Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)
by Renzo Gracie, Royler Gracie, John Danaher
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Book Summary Information
Author: John Danaher, Renzo Gracie, Royler GracieEditor: Kid Peligro
Photographer: Ricardo Azoury
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-10-01
ISBN: 1931229082
Number of pages: 255
Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc
Book Reviews of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)
Book Review: Really the best groundfighting book available
Summary: 5 Stars
This book has taken some flak from some grapplers for supposedly being 'too simplistic' and 'too old fashioned'. But, these are not fair criticisms. There are far more techniques in this book than you will likely ever need to know, and most strong competitors do not prefer the intricate 'cutting edge' stuff because they want to win, not put on a show. The 'old fashioned' criticism is meaningless, since the stuff is time-tested and proven, and that is what we should want when we learn any kind of combat sport.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an offshoot of Judo that almost exclusively does groundfighting. Thus, this book has little of value to teach about fighting on one's feet; in fact, some of the standing techniques that are included, such as the overkill escape from the bear hug and the use of an elbow strike to defeat a kick, are quite comical. It should be noted too that Judo, which is gently maligned as being 'too restrictive' by the authors, has produced just as many top-notch MMA competitors as BJJ, and not only Judo, but Wrestling and Muay Thai as well. Also, even on the ground the book focusses on techniques that will lead to gaining points according to BJJ rules. 'Sweeps' are the most beautiful and most enjoyable techniques of BJJ, and are in many ways their most distinctive; and it is in this area that BJJ has made some unique contributions to grappling science. There are very many 'sweep' techniques displayed in the book. Strangely, there is only one guard pass shown: odd!
The 'classic' BJJ strategy of fighting is to 'pull guard', which means to wrap one's legs around the opponent's torso and fall down backwards, and from there to try to submit him, and if that is not possible then to sweep him, land on top in a full mount and try for submissions from there. Unfortunately, pulling guard can be problematic if one's opponent is skilled in passing the guard; in this case it may be better to throw the opponent and even potentially knock the wind out of him, land past his guard and pin him. Certainly fighting on one's feet is far more important than the authors would like us to believe.
Regardless, the book contains a great many sweeps, locks, chokes, pins and escapes from pins, and these are what make it great. It makes an excellent reference and learning tool for BJJ and Judo practitioners. Until Renzo comes up with a new edition of this book that has a few more guard passes, this book will remain the best single ground gi-grappling book out there; it is far better than the many 'show off' BJJ books with their long, convoluted and awkward set-ups to the same old techniques. Mind you, some classic Judo books with a major groundfighting focus; "Best Judo" by Inokuma and Sato comes to mind in particular; are probably necessary to complement this book, since they cover guard passing, and half-guard passing in great detail as parts of set-ups to pins or as techniques on their own, and they teach many combinations, defenses, reversals, and entries to submissions that are not covered in this book, and at various angles too. However, Renzo's book is and will probably remain my personal favourite groundfighting book both for its comprehensiveness and for its direct 'go for the kill' simplicity.
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Summary of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)
While most martial arts deal only with the initial punching and kicking stages of combat, Brazilian jiu-jitsu concentrates on ground combat. This guide shows how to use Brazilian jiu-jitsu to increase combat effectiveness. Photographs and step-by-step instructions show how to master the techniques used in this exciting new form of combat.
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