Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD offering a very detailed back escape system.
- Provides options on dealing with the supine back mount, seated back mount, and the body triangle, among others.
- Contains several very effective and surprising counters, addresses transitions, but fails in the turtle escapes portion.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.
NINJA ESCAPES KENTA IWAMOTO DVD GET HERE

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a BJJ escapes DVD. The Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD kind of took me by surprise, seeing as my perception of Iwamoto is of a submission artist rather than an escape aficionado.
That said, I love seeing well-rounded grapplers pull surprisingly effective systems out of the sleeves of their rashguards, which is exactly what Iwamoto did with this DVD. If the back mount is your trouble position, this instructional will help — just remember to stay out of the turtle, or look into another DVD for effective bottom turtle strategies.
The Best Kind of Escape
Is the one that works. Apart from that, there is another category of escapes that works perfectly in BJJ — the category of moves that get you out of tight spots long before it is apparent to the opponent that you’re safe. These are the ones you should be after.
Escaping is an end-range move in BJJ, meaning that after you complete it, the position is not going to be the same as before. Naturally, opponents controlling you would like to keep the status quo, so they’ll be doing their best to avoid such huge shifts in positioning.
The art of subtly rendering a position, move, or both useless while not appearing to be out of danger is the top tier of escape artistry in Jiu-Jitsu. There are not many people in the BJJ world capable of that, and I’m not really sure that Kenta Iwamoto is one of them. However, his Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD does contain some moves and concepts that align with this “subtle escapes” philosophy.
Perpetual ADCC Trials Winner Kenta Iwamoto
You know who Kenta Iwamoto is; you’re just not sure where you know the name from.
Kenta is the man who has won 3 back-to-back ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials, even though he hasn’t quite won the main thing yet. Known as the man who always wins ADCC Trials, Iwamoto is a part of the B-Team these days, trying to at least finish second.
Kenta discovered BJJ at 19, already holding a black belt in Judo. It didn’t take long for Iwamoto to transition completely to the Gentle Art, opting to develop under the Tri-Force banner and forging a relationship with Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa.
Nomadic by nature, Kenta went on to split his training between the USA and Japan, opting for the B-Team on one side of the Pacific and Paraestra on the other. He got his black belt in 2023 from Yusuke Honma.
Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD Review
The Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD is a three-part instructional outlining useful No-Gi strategies for escaping the back mount, common submissions from the position, and countering recovery tactics:
Part 1 – Back Escapes
The title of this instructional might be Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD, but it doesn’t say anywhere that the position Kenta covers in it is the back mount, with all associated variations.
This becomes apparent from the first chapter in the first volume, as Iwamoto explains his concept before demonstrating a complete back escape. He then breaks down this demonstration into several elements that make up his means of escape, offering accompanying concepts along the way.
What you get to learn in this opening DVD is how to deal with the body triangle from the back by focusing on hip angles and elbow placement, how to attach, and eventually turn to your opponent to escape. Tactics like switching sides, rolling through, and addressing the RNC also feature.
Part 2 – Just Stand Up
Part two of the Kenta Iwamoto Escapes DVD is all about a situation never really covered in back escape classes — the double-seated position. While rare, at least in terms of spending any considerable amount of time in it, the position does occur constantly during back control battles.
Kenta goes into several different ways of getting folks off your back by focusing on hip movement again. Heisting, lifting, and rolling feature again, along with different attachments, this time favoring the lower body.
Part 3 – Turtle Reversals
The final part of the Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD is all about getting out of the turtle position. It is a popular subject these days, and Iwamoto does not bring too much to the table with this portion of his instructional.
Most of the usual culprits, such as dumping people, half-sits, four-point switching, and rolling through, feature. Like in the previous two volumes, there are plenty of technical details in here, but unlike his material so far, Iwamoto does not provide any context here.
I find that the cartwheeling has no place at all unless you’re looking to end up in a worse position or injured. The Granby is the better option and might be the best part about this final volume.
The Most Important Thing in Grappling
Nope, it is not escaping. It does matter, but it’s not all about escaping. Nor is it about finishing. The key ability to develop in grappling is to remain calm under pressure. This does not happen unless you have an exit strategy, which is where escapes play a crucial role.
Imagine this: you’re grappling, and you go for your favorite takedown that leads straight into your highest-percentage sub. You’ve drilled it a thousand times, and you tend to get it. However, you miss it from time to time, and those times are the ones where you get smashed.
Sounds familiar? I know — it used to happen to me too. Then I decided to focus on defense, and what happened as a result was, my offense became that much better. It turns out, when you’re confident you can get out of the worst spots in BJJ, you tend to be willing to take more risks with your offense. Now you understand how the Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD can completely change your game.
FREE DVD PREVIEW: Ninja Escapes Kenta DVD Review
DOWNLOAD HERE: NINJA ESCAPES KENTA IWAMOTO DVD
Ninja Escapes!
You might not quite look like a ninja escaping back mount using the tactics and techniques from the Ninja Escapes Kenta Iwamoto DVD, but at least you’ll squeeze out! You’ll probably look more like a drunken ninja turtle, but you’ll be on top and ready to avenge all those minutes spent between the opponent’s hooks.
CJI 2 Free on YouTube: Craig Jones Keeps Grappling’s Most Valuable Event Open to All
B-Team Breaks Its Own Code: Why Jay Rods Ban Matters More Than Just the Headlines
6 Most Essential Skills Connection Dima Murovanni DVD Review [2025]


![Darce Choke Encyclopedia – Origins, Mechanics and Variations [2025] BJJ, choke, Brabo, BJJ Darce Choke, D'arce Choke, Darce BJJ Choke](https://bjj-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/JungPoirierLeeYahoo-218x150.jpg)




























