A new feature to the Budo Blog beginning with this review is the Favorite Five. The purpose of the Favorite Five is to provide the reader with not only five of my personal favorite instructionals, tapes, etc., but to also provide a solid foundation for your instructional library. Therefore, it is my intention to showcase DVDs that both I myself enjoy and round me out as a student.

This week we will take a look at five judo instructionals that would make great additions to any library. Like all future Favorite Five lists, these instructionals range from encyclopedic to highly specialized to ensure a proper sampling of the world’s best in Judo coaching.

1. Koga: A New Wind. Toshihiko Koga is one of Japan’s most famous Judo champions. As a former Olympic Gold Medalist and multiple time world champion, Koga made a name for himself for his one handed throws and in my opinion, this is one of if not the most entertaining instructional I have ever seen. Not only was this extremely well done and produced, but it features Koga’s favorite techniques - some of the most innovative judo you will ever see. If you have not seen a Fighting Films instructional, get ready to have some fun. All of the showcase DVDs (Koga, Jeon, and Adams/Biggs) feature documentary style biographies, technique demonstration, sparring with technique, and file footage of the very same technique being used in international competition. Personally, I really enjoy seeing Koga spar and implement the maneuver because I get a much firmer grip on the timing than through instruction alone.

How does it stack up against the other Fighting Films Instructionals? Obviously, it is my favorite, but that is not to say that the others are not worth looking into. Out of them all, I feel that Jeon: Korean Judo Master is also incredibly solid and the new Adams and Biggs instructional is filled with extras although it does not feel as cohesive as either Jeon or Koga. However, all three have some of the best gripping strategies to ever be presented on DVD; drill this grip fighting and you will get better. In addition, many have said that they like Jeon just as much and that it may be a better competition style DVD, but I shyed away from it due to a personal disinterest in drop seoi nage. That being said, the 3 man drill in Jeon is incredible and very useful for the competitively minded judoka.

2. Complete Judo by Mike Swain. Mike Swain became a judo legend when he became the first American world champion and Olympic medalist. He is also known as a gifted coach and has lead some of America’s greatest judo athletes to competitive success. Now that we are all familiar with the man and his accolades let’s get down to his instruction… this set should be owned by every judo, jiu-jitsu, and sambo player out there. It is encyclopedic and it contains very good description of all of the major and most of the minor techniques of judo. In addition, Mike Swain puts everything together and shows proper timing, footwork, and combination work that create a very dynamic effect for what would otherwise be considered a judo encyclopedia. I can’t think of too many greater coaches/competitors than Swain, especially when it comes to teaching the finer nuances of judo technique. My only real complaint is that the chapter cursor is very slow moving and that it can be frustrating to navigate from technique to technique on the scene selection page.

How does this compare to other instructionals by Mike Swain? Aside from his Newaza Judo Groundfighting which is also featured in the Top 5, I feel that it is much stronger than Basic Judo, Basic Grappling, and Mike Swain’s Judo VHS. Basic Judo may have a little more beginner level ukemi (breakfalls), but I think most people would be better off purchasing Complete Judo, because well - its complete. Most of what you will find in the basic series and far more is all found here in the Complete Judo set. Beyond the Swain market, I also feel Complete Judo does a much more thorough job than other encyclopedic style instructionals like Fighting Films’ Gokyo.

3. Russian Judo by Igor Yakimov. This is a two disc set by Russian Judo and Sambo champion Igor Yakimov. The interesting thing about this set is that it has received some pretty harsh reviews in the past; many people found Yakimov hard to understand and thought the production was less than stellar. In Yakimov’s defense I really have nothing to say - the quality is not the greatest and the audio is not the greatest. In addition, I did not get too much from his groundwork DVD. So, why am I recommending Yakimov’s Russian Judo? Basically, Yakimov presents the only set on Russian Judo currently available. For those that are unaware, Russian Judo is known for its unorthodox gripping, entries, and throws. The throws on this set are fantastic and creative. For both judoka and jiu-jitsu players, this set is all about thinking outside of the box and it should give everyone some dangerous grips and standup weapons. I loved the knot grip stuff.

How does it compare to other Yakimov or Russian Judo instructionals? Like I said earlier, this is the only show in town. There are some excellent books on Russian Judo in Judo from a Russian Perspective and Masterclass: Russian Judo, but as of yet this is still the only DVD on Russian Judo. I think it is very unorthodox and worth checking out. As for Yakimov’s other products, those are all Sambo instructionals and they follow a different structure and rule system as dicated by Sambo’s points of emphasis.

4. Mike Swain’s Newaza Judo Groundfighting. I think Swain’s Newaza set is one of the most underappreciated gems in the instructional market. What really stands out about this set is that the viewer can really get a feel for the intensity in newaza movement. It looks like “classic” Gracie Jiu-Jitsu on hyper speed. For all those that say judo is not technical on the ground, look no further than Swain’s instruction on turnovers and armbars - these moves are fast and strong, but are using incredible leverage. Speaking of levers, I appreciate how Swain breaks down every position to show where the pain inducing leverage is. Also, Swain does another first and showcases how to adapt the throw to a gi-less environment. This set is awesome.

For jiu-jitsu players and grapplers in general, I think some very interesting drills can be used if you use this set in conjunction with Eduardo Telles’ Turtle Guard and Mario Sperry’s Clock Choke and Advanced Submissions (from Master Series 2). A great drill is to use the arm techniques of Swain with the choking techniques of Sperry while attacking a Turtle that is being defended as Telles teaches. This is a great way to utilize your DVDs and build an attacking game from the turtle both top and bottom.

How does it compare to other newaza tapes on the market? This set stands out for two main features… First of all it is a well produced English instructional and second, Swain is an incredible teacher. With that said there are many great Japanese produced newaza tapes such as Kosen Judo of Hirata Vol.1, vol.2, and a personal favorite of mine, Newaza of Kashiwazaki. Kashiwazaki’s groundfighting has reached near mythical status and he is known as possibly one of Japan’s greatest newaza specialists. What hinders Newaza of Kashiwazaki is that it is only available in Japanese and on VHS. However, the content with all of its pins and movement is first class; hopefully someday it will make it to DVD.

5. David Camarillo’s Position Impossible. David Camarillo is the always controversial creator of Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu as well as a huge proponent of the integration of jiu-jitsu and judo. In my opinion, this is a must have set for anyone who crosstrains both sports. I feel Dave has done a very good job of showcasing a judo that works well against jiu-jitsu and vice versa. David also has a whole DVD dedicated to his “wow” flying attack game. A lot of these moves are on the fancier or flashier side of the spectrum and they are great to watch - poetry in motion. In terms of instruction, David is a great coach and he does a great job of teaching everything; no detail is spared, even when David is teaching flying rolling armbars! The only real pitfalls of the DVD is the production is about average, nothing great and nothing horrid, and that the scenes are difficult to navigate.

How does this compare to other David Camarillo products? There are no other DVD instructionals, but it should be noted that this DVD serves as a perfect companion to Camarillo’s Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu book. Having been published after the release of Position Impossible, David created a book that answered any remaining questions about how he integrates judo and jiu-jitsu.

Next up on the Favorite Five? Lapel Choke Instructionals and Sambo!!

Happy Training,
Kevin

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No, this is not a rematch of the famous Rumble on the Rock 6 which saw BJ Penn take the unanimous decision over Rodrigo Gracie, but it is a fight of sorts. In this literary encounter, we are pitting BJ Penn’s new MMA Book of Knowledge against Rodrigo Gracie’s No Holds Barred! Fighting Techniques. Who will be the winner? Without further adeu, let’s get to the action…

Round One - Striking: Both books come on strong in this department, but there is definitely a clear winner when the smoke clears. Rodrigo’s NHB Techniques! discusses some interesting philosophies on range, combinations, and standing strikes - while showing some basic striking strategies on the ground. The feel of Rodrigo’s striking instructional is a little basic, but it does get the job done without too many complaints. The MMA Book of Knowledge also covers these areas as well as going one step beyond Rodrigo in one important area… BJ completely integrates striking into all aspects of his MMA ground game. Whether it is wrestling, the guard, standing, or rolling, BJ shows how to use striking to create openings for either more strikes, takedowns, or the match winning submission. Round One Winner: 10-8 BJ Penn, by strikes then a submission attempt followed by even more strikes.

Round Two - Takedowns and Defensive Work: The MMA Book of Knowledge comes out with some great clinch work and exquisite wrestling style takedowns that Rodrigo’s book just cannot keep up with. The wrestling in BJ’s book is really great MMA style technique, while Rodrigo’s is a mix of solid old school Gracie Jiu-Jitsu applied to modern MMA. When it came to defense, BJ’s book also has an advantage due to the strong strike defense throughout, but don’t count Rodrigo out yet with his savy positional defense and MMA submission defense. Most will be happy to see that both book competitors include some clinch defense (especially the thai clinch) and they take differing perspectives that are more than interesting. Round Two Winner: 10-9 BJ Penn, Rodrigo came on strong with his kimura defense and intelligent defensive posture, but BJ was just too strong with his chapter on clinch work and his perfect defensive posture as well.

Round Three - Matwork: In this final round, Rodrigo Gracie’s No Holds Barred! comes out with some very strong groundwork that is indicative of the young Gracie’s style. There are some nice neck cranks and chokes, even if some of them do seem to be built off of the opponent doing the absolutely wrong thing (like when Rodrigo’s opponent goes to a sit up guard and hugs Rodrigo’s leg as he stands to pass or strike). BJ’s MMA Book of Knowledge also proves to be a little too strong in this round as well. When you thumb through BJ’s book there is definitely the feeling that BJ is showing how to do MMA effective jiu-jitsu, while Rodrigo’s does have some less than likely moves that have been covered to death in Kid Peligro’s other books (i.e. the step over triangle from side control). Round Three Winner: 10-8 BJ, it should be noted that Rodrigo did come out strong, but in the end, his moves felt a little too much like regular gi jiu-jitsu while BJ’s showcased how to make that leap towards very effective MMA style BJJ.

Judges Decision: Unanimous Decision in favor of BJ. Rodrigo does have a good book on his hands, but like many of Kid Peligro’s books there is some overlap with other editions in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series. Rodrigo does showcase some great MMA style maneuvers, but there is a tendency for some of them to feel like jiu-jitsu or self defense jiu-jitsu with gloves.

With all of this said it may seem like BJ presents the perfect book, but as many readers have come to find out, I do not find perfection very easily and this case is no different. Though this book is another strong showing from the publishers of Eddie Bravo’s sucessful Mastering the Rubber Guard, it also falls into the same pitfall. That is, both Eddie’s book and the MMA Book of Knowledge sometimes draw out techniques in an attempt to achieve 300 techniques or whatever the goal is. For instance, if one technique goes through 8 movements to achieve the position and the next technique just changes the end submission, the readers probably do not have to look through all of the seven preceding movements again like it is a completely different technique. This is where Kid Peligro’s books and both The Guard and Passing the Guard have all shined-no wasted space or filler to make the technique quota.

Which should you buy? If you can only afford one, get the MMA Book of Knowledge. It is the best MMA book on the market, period. This is not to take anything away from Rodrigo, but I do feel his book appeals more to fans of the Gracies and Kid Peligro’s book in general. No Holds Barred! is a good book, but it just does not capture the MMA game as well as BJ’s first effort. The MMA Book of Knowledge is just an amazingly technical approach to MMA; fans and fighters alike can learn a lot about the intricacies of fighting from this book. Like I said earlier, BJ uses strikes to set up submissions and submissions to set up strikes, just like a truly evolved MMA fighter.

Happy Training,
Kevin