Jiu Jitsu For Old Guys Bundle by Bernardo Faria: Guard, Passing, Escapes

What it teaches

This bundle is presented as the entire Jiu Jitsu For Old Guys collection and includes material on closed guard, half guard, top control, guard passing, escapes, guard retention, and over-under passing. The source lists 28 volumes, with sections ranging from “Half Guard - Knee Shield Concepts” and “Closed Guard - Efficient Omoplata From Closed Guard” to “Side Control Escapes,” “Foundational 4 Of Guard Retention,” and “Understanding The Over Under Pass.”

Our assessment is that the course is most coherent as a positional system: use closed guard and half guard to reduce athletic scrambles, learn pressure-based top routes, then add survival skills for when you lose position. That inference is based on the repeated focus on “older guys,” transitions between closed guard and half guard, and defensive chapters from side control, mount, turtle, back, submissions, and guard retention.

Curriculum overview

Who it is for

The product is explicitly framed for older grapplers or practitioners who do not want to depend on speed and scrambling. The source says it is designed for “all ages,” while also emphasizing systems for “older guys that may not be as explosive as they once were.”

Consider it if you want Bernardo Faria-style systems based on closed guard, half guard, over-under passing, and pressure instead of a modern inversion-heavy or scramble-first game. That fit is inferred from the course’s stated guard choices and the many chapters on over-under passing, controlling the head, crossface pressure, and top control.

Prerequisites

The source does not state a required belt level. The lesson list includes fundamental positions and common problems—closed guard, half guard, side control, mount, turtle, back, knee cut, toreando, stack pass, and over-under passing—so the material appears to assume familiarity with standard BJJ positional vocabulary.

Our suggested prerequisite is basic positional awareness: know where closed guard, half guard, side control, mount, turtle, and back control are before using this as a main study plan. Newer students may still use it, but should pair each block with live coaching to avoid collecting too many options without positional structure.

Format and gi/no-gi note

The curriculum includes many gi-specific references—collar choke, bow and arrow, sleeve control, belt control, lapel guard, spider guard, lasso guard, and collar-sleeve guard—alongside general positional material such as half guard, side control, mount, back escapes, and over-under passing.

Our assessment is to treat this primarily as gi-relevant unless the seller or instructor confirms no-gi applicability for a specific lesson. Many pressure, escape, and half-guard ideas may transfer, but the source text does not verify a no-gi format.

Strengths

A major strength is breadth around a consistent low-scramble game. The bundle connects closed guard and half guard, guard-pull entries, guard retention, escapes, pressure passing, top control, and over-under passing instead of stopping at one position.

The curriculum repeatedly addresses common resistance: opponents standing to open closed guard, hip escaping during passes, bench pressing the shoulders, pushing the head away, using knee cuts, leg drags, stacks, and attacking submissions. That makes it useful for troubleshooting predictable sparring reactions.

Consider this bundle if you want one connected Bernardo Faria study path rather than buying separate isolated courses on guard, passing, escapes, and retention. The source identifies it as a bundle containing the Jiu Jitsu For Old Guys series, but purchasing value should be judged from the current seller page rather than copied promotional savings language.

Limitations

Research limitation: the supplied source is a product-page snapshot, not independent viewing notes. It verifies listed topics, instructor identity, bundle framing, and related comparison excerpts, but it does not verify teaching quality, production quality, exact applicability to no-gi, or outcomes for students.

The bundle may be more than a buyer needs if the goal is one narrow skill, such as only understanding pressure distribution or only studying connection principles. Its own curriculum spans many volumes and positions, which can be a strength or a source of overload.

Our assessment is that no-gi-only athletes should be cautious: collar chokes, sleeve control, belt control, lapel guard, spider guard, and lasso guard appear in the lesson list. Verify no-gi coverage before purchasing for that purpose.

Suggested study order

Our suggested order is to begin with closed guard and half guard, then add transitions between them, then study escapes, then guard retention, and finally passing/top control. This follows the bundle’s recurring logic: stable guards for older grapplers, recovery routes back to guard, and pressure systems once on top.

If you already play top, consider starting with the over-under and top-control blocks, then returning to escapes and retention to cover failure points. The curriculum includes a three-part passing system, head-control establishment, side control, knee-on-belly, mount, back attacks, and half-guard pressure.

Bundle or individual courses

This product is a bundle, and the page describes it as containing all eight titles in the Jiu Jitsu For Old Guys series.

Consider the bundle if you want the whole system across guard, passing, top control, escapes, retention, and over-under passing. If you only need one of those areas, our suggested approach is to look for the relevant individual course page before buying the whole collection, because the supplied data does not verify individual-course availability or contents beyond this bundle page.

Alternatives to compare

Weight Distribution Masterclass by Professor Henry Akins is a focused alternative for grapplers who mainly want pressure and weight-placement concepts. Its source centers on “weight distribution,” pressure from side control, scarf hold, mount, half guard, and guard passing, while the Faria bundle is broader and includes guard selection, retention, escapes, submissions, and over-under passing.

Understanding Connection In Jiu Jitsu by Professor Henry Akins is a concept-first alternative for studying connection, frames, angles, and relaxed efficiency across examples such as half guard, back attacks, escapes, and sweeps. Compared with the Faria bundle, it appears less like a complete positional curriculum and more like a principle course built around connection.

Our suggested comparison is simple: choose the Faria bundle for a broad closed-guard, half-guard, passing, retention, and escape roadmap; consider Akins’ Weight Distribution if pressure mechanics are the narrow priority; consider Akins’ Connection course if you want a principle-based study of connection and angles.

• Weight Distribution Masterclass by Professor Henry Akins — check current price
• Understanding Connection In Jiu Jitsu by Professor Henry Akins — check current price

Purchase guidance

The seller page states that the course can be streamed or downloaded through the BJJ Fanatics app. The same source also mentions a satisfaction guarantee and certificate/rewards language, but buyers should confirm current terms on the checkout page because policies can change.

Consider buying if you want a large, integrated Bernardo Faria curriculum for an efficient, pressure-oriented gi game centered on closed guard, half guard, recovery, and over-under passing. Buy less quickly if your immediate need is only one concept course or if you train exclusively no-gi and need verified no-gi coverage.