Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu newbie, the reality is that you probably watch technique videos. Typically, these videos are around 5 minutes in length and will show you a certain move. For example, if you search ‘lasso sweep’ on Youtube, you will find hundreds of videos show moves related to the lasso sweep. Whilst Youtube clips are great, there are also other ways to learn.
In some cases, BJJ stars such as Marcelo Garcia and Keenan Cornelius offer online services that require a monthly subscription. These sites regularly update their content and show lots of different moves and positions and have proved popular with the BJJ community. However, there is also a different video website that is also incredibly popular. This is called the Grapplers Guide which was made by the American black belt Jason Scully.
This site is literally his life’s work and is unique in offering a one-off payment rather than a reoccurring fee. Below, we shall review the Grapplers Guide and give an honest look at things. It should be noted that before continuing, we haven’t been paid to do this review and have never spoken to Jason Scully. Instead, this is a review from genuine fans of the Grapplers Guide who thought they’d talk about its pros and cons.
Table of Contents
Value for money and cost
Over the years, the price of the Grapplers guide has fluctuated. Right now, it currently costs $220 for a lifetime membership which offers access to all of its videos. However, if you’re willing to be patient then you can pick up a real bargain where the pricing is concerned.
Roughly once or twice a year, Jason Scully will put his site on sale which has hit as low as $97 in the past. To put it into perspective, imagine paying for Roger Gracie’s website. This would cost $30 per month which would roughly be the cost of Scully’s site within 3 months.
Of course, the $220 is still a deal, but the point is that there are good deals to be had. You just need to keep an eye out on the promotional side of things and check the site every now and then. The alternative is to pay full price, but if you’re willing to be patient then there’s no point and you may as well save some cash.
With this said, the Grapplers Guide can be considered excellent value for money for the content it provides. Whilst it’s cheap, it’s also probably got one of the biggest online libraries of BJJ videos and is updated almost monthly. What’s more, is that with each passing year, the deal gets better due to the sheer amount of content added. In other words, it’s a solid investment and the one-off fee works out to be way cheaper than paying a monthly cost.
Website navigation
One issue with certain websites is the navigation can feel slow and outdated at times. We won’t name any names on this one, but certain BJJ sites seem stuck in the 90s which can be offputting. The good news for the Grapplers Guide is that about 5 years back, Jason Scully did a big overhaul on making things look more modern.
This meant a new, fresh layout and easy-to-use interface. You can also download videos and like them, as well as make flow charts which is especially helpful for beginners. In brief, it’s well done and apparently, there’s meant to be an app coming out for smartphones.
If you like watching instructional BJJ videos on the go then you may be miffed that there’s no app, which is probably the main issue with the site and its presentation. Nonetheless, for most people this is a one-off and if used on a laptop or tablet, it’s very good. It also has a forum which is pretty helpful if you’re looking for advice from other members.
BJJ Video quality
The quality of the videos is where the Grapplers Guide can become a little mixed. Thankfully, most of the videos are of a high quality and are no worse than other BJJ videos out there. Sadly, there are a few videos from the early days which are quite pixelated. The good news is that you can still learn from these videos and really, the quality is watchable.
However, compared to the modern videos there’s still a big difference. Apparently, over the years Jason Scully has looked into re-shooting these videos which would certainly give them a much-needed makeover.
Regardless, most videos are of high quality and even the more pixelated ones are still fairly easy to watch. In the big scheme of things, this is probably more of an issue for some of the site’s more picky members.
In terms of showing the moves, each video typically shows the moves from a variety of angles to make sure nothing is missed. There’s nothing worse than showing a move whilst missing out a key body position that is blocked by a limb in the foreground. In the case of certain videos, there’s also a moving camera man which also adds to the experience.
Outside experts
Perhaps one of Grappling Guides biggest draws is the use of Outside experts. This is a term on the site which is used to describe the use of outsiders who teach, rather than Jason Scully who does the bulk of the videos.
For example, the likes of Craig Jones, Lachlan Giles, and JT Torres all feature on this section, as well as specialists such as those teaching 10th Planet moves or more nuanced versions of lapels such as Andris Brunovskis.
There are several benefits which these outsiders bring. The first one is that they sometimes show things that aren’t on Youtube and are incredibly difficult to find online. For instance, Lachlan Giles has an entire section dedicated to staying balanced whilst avoiding sweeps. This isn’t shown anywhere else and is a pretty niche subject.
There are then parts dedicated to grip fighting, fundamental movements, and much more.
The second benefit is that it also works out a lot cheaper than buying DVDs. For example, many of these people have DVDs for sale which work out at hundreds of dollars. Yet, here these instructors are, offering their services on a fairly affordable platform. It doesn’t quite make sense but is great news for the viewer.
When looked at like this, the Grapplers Guide is a huge bargain. It’s also great for higher belts to learn some pretty niche and advanced stuff from which isn’t freely available elsewhere.
Who is Jason Scully?
As you may have figured, Jason Scully is the owner and creator of the Grapplers Guide. This site is literally his main source of income and he’s also an experienced black belt in BJJ. Imagine that you train at a gym with a skilled black belt teacher who teaches drills.
This is basically what Scully does, and uploads his videos onto the Grapplers Guide. Over time, he’s racked up years worth of content and seems pretty obsessed with his project which is why it’s useful for viewers. Even if you took out the Outside experts videos, the quality of instructionals from Scully alone would still make this a solid website.
Variety
One of the biggest benefits of the Grapplers Guide is the sheer amount of variety on there. It’s a cliche, but there really is something for everyone. Imagine you’re a beginner and want to look into playing half guard. There are probably hundreds of videos on this one guard alone, by various people. You may have a section dedicated to Z-Guard, and another to Deep Half, and so on. Then, you may have parts based on defensive aspects of guard recovery, to offensive sweeps and submissions.
This is the case for practically all of the guards in BJJ, as well as passes and takedowns. It is like this for gi and no gi and whatever your style, it can be found on Grapplers Guide. If you want to figure out ways of passing a certain guard or defeating a game plan, then this can also be found on the guide. This is probably one of the biggest benefits of the site, as it isn’t too favored towards a certain style.
On going BJJ techniques
Over the years, the Grapplers Guide has racked up over 7000 videos and this number grows yearly. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about your BJJ game becoming outdated. For instance, shortly after the use of the Matrix position, the Grapplers Guide released a section on how to enter and play this particular, niche guard.
This is arguably why it’s such a good site. Alternatively, you could pay for a one-off instructional DVD but it seems a bit pointless with the Grapplers Guide available. Even if you’re bored and want to watch a random BJJ video for fun, you’ll easily find something and you’ll never exhaust the sheer amount of techniques.
So, is Grapplers Guide worth it?
Overall, it’s fair to say that the Grapplers Guide is a fantastic deal and it’s probably the best BJJ learning site out there. Don’t be put off by the one-off joining fee as it actually works out cheaper than other sites when looking at it from a long-term perspective.
The other issue is comparing this to sites like Youtube. Of course, Youtube also has loads of free videos and is a great resource from learning off the best. However, as mentioned if you really want to learn the intricate details of certain positions, then the Grapplers Guide just offers that little bit more.
Furthermore, due to its navigation system, it’s all put together nicely so you don’t have to trawl through clickbait titles or find things that are different to what you thought.
In conclusion, if you’re thinking about buying the Grapplers Guide then it’s a no-brainer and will certainly enhance your BJJ so long as you watch and study the videos properly. With this said, a fair rating of this site would be 5/5 due to its comprehensive video library and easy menus.
