Instructionals

[skribs113 133]

So far, I haven't used any of the paid instructional videos. Most of what I learn has been from class or from rolls, or from discussions with fellow students. I've watched a few of the free videos on Youtube or other platforms to pick up a few tips here and there.

However, there's a couple of instructionals that have caught my eye:

• Josh McKinney's "The Knee Cut Roadmap", which he plugged during his "guard pass tier list" video. This is a guide on how to get to a knee cut pass from any guard your opponent may have. The knee cut is already my best pass, and so this would just help me make it stronger.
• Tyler Spangler's "Guillotine Mastery Course". I've decided that I'm going to try no-gi competition soon, and the strategy that seems to work the most for me in no-gi is to snap-down into a guillotine. Having watched his videos before, I knew he had an affinity for the guillotine and the front headlock in general, so I figured if he had a course, it would be a good one to help me build this gameplan.

I've not spent the money on an instructional before. I don't know how worth it it is, when these courses can go for over $100.

 

[Tony Dismukes112 8]

If you're looking at instructionals which are on BJJ Fanatics, you should never pay full price. They are always running specials, not just their daily deals on individual videos, but also site-wide discounts for every holiday or just because. For example, right now they have a 48% off flash sale (code FLASHSALE48) which would bring the price of The Knee Cut Roadmap down from $79 to about $40. Those site wide sales also stack with the individual daily deal discounts. So you could get a video which is already marked down 50%, then get a further 48% discount to get it for 26% of the normal price.

Instructional videos can absolutely be worth it. Or they can be a waste. Some factors to consider:

• How well does the instructor explain the material and how well does their teaching style work for you? (I wouldn't recommend John Danaher for anyone with a limited attention span)
• Do they explain concepts or just moves?
• Do they package the material in a cohesive system or just show random isolated moves?
• How well do they explain the fine details which make the difference in whether the techniques work?
• Does the material fit with your personal game and your existing knowledge base?
• Do you have a partner to drill the material with?

I have a backlog of instructional videos to work my way through. Some of them have been very helpful, some of them not so much as of yet.

For free instruction that is as good as many expensive videos, I recommend the BJJ Globetrotters YouTube channel. They put lots of entire seminars online for free and some of the teachers are very good.

I maintain a subscription to bjjconcepts.net. Tons of material, all the instruction is concept based, and almost lesson on the site has helped me either improve my own functional technique or helped me teach better.

 

[skribs113 133]

If you're looking at instructionals which are on BJJ Fanatics, you should never pay full price. They are always running specials, not just their daily deals on individual videos, but also site-wide discounts for every holiday or just because. For example, right now they have a 48% off flash sale (code FLASHSALE48) which would bring the price of The Knee Cut Roadmap down from $79 to about $40. Those site wide sales also stack with the individual daily deal discounts. So you could get a video which is already marked down 50%, then get a further 48% discount to get it for 26% of the normal price.

Instructional videos can absolutely be worth it. Or they can be a waste. Some factors to consider:

• How well does the instructor explain the material and how well does their teaching style work for you? (I wouldn't recommend John Danaher for anyone with a limited attention span)
• Do they explain concepts or just moves?
• Do they package the material in a cohesive system or just show random isolated moves?
• How well do they explain the fine details which make the difference in whether the techniques work?
• Does the material fit with your personal game and your existing knowledge base?
• Do you have a partner to drill the material with?

I have a backlog of instructional videos to work my way through. Some of them have been very helpful, some of them not so much as of yet.

For free instruction that is as good as many expensive videos, I recommend the BJJ Globetrotters YouTube channel. They put lots of entire seminars online for free and some of the teachers are very good.

I maintain a subscription to bjjconcepts.net. Tons of material, all the instruction is concept based, and almost lesson on the site has helped me either improve my own functional technique or helped me teach better.

Thanks, I went ahead and picked up the knee cut roadmap since they've got a discount right now.

I don't learn very well watching other people do a seminar. It's like a class I can't ask questions in. It just doesn't work for me. I don't like podcasts for the same reason: it's a conversation that I'm eavesdropping but can't join in on. I already have enough trouble getting a word in real-life conversations, I don't need more frustration online.