Turn your guard into a wall with practical retention, counters, and drills.
The Bottom Line
You will learn how to prevent passes with frames, angles, and legs that reconnect. Common pass families like toreando and smash get specific counters and re-guard paths. It is not an attacking anthology; add your favorite sweeps and submissions.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: white to purple
Skip if: you only play gi
Tech focus: Guard Retention, Frames, Hip Escape, Reguard, Smash Pass Defense, Toreando Defense
Biggest takeaway: Retention first makes your guard durable.
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What You'll Learn
A structured guard-retention plan focused on frames, hip movement, and re-guard routes. It addresses smash, toreando, knee-cut, and standing pressure with repeatable counters and drills.
If you struggle to keep people in front of you, this gives you a roadmap to regain control and reset offense.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- Guard Retention
- Frames
- Hip Escape
- Reguard
- Shin Shield
- Knee Elbow
- Toreando Defense
- Smash Pass Defense
- Standing Pass Counters
- Grip Fighting
Format & Level
- Instructional style: System Based, Conceptual
- Skill level: All Levels
- Format: No-Gi
- Runtime: 2 hours and 45 minutes
- Volumes: 3
Should You Buy It?
Buy it now. I saw how a few precise frames and hip angles erase panic when someone drives to pass.
Why Matt Arroyo?
Arroyo won the ADCC North American Trials and competed at ADCC 2015. He is a black belt under Rob Kahn of Gracie Tampa. As a TUF season 6 veteran, he translates MMA-tested concepts to modern BJJ. At Gracie Tampa South, he emphasizes systems over move collecting. His online content mirrors that practical focus.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- An old r/bjj thread praised Arroyo’s guard retention video as methodical and clear.
- Users recommend his guard defense series for framing and foot connection details.
- His smash pass defense clip tied to this course gets shared often.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- Some posters stress guard should attack first, not just retain.
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Sources & References
Video Breakdowns
Official listing: View Unpassable Guard Blueprint on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.
