Have you ever competed in a No-Gi BJJ tournament? If you have, you know how demanding and confusing it can be, particularly when you feel like you know Jiu-Jitsu, but the sweat and pace of matches make it impossible for you to showcase it.
Building a reliant and evolving BJJ competition game is a foundational step in every competitor’s career, but for No-Gi, stepping on the mats without one is simply a waste of time. The Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally is a DVD instructional tackling the subject of building a game you can use and grow as you navigate the No-Gi competition circuit. Here is what you can expect to find in it:
Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ instructional, covering standing, guarded, and pinning competition strategies
- Step-by-step guide on building a fool-proof No-Gi game by a top competitor.
- Very useful information for both athletes and coaches.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.
GRAB THE NEXT LEVEL NO-GI STRATEGIES DVD HERE!!!
How To Build a Comprehensive No-Gi Game
one of the questions I get asked very often, particularly by competitors, is how to put together a game that fits their strong sides. While it is a great question on their side and requires a lot of dedication from mine, the first thing I ask in return is whether they plan on competing with Gi or No-Gi.
While the key foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exchanges remain the same regardless of training or competition attire, there are significant differences in how you should approach the Gi and No-Gi games. Out of those two, your No-Gi strategy requires more effort and careful thought.
The reason for this is simple – No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu is far more dynamic in nature. Nothing really happens slowly, and as time goes by, sweat starts to become a significant hurdle to making everything you intend to do work.
There are a host of different aspects in addition to dynamics and slipperiness, such as grips, optimal guards to play, strong vs. weak attachments, escape tactics, etc to consider. Building a No-Gi game is no easy feat, but luckily, you can do it even by yourself now, as resources such as this BJJ DVD, dubbed “No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally” offer a great framework.
Sam McNally, A Next Generation BJJ Competitor
Sam McNally is an Irish BJJ black belt and competitive grappler representing the East Coast Jiu-Jitsu Academy from Ireland. He has been training under Darragh O’Conaill his entire grappling career, going through all the belts under the most proficient European middleweight out there.
As a competitor, McNally is on the rise, representing the new wave of Jiu-jitsu competitors who all seem to have very well-rounded and lightning-fast games. The lightweight has already won the ADC European trials, medal in the IBJJF Europeans and won the London, and Dublin Open in 2019 and 2022 respectively. You might also remember him as the man who beat Garry Tonnon at ADCC 2022.
Despite being a very skilled competition in both Gi and No-gi Sam leans more towards grappling without the kimono, as he has proven throughout his high-level competitive career stemming from his purple belt days onward.
He always has very well-worked out and efficient strategies for his matches, which many attributed to the immense knowledge and experience of his coach, Darragh O’Conaill. Without a doubt, Darragh has the main say, but as is evident from the Next Level No-Gi Strategies instructional, Sam has a really good take on how to put together a competitive strategy too!
Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally DVD Review
No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally is a BJJ DVD instructional that is divided into three parts. Each part covers one of the main aspects of Jiu-Jitsu: standing, guarded, and pinning, focusing on how to make it optional for a No-Gi setting:
Part 1 – Standing Strategies
When it comes to standing exchanges, only wrestling gets more chaotic than No-Gi grappling. Just ask ADCC photographers. Sam begins his instructional with an overview of the most common issues grapplers run into during standing No-Gi exchanges and how to fix them.
He begins with defense, which is a smart way to ensure you develop confidence while standing. After all, if they can’t take you down, there’s not much opponents can do. McNally relies on grips and motion to ensure you’re safe enough to launch your own attacks.
Offensively speaking he leans towards the front headlock and bodylocking, which is a smart approach that will benefit grapplers of all levels. He prefers drag downs to takedowns, landing oy either in top control, or a passing situation you can control and use to advance.
Part 2 – Guard Tactics
As the Next Level No-Gi Strategies DVD goes to the ground, Sam begins by addressing the No-Gi guard, a source of lots of frustration among grapplers. He begins with some foundational concepts of guard retention, outlining the directions and goals of guard attacks.
Only then does McNally demonstrate specific guards to launch those attacks, sticking mainly to the De La Riva vs. a standing opponent. Most of t submission attacks against standing passers involve inside positioning that leads to Ashi Garami leg locks. He also covers lots of leg entanglement sweeps that are very useful.
When dealing with kneeling opponents, Sam prefers to play a knee shield guard, allowing him head control that helps attain armbars and triangles that further open up sweep opportunities if they don’t pan out.
Part 3 – Top Position Dominance
Pinning and being a nuisance from top positions is the final aspect of building a No-Gi game that Sam McNally addresses in his DVD. He begins where most pass end – in side control, and works his way through the pins lading to the mount and back.
From the mount, he demonstrates a very sneaky chain involving triangles, Monoplatas, and armbars that create a trilemma. When in control of the back mount, Sam shows his favorite straight jacket attacks from the chair sitting position, opting for shoulder locks over chokes.
Concluding the No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally area few chapters covering wrist locks that help tie all the top position attacks together by focusing the opponent’s attention on defending this pesky submission.
NEXT LEVEL NO-GI STRATEGIES BY SAM MCNALLY AVAILABLE HERE!!!
Developing Your Own No-Gi Game
When you’re thinking about putting together a complete game plan for No-Gi competition, remember that the more external information you can get, the better your game will be. this means talking to your coaches, maybe even doing a private on the subject, as well as looking at video footage of yourself rolling/competing without the Gi.
After figuring out your strong side,s you need to do the hardest part and admit your weaknesses.s this is why you need to involve other people, especially those who won’t shy away from telling you what you suck at.
Once you know your strong sides and weaknesses, you can use the Next Level No-Gi Strategies DVD by Sam McNally as a blueprint for building a complete No-Gi game around the things that work the best in a tournament setting.
Strategies to Dominate in No-Gi
The No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally can be an instructional that you get at white belt and keep using until the day you decide to hang the rashguard. It is based on the best-performing tactics and moves that work in modern Jiu-Jitsu these days, and Sam has tested himself on the biggest stage. Whether you are a competitor or a coach looking to build competitors, this DVD is one you need in your collection.
