I am pretty wary of GB instructors who release DVDs. Some of them truly excel, but others are so set in the Gracie Barra methodology, that a lot of what they have to share loses its value in all the jibber-jabber associated with this particular school of BJJ.
Luckily, even though it has its flaws, the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD is not one you should disregard quickly. It provides a great balance between the old-school knowledge someone like “Cafe” has of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the no-fluff direct application that only a seasoned competitor can provide.
Key Takeaways
- A 7-volume Gi BJJ FVF instructional containing over 3 hours of Gi grip fighting.
- Delivers a blueprint for building an entire game using the double sleeve grips.
- Covers takedowns, guard pulls, passing, sweeping, and submissions.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.
ALEXANDRE DANTAS DOUBLE SLEEVE GRIP DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!
Purposeful BJJ Grips
The one thing that gets me pretty riled up as a BJJ coach (if I let it) is seeing people grab their partner or opponent just for the sake of feeling like they’re holding. First of all, if you grip any part of your opponent’s body, you have to have a clear idea of what that grip is going to provide for you. Unless you can answer that, don’t grip!
Secondly, any grips you use need to be tight. There is no point in holding the lapel or sleeve of your opponent, only for them to break out at will without having to work for it. Gripping with a purpose and with strength is what makes grips in grappling work, be it Gi or No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu.
Another aspect of gripping you need to understand is the sequence of gripping during exchanges. Grabbing someone with a tight grip you expect to work for you, like, let’s say a triceps grip, while they have you in collar and sleeve grip is pointless, regardless of how tight the grip is.
So, our grips need purpose and strength and you need to know when to let go and break the opponent’s grips if you want them to make sense during BJJ exchanges. The Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD promises to help you understand how to do exactly that.
GBs Alexandre “Cafe” Dantas
Brazilian-born Alexandre Dantas discovered Jiu-Jitsu as a kid, inspired by watching Bruce Lee movies while growing up in Copacabana. The Gracie success stories were highly popular in Rio at the time (around the late 80s / early 90s) and Dantas ended up in a gym run by a Carlson Gracie black belt.
Since BJJ at the time was the biggest martial arts craze in Brazil, Dantas ended up switching teams a few times, until he found the gym that fit his obsession with the Gentle Art in Aloisio Silva’s ‘Dojo’. He went through the belts under Silva, receiving his black belt on the podium of the 1999 Worlds after winning gold in his brown belt division.
Dantas ended up following his mentor Silva to the US, but that is where their relationship ended, somewhat ugly, after Dantas ended up in the UFC. This prompted Alexandre to switch teams again, finally finding a ‘home’ with Gracie Barra with the help of Helio Soneca.
“Cafe”, as Dantas is known was a fierce competitor, beating adults while he was in his teens, and boasting 4 Pans, 3 World, and 1 Brazilian Nationals title as a black belt during a period when those brackets were crazy difficult to get through. He now frequents GB establishments as a much-valued coach and runs his own Copa Cafe Jiu-JItsu tournaments.
With his Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD now out, you don’t have to travel to a GB gym to look for “Cafe” – you can learn from him in the comfort of your own home or academy.
Detailed Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD Review
The Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD is a Gi-exclusive BJJ DVD instructional that goes over the different uses of the double sleeve grip configuration in a 7-part instructional that lasts just above 3 hours.
Part 1 – Introduction
I really have no idea why this Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD features 7 different volumes. when the material could comfortably fit in three. That said, the quality of instruction does not reflect the organization of the instructional.
Even though the first volume only features a short introduction to the subject of double sleeve grips by Dantas, he immediately makes it clear that he has a lot to share. When it comes to grips, you want OG competitors like “Cafe” to teach you a quick and direct way to make them work.
Part 2 – Double Sleeve Grip Setups and Throws
As we get to the meat and potatoes of the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD, Dantas starts standing, explaining how to win grip fighting while on the feet and establish the double sleeve grip.
He spends the better time in this first volume explaining how to best attach to the opponent’s sleeves, along with super useful solo and partner drills to help you practice. He follows up with several takedown and throw entries, such as armed drags off-balances to set up a series of different throws.
This portion mostly features old-school Judo-based throws, such as hip throws, trips, and sacrifice throws like the Tomoe Nage. True to his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu roots, “Cafe” also covers double leg takedowns, before wrapping up the longest part of this instructional with a few more takedown drills.
Part 3 – Pulling Guard
I appreciated the fact that there si an alternative to takedowns, with guard pulling being the main subject in the third volume of the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD.
In it, Alexandre talks about a few basic closed and half guard pulls, which, given that you control both grips, are highly effective and easy to figure out. He also shows a jump guard that I won’t be trying to do in training any time soon.
The real value in this part, according to me., is in the guard pull fakes that he shares towards the end of the volume. These open up incredible combinations that extend into ankle picks and even direct submission setups.
Part 4 – Sweeping With the Double Sleeve Grip
you’re probably thinking about overhead weeps and the popular flower sweep given that double sleeve grips are the subject in this Alexandre Dantas Grips DVD. Well, you’ll certainly get a lot of flower sweep details in this section, with Dantas using a true OG sweep to set up a versatile attacking game from guard.
The initial flower sweep attempt goes into a host of submission setups from a high guard that he turns into a lasso guard, including triangles, armbars, and even biceps slicers. Dantas takes double sleeve gripping further by offering spider guard transitions as well, also complete with a set of submission-sweep dilemmas.
And yes, the overhead sweep, a.k.a. the balloon sweep also features towards the end, in the sections covering butterfly and Z-guard variations using double sleeve grips.
Part 5 – Double Sleeve Grip Passing
While somewhat unusual, double sleeve grip passing can be extremely effective, as you can see from the fifth part of the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD.
The opening focus is on dealing with the butterfly guard using sleeve grips and different passing methods, such as long step, pinch pass, and smashing. While most of the volume focuses on solving the butterfly guard, there are also a few chapters on passing the De la Riva guard toward the end.
Part 6 – An Armbar Setup from Mount
Another example of how dedicating an entire volume to just one chapter on a mount armbar setup using double sleeve grips makes no sense. To be honest, the entire setup is straight out of the GB curriculum and makes no sense either, so this is one part of the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD you are free to skip over completely.
Part 7 – Knee On Belly Armbars
A few more armbars wrap this Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD up, but these are a lot more useful, seeing as he shows knee on belly setups. Controlling the position using double sleeve grips introduces a pressure component to the pin, allowing you to go for a few armbar combinations without any huge risks.
The Art of Taking BJJ Grips Away
So how does all the information in the Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD, regardless of the chaotic nature in which it is organized, help you develop better and more purposeful grips in BJJ?
Well, the first thing you achieve by going for the double sleeve grip is that you take away the opponent’s chance of gripping you. If you control where their arms go, then they can never grip any surface that gives them an edge, putting you firmly in the driver’s seat.
The fact that those gripping configurations work from every aspect of BJJ (guard and passing, standing, pin control, submissions, and sweeps) provides you with a unique opportunity to dominate Gi exchanges. There are no other grip combinations that provide this level of control over an opponent.
The trick, of course, is getting the grips in the first place without providing openings for your opponent to capitalize on. That is where this DVD, and perhaps others like it, come into play – you get a blueprint on how to get the grips and what to do with them, taking all the guesswork out of it.
FULL DOWNLOAD: ALEXANDRE DANTAS DOUBLE SLEEVE GRIP DVD
Get a Grip (or Two)!
The Alexandre Dantas Double Sleeve Grip System DVD is good. It is better than learning Jiu-Jitsu at a GB gym (I’ve learned and taught using the curriculum) in that it will provide you with actionable ways to improve any aspect of your Gigame that you like using just one grip configuration.
In that sense, the best way to use this instructional is to pick a part of your game plan you want to focus on and try to introduce the double sleeve grips system to it. In other words, do not try to follow the DVD volume by volume and only use the grip to play all positions – specialties first so that you can apply what you learn in a small ecosystem to your entire BJJ game.
