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]