Systematically Attacking From Closed Guard by Gordon Ryan No-Gi Course

By BJJ University Editorial · Published 2026-10-26

8 listed volumesNo-gi curriculum

Our buying assessment

Best for: No-gi players building a full closed guard attack tree.
Buy less if: Less ideal for gi collar-choke or short essentials study.
Main tradeoff: Deep contingency coverage, but dense to study casually.

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Based on the seller’s curriculum and cited product sources, checked 2026-10-26. This is a researched guide, not a firsthand review. Study recommendations are our editorial assessment.

In this guide

What it teaches

This course teaches a no-gi closed guard system focused on attacking from bottom with sweeps, back takes, arm locks, triangles, clamps, leg-entry transitions, and counters to common defensive reactions.

The curriculum is organized around linked reactions: for example, triangle pullouts can lead to leg entries or back to triangle, stack pressure gets its own troubleshooting, and standing posture is addressed through top locks, handstand sweeps, double ankle sweeps, and leg-entry fallbacks.

Curriculum overview

Side scissor and pendulum attacks

Back takes, juji gatame, rear triangle, pendulum sweep, and front triangle from early closed guard attack chains.

Study this if: Turns closed guard from a holding position into immediate sweep and submission threats.

Triangle pullouts and leg-entry links

Routes from triangle escapes into leg entries, attempts to return to triangle, and pendulum-to-flower transitions.

Study this if: Gives follow-ups when the opponent pulls out or disrupts the first triangle or sweep attempt.

Stack and pullout troubleshooting

Stack problem, successful stack into the legs, pullout problem, and top-lock/wrist-control armbar variations.

Study this if: Addresses pressure and escape reactions that commonly shut down closed guard attacks.

Pinch headlock chains

Knee pull into pinch headlock, then back takes, flower sweep, sumi gaeshi, knee lever, clamp, and ude gatame.

Study this if: Creates a control hub for opponents who defend direct flower sweep or arm attacks.

Overhook clamp and reverse figure-four

Overhook clamp attacks include lat juji, kimura, omoplata, triangle, te gatame, plus reverse figure-four grip entries and elbow pass.

Study this if: Builds submission options after winning an overhook-style closed guard control.

Standing opponent counters

Top-lock armbars, knee insertion, handstand sweep branches, double ankle sweep, and leg-entry follow-ups when standing defense stops the sweep.

Study this if: Keeps offense alive when the opponent postures up or stands to open the guard.

Rolling footage and commentary

Later volumes list rolling rounds and commentary, including roll breakdowns and final thoughts.

Study this if: Helps connect the technical branches to live timing and decision-making.

Who it is for

The product page positions the course for no-gi grapplers who want a closed guard that can work without relying primarily on athleticism, and it explicitly describes the system as usable across ages and skill levels.

Consider it if your closed guard stalls after posture breaking and you want more routes from the same control cycle: the curriculum includes side scissor attacks, arm drags, wrist-control arm bars, pinch headlock, overhook clamp, reverse figure-four grip, and standing-opponent responses.

Prerequisites

The source does not list formal prerequisites. It does, however, present the material as a closed guard system and includes named attacks such as juji gatame, rear triangle, flower sweep, sumi gaeshi, omoplata, kimura, and double ankle sweep.

Our suggested prerequisite is comfort with basic closed guard mechanics—keeping guard closed, breaking posture, controlling wrists or arms, and recognizing armbar/triangle/sweep families—because the course appears to spend much of its time on combinations and counters rather than only first-day fundamentals.

Format and ruleset fit

Format is verified as no-gi from the source. The product is listed as digital video, with flowchart and visual notes also described on the page.

The source snapshot is enough to verify the listed no-gi format and the eight-volume chapter structure, but it does not let us independently verify production quality, actual teaching style, or how much time is spent on each concept beyond the listed chapter starts.

Strengths

A major strength is the breadth of closed guard reactions covered. The curriculum includes direct submissions, sweeps, back takes, leg entries, responses to stack pressure, responses to pullouts, and answers when the opponent stands.

Another useful feature is the inclusion of rolling and commentary volumes, which may help students connect the technical chapters to live closed guard decision-making rather than studying the moves only in isolation.

Limitations

This is not a gi collar-choke course in the listed curriculum. The source identifies the course as no-gi, and the chapter list emphasizes body-control routes such as top lock, wrist control, arm drag, pinch headlock, overhook clamp, omoplata, triangle, and leg entries.

Buy less urgently if you only want a short closed guard essentials module. The source lists eight volumes and many branching scenarios, so our assessment is that it asks for a structured study plan rather than casual one-off viewing.

Suggested study order

Our suggested order is to start with the side scissor and pendulum material, because it introduces back takes, juji gatame, rear triangle, pendulum sweep, and front triangle from early closed guard attacking routes.

Next, consider adding the arm drag, stack/pullout troubleshooting, and top-lock armbar chapters before moving into pinch headlock, overhook clamp, reverse figure-four, and standing-opponent counters. That sequence builds from core attacks into the opponent’s common escape reactions.

Use the rolling commentary after drilling at least a few technical branches. The source separates rolling footage and commentary into later volumes, which makes them a useful check on timing and decision-making after the main mechanics are familiar.

Alternatives to compare

Closed Guard Attacks by Henry Akins is the closer alternative if you want a closed guard course with more explicit posture-breaking, grip-breaking, and classic attack categories, including kimura, guillotine, cross collar choke, armbar, triangle, and taking the back.

The Daisy Fresh Curriculum: Blue Belt No Gi Stripe 3 by Heath Pedigo is a broader blue-belt no-gi curriculum rather than a pure closed guard system. It includes competition ankle locks, closed guard tactics, knee-split shutdowns, and double-under pass shutdowns.

Choose Gordon Ryan’s course when the main need is a deep no-gi closed guard attack tree with contingency routes. Consider Akins for a more classic closed guard attack menu, or Daisy Fresh when closed guard is only one part of a broader blue-belt no-gi plan.

Purchase guidance

Consider buying if your training goal is to make closed guard a primary no-gi attacking position and you are willing to study branches: the listed material repeatedly pairs first attacks with follow-ups when the opponent pulls out, stacks, stands, or defends a sweep.

Wait or compare alternatives if your current need is gi-specific closed guard chokes, a fundamentals-only introduction, or a mixed curriculum that also covers leg locks and pass shutdowns outside closed guard.

Bundle or individual course?

This product is supplied as an individual course, not a bundle; no component courses were provided in the research brief.

Because it is not a bundle, our assessment is simple: compare it against other closed guard or blue-belt curriculum courses by training need, not by trying to split it into separate components.