The Best Online Jiu Jitsu Courses For Beginners

Here are the best jiu jitsu courses for beginners at Jiu Jitsu X that’ll help you catch up to speed, reduce the risk of creating bad habits on the mats and give you a massive head start on the other white belts in your class. 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you are a white belt.

And not only that, you’re a white belt with a problem.

But that’s ok, because the first step towards getting better is admitting that you have a problem. 

Before we get started, I want to congratulate you and welcome you to WHITE BELTS ANONYMOUS. 

This is going to be a big step in your journey with jiu jitsu. 

How do I know? Well let me introduce myself.

My name is Cristiano…

… and I used to be a white belt.  

So as you can see, I’ve been in your position and I’ve felt your pain. 

All jokes aside, jiu jitsu can be super frustrating as a beginner because it can feel like you’re a million lightyears behind everyone else.  

And for some people, this can make it difficult to ask for help. You know how the feedback loop goes…

You don’t know how to do something and you need to ask for help, but you don’t want to ask for help because you don’t want to look silly in front of the higher belts, but you feel like you’ll only look sillier if the problem you need help with continues, but asking a potentially silly question holds you back, and so on, and so on. 

While looking silly, for the most part, is all in your head, there are some – what do you call them, um, ah yes – douche bags in your gym who may treat you like an idiot for asking.

But not us, because at WHITE BELTS ANONYMOUS, we’ve got your back. 

In this article, I’m going to share with you what I feel to be the 7 best online jiu jitsu courses for beginners, helping you learn everything from absolute day one basics, to grip fighting, to takedowns, guard passes and everything in between. 

These courses won’t turn you into a black belt overnight, but I guarantee they will help you get over the most common problems facing you on the mat, set you up with the best habits for your future in jiu jitsu and more importantly…

… help you quickly catch up to speed.  

The 7 Best Online Jiu Jitsu Courses For Beginners At Jiu Jitsu X

1. Pete Iacavazzi – Welcome To Jiu Jitsu

Start your jiu jitsu journey off on the right foot by building confidence and knowledge of the fundamentals and finally make jiu jitsu – make sense.

If you’re brand new to jiu jitsu, then this, my friend, is the course for you.  

Trust me, I know what it’s like to go to your first few beginner classes: you’re shown a bunch of moves that you think kind of make sense, and a bunch of moves that really don’t. 

And that’s a problem. 

It’s a problem because if jiu jitsu doesn’t make sense to you, you’ll constantly find yourself on the wrong end of bad positions. 

Or, you’ll find yourself in a good position, but have no idea that it’s good or what you need to do make use of it.

Luckily, this first entry in our list of the best jiu jitsu courses for beginners will help you nip that in the bud, real quick, and set you on the path to making jiu jitsu make sense and, more importantly, enjoy it.

Join Peter Iacavazzi, 4th-degree black belt, 2x World Champion, 6x Pan Champion, and US Armed Forces Combative Program instructor, in his latest course – Welcome To Jiu Jitsu. 

In this course you’ll learn all the basic principles…

• How to engage your opponent – finding the grips you need to help you set your moves up for success. 
• How to position yourself in front of your opponent and how to move in a way that greatly limits their chances of attack, while significantly increasing your own.
• The most important concepts behind escaping the “less than ideal” positions you’ll find yourself in as a beginner.
• How to avoid injury when you’ve been taken down (do not skip).
• Simple drills for linking techniques and moves together so you can flow like a pro on the mat (this is the real secret to getting good at jiu jitsu).
• Understanding what you need to look for and do when playing guard and passing guard so you can quickly turn your worst position into your best.

Plus, Pete will also give you advice on competing in your first tournament along with some handy tips for your gi (just because you’re a beginner doesn’t mean you have to look like one 😉)

2. Andris Brunovskis – Skill & Drills

Make jiu jitsu look easy with the skills n’ drills every grappler worth their belt absolutely must have in their arsenal.

Ever been in a situation on the mat where you were suddenly struck with a brilliant idea…

… “Hey, I recognize this scenario, this will be perfect for that move I just learned online (or in class)”…

Only instead you completely balls it up and let that golden opportunity slip through your fingers?

Don’t worry, in the early days, everyone awkwardly fumbles their way through moves on the mat; like a couple of teenagers on prom night. 

You get way too excited when you see your chance and rush in foolheartedly instead of listening and watching your partner’s body for the right moment, sticking things where they shouldn’t be, only to end up completely out of breath and faced with the shame of what can only be called a disappointing anticlimax…

… again, like my prom ni… I mean, like two teenagers on prom night. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Check out number 2 on our list of the best jiu jitsu courses for beginners – Andris Brunovskis – Skills n’ Drills.

If you wanna move like someone who knows what they’re doing and make jiu jitsu look like it comes natural to you, you gotta take the time to focus on your drills.

And I’m not talking about shrimpin down the mat or any kind of weird jiu jitsu shadow boxing that one old guy in asics shoes, grey sweatpants and a “Free Moustache Rides” tank top does in front of the dumbbell rack at Planet Fitness at 3pm.

No, I’m talking about the drills that build the skills to pay the bills. 

In this second instalment on the list of the best online jiu jitsu course for beginners, Andris Brunovskis gives you just that. 

• Learn how to add, improve and sharpen the split second movements you need to pass the guards of your peers and even the higher belts. 
• Ingrain the life-saving maneuvers when playing and keeping guard no matter what your opponent tries to surprise you with. 
• Not only will Andris give you the drills that have made him one of the slickest cats on the mat, he also teaches you how to implement them into your training. 

Which means when you meet up with a friend before class, it won’t be a case of “What should we do, should we just roll?”, instead you’ll have the tools you need to get better on the mat.

3. Darryl Christian – Catch These Hands

Turbocharge the success of your takedowns and shut down your opponent’s attacks when you master these secrets from the coach of UFC, ADCC and Olympic champions. 

Ever heard of the, white belt dance?

Have you ever been a partner in the, white belt dance? 

(I bet you have)

You see, The white belt dance is a well known phenomenon in jiu jitsu that occurs once every beginners class and once every 5 minutes at the early stages of a tournament.

It involves two specific reactants: a white belt, and another white belt. And when these two white belts engage each other on the feet, with the goal of trying to take each other down, without any knowledge of what they need to do in order to take each other down, we get the resultant product…

… two people holding each other’s sleeves, as they take turns whipping their partner’s arms up and down like a stagecoach driver whipping their horses in an old Clint Eastwood movie. 

It’s the worst and longest version of the Cha Cha you’ll ever see.

And if you think I’m joking or you think I’m being mean, just look at this…

Yep, that hombre on the right was me in my white belt days engaging in anything but jiu jitsu.

But it doesn’t have to be this way for you.

This brings us to number 3 in our list of the best jiu jitsu courses for beginners titled – Catch These Hands.

Join UFC Championship wrestling coach Darryl Christian as he reveals everything he knows about the art of grip fighting to help you set up your takedowns and be two points up on the scoreboard from the start of the match. 

The techniques and ideas you’ll discover inside this course are the very same that Darryl teaches his students including UFC champions, Olympic champions, and multiple ADCC medalists. 

Sick of being taken down at will? Put a stop to it for good…

• Get unstuck – break your opponent’s grips and stuff their attempts to attack from the get go
• Gain and dominate the collar tie – when you control your opponent’s head, you control their entire body, use this to your advantage. 
• Become the predator, not the prey – learn the secrets to closing the distance like a pro and pretty much guarantee yourself the takedown
• Lure your opponent into traps – you don’t always have to blow your gas tank out on takedowns, with the tips and tricks you’ll learn in this course, your opponent will soon be doing all of the hard work for you. 
• Get a head start on everyone else in your class – jiu jitsu class is predominantly focused on what happens on the ground, and this can lead to people developing bad habits on the feet that can last a lifetime, or, avoiding the situation completely, but, just like death and taxes, you can’t avoid it forever. 

After watching this course, you’ll know exactly why Darryl Christian is such an in demand coach for UFC fighter’s and elite-level wrestlers.

4. Margot Ciccarelli – The Off Balancing Act

Obliterate the obstacles holding you back from hitting the perfect sweep when you master this one key concept.

Do you struggle to sweep your opponent? (With a hard emphasis on the struggle?)

You’ve learned some of the basic sweeps in class and drilled them a bunch of times.

Sweeps that, on paper, make total sense. 

Sweeps your instructor, and the higher belts regularly hit on you with total ease.

So why can’t YOU hit them?

You might find yourself thinking, there must be something I’m missing, what’s their secret? 

And to answer that question, yes there is something you’re definitely missing. Luckily, once you find out what it is, it’s something you can easily fix…

… with a little help that is. 

You see, what most people fail to tell you on the mat (because they think it’s common knowledge) is that in order to hit any sweep on your opponent, you need to first get them off balance. 

And no matter how well you can memorize each and every step of the sweep you’ve been practicing in class, when it comes to live action sparring, if you fail to get your opponent off balance, you’ll never get those sweeps to work. 

And if this is something you can relate to, then Margot Cicarrelli’s The Off Balancing Act is the remedy for you. 

Inside you’ll learn how to…

• Play guard with confidence – by keeping your opponent off balance, you’re keeping their mind on their base and more importantly, away from attacking you, which means you’ll be free to do whatever you want!
• 10x your success rates with sweeps – Being able to off-balance at will is an incredible power, Once you master it, your guard will be unstoppable. 
• Easily navigate the guard game – get to where you want to be with your guard without obstacles and turn your opponent’s “almost guard pass” into your go-to position

Off balancing your opponent is such an important skill in jiu jitsu. What you learn in this course will help you each and every day on the mat, from here until black belt and beyond.

5. Conner DeAngelis – Passing With A Side (Of) Smash

Crank up the gravity and steam roll the higher-belts with this notoriously effective passing system, no matter how light you are.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but here’s a truth bomb for you…

… you don’t have to be a heavy weight to crush your opponent’s guard. 

It may sound crazy, but it’s true. 

The main problem many beginners have when it comes to passing guard is that they try to rush. They think that they absolutely must get to the mount or side control as quickly as possible to stop their opponent from sweeping or submitting them from their guard. 

But in reality, rushing your guard pass is exactly what your opponent needs to sweep you or submit you from their guard. 

You see, when you rush, you open up gaps, and when you open up gaps you open up opportunities for your opponent and you become vulnerable. 

Sure, you’ll see higher belts out there jumping and cartwheeling to pass guard, but they aren’t what you would call high percentage tactics.

So, what would you call high-percentage? That is, what tactics or strategies would provide higher reward vs the risk.

What’s the secret to improving your chances of passing guard, getting a dominant position and more importantly, keeping that dominant position (while making your opponent hate every second of it)?

The answer is, you gotta get heavy, my friend. 

It’s applying so much pressure that your opponent’s breakfast and their soul are squeezed out of their ears. 

Like the anaconda crushing their prey, giving them no chance to move and no chance to attack. 

And, if you’re the type of person who’s gi weights more than they do, it’s ok because Darrin Conner DeAngelis has got you covered in Passing With A Side (Of) Smash. 

In this course you’ll discover…

• The 6 steps to pass any guard – learn what all guards fundamentally need so you can easily pull them apart. Don’t waste your brain power trying to learn how to pass all the different guards when you can just – pass guard!
• How to crank up the gravity and 10x your pressure on top, no matter what you weigh – gain valuable tips and tricks to help you squeeze the life out of your opponent and rob them of their energy. 
• Win the psychological battle – passing your opponent’s guard, especially if they identify as a guard player, will be a huge mental win for you and a crushing mental defeat for them. About 90% of the war, and who wins or loses the war, is often decided right then and there.
• Switching between different pressure passing styles – learn how to easily navigate to the best pressure pass that the situation demands, without losing control of the fight. 

Once you’re done, your opponents will be helping you pass, just so they can be put out of their misery. 

Join Darin Conner DeAngelis and transform yourself into a guard smashing machine. 

6. Miha Perhavec – Major Outer Reaper

Throw your opponent flat on the mat, score 2 points, and look like John Wick doing it when you master one of Judo’s most powerful throws – The Osoto Gari. 

There comes a point in every white belt’s journey in jiu jitsu where they either decide they wanna embrace the takedown and throwing game…

… or become a guard puller. 

It’s a sad fact, but we lose roughly 9 out of 10 white belts every second to guard pulling, not because they’re good at playing guard and want to start their best position off early…

… but because they’re scared of fighting from the feet. 

Now, if this sounds like you, it may be due to being crushed by that 16 year old wrestler in class or being pile drived by an ex powerlifter, or it may come down to a simple lack of direction on what you need to do on the feet.

Whatever your specific reason is, I’ll never know…

But what I do know is how we can turn that all around for you.

Check out number 6 on our list of the best online jiu jitsu courses for beginners – Miha Perhavec’s Major Outer Reaper

Discover how easy it can be to toss your opponent like a rag doll to the mat!

This course is truly structured for ALL LEVELS. From “started training yesterday” all the way to black belt. Beginners get their own section of lessons, plus special drilling programs included in the course. 

Inside you’ll learn…

• How to throw your opponent in any situation – you won’t always be wearing a gi, but you can always ippon dat bitch! Discover how easy it is to take the osoto gari from the gi and adapt it to nogi and even the streets. Which means when you learn the osoto gari, it’ll always be there when you need it. 
• How to throw your opponent to the mat from the ground up – the osoto gari can be tricky to learn if you’re missing something or your coach doesn’t teach you properly. In this course, you’ll learn absolutely everything you need to hit the throw and hit it reliably. From the basics of stance and safety all the way to the cunning combinations that’ll keep your opponent on (or off) their toes.
• Make it second nature – You won’t just learn the mechanics of the throw, you’ll also learn how to drill the osoto gari from a variety of situations and how to implement it into your daily training so you’ll never have to fumble on your feet again. 

Join Jiu Jitsu and Judo black belt Miha Perhavec in a course that will shape the future of your jiu jitsu.

7. Nick Schrock – Get A Grip

First, you get the vice-like grips, then you get the power, then you get the medals. When you dominate the very first step of the fight you’ll always be one step ahead.

Quick question…

… do your grips suck?

Is there a certain someone ruining your life on the mats with their vice-like grips? 

Well this is your lucky day because here’s the antidote, and his name is Nick Shrock.

A man with a Blue Steele gaze and grips of iron. And while he may not teach you how he’s able to stop traffic, microwave food or change the flight path of birds with that penetrating stare…

… he can teach you how to reliably win the grip war in any situation on the mat, in what is to be the 7th and final installment on our list of the best jiu jitsu courses for beginners – Get a Grip.

After all, every journey starts with the first step. 

And if you’re fumbling on that first step, your journey will never get started. 

In jiu jitsu, that first step ALWAYS starts with a grip. 

Join IBJJF Masters World Champion Nick Shrock as he dissects everything you’ll ever need to know about winning the grip war. 

Including…

• How to set up grips to turbocharge your passing 
• How to pass with the torreando — the right way!
• Passing spider guard
• Breaking your opponent’s grips when passing guard
• Identifying which grips you need to worry about when passing guard and which are basically decoration
• Setting up grips for crushing pressure passing
• Setting up grips for sexy arial passing 
• Preventing and passing worm guard 
• Dealing with lapel grips
• 10x -ing your side control pressure
• Playing gubber guard
• Playing lasso guard
• Grips for chokes
• Grips for shoulder locks
• And more! 

Believe it or not, there’s more to the grip game than you think. And the person who knows this is the person who is always one step ahead on the mats.

So, will that person be you?

Ok that wraps up the Best Online Jiu Jitsu Courses For Beginners at Jiu Jitsu X. You now have everything you need to help you catch up to the pack and build a solid foundation for the rest of your career on the mats.

Click here and check out our full database of courses from some of the greatest instructors on the planet. 

Copy and paste their games to your own, and get the answers to your biggest problems on the mat now.