Key Takeaways
- Best for: blue belt and up (and coaches), especially top players who already live in mount/side control and want sneaky, safe finishes.
- Big strength: wrist locks are taught as a system that connects to armbars, S-mount, kimuras, and chokes, not as random party tricks.
- What’s inside: 4 volumes, just under 2.5 hours, with direct “from position → finish → transition” structure.
- Potential downside: if you want lots of stand-up wrist lock entries or a massive troubleshooting library, this course is relatively compact.
- Training note: wrist locks can feel “cheap” if applied fast—this course works best when you also commit to control, pacing, and partner safety.
- BJJ World Rating: 8/10
ART OF THE WRIST LOCK ANDRE GALVAO DVD DOWNLOAD
If your mental image of wrist locks is “grab and hope,” Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD goes the opposite direction. Galvão’s approach is: stabilize first, isolate the arm, and make the wrist lock the logical outcome of dominant control.
A big reason this works is psychological: most grapplers defend armbars, kimuras, and chokes on autopilot—but they don’t always build strong wrist awareness. When you’re already pinning shoulders, limiting hip movement, and forcing bad frames, the wrist becomes a surprisingly available finish.
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Just as importantly, the course constantly hints at a rule-of-thumb that experienced people already know: wrist locks aren’t magic… they’re a multiplier on good Jiu-Jitsu. If your mount is loose, your wrist locks will be loose. If your chest pressure and arm isolation are sharp, the wrist lock shows up everywhere.
Wrist locks have a reputation problem, and honestly… sometimes it’s deserved. The fix is simple: train them the same way you train heel hooks with beginners—slow, controlled, and with clear expectations.
If you want a clean, modern wrist lock system that won’t wreck your training room relationships (as long as you apply it responsibly), the Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD is a strong pick.
About The Instructor: André Galvão
André Galvao is one of the most decorated competitors of his era and a major figure in modern Jiu-Jitsu, both as an athlete and coach. He’s a black belt under Luis “Careca” Dagmar, has trained extensively with Fernando Tererê, and is widely known for elite-level success in both Gi and No-Gi, including major IBJJF and ADCC accomplishments.
He’s also the co-founder and head coach of Atos Jiu-Jitsu, and his broader combat sports résumé includes professional MMA experience and competition ties recognized by organizations like ONE Championship.
The key point for this specific topic: Galvao’s game has always been rooted in pressure, control, and transitions. That matters because wrist locks only become “high percentage” when they’re attached to that kind of structure.
Detailed Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD Review
Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD is organized into 4 volumes, and it’s refreshingly direct: each chapter is basically a position + a wrist lock variation + a natural follow-up. Total runtime comes in at just under 2 hours 30 minutes, so you’re not committing to a 9-hour rabbit hole.
Volume 1: Fundamentals & Wrist Locks From Mount
Volume 1 starts with framing the wrist lock as a real submission—not a novelty—and then quickly moves into mount. The early tips section matters more than it sounds: Galvão’s finishing emphasis is on timing and leverage, not muscling the hand.
The mount sequence is where the course first shows its personality: wrist locks aren’t presented as isolated finishes; they’re positioned as a way to punish predictable frames, force defensive reactions, and open clean pathways to S-mount and armbar finishes.
If you’re already a mount hunter, this volume gives you a tidy upgrade: you don’t need to change your whole game—just add a new branch that makes your mount attacks harder to predict.
Volume 2: Mouse Trap And Shoulder Pin Attacks
As the DVD goes on, it expands the same philosophy into tighter pinning structures. The names are fun, but the value is serious: these attacks are built around immobilizing the shoulder line, which makes wrist manipulation far more reliable.
This is where Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD starts feeling especially useful for coaching: the sequences are easy to turn into positional rounds because they’re built from common training positions (mount and side control).
The kimura wrist lock portion also fits perfectly into modern grappling logic: if you already threaten kimuras, this gives you another finish/transition that can appear when opponents over-defend the obvious grip battle.
Volume 3: Back Control Links & Closed Guard Wrist Locks
The third part is a nice change of pace: it connects wrist locks to back control and then spends meaningful time in closed guard.
Back control wrist locks often sound weird until you see them: they’re not reach and pray moves—they show up when someone is fighting hands in predictable patterns. The key takeaway is that wrist locks become more realistic when your opponent is forced to keep their hands in a narrow defensive lane.
The closed guard section is arguably the most classic Jiu-Jitsu part of the entire course. It includes both Steven Seagal-style naming and practical mechanics that fit naturally alongside collar grips, posture breaks, and cross-choke threats.
If your guard game already includes cross chokes and armbars, you’ll find the wrist locks here feel like a logical add-on, not a separate skill set.
Volume 4: Wrist Locks From Chokes, Crucifix, and Food For Thought
Finally, Andre delivers the expansion pack volume—more positions, more variety, and a more creative feel without drifting into gimmicks.
The triangle and cross-choke-linked wrist locks are especially important because they reinforce a big principle: wrist locks show up when an opponent’s hand must post or frame, and those moments happen constantly in chokes and triangles.
The crucifix wrist lock material is short but interesting—crucifix control is already a handcuff-style position, so wrist attacks make intuitive sense there.
Galvão closes with a food for thought segment that functions like a reminder of the course’s main message: wrist locks work best when you treat them as part of a complete control-and-submission chain, not as a random surprise.
How To Add Wrist Locks Without Being “That Guy”
A few themes keep repeating throughout Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD, and they’re what separates this from “wrist lock highlight reel” content:
- Control before crank: most finishes are built after the opponent’s posture/frames are compromised.
- Chain finishing: wrist locks constantly connect to armbars, kimuras, and chokes, which makes them more reliable.
- Position-based entries: you’re rarely “hunting the wrist” from nowhere—you’re applying it from mount, side control, back control, or guard where you already have structure.
- Timing beats strength: the best moments aren’t when you squeeze harder; they’re when the opponent leans, posts, or turns at the wrong time.
This is why the instructional feels suited for real training rooms: it rewards good Jiu-Jitsu habits instead of replacing them. You’ll get more taps and fewer annoyed training partners.
GET IT NOW: THE ART OF THE WRIST LOCK ANDRE GALVAO DVD
Who This Is For (And Who Should Skip It)
You’ll benefit most from this Andre Galvao Wrist Lock DVD if you are:
- A blue belt (or above) looking for legit wrist locks that fit inside normal positional grappling,
- A top player who spends a lot of time in mount and side control,
- A coach who wants a clean set of wrist lock options that won’t turn class into chaos,
- A grappler whose submission game already includes armbars/kimuras and wants better finishing branches.
You might skip it if you’re a brand-new white belt still learning basic control and finishing mechanics, or you only want standing wrist locks and self-defense style flow (this course is mostly ground-based and position-based). Also, if you prefer ultra-long instructionals with endless troubleshooting trees, this is not the DVD for you.
Pros and Potential Drawbacks
Pros
- High-percentage, position-first approach that makes wrist locks feel “earned,” not cheesy.
- Excellent chaining into common submissions (armbar/kimura/chokes), so you’re not gambling on one finish.
- Clear structure and pacing: easy to study, easy to drill, easy to teach.
- Practical selection of positions: mount, side control, back, closed guard, triangle—no weird, low-rep stuff.
Potential Drawbacks / Limitations
- Compact runtime: great for learning quickly, but not a massive encyclopedia.
- Less emphasis on stand-up wrist lock entries compared to what some people expect from a wrist lock-focused title.
- Training culture factor: Some academies are weird about wrist locks—your ability to apply this may depend on how your room trains.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
The Art of The Wrist Lock Andre Galvao DVD does what a good specialty instructional should do: it gives you a focused skill set that plugs into positions you already hit in rolling. The best part is that it doesn’t sell wrist locks as magic—it shows how they become consistent when you attach them to dominant control and smart chaining.
