Understanding The Distance On Top by Gui Mendes
206 reviews · 4.97 / 5
Gui Mendes · Combo
Understanding The Distance From Guard by Gui Mendes reviews, page 6
Understanding The Distance From Guard by Gui Mendes has 195 customer reviews in this archive, averaging 4.95 out of 5. 96% are five-star and 0 are one or two stars. Reviews run from December 13, 2021 to August 31, 2026. All of them are published below in full, unedited.
195
Reviews
4.95 / 5
Average rating
0
1–2 star
95%
Verified buyers
Reviews 126–150
Extremely educative and intuitive
I have always struggled to grasp the bottoms game as a whole. The instructional is extremely well structured and provides a clear path in all major guard positions. The techniques shown provide a curriculum that is easy to follow and implement in your game. This should be very useful for beginners as well since it provides a complete overall system from guard regardless of which position we are in.
MUST BUY!!!!
This bjj instructional gives you an understanding of what it means to get your training partner fighting
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Great
Good details
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:T
Great
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Good fundamental course
I would say this is one of the better instructionals on the basics. Mainly because the content is filmed with HQ cameras and the audio is easily understandable. The content is very good for new bjj people and a great refresher for upper belts who may have forgotten some of the basics.
Best Guard Video
an easy understanding guard
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Great instructional
Explains clearly concepts and really improved my bottom game
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:An excellent instructional teaching guard concepts and a series of effective guard techniques (long review)
This instructional teaches the guard from Gui Mendes’s perspective. He advocates the value of an effective guard and encourages students to initially build the structure of their BJJ from the guard. From this approach he believes the student will understand how to: sweep, take the back and lock submissions and then be ready to start working on their top game. The content of this instructional is logically ordered. It is taught in Gi and has a total runtime of 3 hours and 40 minutes, including 15 minutes of narrated sparring. Gui Mendes speaks clearly and stays focused on the content of the instructional. He is easy to understand and speaks clearly. Demonstrations are clear and when repeated the techniques are consistent. Gui Mendes also makes useful recommendations for training drills to improve your guard skills. During the instructional he links concepts taught, which helps to reinforce your learning and understanding. The video quality is excellent (quality including range, lighting, focus and sound). Check out how good the range is with Gui Mendes and his uke totally filling the frame. Perhaps because of the quality of the video, the fact that both instructor and uke are wearing the same coloured Gis does not create problems. Multiple cameras have been used and the editing is excellent. To highlight significant points, small text boxes are sparingly used throughout the instructional. These text boxes only appear for a few seconds while the instruction continues, which for me, I wished they had been displayed a little longer. Overall, the video quality is a cut above the standard. I suggest that other instructors watch this instructional, just to see the quality of the video alone. In summary, this is an excellent instructional to improve your understanding of the guard and to assist in developing your guard to become more active – you are either constantly breaking down and off balancing the opponent or attacking/sweeping. In my opinion this video is easy to watch and also re-watch because of the quality of the instruction, the techniques taught and the excellent video quality. Additionally, I value that Gui Mendes stays focused on the material that he is teaching. The next section of the review gives an overview of the content of this instructional, if this information interests you. The early chapters of volume 1 cover framing and distance control and the format of these chapters is by discussion. Demonstrations of techniques and concepts commence from chapter four. The instructional is structured around guard distance – near (i.e., hip connection with good opportunity for submissions), middle (i.e., not as close as near distance, but you have control of the opponent’s legs) and far (i.e., you control the opponent’s upper body, but not their legs). Near distance covers guards including closed guard, half guard and butterfly and in this instructional Gui Mendes teaches ten foundational techniques that he likes from the near distance. Of these techniques, all but one is from the closed guard and this includes techniques to break the opponent down and compromise their position. As he teaches techniques to break down and compromise the opponent, he includes opportunities for follow-on techniques e.g., triangle choke, sweep, armbar, omaplata and exposing the back. The second half of the first volume submission chains are taught from the triangle (i.e., as demonstrated triangle to omaplata to armbar) and from the cross collar choke (i.e., as demonstrated cross collar choke to triangle to armbar). The final three chapters cover the duck under move leading to a back attack opportunity; grabbing the belt for a short resting opportunity, leading to a triangle; and the last chapter deals with the half guard position where framing using the shoulder, head and hips is taught. Volume 2 covers the middle distance with the focus on de la riva and reverse de la riva. From the middle distance Gui Mendes advises that there is the ability to control your opponent’s legs; to off balance the opponent; access the opponent’s back; have good mobility as your hips are free; and there is ability to use all four of your limbs. Techniques taught in this volume include: the de la riva guard retention drill with a focus on actively off balancing the opponent the whole time and denying them the ability to create strong attacks; a sweep from the de la riva to a single leg X stand up; how to counter the opponent by moving to near distance to apply a triangle or omaplata when they are attempting to push and pin the de la riva hook to the mat; transitioning to near distance from de la riva into one leg X for a leg attack (i.e., toehold and as they attempt to escape the toehold to seamlessly transition into a kneebar); how to frame when using the reverse de la riva to allow you to transition to the de la riva; how to move from the reverse de la riva to an X guard control; how to respond when the opponent attempts to get under your
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging:More than fundamentals
Great stuff, builds from a base level understanding, with tactics and sets you free with enough concepts to build your own game plan from it.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Very Conceptual But Necessary
This instruction is very conceptual and therefore it may start off slow for some. But the concepts and strategy are what makes the moves effective. Definitely a good video to understand the why behind the how.
Great instructional, breakdown and perspective
Great instructional, breakdown and perspective
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Amazing
Sweet stuff
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging:a must to play guard
this guy is amazing, very well rxplained, the technique, the way he sees the scenario...a must to develope the guard
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Refining
I bought Understanding the Distance from Top which lead to a huge improvement to my guard passing. Understanding Distance from Guard has helped me to refine my game as a guard player. It has allowed me to look at each distance with more strategy of how to succeed in jiu jitsu.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Beginner friendly.
In this product, they divide the distance into three: 1. Near distance 2. Middle distance 3. Far distance. Btw, I have bought Prof. John Danaher's instruction for guard retention which helped me to understand the safe zone, on the other hand, this instruction helped me to understand how to work as a guard player in the safe zone with certain guards. Still, I am trying to enrich the concepts shown in it in my body and soul, but I can definitely say that I bought a great product.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Great explanations, high production value,
Great explanations, high production value, highly recommend
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Great details on a comprehensive guard game
I am starting to work on my guard more and this instructional from Gui was super helpful for me. I have always been more of a top player and feel uncomfortable on bottom. However after watching this I feel like I have more ideas on what I should be doing on bottom. For example something that struck out to me is if you are not constantly off balancing or attacking your partner from guard then you are falling behind. This was something I didn’t do - I would just hold a guard position static and not constantly look to off balance.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Understanding The Distance From Guard by Gui Mendes
Great for beginners
Excellent
amazing details
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Fantastically good instructional.
What can I say? This has to be one of the best open guard instructional series available. The content is well thought out and logically presented. This is not the typical, buy, watch once and forget. This is a constant revisit, learn something new each time, open guard guide to last a jiujitsu lifetime.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:Great framework for guard
Easy to understand framework — really helped my approach to guard
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Great video
Great video
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:Understanding the Distance
What would you expect from the Mendes Bros? The content in both videos is a game changer.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:A complete attack approach to guard
Fantastic instructional
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::+1::skin-tone-2:concepts
the details Gui gives is always a great reference and reminder. I'm always going back to this help me improve my guard play.
Response from BJJ Fanatics:hugging::call_me_hand::skin-tone-2:
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