Gone are the days when a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym and VHS video tapes were your only sources of learning. We are living in a time when there is an abundance of information at our fingertips. While BJJ can only be mastered through consistent practice, YouTube is a valuable learning resource which should be fully utilized. Your coach should always be the first person you refer to if you are having a hard time in training, especially if you are a beginner. However, YouTube resources can help you broaden your learning spectrum and add valuable tools to your arsenal. In this article, we will learn about 10 best BJJ YouTube channels (in no particular order) which you should subscribe.
Bernardo Faria’s BJJ Fanatics
Bernardo Faria is one of the most successful Jiu Jitsu players of his generation. He is a five-time BJJ world champion, a six-time Pan American champion and a three-time European champion. Faria was also named the best jiu jitsu athlete in 2015. He currently runs his own jiu jitsu academy in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Faria owns one of the most successful jiu jitsu YouTube channels. His channel has a total of 234k subscribers and his videos have been viewed 34 million times. If you are a beginner or a coach training beginners, Faria’s channel is a great online learning resource. Not only does she share tips and techniques with students, he also has videos on his channel providing valuable tips to coaches on how to train beginners. The biggest plus of subscribing to Faria’s channel is that John Danaher regularly features on it. Danaher is arguably one of the best BJJ instructors in the world. He has trained the likes of Georges St-Pierre, who is widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and BJJ phenoms like Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon. St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi is also a student of Danaher.
If you aren’t following Bernardo Faria’s BJJ Fanatics, you are totally missing out on one of the best BJJ YouTube channels.
Roger Gracie TV
Roger Gracie is a 10-time BJJ world champion. The best thing about him is that he puts a lot of emphasis on tiny details. Any sort of tips and suggestions from this absolute legend of the sport will make a great difference to your game. Gracie is relatively new to YouTube, and has close to 27k subscribers with a little less than a million views, but his journey started only five years ago. He hasn’t uploaded a lot of videos either but there is a lot of cool stuff you can learn from his channel.
If you want to learn more about submission techniques, particularly arm locks, then Roger Gracie’s channel is a solid recommendation. Add this to your list of the best BJJ channels.
Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood
Nic Gregoriades is part of the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood, a BJJ association affiliated with a number of academies around the world. He was the first BJJ practitioner to be promoted to black belt by Roger Gracie. That alone is reason enough to trust the South African as a reliable source of jiu jitsu learning. The Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood uploaded a number of videos where Gregoriades teaches simple BJJ conditioning workouts and advanced concepts. The knowledge on the channel is endless. Several other BJJ coaches regularly upload content for those hoping to be the next big thing in the sport.
The channel has close to 30k subscribers and nearly two millions views. The best thing about Gregoriades is that he teaches top-level techniques both in a simple and deeply philosophical manner. Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood is one of the best BJJ channels for sure.
Atos Jiu Jitsu HQ
The Atos Jiu Jitsu HQ is spearheaded by Andre Galvao. Do I need to say more?
If you are a BJJ enthusiast or a practitioner, you probably know about him already, but even if you don’t, there’s no need to worry because this article will help you out. Galvao is one of the most decorated BJJ players of all time. He has won most world championships multiple times and coaches some of the best athletes in the world.
The Atos Jiu Jitsu HQ YouTube channel has nearly 75k subscribers and more than seven million views. Galvao’s channel is truly an encyclopedia of BJJ. It doesn’t matter if you are a white belt or a black belt, there’s a lot that you can learn from guard passes to guard recovery to submissions, counter attacks, and defenses. One of the best things about learning from Galvao is that he combines old school and new school jiu jitsu techniques. His videos are well worth watching. Galvao’s Atos Jiu Jitsu HQ is undoubtedly one of the best BJJ YouTube channels out there.
Firas Zahabi
Firas Zahabi is one of the most well-known coaches in MMA, widely recognized for helping Georges St-Pierre become a two time UFC welterweight champion, with more than half a dozen title defences. St-Pierre started as a karate fighter, but later added BJJ and grappling to his arsenal, and it worked wonders. GSP dominated the best fighters of his era on the mat, thanks to Zahabi’s mentorship. As mentioned in this article, Zahabi is a student of John Danaher, so he understands the sport through a technical standpoint.
His YouTube channel is very popular and his breakdown of moves and techniques is very detailed. If you click the link mentioned in his portion of the article, you will end up on Zahabi’s page. The first video you’ll see will tell you about the two most important aspects of mastering BJJ. Of course, we won’t tell you what they are. You will have to see it for yourself, but you surely won’t regret scrolling through his channel, which has over 250k subscribers and close to 30 million views.
Keenan Cornelius
Keenan Cornelius is one of the most decorated BJJ fighters from America. He has won dual gold medals at the World Championship, Pan-American Championship, European Open Championship, and Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Keenan also created the Worm Guard. He currently spearheads the Legion Academy in San Diego, California and also runs a successful YouTube channel with nearly 170k subscribers and 21 million views.
If you want to add new and innovative techniques to your BJJ game, Keenan Cornelius is arguably the best online resource you should consider. Sticking to the fundamentals is of utmost importance, of course, but out of the box techniques are worth trying as well.
Gracie Breakdown
Hosted by Ryron and Rener Gracie, Gracie Breakdown is the most popular BJJ YouTube channel with over 700k subscribers and more than 155 million video views. The channel initially gained popularity after uploading breakdowns of UFC and BJJ bouts. The brothers have expanded their horizons over the past few years by adding BJJ tips and techniques videos as well.
If you are looking for a wholesome BJJ YouTube channel that fulfills all your needs, give Gracie Breakdown some love.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZDQ0-Zbpt8
Stephan Kesting
Stephan Kesting has been at the instructional game for a very long time. Kesting is a BJJ black belt who also teaches Muay Thai and is a certified strength and conditioning instructor. Kesting has more than 300k subscribers and 64 million video views. With a wealth of experience thanks to his 30 year long career, Kesting is widely respected for his ability to answer all questions related to martial arts, particularly BJJ. Whether you are a beginner looking for the perfect tips to start your career or an expert, Kesting has solutions to all your problems and you must follow his channel.
Art Of Jiu Jitsu
The Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy and YouTube channel are run by Guilherme and Rafael Mendes, both of whom are BJJ world champions. Guilherme is a four time BJJ world champion, whereas Rafael is a six-time BJJ world champion. The Mendes brothers are part of a select few who have successfully transitioned from being world champions to being world class coaches. Guilherme likes to crush his opponents with pressure whereas Rafael applies the floating approach for guard pass. Both brothers are innovative and have helped in the development of BJJ during the last 15 years or so. If you are new to BJJ, you must watch their instructional videos to learn the gentle art through an innovative lens. Art of Jiu Jitsu is definitely one of the best BJJ YouTube channels to follow.
Marcelo Garcia
Marcelo Garcia was considered as the pound-for-pound greatest submission grappler in his heyday. He is also regarded by many as the greatest BJJ fighter of all time and there is a solid reason why many think that way. Garcia holds notable wins over Xande, Andre Galvao, Leo Vieira and Jake Shields.
Garcia’s YouTube channel is a treat for BJJ lovers. With over 4 million video views, Garcia is one of the most reliable online jiu jitsu resources. Not only does the legend share tips and techniques regarding BJJ through his YouTube channel, but he also shares what he thinks about BJJ and how the art applies to everyday life.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned about the ten best BJJ YouTube channels you should subscribe to expand your knowledge about the sport. If you want to become a better BJJ player, it’s important that you regularly visit the gym and practice with a sparring partner under the guidance of a certified coach. There is no alternative to practice, but theoretical knowledge is as important as practical training, therefore, you can take guidance from the channels mentioned in this article and discuss different ideas with your coaches. Additionally, each channel in this article will provide you with a number of videos on strength, conditioning, movement and stretching, which you can practice at home and on your own.
If you are a beginner, you should try these stretching techniques before and after your training sessions to strengthen your muscles and avoid injuries. Moreover, here are ten moves you should know as a BJJ beginner.