Attack of the Killer Butterfly & The Human Crucifix!
This is a preview of the upcoming Jiu Jitsu Theater Double Feature 3 disc DVD set featuring Nino Schembri, available soon at www.Budovideos.com

Attack of the Killer Butterfly & The Human Crucifix!
Two Movies, One Admission, Multiple Submissions!

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the turtle historically has been seen as a conduit to either recovering guard or getting your guard passed (or possibly being submitted). However, over the last few years a lot of these views have changed as the turtle has become an offensive staging ground for sweeps, reversals, and even some submissions. While some have been slow to accept this changing paradigm shift about the turtle, others have embraced the unique aspects of this game. Nowhere else is this change so obvious than in the two Turtle specific volumes by Josh Russell and Eduardo Telles. Following is a cross comparison review of both instructionals where there can only be one winner and it isn’t the hare.

The Turtle Guard by Josh Russell- Seeing as this was the first Turtle DVD to be produced, it should definitely be the first one to go under the microscope. Russell, a Canadian black belt from Gracie Barra, discusses his involvement with the turtle though necessity as he outlines defense, reversals, and attacks from the turtle. Although the production quality leaves a lot to be desired, it is crystal clear that this material is more than unique as Josh showcases several defenses and maneuvers that you will not see anywhere else.

Who should get this: Like the following set, anyone with an interest in learning how to escape, survive, and reverse the turtle. Although I am not a huge fan of the production value, the moves are very unique and I think most people could benefit from integrating some of these drills into your warm-ups and flow rolling sessions. In addition, this instructional is about 1/3 the cost of the Telles instructional, so it may be a better choice for some economic minded buyers.

The Turtle/Octopus Guard by Eduardo Telles- Although Josh provides some valuable insight and I am sure he is a technical and skilled turtle guard practitioner, Eduardo Telles is the Turtle King. Or should I say Ninja Turtle? No one else has epitomized the positon as well as the changing paradigm from defensive turtle to turtle guard than Eduardo Telles. In this five volume instructional, Telles outlines his entire turtle game in grand fashion. As a production, Telles’ instructional is on a hole new level from that of Josh’s, but it is the depth of content that really separates the two.

As a content rich instructional, Telles’ set is definitely one of my personal favorites. He begins with his turtle guard basics and he shows everything from survival apects to defense of specific back taking techniques to some of the most enjoyable sparring drills I have ever done. Next up are two Sweeps volumes that encompass sweeps that originate from both the turtle and Telles’ loose version of the sitting guard. He shows how he transitions in and out of this guard and how he sweeps just about everyone with his relaxed style. Following this is a submissions volume with some of the sneakiest subs I have seen, and they have to be sneaky to be coming from this position! Finally, Telles includes a submission wrestling volume on a position he has coined as the octopus guard, which is both strange and exhilarating in its approach. Needless to say, it just is not possible for Russell’s instructional to match the depth of Telles’ with the amount of techniques and instruction time present throughout this DVD set.

Who should get this: Obvious Turtle fans will need to pick up this instructional. It really is the quintessential Turtle instructional and it has just about everything you need to learn and start playing with this unique position. If you want to learn the turtle from the master, go with Telles.

While it may seem that the Telles vastly overshadows Russell’s instructional, that really is not the case. Both are actually great together as a companion sets. Russell shows some crafty escapes by posting on his head and walking around the guy on top (who is trying to jump over to take his back) that are not on the Telles set. Obviously, the Telles set has moves and details that are not on the Russell set either. If you can afford both of them, I think that together they provide a rich view of the position.

For those that have seen the both sets and are ready for a different perspective, you can also check out Saulo Ribeiro’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 2 and The Turtle Volume he has included in that set. I would recommend this DVD just as highly as these two, but it is only one volume in a set of six.

Happy Training,
Kevin

Recently, two of the largest jiu-jitsu instructional producers went head to head with nearly simultaneous releases of the newest Marcelo Garcia vol. 4 instructional and the highly anticipated Braulio Estima set. Although the timing is certainly hard on the wallets, these instructionals couldn’t have been any more different and both are definitely worth checking out.

Marcelo Garcia vol. 4- As the latest iteration of the famous franchise, Marcelo breaks new ground in this volume entitled New Game Jiu-Jitsu. Gone are the x-guard, back attacks, and arm drag DVDs of volumes 1-3. In its place is a whole lot of submission grappling specific omoplata, guillotine, and crucifix attacks. This is definitely new ground for the series.

Like many WMA productions, the picture quality is very clean and the dubbing is crystal clear, but someone needs to tell the producer to get rid of the different colored curtain in the background. It appears frumpy and out of place when compared to the clean lines of the all blue background in Marcelo Garcia vol. 2. Ever since Saulo Ribeiro’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 2 we have seen the emergence of the grey curtain and i’m hoping this isn’t the beginning of a trend. Take note producers: solid screens that match the mats are better than curtains!

With that said and done lets dive into the content of Garcia 4… there is a ton of omoplata on here (4 DVDs worth). This has to be the omoplata of Garcia because he covers everything. Easily some of the most worthwhile information is on defeating the omoplata defense and isolating the arm to create the omoplata angle. These entry strategies are really top notch. For those looking for the latest and greatest techniques, the monoplata and its many variations should more than sate your curiostities.

What I liked about this set? The crucifix and guillotine DVDs are also quite excellent. Some of the transitions into the crucifix have to be seen and I had quite a few “wow” moments throughout my viewing. The guillotine instructional focuses a lot on the “ten finger” style guillotine and there are some great variations as well. My favorite DVD in the set is the crucifx; the material just felt newer to the DVD market.

Complaints: 4 discs on the omoplata felt a little overdone at times and my mind waned when viewing for long periods. Also, like some of Marcelo’s other series’, there is a little overlap to his previous sets. For example: Marcelo 2 and 3 show the same “Sperry style” arm behind the back pass, Marcelo 1 and 2 the same drag sequence, and Marcelo 2, 3, and 4 the same guillotines (from passing the sit-up guard and north south). To me, the variations between how it is shown from gi to no gi is slight and I could have used some different stuff.

Overall impression: The set comes packed with some focused material and it is definitely worth it. I don’t think it is the type that you can watch in one sitting, but you will definitely get some great insight into finishing from these common positions. My favorite is still Marcelo 1, but this set is just as solid as the other three. Marcelo could release a cookbook and I’d prob buy it.

Braulio Estima - This is the first instructional of any form from BJJ World Champion Braulio Estima by Bjjtapes. Being the owner of an incredible guard, Braulio showcases the closed and open guards as well as a small segment featuring his guard passing strategy.

The production quality is good and the background is the standard gym. Once again, it would be nice to see more of a studio feel with more control in the background. Braulio speaks English throughout and he is easily intelligible. Once again, let’s dive into the content…

I think 90 % of the moves on this set are high percentage; the closed guard and guard recovery are solid gold. The other 10 % will take a little play and practice to get used to your opponents reactions. Some of these moves include some leg movement, lassoing, and spider guard movements that will probably need a little time to get the movements and strategies down pat. With that said, I really found the basic attacks and combinations were priceless. Anyone suffering from a weak guard should see what Braulio has to offer in this department.

What I appreciated about this DVD was the attention to detail in every position. Braulio really breaks down the necessary movement and answers the why of the position. In this regard the set feels more like a private lesson than an instructional. He also teaches every technique using an intelligent opponent who is not just sitting there lame duck style. Due to this, each move really feels like three or four. For any given move, Braulio gives multiple end games and alternatives - all of which created a very dynamic feel. In fact, if Bjjtapes would have separated each move into at least two or three, he could have created a much higher move list based on Braulio’s variations. This said, I like to see the variations within the same string of thought.

My favorites techniques: Once again, I liked all of the core fundamental sections: How to defend the pass, putting together an open guard, controlling wih the guard, and posture breaking to the attack with the closed guard. Braulio’s closed guard is incredibly dangerous.

Complaints: I would have liked to see a intro menu graphic, but that complaint is very minor and is more of just a personal preference. Other than that, I was really impressed.

Overall impression: This is my favorite set from tapes. However, I really think this has more to do with the strength of Braulio as an instructor; Braulio is articulate and he presents the guard as a dynamic and moving system. Great set.

One more thing. Both sets cover totally different areas and have their own specialties. I really think they are beyond comparison in case someone is wondering which is better.
Braulio teaches some of the best gi closed and open guard that I have seen. There is a lot of value and I think the principles can be utilized without the gi. Apart from this, Garcia shows technique specific moves that are great for gi and no gi, but are definitely assisted by the no gi freedom of movement. Both are grade A quality instructionals.

Happy Training,
Kevin

For this week’s Essential Series Entry, we’re looking at my favorite ten gi less grappling events or specials. The criteria is simple, these are the ten events that I feel everyone could be happy with as a part of their collections. The only guideline that I have imposed on myself is that I pick only one event from each production.

1. ADCC 2005 - If you are looking into buying one of the ADCC sets, I would recommend the ADCC 2005. This volume probably has the best production, great lighting, and some amazing fights. Standouts included: Marcelo Garcia vs. everyone (but especially Ricco Rodriguez and Diego Sanchez), Jacare’s title, Roger Gracie’s run through his weight and the open - eventually tapping Jacare, and Leo Vieira’s grueling battle against Rani Yahra for the gold. Other notable fighters like MMA Superstars Shinya Aoki, Jake Shields, and Urijah Faber also contributed to the diverse field in the 2005 event.

How does it compare to other editions? For me, all of the older events are incredible with some of best classic matches in submission grappling. However, I am also a stickler for production values and therefore this event is really only comparable to 2003 and 2007. I would recommend all three events, but for the budget minded, I do feel that each of them have their own strengths and limited weaknesses. For ADCC 2003, the fights were great, but they did not include all of the matches like the later two events. This left out some amazing fights that I am sure many would have wanted to see. In addition, the dim lighting and incessant bongo drum track drove me absolutely mad. I feel both of these issues were rectified with the 2005 edition, clean menus, great lighting, and an event audio track with commentating for the final. The recent 2007 event was also a great event full of many good matches, but I feel the event suffered from a lack of more traditional wrestlers, MMA stars, and different grappling specialists from varying arts. However, as a grappling event the matches were incredible with an awe inspiring performance by Marcelo Garcia as well as some upsets such as Fowler v. Saulo, Garcia v. Drysdale, and Vieira v. Yahra. Unfortunately, the production level and DVD authoring was not on as high of a level as the 2005 edition, but the bracket menu was more than sufficient for fight navigation.

Basically, the 2005 edition is packed to teeth with great production, fights, and the stars of the grappling world. Personally, I don’t feel that any ADCC’s should be missed, but 2005 stood out like a diamond.

2. The Physical Body vol. 1 - Many may find this an odd inclusion as I just finished talking about the submission fest known as the ADCC Championships, but this DVD is a great reminder that grappling exists in many different forms globally. The Physical Body serves as an introduction to the ageless style of Kushti, an indigenous Indian Wrestling as practiced through the centuries. This DVD is very entertaining in you see how technology free grappling is as a sport and most will find parallels between Indian Wrestling and their own particular field of wrestling/grappling; these guys are technical! From the second I saw those guys preparing a dirt pit to be utilized as a wrestling mat, I was hooked. Talk about rugged wrestling!

Why did I choose The Physical Body Volume 1 over Volume 2? Actually, both The Physical Body 1 and 2 should not be missed, but PB vol. 1 is the starting point (although you do not need to see one to watch two!) and for that reason I decided to give it the coveted essential position. More Kushti exercises and matches are available in Volume 2, but this feels like a great addition to Volume 1 instead of something that triumphs over it.

3. Best of the West 2005 - This smaller California tournament (compared to the monster known as ADCC) had the exciting match ups that made it a shoe in for the Essential list. Featuring Jeff Glover, Rani Yahra, Bill Cooper, Andre Soares, Eben Kaneshiro, Dmitri Magravanis, Dan Camarillo, and some of the biggest stars of the California jiu-jitsu scene, this DVD came packed full of exciting and interesting match ups.

For some this may seem similar to the line ups in many of the Grappler’s Quest DVDs, but Best of the West 2005 differentiates itself with its quality extras as well as great fights. If you are a fan of Bill Cooper and Jeff Glover, you owe it to yourself to see these guys submitting their way to the top. Bill Cooper even has his own highlight section in the bonus area that showcases all of his submissions and matches; hopefully other companies follow suit with these ingenuitive extras. Also, Dan Camarillo’s gi less seoi nage and o-goshi throws are perfectly timed and well… perfect!

4. Pro-Am 2K or Mark Laimon No-Gi Remix - Both of these DVDs feature North Carolina’s Pro-Am 2000 event that saw Brazil’s best pitted against American amateurs. Not only are the best of the best of Brazil’s last generation showcased in Leo Vieira, Royler Gracie, Terere, Shaolin, Saulo Ribeiro, and Comprido Medeiros, but also rising American stars like Matt Serra, Rhadi Ferguson, Mark Laimon, Dean Lister, Shawn Williams, Bull Shaw, and Garth Taylor got exposed as well. With these great fighters, the match-ups were legendary as well; Leo Viera’s battle against Shaolin, Terere taking out a tough Matt Serra, Saulo versus Jamie Levine, Royler’s leg attack on Hammett, and the titanic battle between Serra and Leozinho all come instantly to mind.

So, what’s the difference between the Laimon Remix and Pro-Am 2K? As stated earlier, both cover the same event, but the Pro-Am 2K DVD includes full fights while Laimon’s Remix covers highlights of the same matches edited down with music. The only other difference is that the Laimon DVD also includes highlight under GQ x NU that includes greats like JD Penn, Mark Laimon, and Tony Desouza all in action.

Which should you get? This was a hard decision for me. I really like both DVDs A LOT, but I would lean towards the Laimon DVD only because he focused on the same highlights that I would have looked for in the full DVD. Sometimes it feels like they may repeat one time too many, but overall that is a minor dispute to an otherwise excellent DVD. Also, the GQ x NU footage is a great additional value. With that said, both products are great and it all comes down to a preference of either enjoying full matches or highlight reels. I enjoy them both.

5. Pan Am No-Gi 2007 - As the first gi less CBJJ event, this DVD is a noteworthy inclusion on the Essential list. This DVD really comes down to three elements that make it so special. First of all, the unique bracketing by belt rank allowed for some great match-ups in the colored belts where no-gi wizards like Steve Rosenberg and Tim Sylvester put on a real show. It was great to see what happens when usually Advanced class competitors step into the ranks of their individual BJJ belt. You will not want to miss Rosenberg’s gogoplata!

Secondly, the 2007 Pan Am No Gi event presented a battle of the ages with past stars like Saulo Ribeiro, Marcio Feitosa, and Flavio Almeida all showing up to battle against the newest blood. Saulo looked to be in incredible form as he takes it to Romulo Barral and Edson Diniz, while Feitosa and Almeida exhibit the strategy and power that made them giants a few years back. Expect to watch some wars as rising superstars Lucas Gomes and Rafael Lovato Jr. do battle against Feitosa and Almeida respectively. This event has some great action.

Finally, this DVD has some great production values and I can only hope that more grappling events incorporate the widescreen format. When an event looks great on my set, it can only be a good thing. Now, when will we see a producer take the plunge into BluRay or HD-DVD… one can only dream.

Next up… part 2 of the Ten Essential Grappling DVDs!

Happy Training,
Kevin

When looking at the current crop of champion factories in the BJJ and MMA world, one cannot overlook the powerhouse Cesar Gracie Competition Team. With champions and fighters like Dave Terrell, Gil Castillo, Nick and Nate Diaz, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez, it is clear that Cesar Gracie offers something important as an instructor. To discover what this special “something” is, we are going to be diving into Cesar Gracie’s DVD legacies, his 3 disc Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructional by Ultimate Imports as well as the self produced 6 volume Gi-Less Jiu-Jitsu set.

Cesar’s Base: It really looks like Cesar’s base or foundation of instruction can be found in his first GJJ 3 disc instructional. Throughout the nine volumes on three discs, Cesar outlines what could be considered a complete BJJ game, ripe with clinchwork, escape mechanics, takedowns, passing, guardwork, and positional dominance with submissions. The moves themselves are a mixture of Gracie basics, rich detail in movement, and competition variants that build off of the intelligent opponent hypothesis. In this regard, we can see the first indicator to Cesar’s teaching success.

Immediately, it is apparent that Cesar Gracie is offering something different with GJJ in terms of the Gracie instructional market. While other sets have been successful in showing move collections, Cesar not only repeats the same thing, but adds details and variations that are missing in sets like Renzo and Kukuk. For example, Cesar not only shows a classic windmill sweep, but he shows what the opponent is likely to do and how this leads you towards your options as an attacker. His opponents, Dave Terrell and Gil Castillo, offer very real defense and this is great when seeing how a move is more likely to be executed.

However, for as much as it is important to show resistance in instruction, this is not the secret to Cesar’s teaching success. I feel that his real success is in his communication. On both of these DVD series’, Cesar speaks perfect accent free English as only a native speaker can. While other Gracie sets have their moments of greatness, they can often be bogged down as the instructor either A. hunts for the right word to use or verb tense or B. uses an interpretator that may miss some of the key points. For Cesar, he really is a double threat. He has an incredible amount of detail in his core, advanced, MMA, and gi-less jiu-jitsu and he has the ability to easily communicate this knowledge. With this said, let’s discuss the high and low points to Cesar’s instructionals.

Where the GJJ 3 disc set succeeds in content, instructional quality (especially in teaching proper body movement for the technique), and diversity; it fails in organization and DVD production. Regarding organization, this set is divided into basics, intermediate, and advanced. Like the BJJ Theory book, this structure lends itself to some scrutiny when some moves seem too basic for intermediate, too advanced for basic, etc. On top of that, a few volumes seem to randomly jump between BJJ, submission wrestling, and MMA theory- this also creates some issues in terms of continuity. In Cesar’s defense, this set is a bit older now and at the time, the distinction between no-gi and MMA may have been less pronounced. With the organizational issues put to rest, I really feel that my biggest bone pick with the series is with the DVD production. As a remastered from VHS set, I do not expect Hollywood visuals, but I do wish that Ultimate Imports could have chaptered each volume. There is a ton of information on here and having to use the fast forward and rewind exclusively makes me feel like I am watching VHS all over again. Regularly, I have the bad luck of wanting to watch the last move on a volume and it is a pain in the neck to get there.

Cesar’s present and future: If the 3 Disc GJJ set represents Cesar’s foundation, the 6 Disc Gi-Less Jiu-Jitsu set has to be his present and future. I say this for one primary reason… Although Cesar’s guys are great with the gi in competition, they exhibit some truly technical BJJ without the gi and in MMA. In the same teaching style as his 3 Disc set, Cesar goes really in depth into the submission grappling game and the details are definitely present. In addition, Cesar shows you all of the grips and controls that you will utilize if you are a straight jiu-jitsu player trying to adapt to the faster pace of submission wrestling; the way he covers the slip factor and body control is very smart.

An example of the technical nature of this set is when Cesar introduces the basic foot lock game off of the pass. I would think that most grapplers have seen, know, or are aware of this move, but Cesar shows everything from your partners expectations (they think you may pass still due to your pressure), how the inside arm controls the knee turn instead of simply grabbing, and the turning feel with pressure to get the tap. I really think Cesar covers all of the bases or why’s of the position - this is invaluable teaching. The result of this style: technical fighters that can adapt their BJJ to the gi, MMA, or submission wrestling.

In terms of complaints, I thought the production and content was great; the video quality is on a much higher level than his previous set. However, there were some areas I thought that Cesar could have spent a little more time with. Although all of his volumes were interesting, I really did not like his section on flying attacks. Do not get me wrong, the instruction was good, I just thought the time could have been better utilized showcasing more guard pass prevention without the gi or some more high percentage attacks like his other material. Truth be told, this is a very minor complaint - I think the Gi-Less set has some great information, especially the leg attacks, attacks, and defense.

Having now spent way too much time viewing Cesar, I think I have an understanding as to why he has become a marquee instructor. Really, in terms of teaching Gracie Jiu-Jitsu he has a great advantage. Combining his depth of knowledge and detail with his high level of communication, Cesar is a great place to start to learn the details that may otherwise be missed.

Would I recommend these? Definitely. I would go with either, but actually the GJJ set is a better deal in terms of content for your dollar. This set is as long as some of the $150.00 sets and just as worth looking into. If you are solely no gi or MMA focused, go with his newer Gi-Less set. This set is also a great companion to his online Gracie Fighter E-Lessons. Whether its gi, submission wrestling, or MMA, it looks like Cesar is a great asset to becoming a technical fighter.

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

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