It is of no surprise to anyone that I am a big fan of the value laden products that Japanese companies continually release. Therefore, it isn’t a very big shocker that BJJ Spirits vol. 4 is currently my favorite new jiu-jitsu instructional, magazine, and tournament DVD all wrapped up in one. This product is currently the best value for jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling fans everywhere.
Content wise, this book is my favorite of the series. It focuses mainly on the half-guard and the techniques are incredible. I have to hand it to the producers, they got two of the best modern half-guard specialists in Celso Vinicius and Sergio Moraes (uses more of an open half game) as well as the father of the half-guard, Roberto “Gordo” Correa, to teach techniques. Beyond this, this issue is full of star level instruction. Leo Vieira, De la Riva, the Mendes brothers, Bruno Frazatto, Dai Yohioka, Robert Drysdale, Yusukei Honma, and Eduardo Telles, all showcase their techniques along side interview. Unfortunately, the interview is only in Japanese, so this may put a damper on this for some.
Over to the video, the DVD is just as incredible and it is my favorite for three main elements. Although I love to see the techniques of the above fighters in motion, this DVD is amazing for its extras (this is saying a lot because there is a lot of great technique on this disc). First of all, it includes a few tournaments including the complete Copa Hong Kong. This is the tournament where Telles and Andre Galvao met in the finals. It has three full Telles and Galvao fights (including their final). I couldn’t believe they packed the entire event onto the DVD! Secondly, I loved the behind the scenes footage of Ramon Lemos’ academy in Sao Paulo. There is some incredible footage of the Mendes brothers and Bruno Frazatto training together that should not be missed. No wonder those guys are considered prodigies! Finally, their is a tournament of Leo Vieira rolling with four different guys during an exhibition. He rolls with a white, blue, and purple belt after first taking on JP Kuraoka, who is one of my favorite Japanese black belt competitors. The way Leo moves is jaw dropping, in fact, Andre Galvao was over when I watched it and he could not believe some of the techniques that Leo pulls out of nowhere. We were both completely dumbfounded. Watch it for yourself!
Comparatively, this product does very well against the recent Fighting Spirits books BJJ Spirits vol. 3 and Submission Spirits vol. 2. All three are very good values, BJJ 3 focuses on Japanese fighters and includes a really cool round robin judo v. bjj tournament while Sub 2 has a great tournament with Dave Camarillo and Romulo Barral taking over. Of course, at 20 bucks I think all of these are easy pick ups, but if you can only buy one, I would still go with BJJ Spirits vol. 4. It is incredible.
As for the quality, all of these products have earned their reputation. The video instruction and technique is top notch and is easily competitive with the best on market. The video is clean and the editing is solid. Of course, the magazines are beautiful, with a rich color palette and imaginative layouts.
Who shouldn’t buy this? All of the text is in Japanese, so if this is a problem, you may want to steer clear. However, I do not speak any Japanese and I thought that the whole DVD/book was easy to follow with the obvious exception of the interview section. Plus on the DVDs, the instructors speak their native languages, so this may be easier to understand for some.
Personally, I love all of these books, but BJJ Spirits vol. 4 is easily my favorite. It is value laden and packed with everything a jiu-jitsu lover would want. Great fights, amazing instruction, and inside access to interesting academies.
Happy Training,
Kevin
