Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi DVD providing guard templates covering plenty of attacks and some crucial defensive principles.
- Lots of upper and lower body submissions, clinching, and practical advice on how to play a more catch-wrestling-oriented guard.
- Features a template in each chapter, containing attacks, defenses, and transitional information.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 10 out of 10.
GUARD TEMPLATES ERIK PAULSON DVD GET HERE
The guard gets people stuck in BJJ. Very often, grapplers pick one or two variations and tend to stick with them throughout their careers. While effective, this strategy is far from optimal.
The smarter thing to do is to combine as many of the most effective guards together in a system that is versatile but easy to remember. You’re probably thinking, How can you combine a bunch of different guards and still keep things simple? The Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD has the answers to that.
A Different Approach to Guard
Ever since Royce Gracie tangled up people at the first UFC, the guard has been a position that every respectable martial art and combat sport has added to its systems. Once people figured out they could fight from the back, the whole landscape changed—but some took to this new position more than others.
While most were (and still are) content with copying BJJ’s version of the guard as the only template, others dared to innovate, even back in the early ’90s. Paulson was one of them, incorporating the guard into his already established system of catch wrestling and Judo.
This Erik Paulson Guard DVD delivers a taste of what it’s like to think differently about the guard position, both offensively and when you’re on defense. It also provides a different approach to conceptualizing the game, using templates rather than just stacking moves.
Legendary Cath Wrestling Expert Erik Paulson
Erik Paulson is an American mixed-martial-arts pioneer best known as the first U.S. fighter to win Japan’s Shooto world light-heavyweight title, before transitioning into a full-time coaching career. A Minnesota native (born 1966), he started in Judo as a kid, later cross-training widely and working in film as a stunt performer/actor alongside his competitive years.
As a coach, Paulson founded Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) and STX Kickboxing and runs the CSW Training Center in Fullerton, California. Through CSW, he’s helped develop or cornered elite athletes across eras—names like Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Cub Swanson, and others.
Paulson’s BJJ curriculum—branded “Combat Submission Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”—emphasises pressure passing, transitional submissions, and integration with wrestling and clinch work. He publishes detailed manuals and course material for affiliates and frequently tours for seminars, keeping the coaching network active and consistent.
Paulson has released numerous instructionals over the years, including his recent Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD, which packages his approach into repeatable positional blueprints rather than isolated moves.
Attacking And Defending Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD Review
The Attack and Defense Templates Erik Paulson Guard DVD has “only” two volumes—but that’s more than enough. In almost two hours, it delivers a bunch of super-useful templates to apply immediately to your guard game.
Part 1 — High & Half Guard
This Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD does not contain any standout techniques but rather delivers full templates in each chapter of both volumes. He goes over several different guards here, some staples and others not known to BJJ folks.
The usual suspects include the half guard and closed guard, with the high closed guard being Paulson’s go-to for attacking while staying safe. The “staying safe” part is in terms of passes, but more focused on preventing strikes than specific BJJ sequences.
Lesser-known guard variations include the S guard, the crooked guard, the wedge guard, and the shin guard. From each, Erik covers sweep-submission combos that highlight the optimal attacking options. Transitions between the guards are also covered.
Part 2 — Leg Locks & Tie Ups
In the second portion of the Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD, the focus is more on lower body submissions and MMA-specific tactics. Paulson is one of the top leg lockers in the grappling world, but don’t expect Danaher-like deliberation here—it’s all about snappy, catch-wrestling-inspired finishes.
I particularly liked the tie-up template, which covers clinching from guard as well as from standing exchanges. The trapping template is another to watch out for. A few more half guard classics, like the John Wayne, appear toward the end. Of course, they’re all spiced up with Paulson’s unique insights, making them more effective and less flashy.
Attacking & Defending at Once
Not many people have the ability to use the guard in such a versatile way. It’s a shame, given how many variations the guard has. Why switch between attack and defense when you can simultaneously have both?
All it takes is to change your approach to how you see the guard. Context matters, so once you figure out how to make your guard hard to pass, use that position that makes it impenetrable to launch attacks. Easy, right?
Only in theory. The moment people change from a solid defensive guard to attacks, their defensive structure goes to bits. It happens to seasoned grapplers more than others, and it has more to do with how you perceive your overall guard game than with moves and tactics.
That’s where templates come in. You get to think about which template to apply to a given situation, ending up with a much more versatile game. If you’re using Paulson’s instructional, you’ll be able to shuffle attacking, defensive, and mixed templates, and respond to any situation super effectively.
WATCH A FREE DVD SAMPLE: Attacking And Defending Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD
DOWNLOAD HERE: GUARD TEMPLATES ERIK PAULSON DVD
Play More Guard
The Guard Templates Erik Paulson DVD delivers plenty of food for thought. It also provides an easy-to-follow template for those who like to immediately apply material without thinking too much. It’s one of a kind—but then again, so is Paulson’s entire style. Jump on this fast, because it’s going to give you a huge edge over your opponents.
