Key Takeaways
- A Gi BJJ DVD detailing one of the most effective iterations of the closed guard in the history of BJJ.
- Contains upper and lower body submission attacks, sweeps, and combinations.
- Features plenty of lapel-based moves, tried and tested by Roger Gracie himself.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
ROGER GRACIE CLOSED GUARD SYSTEM DVD AVAILABLE HERE:
How long could you last in a roll with a world champion? Yeah, I thought so, and even that thought you just had is very generous. So, is there any hope whatsoever for those not training since they were in diapers to be competitive against people who’ve grown up in the sport?
Yes, there is. It is only a hope, but it exists nonetheless. It lies in the fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu, such as the closed guard, half guard, Kimuras, triangles, and Gi chokes. In other words, a simple game, just like the one depicted in the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD. A fundamentally simple guard game by one of the best ever, that might even help you win things if you use it right. Interested?
A World Class Closed Guard
There is a closed guard, and then there is the Roger Gracie closed guard. We always talk about how there are levels to BJJ, but if it takes seeing Roger dismantle world-class athletes and even world-champion black belts with decades of experience using the position to truly grasp this concept.
The good news about developing such a game, from everywhere, is that anyone can do it. The bad news is that you are behind, and will always be someone who has decided to specialize in the field and is sticking to it.
However, that doesn’t mean that you need to start at the same spot as Roger did. If you want to develop a closed guard that is head and shoulders above the game of anyone in your gym, start where Roger ended.
In all honesty, you’ll still need years to make everything work against anyone and pull it off even when your opponents know what’s coming. However, you won’t need decades, which is a huge leap forward. All you need is the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD.
The Most Dominant Grappler Ever
Rickson and Royce Gracie are definitely names from the family that are always going to be remembered as brawlers in the combat sports world. Renzo remains the most charismatic and nutty of the family, but also the one with the best legacy in terms of academy products over the years.
However, it is the seemingly quiet and reserved Roger Gracie that is arguably, the greatest Gracie ever. Well, at least when it comes to actual Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
While all the other Gracie family members I mentioned above made their name in MMA, Roger dominated BJJ in a way nobody could replicate to this day. Finishing all opponents with submissions in both the IBJJF Worlds and the ADCC remains a feat that we haven’t seen anyone pull off since Roger did.
Granted, he also had his run in MMA, with a record of 8-2, but his focus has always been on grappling. The most impressive thing about Roger’s game is that he is the grandmaster of simplicity – he can collar choke anyone (literally) from the closed guard, for example.
The value of having a dangerous game based on the simplicity (and functionality) of fundamentals is huge, but the ability to achieve this level can only happen if you dedicate your life to being on the mats. If you want to see an example of the summary of a lifetime of high-level fundamentals, the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD is a must!
Roger Gracie DVD Review: The Roger Gracie Closed Guard System
A four-part Gi BJJ instructional delivering details about the closed guard that only Roger Gracie can provide. What you get with the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD is two hours of super-high-quality material delivered by the GOAT of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Part 1 – Chokes
There is not a single chapter of this Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. In line with his calm and organized personality, Roeger delivers a very precise and immaculately put-together breakdown of literally everything you’ll ever need to know about the closed guard.
In the opening volume, he addresses the importance of being able to keep people in the closed guard for as long as you desire. He then directs his attention to explaining his favorite chokes from the position.
The cross-collar choke, as expected, is the first, and gets lots of attention. Roger explains more about it in 15 minutes of this instructional than all other BJJ DVDs do put together. He follows up on it with lapel choke variations which we haven’t seen him use in competition, but appear to be airtight.
Part 2 – Arm Locks
Not my personal forte, as I still avoid attacking arm locks, especially from the guard. However, I did understand some aspects of these attacks that I never considered before, such as connecting arm lock submission threats along the entire length of the arm.
This part of the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD will teach you how to attack every joint, from the wrist to the shoulder, using devastatingly effective finishes, both of the straight and bent arm varieties. Once again, the lapels emerge as an extra method of control during Roger’s arm lock setups and finishes.
Part 3 – Sweeps
Another unstoppable part of Roger Gracie’s game is his sweeps. Over the course of 30 minutes in the third part of the Roger Gracie Closed Guard DVD, he outlines the key aspects of his favorite ways to get on top.
The material here includes the Omoplata sweep, leg and arm sweep, and Roger’s signature sweeps, which most people refer to as the Roger Gracie sweep. He also offers a powerful scissor and hook sweep combo that creates so many options regarding submission follow-ups, that you’ll consider abandoning all other sweeps in your game.
A welcome surprise in this part of the Roger Gracie closed guard system instructional is a slick kneebar setup off the Lumberjack sweep.
Part 4 -Combinations
The final part is about all those who like complicated things. In all honesty, the moves here are still very fundamental, but making the combinations work is going to take time and experience, which makes them seem more complex than they actually are.
The final part of the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD offers combination attacks featuring the lapels, focusing on isolating an arm to achieve different upper body finishes. On top of that, Roger also shares his crucial concepts from the closed guard, explaining how he approaches problem-solving from the position during live exchanges.
The Ultimate Surprise in BJJ
I’ll use a short story about my personal experiences to outline why you need to keep the closed guard, and similar foundational positions warm and ready, even if they’re not your primary game.
In almost 15 years of BJJ, I’ve gone through a bunch of ‘signature’ positions. Shoulder guard, tornado guard, RDL, half butterfly, lockdown, X guard… the list is long. Expanding that, I also did tons of Darces, leg locks, guillotines, arm triangles, truck attacks, cradles, defensive BJJ postures, etc. Basically, everything that was fun and, oftentimes, popular.
Fast forward to the last few years, post-pandemic, and my game started to become a lot more ‘basic’. Fancy guards made way for the closed guard and the super-fundamental open guard, the crucifix became my best pinning position, and the triangle my main submission. BJJ simplified.
The thing is, as years go by, regardless of how athletic you are (I did breakdancing, gymnastics, lifted weights, sprinted, etc.) your body simply doesn’t want to play ball any longer. In my case, I was only familiar with stuff like the triangle and crucifix and had to start at the beginning.
Imagine if I worked on them as I did all my other research. No doubt, I would’ve had next-level experience with them, and my body would not object to using them. If I could rewind time, I’d use resources like the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD from day one.
FULL DOWNLOAD: ROGER GRACIE CLOSED GUARD SYSTEM DVD
Airtight Closed Guard!
There is a moment where you can see on the face of your opponent that they’re not comfortable in a certain position, such as the closed guard. After a dozen attempts to get out or counter fail, the time for your attacking game is ripe. Understandably, to actually succeed with attacks you need to know what you’re doing. This is where the Roger Gracie Closed Guard System DVD comes in, delivering an airtight closed guard game for Gi Jiu-Jitsu. Enough said.
