Key Takeaways
- A three-part BJJ DVD bundle containing Tom DeBlass’ Gi and No-Gi half gaurd systems.
- Features use of different half guard variations, combining them into an attacking system and details on passing.
- 7+ hours of details on half guard sweeps, submissions, leg lock entries and recovery.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
HALF DOMINATION TOM DEBLASS BUNDLE AVAILABLE HERE!!!
The Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle is the rootkit for learning half guard – there’s no way around it. Even if you go about putting together a half guard game a different way, you’ll end up with a lot of the same things that are boiled down in this one.
Why start with the bundle? Well, for starters, Tom is both a competitor and the coach of some of the most high-level grapplers out there. Secondly, he has proven his system works, as he became renowned for being the guy whose guard was not passed for years, even by expert passers.
Interested to learn more? Go through the detailed review of the bundle we offer below.
Half Guard Master Tom DeBlass
The man who is such a stand-up fellow that he completely divides the BJJ World. People either love or hate Tom DeBlass, and it is all because he is a great guy — too great for some people.
His personality and attempts to right every wrong in the world aside, Tom’s Jiu-Jitsu skills are beyond a doubt some of the very best in the world. He is not just a high-level black belt, promoted by Ricardo Almeida, but also one of the top teachers in the sport.
Let’s not forget that both Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon are originally Tom’s students, with the latter being promoted to black belt by DeBlass. Having fought at the highest level of Gi and No-Gi in the early 2000s, as well as in the UFC and Bellator, DeBlass has more extensive competitive experience.
Most of his game is based on effectiveness and moves that work not just at every level, but also for grapplers of all ages. The half guard is one particular strong side of Tom’s game, to the point that he, at one point, spent years without having his guard passed once, in training or competition.
Paints a pretty clear picture of what you get in the Tom DeBlass Half Domination DVD Bundle.
Full Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle Review
The Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle contains everything you need to figure out the half guard- top and bottom. He covers Gi and No-Gi applications in this bundle.
Half Domination DVD — AVAILABLE HERE
Subject Matter:
Tom’s first instructional of the bundle targets the half guard as an attacking position that offers not just sweeps, but also leg locks. Passing principles and a short seminar on retention also find their way into this one.
Key Points Covered:
The first DVD of the Half Domination Bundle Tom DeBlass instructional, is also one of Tom’s first digital BJJ releases. In it, he covers his versatile half guard game, which somehow spans to include stuff inspired by Renzo Gracie, all the way to Eddie Bravo 10P moves.
In this No-Gi DVD, DeBlass starts off with the Z-guard, talking about the different ways you can set up your shield and how to make the most out of underhooks. He also shares several directions of attacks, based on whether you’re going towards the near or side leg.
Waiter sweeps feature heavily, along with some great options to get out from the smashed half, sweeping in different directions. Tom also pioneered the use of the half butterfly to leg locks in this DVD, adding a whole layer of attacks to the guard.
DeBlass also talks top half guard in this instructional, sharing some of his thoughts on how to beat the guard he loves to play. He ends in a very original way, providing a 30-minute-long guard retention workshop that’s essentially a full-blown seminar in its own.
Technical DVD specifications:
The Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle is a No-Gi instructional with four different volumes, the last of which contains the aforementioned retention seminar. The total running time of the DVD is just over two hours.
Half Guard Domination 2.0 DVD — GET IT HERE
Subject Matter:
The second part of the Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle is literally the continuation of the first, bearing the same name. It addresses the same attacking aspects of the half guard, but this time, with the Gi on.
Key Points Covered:.
Tom DeBlass starts off with deep grips in this one, sharing his system of attacking with the cross collar grip. The routes he takes are those of sweeping, choking with collars (loop choke), and getting to the back. He also covers a lot of reactions your opponent might have, and how to deal with them, answering questions before you know you have them.
One of the best parts of this DVD is the section covering how to attack a defensive opponent who is stalling rather than trying to pass. Lots of levitation into Ashi Garami features here, along with some interesting uses of lapels from the bottom half to prevent passing.
X Guard and butterfly guard combos are dissected and explained by Tom, as well as he leaves the half guard for short periods, looking to pounce on submission opportunities created by common passes. The collar sleeve half guard system wraps this DVD up.
Technical DVD specifications: Four more volumes added to the Half Domination Bundle Tom DeBlass, offering Gi alternatives and variations, and providing another two and a half hours of material.
Deep Half Guard Domination DVD — FULL DOWNLOAD
Subject Matter:
Finally, Tom arrives at one of his bread and butter positions — the deep half guard. This is the position that guarantees a ‘lazy’ Jiu-jitsu player with guard success, but it does come at a somewhat high technical price.
Key Points Covered:
You can only play the deep half guard if you know what you’re doing and already understand the ins and outs of shallower half guard variations, already explored in the Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle.
In this final instructional of the pack, DeBlass addresses how to get to the deep half guard and how to immediately sweep using underhooks and the super-effective Waiter sweep. Lots of reversals feature in this one, taking you toward the back door, the lower leg, or into a very cool leg trap.
Receive scenarios, based on the top person’s actions, are also covered, making it easy to deal with stalling partners, heavy sprawls, and back take attempts. The final part of this Tom DeBlass half guard DVD is all about recovering the deep half against passes and linking it to other, more offensive guards such as the DLR and Z-Guard.
Technical DVD specifications:
Tom sticks to the four-volume format for each of his three contributions toward the Tom DeBlass Half Domination DVD Bundle. The instructional covering deep half guard is the longest in the bunch, offering just under three hours of material.
The Unbeatable Half Guard Idea
How do you develop a half guard that is unbreakable? You need to think outside the box for that one, but you don’t have to look outside the half guard box to achieve it. Confusing, I know, but allow me to clear it up.
If you base your entire half guard game, Gi and No-Gi, on just one half guard variation, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Let’s say you only play the butterfly half guard as your main guard while rolling and competing.
There’s only so much that this guard can offer — it’s an inside guard, meaning it provides levitation for sweeps and around to leg locks. If the top person can find a way to kill off these two routes, you’re stranded, and most likely, very easy to pass.
If you add another half guard variation to your game, such as the Z-guard, you’re now both opening a door to different attacks (upper body submissions and more sweeps) and building another wall to prevent passes.
If you are versatile enough to also include the deep half and smashed half guard options, you now have a very effective recovery strategy, applied with super-sneaky attacks that lead to the back.
So, the perfect half guard? The one that includes many different half guard variations, as you can add, without overcomplicating things. The Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle has the perfect balance of variety and effectiveness for building a slick and dangerous half guard game.
HALF DOMINATION TOM DEBLASS BUNDLE DOWNLOAD
It Only Takes Half!
Stick to the half guard. It is a great position to conserve your energy in, while staving off attacks and setting up your own offensive options. Playing a half guard game is just as tactical as it is technical — both of which are covered in great detail in the Half Domination Tom DeBlass DVD Bundle. If I had to build a half guard game all over again, I’d start here.
