Carlos Machado recently released his new set after receiving a lot of hype, but how does it stack up to other well liked sets like Saulo Ribeiro’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 1? After many long nights watching and rewatching both sets, I think its time to find out.

First off, let’s get into what makes Saulo’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 1 a great set. From beginning to end, there is one thing that Saulo nails and that is detail. He spends an indordinate amount of time on every technique and the viewer actually gains something very special when they watch Saulo - they begin to believe that they are seeing the “secrets” of BJJ. This is due in part to Saulo’s style - he tells you why he is doing everything right and others have it all wrong. His is not a set of alternative styles, but in defense of Saulo he does a great job of explaining why his way is the right way. If this is starting to sound negative towards Revolution 1, do not misunderstand, this is a great set; it is only that Saulo can be a little preachy. That being said, Saulo does earn this right - after all, what he says and how he teaches makes a lot of sense.

If Jiu-Jitsu Revolution gives you some easy answers for common jiu-jitsu problems, Infinite Jiu-Jitsu gets you working again. This is because Infinite Jiu-Jitsu is based off one thing - real resistance. With every new set of techniques, Carlos shows how to put the movements together in sparring (which is probably at medium energy) where he channels the sparring towards the techniques he just taught against real resistance. Beyond Saulo, this leaves the viewer with an idea of the timing and pressure involved to really pull off any given technique. More importantly, Carlos answers the question every jiu-jitsu practioner comes across at some point, that is, “why doesn’t this (insert technique) work when my opponent is resisting or fighting back?” The answer is in the details of how you combat resistance with leverage.

Similar to Saulo’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 1, Carlos does not skimp on detail. Carlos explains everything and shows you some very logical springboards to take you over the hurdles created by resistance. An example that I enjoyed is when Carlos describes the basic foot on the hip open guard. Often times, when playing this guard, the opponent fights the sleeve pull and maintains some semblance of posture. Carlos defeats this with a basic tenet of jiu-jitsu - hip movement and shifting. Watching how Carlos broke down his opponent’s posture with shakes and hip escapes immediately turned a light on with me. This is the beauty of Carlos’ set, you really feel like you are getting some of those key details that allow all of the “old school” jiu-jitsu teachers to still dominate after all these years. This is “old school”, but I do not think too many advanced practitioners know this much about their basic techniques.

Now its time for the other side of the coin. What is stopping Infinite Jiu-Jitsu from achieving absolute greatness is its horrible organization, high price point, and DVD-R format. Whereas Saulo puts everything into a nice framework of technique by position, Carlos is all over the place. The instruction is always world class, but it would have been a lot better if it felt more coherent. At times, Carlos jumps from guard passer to pass preventer to attacks from the crucifix. This organization does hinder the DVD set at times and does make the viewer have to work a little harder to absorb different things. In Carlos’ defense, the menus are labeled as are most techniques and this at least assists in the searching of techniques; it just would have been better if it followed a more coherent structure like Jiu-Jitsu Revolution. The high price point and DVD-R format are the other two negatives and they are grouped together symbiotically. Basically, a high price or DVD-R format are both livable when independent of eachother, but when in conjunction it begs the question, “am I getting a cheap product/ripped off?” This is where the injustice lies in this set, the content is great as is the production. I think its worth the money and I am just puzzled as to why Carlos’ producers skimped on not putting these on pressed DVDs. It is just an oddity.

Why did I get this? I believed the hype when I saw some of the Infinite Jiu-Jitsu clips from his website and I will buy any DVD that shows how to beat a smart or resisting opponent. The time of presenting dumbed down opponents that lay around like dead fish is hopefully over.

Would I buy this again? In an instant. Although I am not happy that it is DVD-R, it is worth every penny. This DVD is full of so much detail and it really gets into the nitty gritty of how to make your basic techniques work better while adding a few new ones (or forgotten techniques) to the mix as well. I think the set is for all levels and this is a must buy for any grappling enthusiast.

So, what’s better, Saulo’s set or Carlos’? Well, this is a toss up. Both are great teachers and there actually is not a lot of overlap (maybe not any) between the two sets. You will get a solid overview of the fundamental jiu-jitsu game as well as the leverage that allows this art to work in resistance in each respective set. I would buy them both, but if you are cash strapped, go for Jiu-Jitsu Revolution first and then save up for Infinite Jiu-Jitsu. If you can afford them both, get them both- you’re game can only change for the better. I would also make the suggestion to pick this up as a set and not as an individual DVD. Besides being cheaper in the long run, I just think you will probably like every DVD and will want to use them all to expand your game/knowledge.

Happy training,
Kevin

Recently I had a chance to pick up A Fighter’s Heart: One Man’s Journey Through the World of Fighting, by Sam Sheridan and I really could not put it down. At least for the first four or so chapters. In this unique text, Sheridan takes the reader along with him as he trains to become an MMA style fighter. He trains in absolutely everything and the reader is brought right along through Sheridan’s trials.

With this said, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of A Fighter’s Heart and how it stacks up to other similar titles. First of all, there really are not too many other titles that solely follow a fighter’s journey and training regimen. There are martial arts biographies like Funakoshi’s Karate-Do: My Way of Life and Judo Heart and Soul by Hayward Nishioka that capture a career in the martial arts and offer small glimpses into training in the martial arts, but both fail to capture the daily sacrifices that Sheridan’s work accomplishes. This book has a similar feel to the productions Day of the Zen and Smashing Machine in that it intelligently illustrated what it takes to fight and win. It is not as much of a lifestyle piece like the Arte Suave films as it is a book that shows you the difficulties and sacrifices that every fighter goes through. In terms of content, I have yet to see another title that accomplishes what Sheridan has in this future best seller.

Why did I get this? Well, I thumbed through it at the bookstore and I came across the section on the Brazilian Top Team, a favorite MMA/BJJ team of mine for quite some time. In this chapter, I read some fantastic training stories of what it is like to train at BTT and I really got a feel for what it is like to be a gringo training in Brazil at one of the top schools in the world. Later, I was further hooked as I read the chapters on Fairtex (a world famous Muay Thai training camp out of Thailand) and Miletich Fighting Systems. These three chapters gave me an inside look at these training camps that I have never seen before and provided me with a window into the private lives of some of my favorite fighters like: Minotauro, Sperry, and Miletich and company. It just felt like I was reading a documentary on what it takes to train at these places. To reiterate, sometimes you just cannot top a first hand account of how hard the training can be.

Would I get it again? I would purchase this again in a heartbeat, but aside from the aforementioned chapters of brilliance, there were some things that I was less than enthusiastic about that others may find more interesting. First of all, sometimes I was a little confused by Sheridan’s prose. Was he trying to sell the reader the idea that he was a fighter or was he simply behaving as a journalist and giving the readership an “inside perspective”. I realize that Sheridan himself plays around with this dichotomy, but at times I was left puzzled as to his intentions with this book. For most of the book it feels like Sheridan struggles with the insecurity of being labled a journalist, but in the end, most fighters carry many roles. Perhaps he could have done more to capture the intellectual depth of modern MMA fighters. Did Sheridan achieve the status of becoming a fighter? Definitely, but I just felt Sheridan could have accomplished more as a warrior poet than an author who struggles with his multiple roles.

In addition, I found some of the chapters a little slow. I was not particularly riveted by his Tai Chi or boxing training. Not as a slight to either art, it was just that they did not feel as fleshed out as his introduction in Fairtex or his personal relationship with Miletich in Iowa. Some may not be as interested in the chapter on dog fighting, but I found it to be an interesting albeit troubling (when viewing it through my own cultural lens) cultural survey that would make many anthroplogists proud. However, with this being said the other chapters are pure gold.

The book itself is relatively inexpensive for a new release hardcover and it should be a quick read for most. It is what it is, a deeply interesting and engaging story of what it takes to train with the best. Hopefully this will spawn furture training bios and we can all see the birth of a fantastic new genre.

Happy Training,
Kevin

Many including myself have lauded the Baret Yoshida DVD/Book combo by Airyudo Books as one of the best buys on the market. It has it all, a huge library of techniques from a myriad of positions, a convenient book with easy to read English, and best of all- a companion DVD that includes every move. For 25 bucks, I still believe that this is one of the best buys out there. However, besides its price point and value laden content, what could have been done better with this product and how does it fit into the framework created by the first Baret Yoshida 3 DVD Set (formerly only available on VHS)?

Well, to understand this, we should first evaluate what the Baret Yoshida DVD/Book Combo is and is not. It is a mammoth of a set and it includes plenty of options and attacks; it is a great buy. What it lacks though is complexity. This set shows complex movement, but it does not really fit into the framework of how Baret plays his no-gi grappling game. Sure the armbar section from the guard is very well done, but it is well done in a surveyed sense - it does not let you into how Baret moves and plays his guard, it only shows how he does these specific context focused techniques. I feel that this is actually by design, the authors/publishers could only make it a value by LOADING it with techniques, over analysis by Baret would have only limited the scope of the book/DVD.

With that said, I feel that the 3 Disc Baret Yoshida Set by High Performance Videos takes on and completes the Book/DVD combo. Whereas the Airyudo set (Book/DVD) is more encyclopedic and macro, the Baret 3 Disc Set accomplishes both. It is micro in that Baret takes the time to bring you into his game and he shows you a mutlitude of options for attacking and finishing your opponent from Yoshida’s favorite positions. The moves do tend to build off of eachother and Baret talks in more detail than on his Airyudo set. The set is also macro in its scope in that Baret covers both his top game and positional attacks as well as his very dominating guard style including guard defense (with some very good attacks against the aggressive passer). What makes this DVD work is that it mixes both of these elements very well - there are a lot of moves, but they all fit into the context of Baret’s “A Game” and he sheds light into what is a high or low percentage technique.

Reading this, you may think that this is a “perfect” set; well, up until now I have failed to find one and Yoshida’s is no different. As has been pointed out before, Baret does appear somewhat uncomfortable in front of the camera. He seems a little shy and sometimes his voice is a little soft or there is a little trepidation in his speaking style. I have also heard that his thick Hawaiian pidgin tongue (or Hawaiian Creole English) is unintelligible, but on this point I disagree. His pidgin is not that thick, I find it hardly noticable and Baret does not use any slang or terminology that would be foreign to most people. The English is less than perfect at times, but the content is still at a very high level. If you are an English professor, you may shy away, but you will wish you had not. In addition to this, I do feel that the visual quality is higher in the Airyudo combo set, but the 3 DVD set is clear and well shot for its time.

-With this product review, I am going to start a little section on why I would personally purchase (or not purchase) the aforementioned product.

So, why would I get the Baret Yoshida 3 Disc Set? I can clearly answer in three easy pieces. First, it has a whole gameplan from Baret on attacking armbars and triangles from the no-gi guard. I find it to be very difficult to finish anyone beyond the beginner level with triangles or armbars from the guard due to the sweat factor, but over and over I have seen Baret submit top level competition from within his guard; this is something worth looking into for everyone. What makes it even more amazing is seeing Baret teach and implement his submissions from the open guard, poetry in motion. Secondly, the DVD set includes a lot of bonus sparring footage and once again I get to see how Baret finishes big strong guys from his guard as well as his transitions and top subs. I am a big advocate of sparring footage on any DVD set, as I feel that this is where the viewer gains an uncompromised view to see if the instructor actually practices what he teaches. The sparring on here is really enjoyable. Finally, I appreciate that Baret defines the likelihood of the attacks that he presents. He tells you when to pursue certain attack combinations and actually tells you that some are always high percentage while others are best used as “Hail Mary”-style attacks or in the waning seconds of the match. I appreciate this candor and it was actually very useful to practice a lot of these riskier techniques as movement drills as well.

On to the winner between Baret and Baret. Obviously Baret is the winner, but my preferred format is the 3 DVD set. I really enjoy the Airyudo Book/DVD, but I just feel that the 3 DVD set has so much more to offer. The quality is good, the menus are easily navigable, and the extras let me feel like I am getting my money’s worth. If I had to make the purchase between one or the other I would still get the Airyudo set first. It is very inexpensive and it is not likely to show up on your significant other’s monthly accounting. As I continually say, it is a good deal. But once you can afford it (about $110.00) and have the time to give it a good sit through- I would purchase the 3 Disc Set. It is a solid purchase, especially if you need work on submitting your opponents from the open and closed guards.

Happy Training,
Kevin