Key Takeaways
- A two-part Gi BJJ DVD offering a unique way of combining half guards.
- It breaks down how old-school lapel guards work and how to connect them with modern variations.
- Offers both retention principles and sweep-submission combination attacks.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.
HALF GUARD EVOLUTION RODNEI BARBOSA DVD GET HERE
have you ever thought of mixing together an old-school version of a guard, with a modern-day iteration of that, or even better, another guard of the same category? I’ haven’t either, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the underlying idea of doing exactly that, as it is delivered through the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD.
The two-part instructional is perfect for those who would love to apply this concept to Gi half guards without thinking too much about stuff. For those who are looking for more than a copy-paste game, the DVD also contains a blueprint on how to integrate old-school land new school BJJ positions for a very unpredictable, versatile, and above all, effective game.
The Most Confusing Guard in BJJ
I have plenty of students that love playing half guard. Who doesn’t? Some even have regular private classes scheduled just so they can explore the subject more. The result is an inevitable confusion that arises from all the options they have from the position. Paralysis by analysis, I believe, is what it’s called.
There are so many different variations of the half guard, and so many options from each variation that there is no way someone could hope to master them all in a quest to figure out the best ones to use. However, there is a way to reduce the confusion and introduce some order into the half guard chaos.
I usually like to limit people to two variations of the half guard, ideal ones that they like playing and that fit their goals and abilities. Then, they get the old task of exploring them for months and months, solving all problems that arise.
However, the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD has opened up a new and perhaps even better way of combining half guards – blending old-school methods with modern-day variations. It’s still the same idea of combining two half guards, but the fact they’re from different eras in BJJ turns the tables, confusing the top person instead of the guard player.
Rodnei ‘Roy’ Barbosa
Rodnei Barbosa is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Paulo Rezende. He is a standout competitor with huge accolades to his name, and a big pedigree as a coach. The Brazilian has been dedicated solely to Jiu-Jitsu since the age of 18 when he decided to pursue it as a career.
Born in Formiga, Rodnei started training capoeira as a young kid, aged only 6. which was a common activity in Brazil in the 90s. He discovered BJJ a few years later when he stumbled upon a social project run by Lourenco Nascimento. Barbosa stuck with Nascimento for almost a decade, getting most of his colored belts from him.
Rondei’s success on the mats saw him moving to Poco de Caldas, joining the academy that produced the legendary Marcelo Garcia, as he decided to dedicate full time to BJJ. He lived in a fighter;’s house set up by head coach Rezende, the same as Marcelo Gracia, Matheus Diniz, and Reinaldo Ribeiro.
Since his black belt promotion in 2025, Barbosa has conquered the No-Gi IBJJF Worlds, Abud Dhabi Pro, IBJJF Europeans, and the Brazilian Nationals. With a style rooted in high-quality competitive Jiu-Jitsu, his Rodnei Barbosa Half Guard DVD is one you cannot miss if you are a competitor.
Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD Review
In the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD, Roy offers an interesting way of blending half guards from old-school Jiu-Jitsu with ones that we usually see used these days. Over the course of two hours, he delivers plenty of easily usable material, presented with the Gi:
Part 1 – The Half Guard Single Leg
As this Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD kicks off, Rodnei begins with a throwback to an old way of playing half guard using lapels. He dubs it the single leg half guard, as the control doubles as a great way to control the single leg position from standing as well.
Barbosa goes straight to the system, without lengthy explanations of positioning. He explains a couple of grip combinations from the butterfly guard that allow you to enter the single leg half guard before launching into an explanation of how to use the knee shield for best results.
Sweeps come up next, with different grip combos, one of which is always controlling the lapel that’s around the leg, providing unbalancing opportunities in different directions. Rodeni brings the first part of his DVD to a close presenting the backstep sweep system which is a very original way to end up on top, blending old-school half guard with modern moves such as lockdowns.
Part 2 – Coyote and Lapel Guards
The second part of the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD serves as the bridge that connects the old-school iterations of the half guard with more modern variations and even different guards that work based on lapel control.
Rodnei begins with the popular Coyote guard, exploring how to improve the underhood control by introducing lapels to the mix. He then launches into the usual sweeps, knee bar and back takes that this super-effective guard offers.
Next on Barbosa’s agenda is the worm guard which allows him to connect half guards, such as the Coyote with open guards, such as the Worm simply by sticking to lapel control. He uses the single leg half guard as the bridge that allows easy transitions into either the K guard for those preferring leg locks, or the Worm Guard with all the crazy sweeps it has to offer, some of which Brabosa covers in this portion of the instructional.
Old School To New School
The dichotomy of different generations does not skip BJJ as an ecosystem. We see people who have trained for ages swear by the old-school Gracie-style moves and tactics, claiming that’s exactly what allowed them to train without restrictions.
On the other side, we have modern-day kids, those who have grown up with BJJ available in digital learning platforms, and seminars and are used to having a new technique go viral every week. This bunch usually has little regard for the OG Jiu-Jitsu, claiming all they need is the modern stuff.
At the end of the day, if you take a look at any of the top grapplers of our time, you’ll see that they (or their coaches) manage to blend the best aspects of new and old-school BJJ to develop a crazy effective game that can beat people from any generation.
If you’re interested in applying this methodology to your half guard game, opting for the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD as your primary resource is a great idea. It is straightforward and will allow you to understand how the process of blending OG and modern Jiu-Jitsu works, allowing you to expand on the concepts it covers.
DOWNLOAD HERE: HALF GUARD EVOLUTION RODNEI BARBOSA DVD
Next Level Half Guard!
A great way to level up your half guard is to mix in some old-school effective versions of the guard with a modern-day variation that best suits your game. There’s hardly a better way to introduce versatility and depth to your half guard game, and the Half Guard Evolution Rodnei Barbosa DVD is a great guide to set you on that path!
