The 10th planet Jiu-Jitsu system has always been an intriguing and entertaining one. Ever since Eddie Bravo got Royler in that triangle people have been wondering if his “wacky” style of JIu-Jitsu actually works. Well, his dominance in the rematch with Royler certainly didn’t hurt his case. Nor do all his high-level balk blets like geo Martinez, Brandon McCaghren, etc who are staples in the sport. Moreover, there are plenty of up and coming 10th Planet Balck belts too, like JM Holland and Zach Maslany, for example. In fact, it seems Bravo has given permission for them to start sharing the system with the rest of us. And the “10th Planet Fundamentals DVD” is the first step in that direction.
ON SALE HERE:
JM Holland & Zach Maslany – 10th Planet Fundamentals (DVD/DIGITAL)
If there’s one thing that has marked the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system during the last few years it has to be the intricate warm-up system. What most people do not know, though, is that the 10th Planet warmups have been around for about a decade, evolving continuously. Nowadays, you can’t go to the 10th Planet gym and not run into these highly advanced flows. Many people have tried to recreate them, but that can prove to be very difficult without guidance. And guidance is exactly what the 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD” provides us with. This instructional is a blueprint to the Eddie Bravo warm-up system, demonstrated by two of his top black belts JM Holland and Zach Maslany.
10th Planet Warmups With JM Holland & Zach Maslany
Both JM Holland and Zach Maslany are great grapplers and black belts directly under Eddie Bravo. Of course, that indicates that they are predominantly No-Gi grapplers as the entire 10th Planet Jiu-JItsu system is No-Gi based. That said, this only increases their technical value in the eyes of those that understand grappling. Begin able to control people in No-Gi tends to prove way more difficult than with a Gi on. It requires a lot of dedication and countless hours of drilling. Or, a smart approach. The 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD offers the latter.
JM Holland is a lifetime martial artist and black belt under Eddie Bravo. Originally a Karateka, Holland has been involved in boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai as a kid. After dabbling with wrestling he discovered a love for grappling and ended up training at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. Suffice to say, the rest is history. Currently, the 29-year old is an instructor at Finishers MMA academy and 10th Planet Bethlehem. HE has a rich competitive background as well that includes notable appearances at EBI, CJJ, ADCC, Fight 2 Win, and more.
Zach Maslany is also 10th Planet black belt under Eddie Bravo. Grappling since he was 16. After dabbling in kickboxing he settled with Jiu-JItsu and became one of the best NO-Gi grapplers around. Along with JM, he runs 10th Planet Bethlehem and teaches at the at FInsihers MMA academy in Lehigh Valley. A veteran of Kasai, EBI, Gracie Worlds and Nationals, ADCC, etc, Zach also brings a wealth of experience to the table.
A “10th Planet Fundamentals” DVD Review
The 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD instructional, much like the entire system is an unusual one. This four-part DVD set is not put together the way most BJJ instructionals of today are. It is a very original DVD set, and one that will benefit literally anyone who cares to pick it up the reason behind this is that this is the one, only and the ultimate guide to the 10th Planet warmup system. What exactly is that?
The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu warm-ups area a series of drills put together like flows. Each of them bears a letter, and currently the range from A to H. Within every letter, there are four flows, with variable duration. What is unique about it is that during the flows both training partners have to work, which makes them far more entertaining than regular drilling. Plus, they offer the chance to actually drill everything, while paying attention to something you need, like transitions, submission finishes, or defenses. SO far, I’ve been doing these at the end of class on my own for a couple of years(I’m not affiliated with 10th Panet, I just like the concept). The results, as you can read here, have been astonishing.
The 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD has JM Holland and Zach Maslany execute the warm-up flows to perfection. At the same time, they explain every move they do. This is integral as the 10th Planet system includes plenty of original stuff like the rubber guard, Truck, lockdown, Twister, etc. Each of the four parts of this instructional covers a couple of letters. The final one actually has extended content, offering a few more chapters that are integral to understanding Eddie Bravo’s brand of JIu-JItsu.
Part 1
The first part covers letters A and B. WHiel the letters are there to make organization easier there are further explanations of each as well. In fact, all of the four flows of letter A involve working on Granby rolls. Conversely, the B flows are dubbed “Hail Marys” and you’ll see why in just a moment.
Within the Granby rolls, JM Holland and Zach Maslany demonstrate pretty much everything you can do with the Granby. From simply doing the Granby drill in the first one to escaping turtle, side control, and even hunting for inverted triangles, you’ll definitely learn some new ways to utilize this core BJJ movement here.
The B flows, or “Hail Marys” are my personal favorites out of the bunch. Each flow is different, as it covers a different submission category. The idea is that these are your go-to moves when everything fails. The first one is a crazy leg locking back and forth that’ll get you many, many taps. The second covers Kimuras and the back, the third is all about guillotines and the final one has some slick passing and toe holds to wrap things up.
Part 2
The next two flows in the system are C and D, respectively. As with the previous part, JM Holland and Zach Maslany really break things down. Even for someone like me, that has been doing this stuff for two years, now, their instructions are priceless.
The C flows cover pressure passing, or, in other words, a lot of butterfly guard passing. However, these flows go far beyond just passes. They include different ways to pass, from basic to some crazy flying stuff that actually works like a charm. Moreover, they go on to explore different follow-ups, like side control escapes for the bottom person, spiderweb armbars, and more. My personal favorite is the flat mode North-Side variation you can find in the C4 flow.
The D flows once again passes, however this time from standing. Here, you’ll find a lot of the usual guard passing drills like shin circles and leg drags paired with some submission hunting form top. Passing to some brand new side control variations, as well as leg locks form knee on the belly are just some of the flows available. Defensively, in this portion of the 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD, you get to work on side control escapes and countering submissions.
Part 3
One of the best parts of the system, by far ar the E and F flows. These warm-up flows cover the bottom half guard and butterfly guard, respectively. To that extent, you get a blast of 10th Planet specific positions once again.
In the E portion or Quarter, the guard covers some amazing options from a position most consider to be ineffective. What JM Holland and Zach Maslany show form here, is anything but. Namely, you get ways to get to the lockdown and sweep, use dogfight sweeps as well as get into the rubber guard. At the same time, the other training partner gets to work on top position transitions and some crazy defenses to stuff like D’arce chokes, for example.
The F portion or Butterflies cover BJJ’s most utilized open guard. At least in modern times. However, this is a lot more than just an attacking system from the butterfly guard. It covers entering the butterfly and four different sweeping scenarios, all high-percentage. Moreover, the other person gets to do some fun mount escapes, particularly those of the Jean-Jacques variety.
Part 4
The final portion of the 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD goes over the final two letters in the system. Well, at least so far. Those are G: Top half Passes and H: open Guards. As you can see, both are highly important in JIu-JItsu, whether it is Gi or No-Gi.
The top half passes are also one of my favorite flows. The cover different, and very original ways to get out of the half guard. Furthermore, they offer counters to 10th Planet’s very own lockdown, which is still somewhat of a riddle for the rest of the BJJ community. Once again, mount escapes feature heavily for the bottom person, although now in a very different way compared to the ones in the F flows.
The final portion, open guards covers the common aspects of modern BJJ. Here, Bravo has flows that teach his students Berimbolos, deep half guard, X guard, and De La Riva. All of these are inevitable in BJJ, and JM Holland and Zach Maslany go over some different options to what you’re used to.
Wrapping up are a few bonus chapters that cover highly important subjects. The first one is the preschool flow, an attacking leg locking flow that goes over every Ashi Garmi position there is. Also in her is some advice by Eddie bravo on both back takes and armbars, which as we know are key aspects of EBI overtime rules.
In Summary
Whenever a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu instructional is available, people either love or hate it. To that extent, there haven’t been that many until now. The 10th Planet Fundamentals DVD covers some of the core principles of the system. At the same time, it is applicable to everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a black belt. Moreover, Zach Maslanyand JM Holland is an instructor of the highest grade. In fact, they really make what we thought of as highly complicated flows seem easy and straightforward. Time to get down to business!
ON SALE HERE:
JM Holland & Zach Maslany – 10th Planet Fundamentals (DVD/DIGITAL)
