Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD instructional containing five volumes with 2 hours of material.
- Outlines Meregalis’ top and bottom No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu game, albeit very briefly
- Each volume contains between one and three very long chapters, making it difficult to follow and seek.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
NICHOLAS MEREGALI NO-GI SYSTEM DVD AVAILABLE HERE:
I went into this Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD review pretty hyped up, as previous releases by Meregali were always very good. I ended up pretty disappointed with it in terms of the way Meregali chose to structure this instruction.
The Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD, while delivering on what the title promises, could’ve perhaps been a much more compact release, perhaps organized in two rather than five different volumes, and with a better breakdown of chapters. On the plus side, Meregali doesn’t disappoint when it comes to adjusting and improving staple BJJ techniques and tactics.
Bridging the Gap Between Gi and No-Gi
How can you train both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu at the same time and grow? Certainly! You don’t even have to bother with different classes that much – just put the Gi on and off during rolling every time you spar!
Developing competition games for Gi and No-Gi is a different animal. You’ll absolutely have to pick one or the other, depending on your preference or academy type. Once you do, you’ll have to specialize even further by picking a field to begin your training, preferably using systems over traditional game planning.
Once you’re proficient enough (or have had enough) of one aspect of BJJ, simply transition to the other starting with a subject you’ve already mastered in its counterpart. If you’ve worked on your half guard in Gi, start there when you transition to No-Gi and develop systems and game plans just as you did before.
While this takes time it is a proven way to bridge the competitive gap between Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu training and progress. The Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD depicts, however flimsily, how this approach works.
The Story of Nicholas Meregali
So far, Nicholas Meregali has had an eventful and tumultuous time in Jiu-Jitsu. One of the best grapplers in modern Gi Jiu-Jitsu, who also embarked upon the quest to conquer the No-Gi World is far from done – although it will be some time until we see him on the competition mats again.
At the 2024 ADCC, one of the upsets of the event was Meregali’s first-round loss to purple belt Michael Pixley by way of a choke, which he conceded extremely easily. As it turned out, he suffered a very serious shoulder injury as he posted to prevent falling during a standing exchange which then led to the submission loss.
Even though he is currently injured, the 4x World IBJJF Champion, 2x Pan Champion, 4-time CBJJ Brazilian Nationals winner, and IBJJF Grand Prix winner is still set on conquering the No-Gi world, since all of these titles are with the kimono. Training with the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu squad led by Danaher and Ryan, Meregali is bound to heal up soon and prove his point.
Until such a time, we are left with an abundance of his instructional, the last of which is available as the strangely short and ambiguous Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD.
Nicholas Meregali DVD Review: The Meregali No-Gi System
JUst over two hours of scattered material is what this Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD delivered when we packed it. There are five different volumes, with only two of them delivering information at the level we are used to, and expect, from a world-class grappler like Meregali:
Part 1 – Bottom Game
When I referred to this instructional as strange I was not joking. It is like an old wrestling instructional, with chapters lasting 20+ minutes, which in some cases, is the entire volume.
The opening volume of the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD sets the tone for the rest of the material. There are only three chapters, the longest of which is Meregali’s entire bottom game, based on body locking and back takes. While useful, it makes for very difficult navigation through the material.
This portion also contains some Judo overhead throws done from the guard, in the form of the front and sideways Sumi Gasehi variations.
Part 2 – Leg Locks and Standing Up
Still, on the subject of working from the guard, the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD jumps to Ashi Garami entries, before exploring useful ways of wrestling up that we’ve seen a lot from New Wave Jiu-jitsu athletes. I’d have preferred this chapter closer to the Sumi Gasehi as they share a common goal.
With the Ashi system, you get a watered-down version of Danaher’s system, with positions and submissions that Meregali prefers, mostly centered around kneebars and toeholds. A chapter on the Tirpod guard which lasts 15 minutes and takes about a third of this part also features to introduce more confusion.
Part 3 – Top Game Masterclass
Something we haven’t seen in the last decade when it comes to BJJ DVDs is an entire 30-minute-long volume of a DVD set that only addresses one subject. While it would be acceptable if it was a specialized topic, by explaining his entire top game, from passing to pinning in such as fashion, Meregali left a lot to be desired.
The third portion of the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD is the most disappointing of all in terms of structure, although it does have a certain value to offer information-wise.
Part 4 – Submissions
A breath of fresh air arrives in the fourth part of the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD Unpacked, where Meregali targets submissions. While the structure remains the same, the nature of the subject, which is highly specialized, actually works in this way of delivering the material.
Half of this part covers strangling from the back, including a comprehensive system of grip fighting that is inspired by the Straight Jacket system but has its own additions. The second portion of the volume is dedicated to finishing, and setting up the S-mount armbar, in that order, which, for me, is the best way to learn submissions.
Part 5 – More Submissions
The final part that along with volume 4 offers some kind of redemption for this instructional is the final part of the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD. The leg Kimura (something I originally learned as the Squirrel Lock) is the main star of this volume, although there is lots of good stuff on triangles as well.
System-Based Jiu-Jitsu Growth
If there is one thing that the original Enter the System DVD collection by John Danaher taught it is that you need to train systems if you want to become a great Jiu-Jitsu competitor. In fact, for No-Gi, which is too chaotic to predict or attempt to control thoroughly anyway, this approach is also highly useful for learning BJJ as a whole.
Setting up a systematic approach to BJJ has nothing to do with covering positions and submissions in the way we are used to. All the relations and tactics you might have used until now go out the window and you need to start with a clean slate.
Essentially, what you want to do is lots of drill/sparring work focusing on specific aspects of the game for prolonged periods of time. For example, if triangles are your subject of choice, start trying to finish them, before going backward to look for setups and link up with other subs.
It is apparent that Danaher has tasked, or perhaps even provided Meregali with such a system to clean up and improve his No-Gi game. The results before the 2024 ADCC were there for him, but if he was using what he portrayed in the Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD I wonder if it was all luck.
FULL DOWNLOAD: NICHOLAS MEREGALI NO-GI SYSTEM DVD
Drop the Gi!
A difficult time for Meregali. First his unfortunate loss to Pixley in the ADCC and the injury that will sideline him for quite a while. Now, shortly after, the disappointing Nicholas Meregali No-Gi System DVD. Not a good couple of months for the Brazilian.
While I kept my Nicholas Meregali DVD review sincere and honest, I still feel like there is value to this instructional. I doubt it will do you much good if you want to build an entire No-Gi game, but it will help you clean up specific parts of it, especially regarding submissions.
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