Key Takeaways
- A systematic breakdown of the 2-on-1 position from a world-class Greco-Roman wrestler who brings the standup game into BJJ
- Four volumes covering control mechanics, attack chains, defense, and bonus arm drag entries — $79 for ~3+ hours of focused material
- Ruiz’s credentials as a 2x NCAA All-American and World Championship bronze medalist give this instructional serious competitive credibility
- The “no-bad-position” philosophy behind Ruiz’s Greco-influenced approach means safer entries with minimal exposure to counters
- Best suited for intermediate grapplers and above who want a structured takedown system rather than random shot attempts
- Rating: 8.5/10
GET IT HERE: THE GRECO JIU JITSU JUSTIN RUIZ DVD
The divide between wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu has been closing for years, but most crossover instructionals still focus on folkstyle or freestyle takedowns. The Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD takes a different path.
Instead of teaching leg attacks and shot setups, Ruiz builds everything around the 2-on-1 — a controlling position that lets you set up takedowns without ever exposing your legs to guillotines, front headlocks, or guard pulls. It is a precisely targeted system for grapplers who want high-percentage takedowns with minimal exposure.
Recognising High Value Takedowns
Takedowns in BJJ create a unique tension that this Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD Review addresses directly. Wrestling teaches you to shoot into a stance. Jiu-Jitsu teaches you that shooting is the fastest way to get choked. Many BJJ players default to pulling guard or relying on clumsy collar drags as a result.
The 2-on-1 solves this conflict. You control one arm and the opponent’s posture, which gives you the ability to move them and finish takedowns while staying protected. This is the essence of the 2-on-1 takedown system that Ruiz teaches — upper body control without leg attacks, low stances, or exposure to guillotines. Greco-Roman wrestling is built around this philosophy, and Ruiz adapts it for Jiu-Jitsu where the same principles work against both Gi and No-Gi opponents.
The beauty of this approach is that it creates a closed loop for practitioners exploring low risk takedowns BJJ could actually adopt without getting choked. A good 2-on-1 makes your opponent predictable. A predictable opponent gives you takedown entries that do not expose your neck or legs. The Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD Review presents a structured Greco-influenced system that is a significant upgrade over random shot attempts for BJJ players frustrated with their standup game.
Justin Ruiz – Merging BJJ and High-Level Wrestling
Justin Ruiz is not a wrestler who dabbles in Jiu-Jitsu. He is a BJJ black belt — earning him the label Justin Ruiz BJJ black belt across the grappling community — with a Greco-Roman wrestling resume that puts him in rare company. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ruiz was a three-time state champion at Taylorsville High School before wrestling at the University of Nebraska, where he earned NCAA All-American honors twice.
His international career is where he truly stands out. Ruiz won a bronze medal at 96 kg at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships, making him one of the most decorated American Greco-Roman wrestlers of his era. He was a six-time USA World Team member, a ten-time National Team member, a two-time Olympic alternate, and a four-time Pan American Champion. He won gold at the 2007 Pan American Games and was named USA Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year twice.
Ruiz transitioned to coaching after his competitive career, serving as an assistant wrestling coach at Utah Valley University. He later became the Director of Donor and Alumni Relations for USA Wrestling in 2022. His BJJ black belt, combined with his elite-level Greco-Roman credentials, makes him uniquely qualified to produce this Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD Review as a bridge between the two sports.
A Comprehensive Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD Review
This Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD reveiw breaks down the structure, teaching quality, and practical value of the four-volume set as an applied example of Greco-Roman wrestling for BJJ delivered by an elite grappler.
The narrow focus on the 2-on-1 means this is not a comprehensive takedown encyclopedia, but for grapplers who want one reliable takedown system, the Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD fills its niche beautifully. At $79 with four volumes, it represents strong value for any BJJ player looking to solve their standup game without reinventing the wheel.
Volume 1 — Controlling the 2-on-1
The opening volume of the Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD is entirely about grip mechanics, and Ruiz does not rush through it. He starts with the premise that most people grab a 2-on-1 incorrectly — they squeeze and hope. Instead, he breaks down four distinct ways to control the arm: from the collar tie, from the wrist and elbow, with two hands on the wrist, and with same-side wrist and cross pummel. Each variation creates different leverage angles.
The second half of the volume focuses on moving the opponent without attacking. Ruiz teaches three methods: pushing with the chest up, pushing with the arm braced, and the whip. These are not takedowns — they are destabilization tools that force the opponent to react, and the reaction is what opens the takedown entries in Volume 2.
Volume 2 — Attacks from 2-on-1
Part 2 is the meat of this Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD. Ruiz runs through ten takedown finishes from the outside arm control position, each one building on the control mechanics from Volume 1.
The arm drag variations are the core. Ruiz goes from a standard arm drag into a hip bump and sag finish, then a lifting finish, then a chest-to-chest arm drag that feels distinctly Greco in its body positioning. The chest-to-chest slide-by is a particularly useful option for BJJ because it lands you directly into a side control or north-south position rather than scrambling on the ground.
Other finishes include the whip to front headlock — a direct path to a front headlock position that wrestlers love — and a hip and leg attack that blends upper-body control with a low single. What stands out is that every finish keeps Ruiz’s head and neck protected by staying connected through the arm control.
Volume 3 — Defending Against the 2-on-1
The next volume of the Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD dedicates an entire section to what happens when someone uses the 2-on-1 against you — a sign of complete system building rather than highlight-reel attacks.
The defenses start with attacking the elbow and stealing the 2-on-1 for yourself — a counter-to-counter approach. From there, Ruiz shows how to attack the elbow and transition to over/under position, which shifts the control back toward you. The elbow drag and whip variations give you ways to escape without conceding position.
For BJJ players who compete against wrestlers, this volume alone is worth the price of entry. If you have ever had a wrestler grab your arm and chain through three takedown attempts while you flailed, the 2-on-1 defense system gives you a reset button.
Volume 4 — Bonus: Arm Drags from the Neutral Position
The bonus volume of the Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD branches out from the 2-on-1 to cover arm drags from a more traditional neutral position. Ruiz shows entries from offensive wrist control, defensive wrist control, snap-arm drags to both near and far sides, and a roll-arm drag to the far side.
This volume serves as a bridge between the 2-on-1 takedown system and more conventional takedown entries. The arm drags are less structured than the 2-on-1 material, which makes them easier to mix in with the rest of your standup game. For grapplers who want to build their takedown game around arm drags rather than the 2-on-1 pecifically, this volume provides a solid standalone framework.
Focusing on Low Risk Techniques
The instructional works best if you commit to drilling Volume 1 for at least a week before attempting any of the attacks. The control mechanics in the first volume are the foundation for everything else, and trying to skip ahead will leave you without the feel for the position.
A practical study cycle would be: learn the four arm control variations in drilling, then spend two sessions learning to move the opponent with the three destabilization methods. Once the grip fighting and off-balancing feel natural, move into Volume 2 and pick two or three takedowns that fit your body type and game.
Drill those specific finishes from the 2-on-1 for another week, then introduce positional sparring where one person starts in the 2-on-1 and the other defends. For competition preparation, the 2-on-1 system taught in this Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD is ideal because it does not waste energy on complicated setups.
A clean 2-on-1 grip forces the opponent to deal with you, and Ruiz’s finishes land you in dominant positions instead of scrambles.
GRECO JIU JITSU JUSTIN RUIZ DVD FULL DOWNLOAD
Who Is This For?
Blue belts who have no takedown game and want a reliable entry point into wrestling will benefit most from the Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD. The 2-on-1 is straightforward to learn and Ruiz’s teaching is methodical enough that even grapplers with no wrestling background can follow the progression.
Purple belts and above who already have some wrestling will find the Greco-specific material valuable. The finishes in Volume 2 — the chest-to-chest drag, the lateral drop from arm control, the backstep arm spin — are not common in BJJ takedown instructionals, and they offer solutions to problems that folkstyle or freestyle approaches do not address.
Gi players will appreciate the grip compatibility. The 2-on-1 translates well into the Gi because you can control the sleeve to create the same leverage. No-Gi players will benefit from the head-and-neck protection that the 2-on-1 provides — no shots, no sprawls, no guillotines.
White belts who are still learning basic takedown concepts may find Volume 1 too dense on grip variations. This is not a beginner’s crash course; it assumes you can stand up and move. Brown and black belts who already have a developed standup system may find the 2-on-1 too narrow to justify the full instructional unless the 2-on-1 is a specific hole in their game.
Pros and Potential Drawbacks
Pros:
- The 2-on-1 is taught as a complete system — not just a grip, but a sequence of control, off-balancing, and finishing mechanics that flow together
- Ruiz’s teaching is methodical and layered, with each volume building directly on the previous one
- The defense volume (Volume 3) adds significant value by covering the other side of the position
- Greco-Roman approach keeps your head and neck safe, which is critical for BJJ players who worry about guillotines and front headlocks
- At $79 for four volumes covering control, attacks, defense, and bonus arm drag material, the value is strong compared to more expensive single-volume instructionals
Potential Drawbacks:
- The focus is almost entirely on the 2-on-1, which means wrestlers looking for a comprehensive takedown syllabus covering shots, sprawls, and snap-downs will need to supplement this instructional with other material
- The production quality is functional rather than cinematic — clear enough to learn from, but not flashy
Greco-Jitsu
The Greco Jiu Jitsu Justin Ruiz DVD review examined here delivers exactly what the title promises — a low-risk, high-reward takedown system built around the 2-on-1. Ruiz’s background as a World Championship medalist and BJJ black belt gives the material a level of credibility that few crossover instructionals match.
The system is methodical, safe for BJJ players who fear the guillotine, and structured in a way that makes it easy to integrate into regular training. For anyone wanting a practical example of Greco-Roman wrestling for BJJ converted into a drillable curriculum, this is a strong option.
