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Playing the Game: The Four Main Rulesets in BJJ by Max Hanson

Every ruleset rewards something different, and few active competitors have learned to win under all of them like Max Hanson.

  • Max Hanson is a Canadian black belt under Dante Leon and a 2024 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Champion. He competes for Pedigo Submission Fighting and Adamas Jiu-Jitsu and is one of the most active competitors in the sport, winning titles across several weight classes.
  • In Playing the Game, Hanson breaks down how to pull guard and score, use the boundary, manage advantages, stalling and the ref, game plan from top and bottom, handle passers and leg lockers, and win from the back and the armbar.
  • This isn't just a strategy course, it's a guide to winning under the four rulesets you are most likely to compete in.


Course Content

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Volume 1

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Introduction00:00 - 01:13
Pulling Guard01:13 - 04:06
Scoring Off Guard Pulls04:06 - 09:36
How The Boundary Works09:36 - 11:06
Resets At The Boundary11:06 - 14:11
Scoring Situations Near The Boundary14:11 - 18:41
Submissions Near The Boundary18:41 - 20:22
Advantages For Beginners20:22 - 24:21
Stalling24:21 - 29:50
Strategy After Scoring29:50 - 33:08
Situational Strategy33:08 - 39:32
Talking To The Ref39:32 - 41:07

Volume 2

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Introduction00:00 - 00:51
Gameplanning To Win, Bottom00:51 - 04:31
Gameplanning To Win, Top04:31 - 07:33
Initiations07:33 - 13:34
Scoring Points13:34 - 18:50
Mastering Turtle, Funk Rolls18:50 - 25:22
Mastering Turtle, Seal Position25:22 - 28:56
Finishing A Match Quickly, Techniques28:56 - 34:25
Overtime34:25 - 38:29

Volume 3

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Introduction00:00 - 00:35
Deciding How To Fight00:35 - 02:14
Dealing With Outside Passers02:14 - 06:40
Dealing With Inside Passers06:40 - 10:22
Dealing With Kneeling Opponents10:22 - 14:45
50-5014:45 - 19:21
True Leglock Breaking Mechanics19:21 - 23:04
True Ankle Lock Breaking Mechanics23:04 - 24:46
Fighting A Leglocker, Wedge Backtakes24:46 - 28:49
Fighting A Leglocker, Crab Rides28:49 - 31:23
Crab Ride Continued31:23 - 34:24
Avoiding Double Seated34:24 - 35:49

Volume 4

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Introduction00:00 - 01:03
Winning Right Away (Back)01:03 - 04:01
Cycling Hands For Rnc04:01 - 05:05
Accumulating Time On Back05:05 - 06:15
Switching Off To Armbar06:15 - 08:35
Basic Back Escape08:35 - 09:45
Back Escape, Escaping Right Away09:45 - 14:23
Countering Double Unders14:23 - 16:23
Accumulating Time On Back Pt 216:23 - 19:35
Armbar Offense 119:35 - 22:38
Armbar Offense 222:38 - 25:35
The Scythe Armbar25:35 - 29:06
Armbar To Back29:06 - 30:10
Hitchhiker Escape30:10 - 32:20
Reverse Hitchhiker Escape32:20 - 34:30
Stacking Armbar Escape34:30 - 37:33
More Advanced Back Escape Details37:33 - 41:24

What Will You Learn?

Every ruleset rewards something different, and few active competitors have learned to win under all of them like Max Hanson.

Max Hanson is a Canadian black belt under Dante Leon and a 2024 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Champion. He competes for Pedigo Submission Fighting and Adamas Jiu-Jitsu and is one of the most active competitors in the sport, stacking up wins across several weight classes. Now he's sharing how he adjusts his game to the rules in front of him.

In Playing the Game, Hanson walks you through four volumes built around the rules that decide matches. You learn when to pull guard and how to score off it, how the boundary works and how to use resets, scoring situations and submissions near the edge, plus how advantages, stalling and talking to the ref change the result. From there he covers game planning to win from bottom and top, initiations, scoring points and mastering the turtle with funk rolls and the seal position. This isn't just a strategy course, it's a guide to winning under the four rulesets you are most likely to compete in.

Whether you're getting ready for your first tournament or you already compete under several rulesets, the material covers both sides of the match. You learn how to deal with outside passers, inside passers and kneeling opponents, how to handle 50/50, the real breaking mechanics of leg locks and ankle locks, and how to fight a leg locker with wedge back takes and crab rides.

The approach works because every technique is tied to how the match is scored. The final volume puts you on the back and in the armbar, where you learn to win right away, cycle your hands for the rear naked choke, accumulate time on the back, switch to the armbar and finish with the scythe armbar. Then it flips the roles so you can escape with the hitchhiker, the reverse hitchhiker and the stacking armbar escape.

Have you ever lost a match you felt you won because you didn't know how the rules were working against you?

Learn the rules, play the game and start winning the matches that used to slip away.

What Exactly Do You Get?

Part 1: Guard Pulls, the Boundary and Match Management

  • Pulling Guard
  • Scoring Off Guard Pulls
  • How the Boundary Works
  • Resets at the Boundary
  • Scoring Situations Near the Boundary
  • Submissions Near the Boundary
  • Advantages for Beginners
  • Stalling
  • Strategy After Scoring
  • Situational Strategy
  • Talking to the Ref

Part 2: Game Planning, Scoring and the Turtle

  • Introduction
  • Game Planning to Win, Bottom
  • Game Planning to Win, Top
  • Initiations
  • Scoring Points
  • Mastering Turtle, Funk Rolls
  • Mastering Turtle, Seal Position
  • Finishing a Match Quickly, Techniques
  • Overtime

Part 3: Fighting Passers and Leg Lockers

  • Introduction
  • Deciding How to Fight
  • Dealing with Outside Passers
  • Dealing with Inside Passers
  • Dealing with Kneeling Opponents
  • 50/50
  • True Leglock Breaking Mechanics
  • True Ankle Lock Breaking Mechanics
  • Fighting a Leglocker, Wedge Back Takes
  • Fighting a Leglocker, Crab Rides
  • Crab Ride Continued
  • Avoiding Double Seated

Part 4: Back Attacks, Armbars and Escapes

  • Introduction
  • Winning Right Away (Back)
  • Cycling Hands for RNC
  • Accumulating Time on Back
  • Switching Off to Armbar
  • Basic Back Escape
  • Back Escape, Escaping Right Away
  • Countering Double Unders
  • Accumulating Time on Back Part 2
  • Armbar Offense 1
  • Armbar Offense 2
  • The Scythe Armbar
  • Armbar to Back
  • Hitchhiker Escape
  • Reverse Hitchhiker Escape
  • Stacking Armbar Escape
  • More Advanced Back Escape Details

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