Best BJJ Instructionals for Beginners

Should Beginners Buy BJJ Instructionals?

Yes — with caveats. The biggest mistake beginners make is buying advanced instructionals before they have the mat time to understand them. A Gordon Ryan leg lock series makes zero sense to a two-month white belt. But a solid fundamentals instructional? That can be transformational, because it gives your mat time context and structure.

The second mistake is buying too many too soon. Pick one, study it deeply, apply it, then move on. One instructional applied well beats five instructionals collected and never used.

#1 Pick: Bernardo Faria — Foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

This is the gold standard for beginner BJJ instruction. Five-time world champion Bernardo Faria is an exceptional teacher who breaks down BJJ the way it should be taught to new students: systematically, conceptually, and practically. The series covers:

• Positional hierarchy — understanding where you are and what to do about it
• Escapes from mount, back mount, and side control
• Fundamental sweeps from closed guard
• Basic submissions: armbar, triangle, rear naked choke
• Guard passing fundamentals: torreando and knee slice

Faria's closed guard game is also notable — he built a world championship career on a simple half guard and over-under passing system that white belts can actually replicate. His teaching is patient, warm, and focused on what works.

#2: Tom DeBlass — Submission Escapes

Tom DeBlass is one of the most beloved BJJ coaches in the world, and his instructionals reflect his teaching philosophy: make BJJ accessible, honest, and practical. His submission escapes series is a must-buy for beginners because escaping submissions is what you'll spend most of your early rolling doing. He covers:

• Escaping armbar attempts mid-transition
• Defending and escaping rear naked choke
• Triangle choke defense and escape
• Guillotine survival mechanics

DeBlass also addresses the mental side of getting submitted — how to stay calm, learn from taps, and develop resilience. Invaluable for beginners who get discouraged.

#3: Stephan Kesting — Roadmap for BJJ

Stephan Kesting's Roadmap for BJJ is less a technique series and more a curriculum guide. It answers the question every beginner asks: "What should I be learning right now?" Kesting maps out the skill development arc for white belts, covering what to prioritize month by month. This is excellent for self-directed learners who want to train intelligently.

It's also extremely affordable — making it perfect for beginners who haven't yet determined how much they want to invest in their BJJ education.

#4: John Danaher — Go Further Faster Series

Danaher's "Go Further Faster" series was specifically designed for beginners and intermediate students, unlike his advanced "Enter the System" series. It covers closed guard, passing, pins, and escapes with Danaher's characteristic analytical depth — but filtered for students who need conceptual frameworks, not advanced detail. The passing volume is particularly strong.

Fair warning: Danaher talks a lot. Some students love this; others prefer shorter, more action-focused instruction. Watch a preview before buying.

What Beginners Should Focus On Technically

Your first six months should be dominated by these concepts:

• Survival and escapes — You'll spend most of your early time on the bottom. Learn to escape mount, side control, and back mount before worrying about attacks.
• Guard retention — Keeping your guard intact gives you options. Losing your guard puts you in bad spots.
• Closed guard basics — Hip bump sweep, scissor sweep, triangle, armbar. Learn these four movements cold.
• Posture and base — Understanding why posture matters in every position prevents you from making the most common beginner mistakes.

Track each technique you're drilling in AIBJJ's training journal — it helps you see your actual progress and identify gaps you're avoiding.

What Beginners Should Avoid

Avoid purchasing instructionals on: leg locks (beyond basic straight ankle defense), berimbolo and inversion-based guards, advanced no-gi heel hooks, or any "secret" technique series. These aren't appropriate study material until you have at least 1-2 years of consistent mat time. The concepts won't stick, and you risk developing bad habits by trying to implement advanced movements without the foundational movement literacy.

Free Resources Worth Using

Before spending money, exhaust free resources. The ABJJ YouTube catalog, Rener and Ryron Gracie's "Gracie Breakdowns," and Chewy's Chewjitsu channel all provide excellent foundational content. Use paid instructionals to go deep on specific systems once you've identified the holes in your game.

How to Study an Instructional as a Beginner

1. Watch the entire instructional at 1.5x speed first to get the big picture
2. Identify the 2-3 techniques that most directly apply to your current game
3. Drill those techniques 50-100 reps before the next class
4. Attempt them in positional sparring, not just free rolling
5. Return to the instructional after 2 weeks and re-watch the sections that didn't click

AIBJJ's AI coach feature helps you build personalized drilling plans based on what you're studying and how your rolling sessions are going. It's like having a structured curriculum that adapts to your progress — exactly what beginners need when starting out.

Final Advice

Buy Bernardo Faria's fundamentals series. Watch it slowly. Drill what you see. Come to class with questions based on what you studied. That loop — study, drill, roll, reflect — is what separates students who progress quickly from those who plateau. The instructional is just the trigger. You still have to put in the mat time.