The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling in BJJ & MMA with Lyubo Kumbarov

Build the Wrestling fundamentals for BJJ and MMA you need to become harder to control, harder to take down and far more effective at deciding where a Grappling or MMA exchange takes place.

The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling in BJJ & MMA is a complete foundational Wrestling system from elite Wrestling and Grappling coach Lyubo Kumbarov, designed specifically to help BJJ practitioners, MMA fighters and coaches understand how to make Wrestling work within their own sport.

Rather than simply giving you a collection of Takedowns to memorise, Lyubo starts with the principles that make those techniques work.

Stance. Movement. Entries. Hand fighting. Clinch control. Singles. Doubles. Takedown defence. Finishing against resistance. Side Control. Head-and-Arm Control.

Everything connects.

This was the second full-length instructional Lyubo filmed with Warrior Collective, following Elite Wrestling for BJJ & MMA.

However, if you are new to Lyubo's approach – or Wrestling is currently one of the weaker areas of your Grappling – this is the instructional we recommend starting with.

It provides the blueprint upon which the rest of his five-volume Warrior Collective Wrestling system can be built.

 

Learn the Foundations of Wrestling for BJJ & MMA

One of the biggest mistakes BJJ and MMA practitioners can make when trying to improve their Wrestling is starting with individual Takedowns.

They learn a Single Leg.

Then a Double Leg.

Then another setup.

But what happens when the opponent changes stance?

What happens when they win the hand fight?

What happens when your initial shot is defended?

What happens when you successfully complete the Takedown?

And what actually allowed you to get close enough to attack the legs in the first place?

Lyubo approaches Wrestling differently.

Before concentrating on collecting techniques, he teaches you the principles, positioning and movement that allow Wrestling techniques to work against somebody who is actively trying to stop you.

That means understanding how to move.

How to close distance.

How to establish contact.

How to control the hands.

How to recognise an opening.

How to create an opening when one isn't there.

How to transition when your first attack is defended.

And how to turn the Takedown into control rather than treating getting somebody to the floor as the end of the exchange.

That is the Blueprint.

Learn Wrestling From Lyubo Kumbarov

Lyubo Kumbarov comes from one of Europe's great Wrestling traditions.

Born and raised in Bulgaria, he developed through the country's Wrestling system and the renowned CSKA sports school, becoming a four-time Bulgarian National Wrestling Champion and representing the Bulgarian national Wrestling team.

His Wrestling career also took him to the United States, where he studied and competed at Colby Community College.

But Lyubo's value as a coach goes far beyond his competitive résumé.

After moving to the UK, his career increasingly became about answering a different question:

How do you take elite Wrestling and make it work for BJJ, No-Gi Grappling and MMA?

His work within Grappling eventually led him to train Roger Gracie and later coach Wrestling at the Roger Gracie Academy in London.

That experience helped Lyubo develop a teaching methodology that doesn't treat Wrestling and BJJ as completely separate sports.

He looks at how they connect.

The Takedown has to lead somewhere.

The clinch has to create opportunities.

Pressure has to produce reactions.

Control has to limit escapes.

And when an opponent successfully defends your first attack, you need to understand what their defence gives you next.

It is this ability to translate high-level Wrestling into practical Grappling that makes Lyubo's coaching so valuable to BJJ practitioners, MMA fighters and coaches.

 

Start With the Golden Principles of Wrestling

Before you worry about advanced Wrestling, you need to understand what makes good Wrestling work.

Lyubo begins with his Golden Principles – the foundations that underpin everything else taught throughout the instructional.

You'll develop a better understanding of stance, posture, balance, pressure, positioning and how your body should move in relation to your opponent.

These principles become increasingly important as opponents improve.

A technique might work against somebody inexperienced even when your positioning isn't particularly good.

Against experienced opposition, those small details become the difference.

This is why The Blueprint works equally well as an introduction for someone without a Wrestling background and as a way for experienced Grapplers to identify weaknesses in the fundamentals underlying their existing Takedown game.

 

Develop Wrestling Footwork and Entries

You can't hit an effective Takedown if you can't get into position to attack.

Lyubo breaks down the stance, movement, footwork and entries that allow you to close distance without compromising your own balance or giving your opponent easy opportunities to attack.

Instead of treating the entry and Takedown as separate techniques, you'll begin to understand how your movement creates the conditions for the attack.

For BJJ practitioners in particular, this can completely change the way you approach standing exchanges.

Rather than waiting for something to happen, you learn how to actively create the position you want.

 

 

 

The Takedown Is Only the Beginning

One of the defining themes throughout Lyubo's Warrior Collective instructionals is that Wrestling doesn't end when somebody hits the floor.

The Blueprint introduces that philosophy through Lyubo's approach to Side Control and Head-and-Arm Control.

Instead of thinking:

Takedown → stop Wrestling → start BJJ

Lyubo teaches you to think:

Takedown → control → pressure → reaction → next attack.

You'll learn how Wrestling approaches Side Control, how to make top position increasingly uncomfortable for your opponent and how to prevent them simply establishing the defensive structures they want.

Lyubo also breaks down Head-and-Arm Control and the details that can turn it into a reliable controlling and attacking position.

This becomes the bridge between the standing Wrestling taught earlier in the instructional and the ground-control systems developed much further in Dominating the Ground with Wrestling for BJJ & MMA.

 

 

What You Will Learn

The Golden Principles

Understand the foundational principles behind effective Wrestling and how they influence everything from stance and movement to Takedowns and control.

Footwork & Entries

Develop the stance, movement and entries required to safely close distance and put yourself into effective attacking positions.

Hand Control

Learn the Hand Fighting and Grip Fighting skills needed to disrupt opponents, create openings and prevent them establishing their own attacks.

Effective Clinching 101

Build a foundational understanding of the key clinch positions and how they connect to Takedown opportunities.

Mastering Single Leg Attacks

Learn how to enter, secure, control and finish the Single Leg while dealing with common defensive reactions.

Effective Double Leg Takedowns

Use positioning, angles and setups to create stronger Double Leg attacks rather than relying purely on speed or athleticism.

Takedown Frameworks

Learn how to continue Wrestling when your initial attack is defended and begin connecting attacks rather than constantly resetting.

Defending the Single

Develop stronger Single Leg defence and learn how to turn defensive situations back in your favour.

Stopping the Double Leg

Understand the positioning and reactions required to shut down an opponent's Double Leg before they can complete the Takedown.

Dominating Side Control

Discover how Wrestling approaches top control and pressure, along with important details for both maintaining and escaping Side Control.

Head-and-Arm Control

Turn Head-and-Arm Control into a reliable position for controlling, pressuring and attacking your opponent.

And More

Throughout the instructional, Lyubo continually connects techniques back to the principles that allow you to adapt them to your own BJJ, MMA or Grappling game.

 

Who Is The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling For?

This instructional is particularly valuable if you're a BJJ practitioner who knows Wrestling is a weakness in your game.

Perhaps you're comfortable once the fight reaches the floor but don't feel confident deciding how it gets there.

Maybe you've learned several Takedowns but don't yet understand how to connect them.

Or perhaps you avoid Wrestling exchanges altogether because you don't have a clear framework for what you should be doing.

The Blueprint gives you somewhere to start.

For MMA fighters, it provides the fundamental Wrestling mechanics needed to control where exchanges take place and to become more confident both attacking and defending Takedowns.

Experienced Grapplers can use it to revisit the fundamentals behind their existing Wrestling and identify the small positional details that may be limiting their success.

And for BJJ, MMA and Grappling coaches, this may be one of the most useful volumes in Lyubo's entire series.

You don't need to have grown up Wrestling to begin teaching your students better Wrestling.

Lyubo gives you a structured framework of principles, drills, positions and progressions that can be incorporated into your own classes rather than simply handing you a collection of disconnected techniques.

 

 

The Lyubo Kumbarov Wrestling System

The Blueprint was the second Lyubo Kumbarov instructional filmed for Warrior Collective, but as his library has expanded it has naturally become the starting point of a much larger learning system.

If you want to develop Wrestling as a genuine part of your BJJ, No-Gi Grappling or MMA game, we recommend working through Lyubo's five volumes in the following order:

Volume 1 – The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling in BJJ & MMA

Build the foundations.

Develop your stance, movement, Hand Fighting, clinch fundamentals, Single Legs, Double Legs, Takedown defence and foundational top control.

Volume 2 – Elite Wrestling for BJJ & MMA

Expand your Wrestling game.

Progress into Front Headlocks, Cradles, Leg Laces, Over/Under systems, Turtle attacks and more sophisticated Wrestling transitions.

Volume 3 – Dominating the Ground with Wrestling for BJJ & MMA

Learn to control what happens after the Takedown.

Develop Wrestling rides, pressure, base attacks, advanced hooking, anti-guard systems, escape counters and dominant ground control.

Volume 4 – Advanced Wrestling for BJJ & MMA

Connect everything together.

Explore Lyubo's Wave Principle, Underhook systems, Fireman attacks, Chain Wrestling, advanced pressure and the connection between standing and ground Wrestling.

Volume 5 – Dominating the Clinch – Wrestling for BJJ & MMA

Master the battle for upper-body control.

Develop Tie-Ups, Russian Ties, Over/Under systems, Double Unders, Double Overs, Snap Downs, Throws, Back Takes, Suplexes and Lyubo's advanced clinch-control framework.

The objective isn't to collect five libraries of Wrestling techniques.

It's to progressively build a complete Wrestling game for BJJ and MMA.

Get the Complete Lyubo Kumbarov Wrestling Instructional Bundle

Want to work through Lyubo's complete Wrestling system rather than purchasing each instructional individually?

All five of Lyubo's Warrior Collective instructionals can also be purchased together as a complete bundle at a discounted price.

Across the complete series, you'll progress from fundamental stance, movement and Takedowns through to Front Headlocks, Cradles, Chain Wrestling, ground control, Wrestling pressure, clinch systems, throws and advanced positional control specifically adapted for BJJ, No-Gi Grappling and MMA.

For coaches, the collection provides an extensive library of Wrestling concepts, systems, drills and progressions that can be incorporated into your own BJJ, MMA and Grappling programmes.

Scroll down to the bottom of this product page to find the complete Lyubo Kumbarov Wrestling bundle and purchase all five instructionals together at a discounted price.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling suitable for complete beginners?

Yes. In fact, if you have little or no previous Wrestling experience, The Blueprint is the Lyubo Kumbarov instructional we recommend starting with.

Lyubo begins with the fundamentals that make effective Wrestling possible – including stance, movement, footwork, entries, Hand Fighting and clinch positioning – before progressing into Single Legs, Double Legs, Takedown defence and ground control.

Rather than assuming you already know how to wrestle, the course gives you a structured framework from which to build your Wrestling for BJJ, No-Gi Grappling or MMA.

Which Lyubo Kumbarov instructional should I start with?

Although Elite Wrestling for BJJ & MMA was the first Lyubo Kumbarov instructional filmed for Warrior Collective and The Blueprint was the second, we now recommend The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling in BJJ & MMA as the starting point for the complete five-volume series.

This is because The Blueprint concentrates heavily on Wrestling fundamentals and provides the foundations upon which many of the more advanced systems in Lyubo's other instructionals can be built.

Once you understand these foundations, you can progress into Front Headlocks, Cradles and more advanced positional Wrestling in Elite Wrestling before moving into Lyubo's ground, advanced and clinch systems.

Can BJJ practitioners learn Wrestling without previous Wrestling experience?

Absolutely. You don't need to have grown up Wrestling to develop an effective Wrestling game for BJJ.

The important thing is to understand the principles behind Wrestling rather than simply collecting individual Takedowns.

Lyubo teaches stance, movement, distance, Hand Fighting, entries, clinch positioning, Takedown mechanics and defence before showing how these elements connect together.

For BJJ practitioners who are confident on the ground but uncomfortable starting from standing, The Blueprint provides a structured way to begin developing that missing part of their game.

Does this course teach Single Leg and Double Leg Takedowns?

Yes. Both the Single Leg and Double Leg form major parts of The Blueprint.

However, Lyubo doesn't teach them as isolated techniques.

You'll learn how to create the position to attack, enter correctly, control your opponent, finish the Takedown and continue working when the opponent successfully defends your original attack.

This distinction is important because effective Wrestling isn't simply about knowing how a Takedown works – it's about being able to make it work against somebody who knows you are trying to take them down.

Does The Blueprint teach Takedown defence as well as attacks?

Yes. Lyubo covers both Single Leg and Double Leg defence, helping you understand the positioning and reactions required to prevent an opponent completing their Takedown.

This is particularly valuable for BJJ and MMA practitioners because improving your Wrestling shouldn't only make you better at taking people down.

It should also make you much harder to take down.

Developing confidence in both areas gives you far greater control over where a Grappling or MMA exchange takes place.

What is Hand Fighting and why is it important for Wrestling?

Hand Fighting is the battle for control that often happens before the Takedown.

Rather than simply attempting to shoot underneath an opponent, experienced wrestlers use their hands, grips, head position and movement to disrupt posture, establish control and create openings.

Lyubo teaches these skills as an essential part of his Wrestling framework.

For BJJ practitioners especially, understanding Hand Fighting can completely change the standing exchange because you begin learning how to create Takedown opportunities instead of waiting for them to appear.

Will this instructional help me connect Wrestling techniques together?

Yes. This is one of the most important ideas introduced in The Blueprint.

Real Wrestling exchanges rarely happen as one perfectly executed attack.

An opponent might defend your Single Leg, change their balance, establish a new grip or force you into another position.

Lyubo begins teaching you to recognise these reactions and understand what opportunity comes next.

Instead of:

Attack → opponent defends → reset

you begin developing:

Attack → reaction → adjustment → next attack.

That ability to connect attacks becomes increasingly important as you progress into Lyubo's more advanced Wrestling and Chain Wrestling systems later in the series.

Is The Blueprint useful for BJJ and MMA coaches?

Yes. This is arguably one of the most useful Lyubo Kumbarov volumes for coaches who don't come from a strong Wrestling background themselves.

Instead of simply providing individual Takedowns for you to demonstrate in class, Lyubo gives you a progression through fundamental Wrestling principles, movement, Hand Fighting, clinching, attacks, defence and control.

That provides a framework coaches can use to structure Wrestling sessions and progressively develop their students rather than teaching disconnected Wrestling techniques from week to week.

What's the difference between The Blueprint and Elite Wrestling for BJJ & MMA?

The Blueprint is about building the foundations. Elite Wrestling is about expanding what you can do with them.

The Blueprint concentrates on stance, movement, Hand Fighting, fundamental clinching, Single Legs, Double Legs, Takedown defence and foundational control.

Elite Wrestling progresses into areas including Front Headlocks, Cradles, Leg Laces, Over/Under systems, Turtle attacks and more advanced Wrestling transitions.

If you're new to Lyubo's approach, we'd recommend:

The Blueprint → Elite Wrestling

even though Elite Wrestling was chronologically the first instructional filmed.

 

Don't Just Learn Takedowns. Learn How to Wrestle.

There is a major difference between knowing several Wrestling techniques and actually being able to wrestle.

The Blueprint for Killer Wrestling in BJJ & MMA is designed to help bridge that gap.

Lyubo gives you the fundamentals, principles and frameworks required to understand what is happening inside Wrestling exchanges – allowing you to make better decisions when an opponent moves, resists, attacks or successfully defends.

Whether you're trying to improve your own Grappling or build a better Wrestling programme for your students, start with the Blueprint and build from there.

 

Watch Lyubo Kumbarov Teach the Double Leg

Below is an extract from Video 4 – Hitting the Double Leg, giving you an opportunity to see Lyubo's coaching style and level of technical detail before accessing the complete instructional.