Learning grappling for Mixed Martial Arts can be very difficult, but fortunately there are several fantastic instructionals focused on either BJJ or wrestling for MMA. It’s not enough to simply learn those two sports on their own, as the difference in rules for MMA change the battle dramatically. The ability to strike on the feet changes the art of taking someone down and adding strikes on the ground is something every grappler must adapt to in order to succeed. The introduction of the cage wall also gives competitors a whole new dimension of grappling to learn both standing and on the ground, and both offensively and defensively.
10 Best BJJ And Wrestling For MMA Instructionals
5 Best BJJ For MMA Instructionals
Although BJJ was the original martial art to have success in MMA, wrestling has since dominated the sport and the number of instructionals available reflect that. The majority of them focus in wrestling, but those that have managed to make BJJ work well in MMA are some of the best grapplers in the world. That means that your options might be limited if this is what you’re looking for, but most of them have fantastic content.
Neiman Gracie – Modern Jiu-Jitsu For MMA
Neiman Gracie is a veteran MMA fighter with a ton of submission wins and a very successful run in the welterweight division at Bellator. His instructional is structured really well, and it actually starts with several methods of getting to the clinch from either offensive or defensive striking situations. He then goes on to explain how to take an opponent down from that position and use strikes on the ground to pass guard. It’s only in the final section that he explains his choice of submissions from both top and bottom, but collectively this is a great overview of how to win in MMA as a BJJ competitor.
Click here to check out Neiman Gracie – Modern Jiu-Jitsu For MMA.
Rafael Lovato Jr – The Darkside of Jiu Jitsu: MMA Grappling Mastery
Rafael Lovato Jr was an elite BJJ competitor first and foremost but he also went undefeated in MMA and submitted the majority of his opponents. This instructional is focused more around what to do once you’re already on the ground, but he goes into incredible detail on it. Lovato Jr explains how to stay safe on the bottom while either submitting, sweeping, or standing up first of all. Then he spends the second half of the instructional going through a variety if different top positions and explaining how to strike effectively while maintaining full control and ultimately working towards either a TKO or submission finish.
Click here to check out Rafael Lovato Jr – The Darkside of Jiu Jitsu: MMA Grappling Mastery.
Fabricio Werdum – The Progressive Guard For MMA
Fabricio Werdum is probably the most successful BJJ to MMA transition in modern history, as he has managed to win world titles in the IBJJF, ADCC, and the UFC. His instructional is focused solely on being offensive from the bottom, and it all revolves around the constant threat of submissions from guard. This is the exact style he used in his career and he breaks down every aspect of it in great detail. He has a fantastic section on open guard retention tactics that can’t be found anywhere else, along with some unique insight into defending against soccer kicks as well.
Click here to check out Fabricio Werdum – The Progressive Guard For MMA.
Devin Powell – BJJ For MMA: Cage Wall
Devin Powell is both a BJJ black belt and a UFC veteran, with over a decade of experience in both sports. He covers both taking the fight to the ground and what to do when you get there, with some great insights in both sections. Powell is a great teacher too, and he goes into enough depth for experienced grapplers while also breaking down the basics for new starters. He demonstrates a great series of takedowns right at the beginning and one of the highlights is his focus on the uchi mata and options branching off from it in the later sections
Click here to check out Devin Powell – BJJ For MMA: Cage Wall.
Gabriel Gonzaga – Old School BJJ For MMA
Gabriel Gonzaga was also an IBJJF World Championship winner who had a successful career in the UFC, all the way up to getting a shot at the title there. As a heavyweight, he uses more of the traditional style of Jiu-Jitsu that lends itself well to MMA because it focuses on control and positional dominance more than anything else. He starts out with explaining the conceptual approach of making BJJ work in MMA, and he even demonstrates how to pull guard effectively. One of the most valuable elements of this instructional is the fact that Gonzaga shares an overview of pretty much every position on the ground.
Click here to check out Gabriel Gonzaga – Old School BJJ For MMA.
5 Best Wrestling For MMA Instructionals
Although BJJ was the original dominant martial art in MMA, wrestling has since proven to be vital to success in the sport and instructionals on it can be incredibly useful. Many elite wrestlers have now made the transition to MMA and they’ve already gone through hours of practice in order to refine what they do to work with strikes involved. With that in mind, it makes sense to learn directly from them and skip that painstaking process yourself.
Georges St-Pierre – The Science Of Ground And Pound
Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest MMA fighters in the history of the sport and his wrestling was a huge part of many of his wins. He also used his elite grappling in an appearance at ADCC 2005 as well, but this instructional is focused solely on one of the key elements of MMA. There are no other instructionals out there that go into as much details on ground and pound for MMA as this does, and it’s done using mostly wrestling and some BJJ principles. St-Pierre is truly a master of this and he goes through how to strike safely and effectively from every major position in the sport.
Click here to check out Georges St-Pierre – The Science Of Ground And Pound.
Ben Askren – MMA Takedown Mastery
Ben Askren is one of the best examples of using wrestling to win MMA fights and his elite grappling brought him both a Bellator and ONE Championship title. That’s exactly what this instructional focuses on, and he actually goes through quite a wide variety of different takedowns. It’s a great collection of techniques that can all be used when strikes are involved and Askren is an excellent instructor; which is one of the key selling points of his content. He breaks down each technique in a thorough fashion so that someone with minimal grappling experience can learn how to take the fight to the ground.
Click here to check out Ben Askren – MMA Takedown Mastery.
Rory MacDonald – Cage Wrestling
Rory MacDonald is another former Bellator world champion, along with being both a BJJ black belt and excellent wrestler under MMA rules. This instructional specialises in wrestling against the cage, and he’s structured it excellently by separating each position into it’s own section. From there, MacDonald shows how to take an opponent down and how to defend from those positions as well. What makes this a complete cage wrestling instructional is the time that MacDonald spends going through counter-attacks as well. There’s enough content here to make anyone a complete fighter against the cage from all sides of the equation.
Click here to check out Rory MacDonald – Cage Wrestling.
TJ Dillashaw – Tao Of MMA: Wrestling
TJ Dillashaw is a two-time UFC world champion and before that, he was a three-time NCAA Division I National qualifier. This instructional starts out with some great drills to help you win wrestling exchanges, along with the basics behind some key takedowns for the sport. Dillashaw also explains how to set up those takedowns with strikes; something that is incredibly useful for any wrestlers transitioning to MMA. Dillashaw also explains the basic principles behind controlling opponents against the cage, before explaining the opposite side of this equation along with explaining how to defend against the takedowns he taught as well.
Click here to check out TJ Dillashaw – Tao Of MMA: Wrestling.
Benson Henderson – Working The Cage And Walls For MMA
Benson Henderson is both a two-time NAIA All-American and a BJJ black belt, and he’s used those skills to win a UFC world title in the past. This instructional focuses exclusively on using the cage to get the fight to the ground, but that allows Henderson to really help people dial in that area of the sport. He explains some of the minute details of how to position yourself when you have an opponent against the cage, setting yourself up for success from the start. He doesn’t just focus on adapting wrestling to MMA either, and this is one if the few takedown instructionals that also borrows something from both BJJ and Judo.
Click here to check out Benson Henderson – Working The Cage And Walls For MMA.
