BJJ practitioners seek technical advantages through high-quality instructionals. The 2025 collection represents significant developments in guard theory and application. These ten resources transformed conventional approaches with innovative concepts from elite competitors. Craig Jones’ half guard work and Mikey Musumeci’s berimbolo entries particularly stand out for their systematic problem-solving methods. Each instructional offers distinct tactical frameworks while maintaining cohesive principles across different guard variations. The progression from fundamentals to advanced applications creates a thorough guard development pathway.
“The Modern Half Guard Blueprint” by Craig Jones
Revolutionizing the half guard landscape, Craig Jones’s instructional delivers extensive methodology for both offensive and defensive applications.
His systematic approach deconstructs half guard fundamentals into digestible components, enabling practitioners to implement techniques immediately.
Jones expertly demonstrates sweep variations that accommodate different body types and opponent reactions.
His Z-guard section particularly stands out, featuring innovative entries and shifts rarely seen in other resources.
The instructional’s strength lies in its thorough troubleshooting segments addressing common counters.
What separates this blueprint from predecessors is Jones’s emphasis on connecting positions rather than teaching isolated techniques, creating a cohesive half guard framework applicable across competition and training environments.
“Berimbolo Mastery: New Entries and Transitions” by Mikey Musumeci
Few instructionals have transformed berimbolo technique as thoroughly as Mikey Musumeci‘s definitive guide.
The five-time IBJJF world champion deconstructs his signature berimbolo techniques with unprecedented detail, offering systematic approaches to entries from De La Riva, reverse De La Riva, and collar-sleeve positions.
Musumeci’s instructional excels in revealing advanced changes between positions, particularly his methodical conversion of failed berimbolo attempts into crab ride and back takes.
His troubleshooting section addresses common defensive reactions, providing tactical counters to hip frames and knee shields.
The material progresses logically from fundamental mechanics to competition-tested applications, making complex movements accessible regardless of physical attributes.
“Lapel Guard Evolution: Beyond the Worm” by Keenan Cornelius
While Musumeci revolutionized berimbolo mechanics, Keenan Cornelius has established himself as the preeminent innovator of lapel-based guard systems.
“Lapel Guard Evolution: Beyond the Worm” presents Cornelius’s sophisticated expansion of his original worm guard framework into an extensive ecosystem of interconnected positions.
The instructional methodically breaks down advanced lapel mechanics across multiple guard variations including ringworm, squid, and mantis guards.
Cornelius demonstrates how these systems create defensive fortresses while generating powerful sweeping opportunities. His technical analysis of grip sequencing and body positioning reveals why these lapel-dependent guards continue frustrating even elite competitors.
Each section builds thorough pathways for shifting between variations depending on opponent reactions.
“K-Guard Connections for No-Gi Dominance” by Lachlan Giles
Lachlan Giles transforms the previously underutilized K-guard into an extensive attacking system in his landmark instructional “K-Guard Connections for No-Gi Dominance.”
This detailed resource maps the intricate pathways between K-guard and other lower body positions, establishing essential connections to heel hooks, back takes, and leg entanglements.
The instructional dissects advanced k guard techniques with methodical precision, offering practitioners scientifically-tested entries and shifts.
Giles provides a thorough framework for maintaining positional control while setting up devastating submissions.
His no gi strategies emphasize timing and leverage rather than strength, making the system accessible regardless of physical attributes—a hallmark of his analytical teaching approach.
“Butterfly Guard Reimagined” by Adam Wardzinski
Polish grappling specialist Adam Wardzinski revolutionizes the butterfly guard in his extensive instructional that transforms this classical position into a modern offensive powerhouse.
Wardzinski meticulously dissects butterfly guard dynamics with an emphasis on weight distribution and hip mobility that many practitioners overlook. His system introduces eight advanced sweeps not commonly taught, including his signature butterfly-to-single-leg shift that bypasses common defensive frames.
What distinguishes this instructional is Wardzinski’s troubleshooting methodology for addressing defensive postures, particularly against pressure passers who traditionally neutralize butterfly hooks. His concepts of “constant elevation” and “momentum recycling” provide innovative solutions for maintaining offensive initiative against increasingly sophisticated passing systems.
“The Science of Guard Retention” by Jon Thomas
Jon Thomas’s “The Science of Guard Retention” stands as perhaps the most systematically developed framework for defensive guard mechanics in modern BJJ pedagogy.
Thomas deconstructs retention into fundamental principles rather than isolated techniques, establishing clear hierarchies of movement efficiency.
His instructional meticulously analyzes frames, connection points, and hip mobility as integrated components within a thorough defensive system. Practitioners particularly value his evidence-based approach to guard mechanics, which prioritizes preventative positioning over reactive recoveries.
The retention strategies he outlines emphasize biomechanical leverage and minimal energy expenditure, creating a sustainable defensive framework applicable across all guard variations and against diverse passing styles.
“Leg Lock Entries From Defensive Guards” by Gordon Ryan
Gordon Ryan’s “Leg Lock Entries From Defensive Guards” transforms traditionally defensive positions into offensive opportunities through systematic exploitation of lower extremity entanglements.
This instructional dissects the mechanics of shifting from seemingly compromised guard positions directly into devastating leg attacks.
Ryan methodically details leg lock fundamentals while emphasizing timing and proper grip sequencing.
His approach integrates defensive strategies that simultaneously protect practitioners while setting up attacks, particularly from half-guard and butterfly variations.
The instructional excels in demonstrating how to bait upper body attacks before redirecting to lower extremity submissions, a hallmark of the modern leg lock game that has revolutionized competitive jiu-jitsu.
“Matrix Guard: Creating Unexpected Angles” by Tommy Langaker
Complexity defines Tommy Langaker’s “Matrix Guard: Creating Unexpected Angles” instructional, which meticulously deconstructs one of modern jiu-jitsu’s most perplexing positional systems.
Langaker, a Norwegian ADCC medalist, reveals how matrix positioning creates geometric advantages through unconventional limb configurations. His systematic approach demonstrates how practitioners can manipulate opponents through angle creation that defies traditional defensive postures.
The instructional progresses from fundamental matrix entries to advanced shifts that capitalize on opponents’ weight distribution errors.
What distinguishes this resource is its emphasis on guard versatility, showing how matrix positions connect seamlessly with butterfly, De La Riva, and reverse De La Riva guards, creating an integrated attacking framework.
“Closed Guard Pressure Submissions” by Roger Gracie
Few instructionals capture the essence of fundamental jiu-jitsu quite like Roger Gracie’s “Closed Guard Pressure Submissions,” which distills decades of championship-level experience into a methodical framework for one of BJJ’s most essential positions.
Gracie methodically demonstrates how controlled weight distribution creates submission opportunities from closed guard strategies that many practitioners overlook. His system emphasizes grip sequencing that prevents defensive reactions while building incremental pressure toward high-percentage finishes.
What distinguishes this instructional is Gracie’s counter-intuitive approach to applying pressure passing concepts from the bottom position, creating a compression-based attack system that consistently breaks even elite competitors’ defensive posture.
“Asymmetrical Guards for Modern Competition” by Ffion Davies
ADCC champion Ffion Davies revolutionizes modern guard play in her instructional “Asymmetrical Guards for Modern Competition,” where she systematically deconstructs the principles behind non-traditional guard variations optimized for contemporary tournament scenarios.
Davies emphasizes asymmetrical strategies that exploit opponents’ weight distribution and positioning errors. Her methodology categorizes guards based on tactical outcomes rather than conventional nomenclature, presenting a framework applicable across weight divisions.
Each module explores specific guard applications with corresponding movements, sweeps, and submissions.
What distinguishes this instructional is Davies’ competition-tested approach to guard retention against aggressive passing, featuring detailed defensive hierarchies that prioritize frames and hip mobility while maintaining offensive capabilities.
