Mount Dominance by Brandon McCaghren
57 reviews · 4.93 / 5
Brandon McCaghren · Combo
Rubber Guard: The Meathook by Brandon McCaghren has 105 customer reviews in this archive, averaging 4.95 out of 5. 95% are five-star and 0 are one or two stars. Reviews run from January 1, 2019 to August 18, 2026. All of them are published below in full, unedited.
One of my favorite BJJ Fanatics offerings. Brandon gives clear descriptions of techniques, where to use them, and how to troubleshoot them. Everything a budding rubber guard player could want.
I'm a 10p guy but even if you aren't this is a great instructional for some of the highest percentage techniques from this system.
Brandon is a great teacher and shows in this instructional a short introduction into rubberguard for gyus who actually like their knees with all ligaments contained.
Very great series, covers everything from stretches to improve the use of the guard and very simple to understand tutorials
I bought this product out of curiosity for 10th planet techniques but not expecting to implement them due to. lack of flexibility. Surprisingly the techniques in the instructional can be used by most if not all body types. Great product
Brandon McCaghren is one of the best on-video instructors I've ever seen. His ability to transfer information is top notch and his details stick with you. This instructional in particular is a tightly packed set of rubber guard techniques that will make you much more dangerous off of your back. I am not a 10th Planet guy but I catch people all the time in my rubber guard because of BMac's instructions.
This video is extremely well structured to walk you through the basics of Rubber Guard. Brandon is a great instructor with excellent step by step progressions through each technique.
For me the noticeable thing about this instructional is the calm and thorough instruction provided by Brandon McCaghren. He clearly provides the detail of each technique, explains “the why” of a technique and stays on point (i.e., there is very little unnecessary banter). I noticed from watching several different rubber guard instructionals that Brandon McCaghren highlights important details that some other instructors did not. The material taught follows a logical and sequential structure. For each chapter he teaches the technique and for some techniques the variations. At the end of each chapter in a form of summary he repeats the technique that has just been taught. The instructional runs for a total of 2 hours and 47 minutes and comprises of 46 chapters. The instructional has been filmed with a fixed camera. The quality of the video is good with the range and focus being appropriate. Sound is clear and there are no issues with the microphone. As is often the norm demonstrations are provided from different angles, so it is easy to see the required detail. If you are interested in the rubber guard, then in my opinion this is a must buy instructional. It will help you understand and advance your knowledge of the rubber guard system and in particular the use of the meathook and carni positions. Brandon McCaghren’s teaching is excellent. Importantly I would suggest that even if you are not particularly interested in the rubber guard this instructional would still be worthwhile purchasing, as it will open your eyes to the possibilities (or threats) of the rubber guard. The uke generally never gets a mention but, a big thank you to Placido Santos for your efforts and the obvious pain you went through in the making of this instructional. The next section of the review gives an overview of the content of this instructional by volume, if this information interests you. Volume 1 (50 minutes and 13 chapters) includes a discussion about the rubber guard; the importance of flexibility including some effective stretches to improve and maintain hip flexibility; several effective ways to move your hip when you are in the guard (using a clinch to control the opponent’s head and posture) ending in the mission control position; techniques to breakdown the opponent’s posture; the initial progression of the rubber guard (i.e., obtaining mission control, using the zombie to move to New York, and to chill dog); and the second half of the volume covers the omaplata sequence from chill dog, including dealing with the likely responses from the opponent. In the final chapter the sorcerer submission is taught. I think this has to be one of the nastiest submissions possible i.e., simultaneously armbaring both arms of the opponent at the same time as also applying a neck crank. Finally, a key point from Volume 1 is the importance of body angle (i.e., being on your side) when doing the rubber guard, as this makes it easier for less flexible people. Volume 2 (42 minutes and 11 chapters) includes an introduction to the meathook position, which combines being on your side, your leg over their shoulder and the same side arm to secure your opponent; gaining, controlling and retaining the inside space from the meathook position; a series of entries into the meat hook position from the butterfly, lockdown and Z guard; how to appropriately clear the opponent’s head so that you can move your foot to the inside side of their head in preparation for several submissions; and the last three chapters cover submissions (i.e. Gogo clinch and Gogoplata) and an entry to other submissions using the Gogo launch. Volume 3 (43 minutes and 12 chapters) includes a very tightly controlled triangle choke commencing from the meathook position; a potential shoulder lock if the opponent defends the triangle; a shoulder lock from the meathook position when the opponent attempts to punch you; a neck crank commencing from the meathook position; the carni position finishing with a shoulder lock; from the carni position a wristlock; a roll from the carni position in response to the opponent rolling; a sweep from the carni position; a technique from the carni position called the contortionist submission where the opponent’s leg is controlled and stretched until they tap; a heel hook from a carni sweep; from the carni position the monoplata shoulder lock; and the oprah hook position, as an alternative to the carni in limited situations. Volume 4 (32 minutes and 10 chapters) teaches the rubber guard from the mount (top). The entry into the techniques initially involves the opponent on the bottom reaching upwards with both arms to grab and pull themselves up underneath the person on top. This reaction is not what you would typically expect from a student in a BJJ school, but may be experienced in scenarios that involve the risk of striking.
I loved it. McCagren is crystal clear in his explanations. If you want to improve your NoGi game, especially your NoGi shoulder pin game, I would highly recommend this instructional first among the options out there.
There is a lot of material crammed into this instructional and it's all presented by a very fun and likable Brandon who often amused me (and himself) . He covers a lot of material and stills manages to not be dry in his delivery. I liked it. Combined with Eddie Bravo's video I feel like this gave me a well rounded introduction to the rubber guard. Thanks Brandon!
Brandon's approach to teaching is extremely clear. He does not allow himself to get sidetracked into more advanced parts of his instructional until he has taught the basics. This disciplined approach to the instructional makes the consumption of the material so much more effective.
Very detailed. Great instructional
This is a great instructional, especially the focus on the general fundamentals of the position at the beginning and the key details of specific techniques later on. Brandon is great and his explanations are super clear. I definitely feel more confident trying to hit the moves while rolling, remembering his points about angles and positioning. The painful face of the assistant is testament to the effectiveness of the techniques! Also, there is no 10th Planet in my city and I will never get taught these moves at my gym, so this is 100% worth the investment.
I've been interested in the 10P system and already been playing around with lockdown and electric chair. I thought rubber guard would be beyond me because I'm not super flexible. But then I came across some of Brandon's content on Youtube and found his teaching simple and effective. In this instructional he goes above and beyond in introducing the rubber guard system, but also gives fine details which makes it safe and possible to play even without being super flexible. Granted you should work on your flexible to realise the true potential of rubber guard, but it can be played even with limited flexibility by getting the right angles. What was a pleasant surprise is he goes over some other 10p moves which flow from rubber guard which is an added bonus.
Brandon's teaching method is very easy to follow! He provides a great perspective on rubber guard concepts for those who worry that they are not flexible enough!
Clear and detailed awesome video.
This is truly amazing . There's no need commentary, buy it or you will regret it .
I think this offers a really good addition to players closed guard and half guard, and Brandon shows using angling anybody can do the rubber guard. Cool teaching style and pretty comprehensive, I wasn't really left with any questions afterwards.
Very informative instructional and Brandon is quite articulate at breaking down the techniques.
Great rubber guard instructional that covers more than just the meathook. Brandon takes you through the basic path and alternate routes. This is a great guide that helps with leading you down the most efficient paths when dealing with varying positional situations and defenses you will come across when utilizing the rubber guard. You wont regret adding this to your collection.
Very informative he breaks down every action every move and really easy to follow and brandon goes into a lot of detail for every routine I really enjoyed the lesson!!!! I will look forward to more lessons from him
A diamond in the rough, Brandon McCagheren is. His ability to communicate and display the intricate details and nuances of the rubber guard meathook system is unparalleled. Do yourself a favor and buy this.
Well worth a buy, game changing moves from the 10th planet rubber guard :point_down::ok_hand::earth_africa:
This is where it’s at if you are looking to learn or sharpen up your rubber guard. Bmac is the man and hits on a lot of the small details that really tighten up all the holes.
I bought this instructional from Brandon literally a year ago today and realized I had yet to write it a review. Over the year I’ve owned this content, I can’t believe the amount of times I gone back to it to look up a specific detail, set-up or a mechanic I’m missing in a particular movement. Brandon does and absolutely amazing job at breaking down positions, mechanics and points of control that make the techniques work so incredibly well. The information is exceptionally detailed and Brandon has a way of breaking down the techniques into manageable, understandable pieces of information that only a high level grappler and coach can. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.
57 reviews · 4.93 / 5
Every number on this page is computed from the 105 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.