Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage: Submission Offense by Gordon Ryan

What will You Learn?

The scrimmage is where matches are won.

It's the chaotic space between established positions—where elite grapplers create openings, force reactions, and find submissions long before their opponents realize they're in danger.

No one understands this better than Gordon Ryan.

Widely regarded as the greatest No-Gi grappler of all time, Gordon has built his career on systematically dismantling the world's best athletes through superior positional understanding and relentless submission offense. In the latest installment of his acclaimed Systematically Attacking the Scrimmage series, Gordon reveals how to transform transitional exchanges into one of the most dangerous parts of your game.

This isn't a collection of submissions.

It's a complete offensive framework for identifying opportunities in the scrimmage, creating dilemmas your opponent can't solve, and flowing seamlessly from one attack to the next until the finish is inevitable.

Whether you're attacking guillotines, front headlocks, arm locks, triangles, leg locks, or back takes, Gordon explains the concepts that connect every submission together. Rather than relying on speed or athleticism, you'll learn how to use positioning, leverage, timing, and intelligent decision-making to stay several moves ahead of your opponent.

What makes Gordon's instruction so valuable is his ability to simplify incredibly complex situations. He breaks every exchange into a logical system, showing not only what to do, but why each decision creates the next opportunity. The result is a submission game that feels fluid, calculated, and impossible to stop.

If you've ever found yourself winning the positional battle but struggling to finish... or if you've watched Gordon effortlessly transition from scramble to submission against the world's best competitors and wondered how he makes it look so easy, this instructional provides the blueprint.

Stop reacting to scrambles.

Start attacking them.

Master the most dynamic phase of grappling and turn every transitional exchange into a submission opportunity with one of the greatest minds the sport has ever seen.

What You'll Learn

• Build a systematic submission game from transitional scrimmage positions
• Learn how Gordon identifies and creates submission opportunities before they disappear
• Connect front headlocks, guillotines, arm locks, triangles, leg locks, and back attacks into one cohesive system
• Create dilemmas that force predictable reactions and lead directly to submissions
• Master the concepts of timing, leverage, and positional control that make elite submission hunters so dangerous
• Learn to attack during transitions instead of waiting for fully established positions
• Develop the decision-making skills to stay one step ahead in every scramble
• Turn winning positions into reliable finishes against resisting opponents

Features & Benefits

• Learn directly from Gordon Ryan, the greatest No-Gi grappler of his generation
• Continue the acclaimed Systematically Attacking the Scrimmage instructional series
• Study the submission systems Gordon has used against the highest level of competition
• Transform chaotic scrambles into organized offensive opportunities
• Understand the concepts—not just the techniques—that make submissions inevitable
• Perfect for competitors and hobbyists looking to dramatically increase their finishing rate

The Bottom Line

The world's best grapplers don't wait for perfect positions—they create submission opportunities in the moments between them.

With Systematically Attacking the Scrimmage: Submission Offense, Gordon Ryan shows you exactly how to do the same.

Technique List

• Interface Between Positional Wrestling & Submission Wrestling
• Denying the Score Concepts
• Wrestling vs. Jiu-Jitsu Strategy
• Choosing Between Wrestling & Jiu-Jitsu
• Submission Timing & Decision Making
• Winning the Scrimmage with Submissions
• Chest-to-Back Control Concepts
• Standing-to-Ground Interface
• General Scrimmage Theory
• Breaking Traditional Grappling Rules
• Recovering After Lost Submission Attempts

Snap Down & Front Headlock System

• Intro to Snap Downs
• Wrestling vs. Jiu-Jitsu from Front Headlocks
• Guillotine Fundamentals
• Standing Guillotine Hierarchy
• Snap Down Rules & Strategy
• Movement Principles for Front Headlocks
• Baiting the Leg
• Hollow Body & Centerline Shift
• Guillotine Entries
• High Wrist Sit-Down
• Arm-In Guillotine Concepts
• High Elbow Guillotine
• Guillotine to Cradle
• Guillotine to Leg Takedown
• Failed Guillotine to Leg Entries
• Movement Chains & Combinations
• Anaconda Choke
• D'Arce Choke

Sacrifice Throws & Guard Pulls

• Sumi Gaeshi
• Failed Sumi Gaeshi to Leg Entries
• Uki Waza
• Failed Uki Waza to Leg Entries
• Hip Heist Entries
• Jumping Guard
• Yoko Sumi Gaeshi
• Yoko Sumi Gaeshi to Ashi Garami
• Tawara Gaeshi
• Sumi Gaeshi Variations
• Yoko Sumi Gaeshi Variations
• Tawara Gaeshi Variations

Head Outside Single & Double Leg System

• Head Outside Single & Double Fundamentals
• Tactical Decision Making
• Single vs. Double Leg Strategy
• Takedown vs. Leg Lock Dilemma
• Running the Pipe to Ashi Garami
• High Single to Outside Shelf Ashi
• Ouchi Gari to Ashi
• High Single to Inside Shelf Ashi
• GSP Double / Conventional Double / Ashi Trilemma

Head Inside Single & Double Leg System

• Head Inside Single & Double Fundamentals
• Takedown vs. Leg Lock Decision Tree
• Takedown to Ashi Pull
• Opponent Sprawl to Leg Entries
• Rear Body Lock Offense
• Rear Body Lock Tactics
• Entering 50/50
• Converting Back to Single Leg
• Reach Back Whizzer Roll to Legs

Head Outside Single & Double Defense

• Snap Down Defense
• Ashi Pull (Inside & Outside Grip)
• Attempted Ashi Slide to Sumi Gaeshi
• Elbow Pass to Ashi Pull
• Head Outside Single & Double Defense
• Double Leg Switch Defense
• Guillotine Counters from Leg Positions
• High Wrist Sit Defense
• Head-Only Guillotines
• Kimura Counter Series
• Double Leg Similarities & Differences
• Opponent Double Leg to Leg Entry

Head Inside Single & Double Defense

• High Head vs. Low Head Positioning
• Defensive Tactics
• Converting to Head Outside Single
• Head Inside Guillotine
• Head Inside Kimura
• Head Outside Kimura
• Far Leg Ashi Slide
• Kani Basami
• High Single Outside Shelf to Flying Triangle
• High Single Inside Shelf to Kani Basami
• Head Inside Double Counters

Rear Body Lock Defense

• Rear Body Lock Defensive System
• Wrestling Switch to Ashi Slide
• Rolling into Leg Attacks
• Reach Back Whizzer to Kani Basami

Flying Submission System

• Flying Submission Fundamentals
• Flying Armbars
• Sitting Armbars
• Flying Lat Armbar
• Flying Triangles
• Kani Basami Entries
• Near Leg Ashi Pull
• Far Leg Ashi Pull
• Upper Body Ashi Pulls
• Imanari Roll
• Reverse Imanari
• Submission Combinations

Live Rolling & Commentary

• Live Rolling Sessions
• Rolling Commentary & Technical Breakdown