Upper Body (6)
• Position Control: Taking the Back (10), Mount (6), Side Control (5), Escapes (7)
• Coaching: Coaching Essentials No-Gi (55 courses), Coaching Essentials Gi (58 courses)

Quizzes and exercises: This is unique in BJJ instruction. After lesson sections, you get A/B picture checks and short recall questions. They force active recall, which is proven to improve retention. Say goodbye to watching BJJ instructionals without actually paying attention.

Video Content Types

Beyond the structured courses, Submeta has 2,000+ individual videos spanning multiple formats:

I watched the breakdown of how Mikey Musumeci got passed by Jackson Souza at WNO, and the trend analysis of half guard underhook sweeps at the ADCC North America trials. These breakdowns are extremely interesting and I hope he adds more of them.

Instructors on Submeta

Submeta isn’t just Lachlan’s personal library anymore. The platform features several world-class instructors, each with their own subscription tier and teaching style.

My recommendation: Start with Lachlan’s systematic approach. Add guest instructors only if their specific teaching style or perspective fills a gap in your learning.

Submeta Free Content: What You Get Without Paying

For beginners specifically: Start with Foundations. They’re free and will teach you more in a weekend than most people learn in six months of random YouTube videos. Then decide if the paid subscription is worth it.

Pro tip: Many users do “learning sprints” – subscribe for 1-3 months, focus intensely on one problem area (escapes, guard, or passing), then cancel until they need to address another weakness.

Submeta vs BJJ Fanatics: Which Is Better?

This is the comparison everyone wants. Both are excellent – they just serve different needs.

When Submeta Wins

• You’re new to a topic: Better structure, layered learning, quizzes, and troubleshooting sections help you actually learn – not just watch
• You want current content: Submeta courses reflect 2024-2026 techniques. Many BJJ Fanatics titles are from 2018-2020
• You learn best with guidance: Sets and progression paths tell you what to study next

When BJJ Fanatics Wins

• You want deep dives: Lachlan’s own BJJ Fanatics anthologies (Half Guard Anthology, Guard Retention Anthology, Kimura Anthology) go deeper than his Submeta courses on the same topics
• You want variety: 1,200+ instructors means you can learn guard retention from Lachlan, Garry Tonon, Gordon Ryan, and Mikey Musumeci and compare approaches
• You want to own forever: Pay once, download, keep permanently. No subscription to cancel
• Budget comparison: 6 months of Submeta (~$150) equals roughly 2 BJJ Fanatics instructionals on sale, or a Grappler’s Guide lifetime membership ($97)

My take: For most students, Submeta’s structured approach works better than owning random instructionals. But Lachlan’s own BJJ Fanatics anthologies like the Leg Lock Anthology go deeper when you already understand an area.

Is Submeta the Best Online Learning Platform for BJJ?

Yes, I think Submeta is by far the best online learning platform for BJJ. I’ve tried many of the other options (BJJ Fanatics, Atos Online, Roger Gracie TV, Grappler’s Guide, and others), and Submeta stands out for several reasons.

Why Submeta Is the Best Place to Learn BJJ Online

1. Lachlan Giles is the most structured instructor in BJJ (by far). He explains clearly, he knows more than almost anyone, and he puts in way more effort than other instructors. His courses are systematic with troubleshooting, he shows techniques in sparring and competition settings, and he makes his content easy to navigate.
2. The content library is huge and organized. 174+ courses grouped into 34 Sets covering every major position. Most other platforms don’t have nearly this much content, and if they do, it’s just dumped single technique videos.
3. Courses with quizzes are unique in this industry. I’ve never seen BJJ courses that feature quizzes to test your knowledge before. It helps you test if you understood the material, which actually improves learning.

What Could Be Better

• Per-instructor pricing adds up fast. Wanting Lachlan ($25) + B-Team ($12.99) + Adele ($14.99) + Levi means $50+/month. Compare that to a single $79 BJJ Fanatics purchase you own forever, or Grappler’s Guide lifetime access for $97.
• No content ownership. Cancel your subscription, lose access. BJJ Fanatics purchases are yours to download and keep permanently.
• No native mobile app. Both HeavyBJJ and Dana Hooshmand (hooshmand.net) note the absence of a native app. BJJ Fanatics has iOS/Android apps. You can “Add to Home Screen” as a workaround, but it’s not ideal.
• Video player UX issues. Dana Hooshmand reported the player exits fullscreen between videos. Zack Nicholas (HeavyBJJ) noted playback speed resets per video and the search function lacks granularity.
• Library completeness. Dana Hooshmand noted the library “doesn’t yet seem finished” compared to Grappler’s Guide which covers more obscure positions. Still visible “coming soon” placeholders.
• Game Plan feature vaporware. Announced when the platform launched but still not shipped. Would be a major differentiator if released.
• Limited instructor diversity. Primarily Lachlan’s content. If you don’t click with his teaching style, there’s no alternative voice within his subscription tier. BJJ Fanatics has 1,200+ instructors covering every style and lineage.

• The discussion section: It’s not used all that much by the community. I would love to see more questions and discussions posted in here.
• Even more content: I know, it’s so greedy, but I want to see even more content! I want more courses, but I especially want more match breakdown and discussion videos. I think it’s super interesting to hear Lachlan’s thoughts about trends in BJJ. I hope he’ll do many of these kinds of videos.

What the BJJ Community Says About Submeta

The Criticisms

Who Should (And Shouldn’t) Subscribe to Submeta

Subscribe if:

• You’re a systematic learner who wants principle-first, complete systems rather than random techniques
• You’re a beginner who needs clear progression paths and troubleshooting (start with the free Foundations courses)
• You want to fix a specific weakness – subscribe for 1-3 months, follow a complete Set, then cancel
• You’re a fan of Lachlan Giles’ teaching style – methodical, systems-based, with troubleshooting for every technique
• You’re a coach looking for curriculum structure (the Coaching Essentials Sets have 55+ courses each)
• You’re time-poor and can only study 10-15 minutes but want structured progress

Skip it if:

• You prefer owning content forever – BJJ Fanatics lets you download and keep instructionals permanently
• You want variety of instructor perspectives – BJJ Fanatics has 1,200+ instructors from every lineage
• You’re mobile-first – no native app, and the mobile browser experience has friction
• Budget is tight – at $20+/month this isn’t casual viewing. Grappler’s Guide is $97 lifetime
• You need deep dives on niche topics – Lachlan’s own BJJ Fanatics anthologies go deeper on specific areas
• You’re not willing to do the exercises – the real value comes from the systematic approach, not passive watching

Submeta Review: Bottom Line

After three years of testing Submeta, here’s my assessment: Lachlan Giles has created the most structured remote learning system for Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

• What makes it special: The layered learning approach, review questions, troubleshooting sections, and Sets that connect techniques into complete systems. This isn’t a random technique collection – it’s systematic curriculum that actually works.
• The main limitation: Cost. At $20+ per month per instructor, this is for serious students, not casual viewers. And the per-instructor model means costs snowball fast if you want multiple perspectives.
• The fair comparison: Submeta excels at structured learning from one great teacher. BJJ Fanatics excels at deep dives and variety from 1,200+ instructors. They serve different needs, and many serious BJJ students use both.
• My recommendation: Try it for one month using code BJJMORE. Focus on one problem area – escapes, guard, or passing. Follow Lachlan’s complete system for that position, do the exercises, and see if the systematic approach clicks with you.