NO GI ESSENTIALS

I have been wanting to do this review for a while, but work has been getting the best of me.  Luckily for me, I found some time to sit down and really go over this new 2 disc set from Roy Dean.

As many of you know, I have trained with Roy on several occasions and was even the uke on one of his other dvds.  I always enjoy his productions and his teaching style is fantastic.  It doesn’t hurt that in addition to a bjj black belt he has black belts in Aikido and Judo.  You will also see from his newer work that he is diving into wrestling quite a bit as well.  Just what you want in an instructor, years of diverse experience and an open mind to new ideas.  Let’s get to the set.

This set represents Roy’s first foray in No Gi as a full set.  Of course, most of his other products have elements that work quite well without the kimono, but that is the focus of this set.

As with all his products, the production value was very, very high.  Great video and audio.  They just look beautiful.  I only mention it because people often wonder about production quality with so many sets on the market, but you won’t be getting handycam stuff here.  Rock solid.  Roy’s background as a sound engineer shows through in various places as well.  You can pick it up in subtleties like the echo at the end of chapters.

Ok, so who is this set for?  In my humble view I think this is perfect for blue and above.  I exclude whites since there is a shorthand in language here that I think less experienced players will miss.  There are also great sets (like Roy's blue belt requirements) that are likely a better fit for the novice.  Also, while the content stays 80% fundamental, there is 20% that delves into complex movements.  Overall, I think the balance was great - we should all strive for a mix like that in our own worlds.  Matt Thornton calls it "exposure" vs. "steady diet".

The other reason I think this is not for white belts is the level of detail.  You really get the sense that you are sitting down with Roy for a private lesson covering several areas of a game.  I think he assumes (rightly) that you can get deep dives in any area of a game from a variety of sources.  This set seems to be a bit like Roy pulling you aside to show you that little detail he figured out - how to tighten the triangle, how to transition to side control, etc.  I just love stuff like this.

One thing this set does very well is to show rolling footage in context of the instruction.  Very, very few sets do this and it should be mandatory.  Roy would teach a move and then show himself pulling it off with his students.  It was great to see and I was left wanting even more of this type of linked material.

Also, this is the only dvd where you will hear things like “and voila, the armbar!” or “Wax on, wax off” in relation to the armdrag.  Good stuff and an RDA exclusive!

Here is a list of the highlights from my personal perspective.  Just stuff that was new to me or that I liked the best:

BRIDGING

His explanation was the best I have seen to date.  It took me years to get these basics figured out and he is giving them away.  The core of bjj is the bridge & shrimp and he shows them both nicely. 

GRIPS

He pointed out that grips in no-gi is more important than in gi bjj.  It seems counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense.  Less options, so you better get it right.  Color me surprised! 

PASSING

If you have watched all his dvds and rolling footage over the years, you can see Roy going to a much more fluid and less mechanical passing game.  It seems like the good guys are moving this way.  You'll hear him say things like, “Don’t worry about the legs, focus on the knee”.  You will see this type of movement everywhere in this dvd.  It is invaluable and this passing style could almost be a full dvd in itself.

WRIST CONTROL

I really like how Roy used wrist control from side control/s mount.  Let me try to explain...Imagine you are in side control and have head control (i.e. Shoulder pressure).  That same hand grabs their top arm’s wrist.  If you roll you get here a lot.  Roy shows a great transition to armbar I liked from that control position.  In my game, I typically go to arm triangle from here, but I will play with this new armbar now too.  Options are good, and critical against stronger opponents.

ARM DRAG

From standing, Roy takes the drag and secured the rear naked, but makes sure to have hip pressure to avoid the throw.  More smart fundamentals - and new to me.

KIMURA

My favorite section.  We all know the hip bump to Kimura, but he showed a full system of control here  - sweep/kimura/triangle/armlock/duck under.  If you want to put the kimura into your guard game, this dvd is a great place to start.

GUILLOTINE

This was the section that felt the most like hanging out with Roy after a class.  You see lots of little details that most don’t talk about.  You get the sense that these are things he has figured out since reaching black.  It has a personal stamp more than any previous work I have seen. 

NEWBIE COUNTERS

We have all rolled with beginners who choke you from the guard, do can openers, etc.  These are all countered in standard BJJ fashion.  I should note that this is a part of the dvd that I would recommend to white belts 100%.  I still need to work these (and headlock escapes) often - they need to be automatic.  I am surely not there yet, so I loved the refresher.

OMOPLATA

One big thing here.  He moved the hips away from his opponent to break base.  It is a simple idea, but a great little detail.  More and more I think even one idea like this is worth the cost of an entire set.

PASSING

Knee pressure was used in every pass.  This is gold.  I also really liked how Roy finished his passes with shoulder pressure on the sternum and rapid hip switching - these loose hips are something great players have.  I need to work it - badly.  Before I was injured, this was a big focus.  Hopefully I can get back at it in June.

S-MOUNT

Wonderfully technical transition to S, keeping the opponents elbow flared the whole time.  Smart.  You can also see some smooth, clean armlocks here.  If you are working armlocks, that is another reason to get this dvd. Roy's are among the best.

KNEE-BAR

There were a few cool knee bar moves.  My favorite was the single leg to knee bar.  Nice.

GUARD OPENING

We all have trouble opening the legs with more determined guard players.  In classic Roy Dean fashion, the answer is not more pressure, it is feinting.  We know the “wrong” moves from the guard (i.e.. Can opener), so do these as bait, wait for the armbar or triangle, then defend into the pass, taking the momentum.  Funny I never thought of doing it, but it makes perfect sense.  Good smooth options here.

FOOTLOCKS

Yep, no Roy Dean set is complete without it.  You’ll get solid techniques and some nice options on foot placement that were new to me and seemed really strong.  He also showed my favorite scissor sweep to heel hook.  That move requires timing, but it is a thing of beauty.  I aspire to it.

Oh, he also showed a great detail on defending the straight ankle lock.  We all know to kick out heel like putting in a boot, but flaring your toes outside their body/back was new to me, but made perfect sense - more little details that make this set special.

ROLLING ANALYSIS

There is a great section where Roy provides commentary on his rolls with various students.  It was very fun to watch and I’d love to see other teachers do this and even post them to YouTube.  Hearing what good guys are thinking as they roll is invaluable.  I should also note that Roy also is wearing a mouthpiece when rolling now.  Exciting new developments - film at 11.

In the end, I liked this set a lot.  It covers a lot of ground, most of it fundamental, but he shows the little nuances that he has picked up over years of work.  I think of this set the essential ingredients to key positions - not exhaustive details, just essential - that is the distinction here.  If you want a full curriculum or a 6hr set on half guard, they are out there and this is not it.  If you want smaller details on making your armbar better, tightening your footlocks, or even a few more ideas than you already have, this is a bargain.  Like I said, for even one of the little gems I’d pay (and have) this price and more.  Consider it the most well thought out 2hr private lesson on no gi grappling you'll ever get, at one quarter the price!

You can pick up the set for $44.95 at Roy’s website.

Have a great week!

Paul