Lachlan Giles is not impressed by what is trending on Instagram.

The ADCC medalist, known for his highly technical and methodical approach, recently shared a blunt take on how modern grapplers are learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and why many are being led in the wrong direction.

His message is simple: just because something looks good online does not mean it works on the mat.

The Social Media Trap

Today’s students have access to more instruction than ever before. But according to Giles, that is not necessarily a good thing.

“The discussion began when Meyer pointed out that students today have access to more instructional material than ever before, but often struggle to distinguish high quality fundamentals from flashy techniques designed to grab attention.”

And social media is the main culprit.

“I think the hardest thing now is just, it’s like the same issue as with social media,” Giles said. “Well, it is social media, a lot of it.”

Why Low Percentage Techniques Go Viral

The problem is not the content itself. It is what gets rewarded.

“But I find like if you’ve got like a controversial take on something, or a wild wacky sort of thing, or like something that looks flashy,” he explained. “Like those are the ones that get viewed a lot.”

That creates a dangerous filter.

“You’re going to be funneled into watching these sort of perhaps lower percentage moves,” he explained. “Just because they’re the ones that people are more likely to view, unfortunately.”

So instead of learning what works, many students end up copying what looks cool.

The “This Move Sucks” Problem

Giles also addressed another trend: overly confident, black and white takes online.

“Something came up recently on my feed,” Giles said. “It was like a video someone saying, ‘Never do this move. This move sucks.’”

But jiu-jitsu is not that simple.

“And I’m like, it doesn’t suck,” he said. “There’s a video of someone like trying the move and failing in a competition.”

Context matters.

A failed attempt does not mean a technique is useless. It may simply mean it was used at the wrong time, against the wrong opponent, or with the wrong setup.

The Real Solution: Systems Over Moves

Instead of chasing isolated techniques, Giles believes grapplers should focus on structured learning and systems.

“Something that’s structured well can present a whole system as opposed to just an individual move,” he explained. “Like, this is a whole position, this is how I think about it.”

This is where most social media content falls short.

It shows moves, but it does not teach when to use them, why they work, or what your opponent will do next. And that is the real skill in jiu-jitsu.

How High Level Grapplers Actually Think

Giles emphasized that good instruction connects techniques to decision making and underlying concepts.

“These are the main concepts you need to understand,” Giles said. “These are your options, this is what your opponent’s going to do.”

Instead of memorizing moves, elite grapplers build frameworks.

“Sort of trying to tie all that together,” he said. “I think that’s always going to be better.”

That is the difference between knowing techniques and understanding jiu-jitsu.

Why This Approach Wins Long Term

Yes, structured learning takes more time.

But it builds something much more valuable.

“It takes a bit longer to get through content like that than a YouTube video,” he said. “But it’s just going to set you up better to learn.”

Quick content gives quick dopamine. Systems give long term results.

The Bottom Line

Social media is not going anywhere.

But if you rely on it as your main source of learning, you are likely developing a game based on what gets views, not what gets wins.

And as Lachlan Giles makes clear, the future belongs to those who slow down, think deeper, and build their jiu-jitsu around concepts, systems, and high percentage decisions, not flashy clips.

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