Those Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners that are past the 30 years of age mark are considered to be masters. In competitive terms, there area few Masters’ divisions, at increments of 5 years. Feelings of youth aside, these divisions are there for a very good reason. The average 40-year-old grappler cannot even think about competing at the same level as those in their twenties. The adult divisions are full of beasts in their prime that are just waiting to tear some master grappler apart. That said, masters are free to sing up for adult categories if they wish to test themselves. Whatever the case might be, Masters need a pinpoint strategy in order to stay safe and emerge victoriously. Such a strategy is not hard to develop, with the right tools. A good collection of BJJ DVD instructionals for Masters is one of those tools.
One of the first things that Masters’ have to accept is that they need a different approach than that of the young guns in the academy. Health becomes an issue because of multiple reasons. It is not just age, but also the training experience and the nature of the sport that predisposes people over 30 to injuries. There is a way around that (to an extent) but it requires careful planning and accountability. Not the two most prevalent characteristics of grapplers. Still, on the subject of health, cutting weight becomes more difficult with every passing year, while adding to it becomes a breeze. Rethinking weight categories is a big must for older grappling martial arts competitors.
The Best instructionals for Masters
From a technical standpoint, Masters do have experience on their side. Even if it is not Jiu-Jitsu experience on the mats, it’s life experience in general. That, however, does not guarantee that they’ll be smart about their mat behavior. The smart approach has to be the number one selection criteria for DVD instructionals for Masters divisions competitors. The best bet for Masters is to be highly efficient while being completely comfortable. Furthermore, every move needs to be done with the least amount of energy possible.
Movement is as important for the Masters as it is to white belts in BJJ. Every little movement has to have a clear purpose, otherwise, the effectiveness is not going to be there. Without effectiveness, a role or a match is soon going to turn into a very one-sided affair, and not in favor of the Master grappler. The defining trait of effectiveness is simplicity. It is the one most important characteristic of any worthwhile DVD Instructionals For Masters Divisions out there. Leave the flying Berimbolos to the young guns. Go for the Old school moves that have been proven effective over and over again for generations.
Daniel Beleza: The Masters Guard DVD
If there’s one position that is of the utmost importance for senior grapplers, it is the closed guard. Fighting from the bottom is never easy, but the full guard allows BJJ players to avoid being smashed while attacking. It is not hard to see why it is tailor-made for Masters, especially the older ones.
We kick off our top picks collection of DVD instructionals for Masters Divisions with a very appropriately named closed guard release. Daniel Beleza has been a BJJ black belt for almost two decades and certainly knows what the best game for Masters is. In his 3 DVD set keeps things simple and offensive. Given the high control of the closed guard, this approach is a very smart one for any BJJ player over 30. Beleza’s BJJ guard game is very submission oriented, with a very heavy emphasis on the loop choke. Apart from plenty of loop choking options, Masters are going to benefit profoundly from the array of armlocks, triangles, and armbars demonstrated in this instructional.
Chris Hauter: Old School Efficient BJJ DVD
Mr. Old Scholl himself, the Dirty Dozen member sure knows what it is to be a Master grappler in more sense than one. Hauter is a very distinct grappler and world class black belt for more than 20 years. His BJJ approach is as close to the original Gracie Jiu-JItsu as possible. Chris favors the battle-tested moves that give him comfort and control from every position in BJJ. Now, he shares them with you in his DVD instructional series.
Just as the name suggests, Hauter’s Jiu-Jitsu is as effective as BJJ can get. The one theme you’re going to notice through this article is the focus on closed guard. Once again, the closed guard is the starting point of a Masters’ BJJ strategy. Hauter’s DVD, however, does not dwell on one position only He offers options from everywhere, top, bottom and all the position in between. He also has a complete volume dedicated to strategies for dominating the Masters’ divisions. It’s a strong contender for the best of our bunch of DVD instructionals for Masters Divisions.
Neil Melanson: The Ground Marshall Guard DVD
Staying on course with the proficiency of the full guard for OG grapplers, we bring you a different option, thanks to Neil Melanson. The famous coach is a true representative of the Master division grapplers himself, although a No-Gi one, in contrast to the previous two. What Neil offers Masters in his set is the ability to destroy everyone from the guard in both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-JItsu.
The ground marshall guard is a rubber-guard looking type of guard that keeps the opponent’s posture broken at all times. The trick is in keeping control of it throughout a match, and Neil does a great job of explaining how. The submission options are both unorthodox and very high percentage, which is usually considered impossible. This is mainly due to the original setups of only the highest percentage submission like the triangle choke and the Kimura. It’s a gem of a DVD instructional for Masters.
Bernardo Faria: High Percentage Submissions DVD
Although Bernardo Faria has not reached the Master’s divisions yet, he’s definitely more than prepared to do it. His game is a very methodical and patient one, based on pressure, efficiency and tactics. All of those are available through his numerous DVD sets, but only one stands out as a Masters must-have.
Faria’s High Percentage Submissions set is pure genius. He focuses solely on those submissions that work. Triangles, armbars, and chokes are all there, with Faria’s original recipes for tapping opponents out sprinkled in between. Scarf chokes, a few wrist locks, and a Toe Hold or two are going to bring diversity to your Masters game. Get the DVD. You won’t be sorry!
One more young gun that can help the old guys. The Australian black belt stand-out’s material is the stuff of dreams in terms of DVD instructionals for Masters. Leg locks are always a good idea for older grapplers, and even more so when hunted from the bottom.
Craig’s instructions are very detailed, simple and perfectly structured. his approach leaves no space for an escape whatsoever, with re-counters to every possible leg lock counter. Your Masters’ full guard strategies are failing you? Fuck it, go for a leg lock! At least, with Craig’s help, you’ll be certain of getting the tap.
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