Marcelo Garcia, winner of five Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships and a man many feel is the best pound-for-pound submission grappler of all time,unveils the secrets behind the most effective guard system in existence—the X-Guard. Unlike most jiu-jitsu instructional books, Garcia leaves no stone unturned. Not only does he show you how to sweep your opponent using the X-Guard from nearly every control position, he shows you how to do it both with a gi and without. Covering everything from grips to timing, this book will be a savior to anyone wishing to compete in jiu-jitsu tournaments, no-gi grappling competition or mixed martial arts.

Erich Krauss is a professional Muay Thai kickboxer who has trained and competed in Thailand. He is the author of fifteen books, including Wrestling for Fighting: The Natural Way.

Glen Cordoza is a professional mixed martial arts fighter and co-author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge.The X-Guard

http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=24624

Mauricio “Tinguinha” Mariano has done a lot of work for you. Besides playing a large role in the creation of many of the modern open guard moves while a student at the Gracie Barra Academy in Rio, he has also laid them all out for the benefit of everyone. In Tinguinha’s widely popular Ultimate Open Guard Series, Tinguinha takes all levels of practitioners through the Spider Guard, Sitting Up Guard, and Cross Guard, and later he puts them all together in one of the most dynamic volumes to date- The Extreme Open Guard. So, with all of the hype in place, let’s take a look at this series and decide once and for all of this is the Ultimate Open Guard Series.

The Spider Guard- To start off, I really believe that this is the best overall spider guard DVD on the market. Although there are other DVDs that show amazing spider guard concepts like the Braulio Estima instructional, this is the only set that only delves into the spider guard material at such an in depth level. Like all of the following DVDs, the core of the material is shown as follows: Establishing the position against different postures, controlling the position, and then basic sweeps followed by advanced reversals and submissions. In the spider guard instructional, the core material is followed by passing the spider guard and in the new special edition, preventing the spider guard passes. The production value is very high with clean camera work and a nice tight angle to see all of the action.

Cons: I have head that some of these moves are too independent and that there is not enough of a gameplan present in the instructional. Actually, I would disagree slightly. I think the DVD is laid out as a “collection of moves”, but he does provide valuable insight that when viewed as a whole presents a very illuminating gameplan for this tricky guard. Instead of a step by step gameplan, you get an in depth portrait of how the spider guard works, from here you can as many games as you want.

Personal Favorite Moments: I loved everything about this set, but my favorite had to be the drills and the helicopter sweeps. Although I’m not great at the move, it is just poetry in motion and who better to watch teach in than Tinguinha. Pick up this DVD if you have even in a passing interest in the Spider Guard.

The Cross Guard: Of Tinguinha’s three core guard DVDs (the third being more macro in scope), this is my personal favorite, but maybe that is because I love to use the cross grip guard. This is a guard that is built for gi sweeps and submissions and Tinguinha takes you through just about every possible variation and technique from the guard.

Also, many try to compare this DVD to Pe de Pano cross guard section from his instructional, but really I think the two really compliment each other more than anything. My view is that Pe de Pano, being the king of the cross guard, does a wonderful job of bringing the viewer to the inside of his competition strategy for using the cross grip. Tinguinha, on the on the other hand, once again provides a detailed survey of the position that really deals with the ins and outs of the position. Both are great and if you have them together, you have just about all that you need for this position.

Cons: As with all of these guard specific DVDs, if you do not like this guard, you probably won’t have any interest in viewing it, but there are some pearls in here for doubters. First of all, this is a competition oriented guard that everyone should have a firm understanding of just for the inevitable time you run into it. Also, Tinguinha has included his Countering the Spider Guard Pass section that is great for guard players who have to face the tough passers in class. The only other problem I see is that someone should have told Tinguinha and his partner not to wear the same colored gis, the blue on blue is not the best for viewing.

Favorite Moments: The drills in this set are probably some of my favorites to actually use as a warmup, but I really took a lot of value from how Tinguinha treats us to the basic cross grip to omoplata to cross grip sweep. He shows so many details and how he deals with different postures really has to be seen by everybody. Once again, this is a must have disc and it is a great compliment to the Pe de Pano set.

The Sitting Up Guard: Of all of Tinguinha’s guard specific instructionals this is probably my least favorite. Although I think it is a fine product with more high points than low, I just feel that this is a guard position that is also covered in depth in a multitude of other products. That being said, this instructional does keep up the integrity of the set by providing a detailed view of the position and you would be hard pressed to find someone who actually does not like this instructional.

Cons: As an instructional, the material once again is great, but Tinguinha falls into his trap once more of using the same colored gi as his partner. Unfortunately, this is the worst perpitrator because both are wearing black gis, and two guys in black plus shadowing makes detail very hard to discern from time to time. With that out of the way, the only other con is that there are a lot of other great products on the Sitting or Butterfly guards. Though I do not think any necessarily do a greater job than Tinguinha, they do have different approaches and sweeping techniques. Some of these include Stephen Kesting’s Butterfly and X-Guard or any of Marcelo Garcia’s Guard DVDs.

Favorite Moments: Any of Tinguinha’s submissions from the sitting guard. I love to see people pull triangles and armlocks from this position and this DVD is a great to place to go for some instruction on these. If you can get these down, you have definitely gotten a huge value out of this instructional.

The Extreme Open Guard: If you look at all four of Tinguinha’s DVDs collectively, this one is the most dynamic and therefore it is also my hands down favorite. In this instructional you can really tell that Tinguinha tried to think outside of the box and provide an instructional that really teaches you how to integrate all forms of guard into one effective platform. Everything about this DVD is top notch and I really cannot find too much room for criticism. In Extreme Open Guard, Tinguinha shows everything about making your guard a complete hassle for the passer, drills, specific guard pass counters and defenses, crazy sweeps and submissions, and the ever so important transitions between guards.

Cons: Some people ma find this DVD overwhelming, but it really is all that you need to integrate a complete guard game into your arsenal. The only real complaint may be that the information tends to lean towards the advanced end of the spectrum and this material is incredibly useful at the highest level of blue belt and beyond. There is a lot here.

Favorite Moments: First of all, I will watch any DVD that teaches me how to defend the guard and this one is no different. The escapes and strategies work perfectly into Tinguinha’s game plan and I love how Tinguinha highlights how to sweep passing opponents. This is jiu-jitsu philosophy in motion! Also, every single inter-guard transition is solid gold. Tinguinha deftly shows the symbiotic nature of different guards and he does an expert job of showing how to flow in and out of all guards to create a complete dynamic game.

Happy Training,
Kevin

When I first thought of the idea of showcasing a certain athlete and his material, Rigan Machado was the first person to come to mind. The reason is simple… Rigan has a ton of knowledge, experience, and product both written and video from multiple publishers, therefore he was a prime candidate for the Essential Series. In addition, Rigan is respected as one of the greatest BJJ practitioners of his era and is also one of the five famous Machado brothers of jiu-jitsu.

Now, let’s establish the purpose of the Essential Series. Basically, the role of the ES is to take an extraordinary martial artist and discuss the pros and cons of their entire curriculum. This will be top down, so there will be a Top 3, following by the rest of the media in no particular order. With these guidelines established, here is the Essential Rigan Machado.

1. Rigan Machado’s Triangle- This is one of the most underrated books out there. When I hear of popular titles, they are usually Kid Peligro or Victory Belt related, but this book really flies under the radar and is packed with content. Triangle stands out for a few reasons. First of all, it is the only BJJ book that I am aware of that solely and deeply delves into the finer intricacies of the triangle choke. Secondly, it was originally packaged with a DVD that was worth the cost of the book alone, featuring chokes and competition highlights. And finally, it captured a lot of interesting variations and detail that Rigan is known for.

Its cons are that it could have used some more writing in areas and that it’s a little too large for my bookcase (I know this is trivial). The warmups were okay, but they felt a little tacked on and lacked the importance of the following chapters. Also, some editions do not include the DVD instructional and as I said earlier, this is a great DVD that can only get your triangle attacks stronger.

To begin the Top 3, Rigan Machado’s Triangle takes top honors for being unique and one of a kind, focused, and consistant in the ability to focus the readers game towards some practical applications.

2. Rigan Machado: The Art of Passing Volume 1- Not only is this Rigan’s best DVD release to date, but it is probably one of the best instructional on gi less guard passing that you will find anywhere. In this basic volume, Rigan takes you through the fundamentals of passing the gi less guard and the detail is great. Actually, what I liked most about this set is how Rigan simplified what the passing game is and then showcased some very solid principles of passing to assist in the aquisition of passing skill. Another favorite is how Rigan forces the opponent to react and then passes off of the proper trained response; I found to this be very savy and technical. I am looking forward to seeing whats on Vol. 2.

The only real con that I could see with the content is that some people may be looking for more passes, but as a first volume, I can only assume that more is on the way. Other than that, the moves on this DVD are coherent and I love how Rigan manages to turn anything into a drill - this is itself is of incredible value.

3. No Gi Submission Wrestling Vol. 1-3- This DVD is kind of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand it does include a lot of great no-gi techniques, but it is more encyclopedic and it lacks the feel of the previous two instructionals. What this series does great is capture the pool of knowledge that Rigan has on submission wrestling. Some highlights for me are Rigan’s take on the twister, transition footlocks, roll overs from foot control, and everything regarding the underhook. There is some fantastic information on here.

As a negative, the structure and DVD format leaves a lot to be desired. It is hard to watch some DVDs that have chapter issues (or lack of) with poor opening structures and menus. This is issue is also present on Rigan’s Mastering, Essential, and Secrets of the 1/2 Guard Series‘.

Honorable Mention:

The Secrets of the 1/2 Guard- This set is actually really good and Rigan’s halfguard operates a lot differently from the current paradigm as popularized by Eddie Bravo in his Mastering the Rubber Guard book. Rigan plays a lot with lapels and overhooks and this series serves as a great compliment to the Bravo book and other great halfguard instructionals like Gordo’s and Gustavo Machado’s. Unfortunately, the organization is lacking and the producer failed to create a chaptering system that could only have assisted in the viewing of the DVD. Still, there are moves on here that I had never seen prior to this.

Now, on to the rest…

Encyclopedia of BJJ Vol.1-3, Essence of BJJ, and Rigan Machado’s Leglocks- The Encyclopedia books are filled with a vast amount of techniques and this is the quintessential tome of Rigan’s knowledge. Reading this three book series, it is just incredible to see how many techniques Rigan knows intimately. What stops this book series from surging towards the top are the black and white photographs and the horrid organization without any clear chaptering, move list, or index. The reader should not have to skim through Guard Passes 1-50 (I know it is an exaggeration) to find the torreando - just call it the torreando! With that said, I can guarantee that everyone can find something new or forgotten in this set and that in itself makes it valuable.

The Essence of BJJ and Encyclopedia of Leglocks books just feel a lot more lacking than the first Encyclopedia Books. The Essence of BJJ is essentially a bare bones Book Series with an equally shallow DVD series with abyssmal video quality to accompany it. I would not recommend these to anyone pass a beginner with absolutely no knowledge of BJJ, but in that case I would probably recommend the Royler and Renzo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu book instead. The Leglocks Book is hindered by grainy photographs and short explanations, although there are some great moves in here. For the leglock enthusiast- you might pick this up because of the lack of other leglock books on the market, but I would go for the Yakimov Leg Lock DVDs and perhaps the Imanari DVD for some truly exciting leg attacks. One thing is for certain, the market is right for a good leglock book to be introduced.

Mastering Jiu-Jitsu Series- This is a 3 Disc Set in which Rigan delves into the 1/2 Guard, Chokes, and Leglocks. A lot of the moves are seen in other instructionals, so I did not really get into the groove of these DVDs. The production is a lot better than the Essence of BJJ series, but once again the chapters are lacking and the DVDs run like one big long shot. This should not be the case and unfortunately it interferes with the viewability of the product. Perhaps they should have focused more on the halfguard DVD and created it more as an addendum to Rigan’s Secrets of the Halfguard.

After watching so much of Rigan Machado, one thing is for certain- this man is a veritable encycopedia of BJJ. As a walking encyclopedia, I feel that Rigan is best utilized when his focus is micro, so that he can pour all of his knowledge and detail onto one fine tuned topic. The result of which are products like the Top 2 and Secrets of the 1/2 Guard, focused and full of details that many would never get to see.

Next up for the ES series? The Essential Mario Sperry.

Happy Training,
Kevin

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When I first heard about the soon to-be released BJJ Spirits Vol. 2, I was more than excited - I was ecstatic. The previous BJJ Spirits and its follow up, Submission Spirits were two of my favorite Japanese publications, but each for different reasons. I really enjoyed BJJ vol.1 for its solid mix of written and video media. I found the book to be incredible - it featured Leo Vieira, Andre Galvao, Rany Yahra, Shinya Aoki, and Mike Fowler as my personal favorite sections. The DVD was also really cool - it had techniques by Fowler, Telles, and Galvao as well as sparring footage of the former TT members and a great bjj match featuring Fredson Paixao. I felt that BJJ Spirits vol. 1 would be a tough act to follow. Then came Submission Spirits.

Submission Spirits was the mostly gi less follow up to BJJ Spirits that was successful in showcasing a different perspective on grappling. Gone were Vieira and co. and in their place was a motley crew of Japanese rising stars and American technicians. I felt that the book rested on the shoulders of Imanari, Tokoro, and Sato - although standouts like Eddie Bravo and Javi Vazquez were featured as well. The DVD however was the true gem and it appears that it gained quite the following for being a mini instructional on Eddie Bravo’s half guard in addition to featuring great sections on Javier Vazquez, Imanari, and a very in depth triangle section from multiple view points. Overall, I would say that the book felt good but not as great as BJJ Spirits, but the DVD surpassed the original with the inclusion of Bravo’s stuff as well as some previously unreleased gi matches of Marcelo Garcia, Jacare, Galvao, and Terere.

With that being said, I think BJJ Spirits vol. 2 is very different and it falls somewhere below, above, and between the previous two books. Here’s what I mean. The book itself has quite a lot going for it on first view - I mean, it has MARCELO GARCIA ON IT!!!! I think that should be enough. However, after getting through his incredible section, I did not feel that there were enough “named” fighters in it to stay interesting. Sure, there is Enson Inoue, Tinguinha, and Paulo Filho, but it somehow lacked the magic of the first book with the exception of a truly amazing piece on Marcelo. So, for the book, I would call the Marcelo article my favorite out of the three, but the rest of the book is my least favorite. This being said, I would by the whole book/DVD set again on the strength of the Marcelo piece. Anytime I get to see Marcelo teach, I jump at it.

Now the DVD was a disapointment on first view, but later it also became something truly enjoyable. The problem is that for whatever reason (speculation - its probably related to video rights), Marcelo is not featured. Originally this was a HUGE letdown and I did not give the set a proper chance. So, I picked the DVD up again the other night and I gave it another go. Well, my final verdict is that it was actually really good. Enson Inoue gives some very good pointers on the armbar, Tinguinha shows some cool sweeps, Yanagisawa teaches a dynamic game, Barbosa takes us into his academy in Japan, and Romaro takes the viewers through some of his Ginnastica Natural routines. I found all of these to be great, but the competition footage (includes Tarsis Humphreys and some Japanese BJJers) was sooooo technical. I really feel that the Japanese have embraced BJJ in a very technical form, the guard work, attacking, and overall game is at a very high level and these matches were just fun to watch.

To put BJJ Spirits vol. 2 into the greater framework created by its former editions, I would say it stands among them, but exhibits some weaknesses. It may just have the strongest article in it and the DVD/Book is still a tremendous deal, but it just feels a little shallow in comparison to the original.

For the blog readership- I would recommend this book to Marcelo Garcia fans or followers of any of the competitors herein. I think all of the sections are interesting and at 20.00 it is a good buy. If you need work tightening your basics, Enson does a very thorough job of slowing the move down enough so that it is understandable.

Regarding the Japanese text and language, I would not sweat it too hard. In all three books there are athletes showcased that speak English (Fowler, Bravo, Vazquez, and Tinguinha), but don’t miss out on some of the tricks that the Japanese guys are teaching. There is some truly innovative BJJ/Submission Wrestling in all three volumes.

Happy Training,
Kevin
[tag]marcelo garcia, jiu-jitsu, jiu-jitsu book, jiu-jitsu instruction, martial arts, bjj, budovideos[/tag]

Recently I had the privilege of being asked to run the very first Budovideos blog. The purpose of this blog is to provide thoughtful analysis on new and previously released DVD sets and books. If there are some instructionals or books out there that you guys want to see reviewed - let me know and I will give it my best effort.

Regarding the analysis, you will not see scores or stars. I feel that this is far too arbitrary and that what is important are the highs and lows of any given set, as well as how the DVDs fit into the framework of previous work. For example, a new set on sweeps will most likely be compared against some of Tinguinha’s, Pe de Pano’s, or Cobrinha’s work.

It should also be noted that I will attempt to remain as unbiased as possible. However, it should be noted that I do not feel it necessary to slam a horrible set, I will just simply state that I did not enjoy it for whatever reason and move on.

I hope this is enjoyable and I look forward to great discussion.

Happy Training,
Kevin

Hey everybody, my name is Kevin Howell and currently I am a purple belt in BJJ and a brown belt in judo. I have always enjoyed writing and I look forward to sharing my perspective on old and new material from a myriad of martial arts. Aside from judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I enjoy all martial arts and feel that each has its own merit and depth. Check back regularly and I do take requests!