Review - Leg Pin Passing(Ruotolo Brothers)

This was released after the 2019 ADCC buzz around Tye Ruotolo. He used this system of pinning the legs to pass guard that most people had never seen before. In this instructional they go over various passes that can be done from this position. If you want to see this in action check out my breakdown of Tye vs Nicky Ryan.

Info

When this came out there wasn't much info about this style of passing and as far a I know this is one of the only instructionals with info about it. They go over a number of passes and attacks and they explain them clearly and concisely. They cover the main details and and key points needed to do the techniques. They explain that they developed it to deal with leg lockers and how to do the basic setup for it. I would have liked to have seen more passes or a troubleshooting section, but overall they covered things fairly well.

Organization

Everything is organized well and flows in a fairly logical manner. I would have liked more info and sections for passing from the inside and outside, but this is a rather short instructional, so it's not as if you have to search for hours to find something. It's easy to find what you're look for. 

Instruction

I'd say the explanation is a bit above average and I didn't feel like they were skipping details or making things confusing. They also have a nice laid back attitude that made it easy to watch. It's much better than what I'd expect of 16 year olds. They get straight to the point and if you're someone that doesn't like stories, banter, etc you'll get along with their teaching style. One thing that I think would have really improved things is showing it used in sparring. Not many instructionals do this, but when it's included I think it add a lot of value. Its a shame they didn't do that here. 

Value

This isn't very expensive compared to other DVDs so it might be one of the best values when it comes to instructionals. Considering you can't really get the info anywhere else the value is fantastic. I got a lot of out it personally and I found it not only gave me a new tool, but made me want to explore the position more. 

Personal experience 

I've been working these techniques now for almost a year now. I don't do every move shown, but a few have made their way into my game and the general approach I've been able to integrate into my passing. In my experience it can be learned fairly quickly and it doesn't need a ton of practice, but like anything it will depend on your personal attributes. The biggest attributes that help with leg pin passing aren't actually speed, but balance and timing. My success rate with it has been very high in the gym, but because of the balance and timing requirements it always seems like I'm passing by the skin of my teeth. The video gave me a false sense of how the opponent would react, so I thought I could stand there and collect my thoughts, but I've found this is never the case. That said, if it works it works, and this really works. For me the value it brought far outweighed the cost of the video. 

Conclusion

If you're looking for a new way to pass check this out. If it's on sale I would say it's a no-brainer. It's not for everyone, but you don't need to be a super athletic person to use it. In the future I hope they come out with a volume 2 and include some sparring footage and more passes. Although it's not the perfect instructional, it's great for what it is. A unique way to pass guard that is clearly and concisely explained.