BJJ Fanatics
The Modern Defensive Guard by Ryan Hall reviews, page 2
The Modern Defensive Guard by Ryan Hall has 65 customer reviews in this archive, averaging 4.94 out of 5. 97% are five-star and 1 is one or two stars. Reviews run from April 26, 2022 to July 11, 2026. All of them are published below in full, unedited.
Reviews 26–50
The best guard instructional.
Basically everything needed to have an unpassable guard is in this instructional. A lot of this instructional is conceptual. I greatly enjoyed it and have learned a lot from it.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Informative and practical
I really enjoy the structure of Ryan Halls instructionals where he first lays out the theory behind his ideas and then shows how and when to use it.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Highly recommended
I used to play half guard a lot, and "let" people to push me over and try to pass my guard. I learned a lot, but it really warped my thinking of what the guard really is. This collection changed my view of the guard, and now not only am I more aggressive, but I also started to get more submission too.
Excellence continues
Ryan has a gift for teaching and he’s an incredible innovator.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:sunglasses::fire:So informative
So informative
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging:Finally feel like I leveled
Finally feel like I leveled up. Instead of forcing myself and opponent into certain guards I can relax and and be sound and employ sweeps as the openings come
Easily the Best Instructional Ever
Ryan Hall starts from the premise that if you want to understand the guard, you need to understand some points about jiu jitsu as a whole subject, and he spends five volumes explaining a way to think about jiu jitsu that is pretty mind blowing and immediately improved my performance in many positions at the next open mat I went to. I'm just getting into his specific approach to the guard now and I'm seeing things I haven't heard mentioned before but that I think will be as solid as everything he said up to now. THANK YOU!
Great Concept Piece
I loved this instructional. Keep in mind, this instructional doesn’t teach a ton of technique per se, but introduced a lot of concepts that are highly valuable to guard retention and offense. If you’re a Priit Mikhelson acolyte, this may be the next step in going from defensive to offensive, and I highly recommend it. Plus, Ryan Hall drops a lot of great one-liners.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Great Buy
Great instructional
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:GUARD EVERYWHERE
Instructional very well done. If you like play guard, this is the right for you. Great explanations, great details. Great teacher
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Developed better guard
Because of how detailed the instructional I was able to work on recovering more and develop more of a defense guard game. Definitely worth the purchase
easy to overlook biomechanics
Ryan Hall goes deeply in depth on how to frame with good bone support with pretty much every part of your body. there is a lot of wrestling up from those frames, which some people discourage (you may open yourself up to sweeps for more points for your adversary), but I enjoy throws and take downs so I love it. I also dont have any wrestling experience so it was that much more valuable. Not to mention the way he teaches is clear, and entertaining. Looking forward to more instructionals from him
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:A different kind of teaching
Ryan Hall has been putting out amazing content for years and more and more I find his conceptual and mechanical principles style of teaching a much needed branch of learning in BJJ. Although I do watch it on 2 speed.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Putting it all together
Ryan does a great job going over the different types of frames and putting it all together. I just finished watching this course a week ago and it's already helped me improve.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Guard uniqe
Ryan Hall at his best! His focus on concepts based on body positioning is unique. So the instructor's rule is body positioning leads to guard retention and attacks!
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Great ideas to bring jiujitsu
Great ideas to bring jiujitsu into the 21st century!
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Groundbreaking. Jiu Jitsu is truly
Groundbreaking. Jiu Jitsu is truly a a sport that is always evolving, and Hall delivered a product that will change the way that you play and approach guard.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Awesome!!
Top Notch Insrructional!!
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:one of the best instructionals on this site
Essential for anyone purple belt and up.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:The. ABSOLUTE. Game. Changer.
You can’t not purchase this instructional unless you’re prepared to become an member of the dinosaur bjj academy. Seriously, without getting lost in an all-too-common techniques video, Ryan and his interactive partner (how unique is that!) deconstruct common beliefs that are limiting your overall understanding of grappling while at the same provide you with eye-opener concepts and principles that should form the basis of your game, and from which, an appropriate bjj castle is built with traps and entanglements that are structurally sound and increase tour mental awareness. Fascinating stuff. Warning: many times throughout the instructional I heard a loud “whoosh” sound. It was just me pulling my bjj head out of my bjj ***. Forewarned is forearmed!
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Ryan is the man
One of the best instructors in the game
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Great philosophy of guard
Ryan really does a great job of emphasizing the need to change our philosophy of guard play.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Made me question a lot of grappling concepts
Very conceptual heavy, challenges some conventional ideas but brings a lot of evidence to back it up. Might be a bit confusing for people just starting out but great for those looking to build a deeper understanding
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Really helpful
Really helpful
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:An instructional unlike any other
It’s hard work to keep things simple. I own over 30 instructionals, and have learned useful information from each. But what Mr. Hall has done here is unique. If you are looking for someone to explain how to do a 10 step complicated move? This ain’t it. Want to understand essentials of framing, position, and the underlying principles of each, then this is for you. This thing, start to finish, is probably over 6 hours long. Its very detailed about things we often dont think about in BJJ. This is an instructional that bears repeated watching as it is part technique, exposition, humor, and philosophy. Well done Mr. Hall!
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:
Every number on this page is computed from the 65 reviews above at build time, out of 87,673 in the full archive. See the methodology for how the corpus is collected and what is excluded.