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The BJJ instructional market is massive. We cut through the noise and rank the best instructionals across every position, skill level, and budget — so you can invest in the right knowledge.
Start Training Smarter →Drilling at your academy is irreplaceable — but instructionals give you something your coach often can't: focused, in-depth breakdowns of a single system. The best instructionals compress years of trial and error into structured, digestible lessons. Athletes who supplement mat time with quality video study progress measurably faster than those who don't.
The challenge? There are thousands of instructionals out there, ranging from world-class to complete garbage. Price doesn't always equal quality. Name recognition helps but isn't everything. This guide cuts through the noise.
Gordon Ryan is arguably the greatest no-gi grappler of all time, and his instructionals reflect that mastery. His series on guard passing — particularly his pressure passing system and leg weave variations — are considered essential viewing for anyone serious about no-gi. His back-take and back-control series are equally exceptional, breaking down the body triangle, seatbelt control, and finishing mechanics with exhaustive detail.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced no-gi grapplers looking to dominate positional control.
John Danaher's "Enter the System" series remains one of the most comprehensive instructional projects in grappling history. Each volume focuses on a single system — legs, back attacks, pins — and breaks it down from first principles. Danaher's analytical approach, while verbose, rewards patient students with genuine conceptual understanding rather than just technique collection.
Key volumes include: Leg Lock Anthology, Back Attacks, Kimura, and Triangle Chokes. If you want to understand the "why" behind every move, Danaher delivers.
Best for: Serious students who want conceptual depth and systematic understanding.
Five-time world champion Bernardo Faria created one of the most beginner-accessible instructionals ever made. His "Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" covers escapes, sweeps, passes, and submissions with a clear, methodical approach. Faria's teaching style is warm and practical — he teaches what works, not what looks fancy.
Best for: White and early blue belts building their fundamentals.
Australian black belt and ADCC absolute medalist Lachlan Giles produces some of the most analytically rigorous instructionals on the market. His guard retention series is considered the gold standard. He breaks down hip movement, frames, and reactive guard recovery in ways that immediately translate to live rolling.
His leg lock instructionals (produced around his famous ADCC 2019 performance where he submitted three heavyweights) are equally essential for the heel hook game.
Best for: Blue through purple belts who want to stop getting their guard passed.
Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida is the greatest gi grappler of his generation — a 13-time world champion with a pressure-based top game that is both simple and devastating. His instructional focuses on guard passing pressure, smash passing, and finishing from dominant positions. If you train gi, Buchecha's work is essential.
Best for: Gi-focused competitors at blue belt and above.
Stephan Kesting has been creating BJJ instructional content longer than almost anyone. His instructionals on Grapplearts are thorough, well-organized, and significantly more affordable than the big platforms. His "Roadmap for BJJ" and "Guard Retention Blueprint" are particularly strong. For budget-conscious students, Kesting delivers excellent value.
Best for: Anyone on a budget who wants quality fundamentals instruction.
Craig Jones brings an Australian directness to leg lock instruction that makes complex entries feel surprisingly accessible. His Z-guard series is outstanding — explaining how to use the position to set up heel hooks, kneebars, and straight ankle locks with clean transitions. His humor and casual teaching style make dense material easier to absorb.
Best for: No-gi grapplers ready to build a serious leg lock game.
Buying an instructional is just the first step. Here's how to actually extract value from them:
AIBJJ's technique library lets you log the techniques you're studying, track your drilling progress, and connect instructional concepts to your live rolling notes — so nothing slips through the cracks.
Track Your Instructional Progress Free →BJJ Fanatics — largest selection, frequent sales, wide quality range. Best place to find most major instructionals.
Digitsu — strong catalog, occasionally exclusive content, good streaming interface.
Grapplearts — Stephan Kesting's platform, excellent fundamentals, very affordable.
Submission Shark / Atos Online — team/school-based platforms with consistent quality control.
Watch for BJJ Fanatics sales — they regularly discount 50%+ and email lists get early access. There's no reason to pay full price for most instructionals.
Ask yourself these questions before buying:
The best instructional is the one that solves your current biggest problem. A white belt buying Gordon Ryan's advanced guard passing system is wasting money — the concepts won't click without foundational mat time. Match the instructional to your actual training needs.
For most grapplers in 2025, the highest-ROI purchases are: a Danaher volume in your primary area of focus, a Bernardo Faria fundamentals series if you're still early in your journey, and a Lachlan Giles defensive series. Those three cover theory, fundamentals, and defense — the cornerstones of a complete game.
Use AIBJJ to structure your study sessions, log what you're working on from each instructional, and build a personalized curriculum around the techniques that matter most to your game.
AI coach, training journal, technique library — all in one platform.
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