Reviews for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts

DVD Review: Stephan Kesting - Dynamic Kneebars

2008-02-25T01:33:00.016-05:00

This review examines Dynamic Kneebars, a dvd by Stephan Kesting - naturally, this is an instructional completely focused on kneebars.

Stephan is a lifelong martial artist based in Burnaby, British Columbia (a suburb of Vancouver in Western Canada) and is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Marcus Soares. He operates the Grapplearts website which carries all of his grappling instructionals and aims to be somewhat of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hub with articles on various grappling topics.

The kneebar is a submission technique that has been underappreciated in BJJ mainly because there was somewhat of a mindset that leg attacks were somehow 'cheap'. However, in the last decade, as the sport has undergone further development, all types of lower body submissions are an accepted part of grappling, including ankle locks, toe holds, heel hooks, and kneebars. However, even in the present jiu jitsu world, there is still somewhat of a cautious mode of teaching leglocks thoroughly because they are considered more dangerous than other attacks and can lead to injury if the grapplers don't know what they're doing. We're not sure if this caution is warranted, but with this in mind, Stephan's dvd definitely fills a need for grappling students.

The dvd is broken down into five main sections: introduction & principles, kneebar entries, counters & recounters, kneebar drills, and strength training. After watching the disc, you can tell that Stephan has tried to capture all of the kneebar relevant knowledge he has gained over the years - he credits Marcus Soares, Erik Paulson, and Oleg Taktarav for being key people he has learned these techniques from.

Rather than list all of the techniques included, we have mapped out a chapter-by-chapter pdf that you may find useful if you are considering purchasing this dvd or if you already own it:

CLICK HERE for the pdf map of the techniques on this dvd

As you can see, in terms of the depth of discussion around kneebars, this dvd is comprehensive and shows a very broad amount of material. Stephan demonstrates the techniques in an understandable way and he has a stoic teaching manner that focuses on the details that matter. Overall, it is a very straightforward disc that introduces concepts and positions in a logical manner.

Although this is a very comprehensive dvd, at times the presentation felt a bit encyclopedic, and more like reference material than an instructional. Stephan points out that it is up to the individual to determine which moves work best for them, but perhaps the dvd would have benefited from discussion of what Stephan felt were the highest percentage techniques. Further, since there were several setups from the top half guard, we would have liked to see some commentary on how the lockdown would limit these setups, given that fewer and fewer people these days are using loose half guards from the bottom.

In terms of production, thankfully we should note that this is one of the rare grappling related instructionals available in the market that actually has an extensive and logically organized chapter menu. The audio and video quality are fine - not outstanding by any means, but are adequate, although the viewer should know that the action shots demonstrating moves in real competition are shot in somewhat of an amateurish fashion. We liked that techniques were presented in full speed where appropriate, although we would have like to have seen this dvd make use of multiple angles and more professional sound (however, this is a suggestion we have for the majority of the grappling instructionals in the marketplace, not only this dvd)

Overall, we think Dynamic Kneebars is a good dvd which would we could recommend as a welcome addition to grapplers looking to add kneebars to their game, since particularly, as mentioned earlier, there are fewer available sources on kneebars in comparison with other techniques. The dvd is not going to blow anyone away, but certainly has worthwhile material. It is priced at on the high end of similar Brazilian Jiu Jitsu dvds at $44.95, but it is twice the length (approximately 90 minutes) of the majority of instructionals in the marketplace so perhaps it is not an unreasonable price.

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional, and to check out other dvds at Grapplearts, check out the product page on Stephan Kesting's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Robert Drysdale - Nth Dimension Jiu Jitsu

2008-02-19T02:51:00.007-05:00

This review focuses on a new dvd instructional set from Robert Drysdale, a Brasa team black belt (under Leo Viera), who recently won the 2007 ADCC Submission Grappling Championships in the absolute weight division.

The six dvd set is called "The Nth Dimension - No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the 21st Century" and has a running time of approximately 45 minutes per dvd. As this was Drysdale's first instructional set, we were excited about the prospect of learning the techniques that such a great competitor used to win the most prestigious submission grappling tournament in the world. However, as you will see below, we were seriously disappointed and rate this one of the worst jiu jitsu instructional sets in recent years from World Martial Arts (the production company).

We have outlined the content in these chapter-by-chapter maps in the pdfs below:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

As you can see from our chapter map, the first disc focuses on the fundamentals of attacking someone's back, mainly as they turtle up to avoid a guard pass. Most of the disc discusses controlling the position and getting the hooks, and although Drysdale gives a reasonable amount of detail, the overall content of this dvd is very average.

The second disc begins with more back techniques - what we could generally call solid fundamental Jiu Jitsu that Drysdale used in ADCC competition. But after that point, the dvd pretty much turns sour. He begins to teach a position that Eddie Bravo, founder of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu in Hollywood, California, calls "the Truck". As most people know, Eddie is famous for his Twister submission, a move he learned in high school wrestling - the Truck is a transition position on the way to the Twister.

Incredibly, Drysdale notes that "There's a lot of talk about this position. How this guy invented this, invented that - there's no such thing. The position was always there, you just got to see it." The fact is that no one was doing the Twister in Jiu Jitsu prior to Eddie Bravo, and since then, Eddie wrote several books on the subject, but now strangely Drysdale is teaching it even though he's not known for using it in competition.

The reality is that Eddie Bravo doesn't claim to have invented the Twister, but it is slightly odd to have Drysdale not give credit to the person who is widely acknowledged to have made the move popular. More disturbingly is that, in our opinion, these techniques are taught poorly on Drysdale's disc, with a lack of sufficient detail - our suggestion is to read Eddie Bravo's "Mastering the Twister" and you will see what we are referring to. The rest of this disc has techniques on attacking the back when the opponent is sitting up - these are decent at best. Overall, we feel that techniques shown by Drysdale were of higher quality when he taught from his own game, rather than someone else's.

In disc three, Drysdale attempts to teach his version of the Rubber Guard (another position that Eddie Bravo is famous for), but after a poor disc two, our expectations were low. Again, somewhat strangely, Drysdale talks about how "someone else" didn't invent the position, and he has been doing what he calls rubber guard since his early days as a blue belt. We have two reactions to this. First, who invented it is irrelevant although it is pretty clear that Eddie Bravo has designed an entire system around a clinching and controlling rubber guard game. Second, it is hard to believe that Drysdale, who is a world class grappler, has actually been using these techniques for a long time because they are simply not very functional in the form as presented on this dvd.

Overall, there are crucial details missing as Drysdale doesn't even discuss the importance of putting your lower foot on the opponent's hip, using leg curls to keep the opponent controlled (rather his leg is either planted on the ground or otherwise loose), or constantly squeezing your legs together to help keep the opponent broken down - all of which are critical in terms of using the rubber guard effectively. Further, he doesn't focus on controlling the opponent's posture when he has both of his hands on your chest (Mission Control). In fact, Drysdale has the audacity to mention that he can't understand why people show the position with the opponent's hands on the chest, rather than on the mat. This is a bizarre comment because anyone who has ever rolled against someone playing rubber guard proficiently, knows that it is important to keep your hands off the mat or you will be in serious trouble - even white belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are taught to never put their hands on the mat to avoid Kimuras - any living, breathing, and resisting opponent would naturally do anything they can to avoid being broken down. This is why a significant part of the rubber guard game is about learning the basics such as setups to get your opponent's hand on the mat - without it, a large part of the attacks from rubber guard are nullified.

We think this disc is terrible, and we cannot even call these techniques "rubber guard" because Drysdale completely misses out on the importance and details of clinching/controlling your opponent. Drysdale's presentation simply looks like a closed guard with random omoplatas and gogoplatas being thrown at an opponent who is simply going to stay low and allow you to work your techniques without much resistance. For anyone really interested in learning more comprehensive, detail oriented, and practical rubber guard techniques that will work against resisting opponents, we highly recommend Eddie Bravo's book or dvd set set both entitled "Mastering the Rubber Guard" from Victory Belt.

Drysdale's fourth disc presents some solid techniques mainly focused around chokes such as guillotines and the darce (brabo). The only issue we have with this disc is overlap, as today, we live in a world were it isn't difficult to find videos teaching brazilian jiu jitsu techniques on the internet. Go to youtube.com, type in a technique, and you will see numerous videos, some in competition, some from instructionals. So although this disc is decent, almost everything Drysdale shows can be easily found in other places. This would be overcome if Drysdale's teaching was detailed and excellent in his dvds - but unfortunately, it is not.

The fifth disc focuses on leg attacks, and it is probably the best disc in his set with knee bars and heel hooks being the highlights. The sixth disc is focused on a position he calls "the Body Lock", which is essentially an inverted triangle (and its variations). We haven't really seen Drysdale use this move effectively in tournaments, and since he never displays these moves in full speed, it is difficult to guess at how effective his setups are versus resisting opponents.

Overall, in terms of production quality, the dvd set is the standard level from World Martial Arts - no real complaints, although in the future we would look to see improvements in their production to include more advanced elements such as different camera angles and close-ups etc. Although Drysdale's English is fine, there is no doubt that the overall professionalism of the dvds would be improved if his training partner understood English so he could more naturally follow what was going on. Lastly, as mentioned, this instructional set would greatly benefit from real time demonstrations of the moves similar to the way techniques are presented in other grappling dvds.

We are pretty disappointed with this set in terms of quality and it is most obvious on the rubber guard section - which makes us think that these techniques cannot really be a part of Drysdale's world class jiu jitsu game. We feel like Drysdale is trying to go against conventional jiu jitsu not for effectiveness, but just to be different or perhaps to capitalize on Eddie Bravo's popularity. If we didn't know that Drysdale has won ADCC 2007, we wouldn't have guessed it based on the awkwardness of the techniques he presents in this dvd set. We would rather watch a Drysdale dvd set that discusses the gameplan that he uses in competition, rather than watch him try to teach techniques he seems unfamiliar with, and that were made famous by Eddie Bravo (and his 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Academy). In this context, Drysdale ends up looking somewhat petty for naming this set "the Nth Dimension".

Overall, we cannot really give a recommendation of Drysdale's dvd set for anyone looking to learn the rubber guard or twister game. Perhaps those curious about Drysdale's back, choke, and leglocks game could get some value out of these discs, but at $150, there are likely better and more comprehensive options out there. No doubt that Robert Drysdale is an awesome grappler, but perhaps his dvds prove that being a world class black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does not necessary make someone a good teacher.

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional series, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Clothing Review - Melee Fight Gear Shorts

2008-02-11T02:05:00.002-05:00

In parallel with the rise in popularity of brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts has come the birth of dozens of pathetic and unimaginative gear/clothing companies looking to capitalize on this.

Thankfully, a few interesting companies have also emerged with clothing that is attractive, high quality, and has a modern and creative design. After reviewing Melee Fight Gear's new submission grappling and MMA shorts, we believe that they are a standout company with some of the most innovative products in the industry.

The vision behind Melee's style began in 2006 out of Legends Training Center in Hollywood, California, from founder, Steven Moreno, who stated: "We wanted to make clothes that we would wear. We wanted to represent the sport without wearing a bunch of skulls and looking like gangsters or pirates."

Bingo. That is exactly the problem with most of the other fight companies out there - the majority of those other products out there tend to look like they should have the slogan: "Made for clowns, made by clowns."

As soon as you try on a pair of Melee shorts, you will see a major difference compared to Sprawl shorts (one of the leading competitors), in that the Melee shorts are extremely light as they are made out of a special polyester microfiber which is water resistant and well constructed. After hard training sessions in these shorts, we can definitely say that the Melee shorts also have excellent durability and are very breathable.

In terms of style, the embroidery is tight, the shorts actually look good, and more importantly they have a edge that doesn't label you as a UFC-wannabe. The side panels allow a large range of motion and are unique compared to the usual slit most fight shorts have. The inseam is a stretch microfiber (not spandex like other companies) which allows a slight give, but is sturdier and lighter. The waistbands have suitable elasticity and a solid velcro closure. Overall, the quality of the Melee shorts is excellent and they are handmade and manufactured in Los Angeles. To see some pictures in comparison with Sprawl shorts, CLICK HERE to download PDF.

One of the main products that Melee has designed are what it calls Ranked NO-GI Shorts, which are stylistic designs that have the wearer's belt color along the waist and down the side panels ("shorts that mirror traditional belts") - we think that this is an awesome solution to the problem of belt rankings in submission grappling. There have been a few other competing attempts at ranked shorts by other companies, but our opinion is that Melee has designed the best ones.

The company offers customizable ranked shorts with a training camp's logo (contact Melee Fight Gear for more details on customizable shorts) and one of the first gyms to adapt to this is Eddie Bravo's famous 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hollywood, California.

Currently, the price of Melee shorts is between $50-55, which we think is competitive compared to other companies, and Melee offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee which is a nice touch. Although the product we're reviewing here are their shorts, Melee's product line is growing rapidly, to include shirts, hoodies, etc.

Lighter. Edgier. Just plain cooler. Get yourself a pair - we highly recommend them.

For further information on purchasing Melee Fight Gear's products, check out their website [click here for the link].

Book Reviews: Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard and Mastering the Twister

2007-11-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

When Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard (MTRG) was released a year ago, a new standard was set for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu books. Since then, fans of MTRG have been eagerly awaiting the second book to the set, Mastering the Twister (MTT). Together, these two books form the core of Eddie Bravo's unique no-gi jiu jitsu game taught at his 10th Planet Academy in Hollywood, California.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Eddie Bravo, he is a black belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu under Jean Jacques Machado, and he is known for his unique style of submission grappling. He became famous as the first American to tap out a Gracie when at ADCC 2003 he triangled the previously undefeated Royler Gracie (as a side note, all of the techniques and transitions he used to defeat Royler are shown in MTRG: jailbreak to escape side control and transition to butterfly guard, to transition to the pyramid to transition to a triangle).

Let's take a closer look at these books.

First, it is important to note that MTRG is much more than just Eddie's unique rubber guard game; it is actually his entire bottom submission grappling game: half guard, butterfly, and rubber guard. Likewise, MTT is a book that goes far beyond Eddie's twister submission; it is actually his entire top game: twister side control, the truck, mount, back, sprawl attacks and numerous transitions.

Mastering the Rubber Guard is the first jiu jitsu book that actually walks someone through an entire, linked system of grappling. Starting with stretching basics (good flexibility is obviously helpful), we are presented with Eddie's powerful halfguard game (which includes techniques, sweeps, and other details) and its transitions to other positions such as x-guard, the dogfight, and butterfly guard. In each of these positions, we are shown multiple flowing techniques. Naturally, Eddie's entire rubberguard game is taught, from the philosophy of clinching and breaking your opponent down, to achieving the more offensive positions such new york, invisible collar, and the pyramid. MTRG has multiple unique submissions and from a variety of positions, including an entire section devoted to finishing an armbar from the spiderweb position (seven finishes). The book also includes very helpful sections on troubleshooting, as well as innovative escapes back to the guard from mount, and side control, and the back. We know that these escapes are not only creative, but also effective - simply watch Eddie's match with Royler to see him replace his guard a number of times using these moves.

Mastering the Twister continues where MTRG left off, explaining the details behind twister side control, which is a powerful offensive position not only for potential twister attacks, but also for other setups and techniques. A number of transitions to the truck position are presented, followed by a complete arsenal of submissions including leg locks and all of the important steps involved in finishing a perfect twister - exactly the same way Eddie teaches in person. MTT also has Eddie's entire system of mount and back attacks, both which include flowing transitions to other positions of strength. These will completely give your game from the mount and back a systematic offensive approach - a purpose rather than just moves or techniques. Positioning, what you're trying to achieve, and the finishing attacks and transitions - it's all there. Further, the attacks shown from the sprawl position should really add a new collection of weapons to your overall game. The goal is to become very dangerous in a wide variety of positions. MTT also has an assortment of other transitions to the twister from a number other positions.

To better explain and link these techniques together into an integrated game, both books contain the following flowcharts (posted here in pdf form):

Why are these books so good?

Effectiveness: Eddie Bravo's techniques have been refined and tested over and over as a standalone no-gi system. The only other person who has such a complete game for no-gi is Marcelo Garcia, and as you can see, Eddie incorporates several important elements of Marcelo's game into his system. Also, it is important to note that most of the 10th Planet system was designed not only for its use without a traditional gi, but also for its adaptability to fighting with strikes in mixed martial arts.

Creativity: The reality is that the 10th Planet game is almost a completely different type of jiu jitsu system when compared to traditional jiu jitsu. When mastered, it is clearly a world-class system of submission grappling, and naturally, is especially effective if the opponent is not familiar with this system. Although Eddie is often associated with the phrases 'rubber guard' and 'twister', if fact, his entire system of jiu jitsu is so much more - a highly creative, effective, and evolved system for fighting.

Strategic Discussion: An important element in teaching jiu jitsu is that alongside of techniques, the discussion of the overall strategy of the game must be present. For example, although many people love Marcelo Garcia's dvd instructionals for the techniques, his strategic advice along the way is just as important. Eddie continues this paradigm by discussing the overall goals in introductory essays preceding each new section. The result is that you do not end up with a disjointed number of techniques, but rather an elegant manual of a complete system of brazilian jiu jitsu. As an entertaining bonus, in the lengthy introductions in both books, Eddie discusses his background, music, his use of marijuana as a creative tool, and his thoughts in the gi versus no-gi debate.

Design & Production: The production of the books is fantastic. There are multiple photo angles for most of the techniques and they are all in full color (MTRG has over 1400 full color photographs and MTT has over 1200 full color photographs). The organization is logical and sections are color coded as a bonus. The flowcharts tie everything together. We must continue to stress the extreme value of this gameplan style - roll with Eddie Bravo and you will see that this is actually his entire jiu jitsu game. This is the system and these are the moves he actually teaches and uses everyday - broken down into the very same steps that you will see in these books. We have never seen any other jiu jitsu star do this.

Technique Names:
Anyone who personally knows Eddie, understands that he has absolutely no ego - he will take on new techniques from visiting jiu jitsu athletes as well as his own student's adaptations. If something doesn't have a name, he will either name it or have his students vote on the best name. Don't be thrown by the odd sounding names of his moves, transitions, and positions - the utility of this is pretty obvious once you think about it for teaching or coaching.

Which would you prefer?

(1) "Lie beside him facing his legs with your ass on his shoulder, your top leg flared back, your bottom knee near his hip, your top hand blocking his far knee, and your bottom arm under his far armpit pinning it with your elbow.

Then, let him come up to his knees, lock your hands in a gable grip around his far leg and groin, fall back and pull him onto you, while at the same time make a hook around his far leg with your leg closest to his head, hook your other leg over your foot, and hook that second leg's foot under your opponent's trapped foot, straighten your legs, all the while maintaining control over his other leg with your gable grip.

Then switch control of his near leg to both hands, one gripping the top of his foot and the other the bottom of his shin.

Suddenly underhook his near arm with your closest arm while at the same grabbing the wrist of his same arm with your other hand. Then grip near his wrist with your underhooking arm's hand, while digging your elbow above and into his armpit.
Release your grip of his wrist with your underhooking arm's hand, and while doing a slight situp, pull his trapped arm around your head and swim your free arm around his head (you may need to slightly turn away from him and raise his body off the ground using your 'lockdown' - no wait, let me take that back. . . using your 'control of his far leg with your modified triangle around his legs'). Then wrap your hands around his head in an S-Grip and pull."

or

(2) "Start in Twister Side Control. Let him get to his knees, and use DeSouza Control to transition into the Truck. Get to Baseball Bat Control and finish the Twister."

Overall, these two book are such an amazing reference, it is very difficult to find any areas for improvement. If pressed, we would have to say that perhaps it would have been a bonus to have included sections on Eddie's passing game (although this is covered in Eddie's previous book Jiu Jitsu Unleased). Perhaps we can convince the publisher, Victory Belt, to include such sections in the corresponding DVD in the future. Also, we prefer the lighter background in the photos in MTRG as opposed to those in MTT. Keep in mind, we are stretching to think of some criticism in this review.

Overall, we give our highest possible book recommendation to Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard and Mastering the Twister books. There are literally no other books you absolutely have to own in brazilian jiu jitsu, except for these. If asked to rate these books on a scale of 1-10, we would have to give MTRG a ten and MTT a nine. Both are essential tools for any jiu jitsu practitioner. Don't be fooled into thinking you need to be ultra flexible to benefit - you don't, although, why not work on your flexibility if you are going to be training a sport where good flexibility is an advantage? What about if you only train with the gi? All of these techniques work, and some of them even work more effectively with the handles that the gi provides.

Buy both of these books without hesitation. Either you are interested in building your game with advanced techniques or you simply wish to learn more about what 10th planet grapplers are trying to do when competing against you - either way, Eddie Bravo holds nothing back and the cost of the books is certainly reasonable.

The publisher, Victory Belt, is a unique company. They have a devoted community of readers that clamor for future releases excitedly. We have read virtually every book that Victory Belt has published and we can clearly acknowledge that they are the leaders in instructional books for mixed martial arts. The experience the co-authors, Erich Krauss and Glen Cordoza, have in martial arts is apparent in the layout and narration of the books - powerful, practical guides that you can actually learn from. The copyright on the phrase 'Knowledge is Power' died centuries ago, so our advice is that Victory Belt should adopt it for their own slogan. Some of their future releases include books by Fedor Emelianenko, Marcelo Garcia, Anderson Silva, and Minotauro Nogueira. If this doesn't excite you, then you are on the wrong website.

For further information on purchasing Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard or Mastering the Twister books, check out Victory Belt's website [click here for the link]. Let us know what you think by emailing us at mmaembrace@gmail.com or by commenting below.

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Marcelo Garcia - Series 4 - Submission Grappling

2007-10-13T07:13:00.001-04:00

Marcelo Garcia's newest jiu jitsu instructional was highly anticipated ahead of its release a few months ago, mainly because of his reputation as one of the most innovative and successful submission grappling competitors in the world.

As the name implies, "New Game Jiu Jitsu", is a different kind of dvd series from Marcelo. No armdrags. No x-guard. No back attacks. Fans of Marcelo (pretty much anyone who has ever watched him compete) will note that this is a major departure away from moves that he is famous for and has presented on his previous sets (CLICK HERE for our Series 1 review, CLICK HERE for our Series 2 review, and CLICK HERE for our Series 3 review).

Instead, Marcelo gives us four dvds on one move, the Omoplata, which perhaps has been the least used position out of the core techniques of jiu jitsu. Meaning, though many people know the Omoplata, not many people actually effectively use it as part of their game when competing at a high level. Perhaps Eddie Bravo is the only other jiu jitsu innovator who has built the Omoplata into his game in recent years. In the first four discs of the series, Marcelo shows setups for the Omoplata from a variety of positions including from closed and open guard variations, all of the top positions, and even as a counter to takedowns. He also explains comprehensive positioning details that show that his approach to the Omoplata is quite unique.

There are many interesting things on those discs, but we should mention two other areas of note. First, Marcelo covers a comprehensive portfolio of finishing options from the Omoplata position, in response to certain defenses an opponent will use. In fact, we count sixteen options covered in this section overall. Second, the Omoplata disc also keenly explains a move Marcelo has created and been mastering for a while - the Monoplata, named for the fact that it is similar to an Omoplata, but you only have one of your legs attacking his arm, instead of two.

Disc five is Marcelo's set of guillotine techniques from a variety of positions. If you've watched some of Marcelo's other tapes, you will note that Marcelo prefers a modified no-arm guillotine that we call the French Guillotine. And yes, if you were wondering, Marcelo's deadly north-south choke is on this dvd. The sixth disc covers Marcelo's entire Crucifix game, with a number of innovative approaches to transitioning to this position.

You might be asking yourself where these techniques are coming from - has Marcelo abandoned his bread and butter jiu jitsu game? No, instead Marcelo explains that even though he has been very effective in competition with moves such as the armdrag, x-guard, and taking the back, he realizes that people are beginning to learn and better understand how to defend against these things. Therefore, he believes that he needs to continue to innovate to stay a step ahead of the competition. He mentions that he has been thinking about and perfecting these moves over the last several years, but that the majority of people don't know this unless they have trained with him over this time.

Even though Marcelo is a fierce competitor and is probably the best pound-for-pound jiu jitsu fighter in the world, what drives him to train so hard is the desire to keep jiu jitsu interesting and fun, with constant learning and evolution.

In fact, when you have a closer look at this gift to the jiu jitsu community, Marcelo's New Game, it becomes clear that this is not a random set of techniques, but rather that these moves are actually beautifully interconnected attacks that flow into each other and build on the foundation of Marcelo's core game. The Omoplata seems to have partially developed from the opportunities that open up when playing Marcelo's open guard game. The Monoplata builds on top of that. Marcelo's guillotines and neck attacks add another layer of devastating chokes that are well suited for the nogi game. The Crucifix is another weapon for attacking the turtling opponent, and is essentially a sibling to Marcelo's back game.

But don't take our word on it, just have a look at these chapter-by-chapter maps that we've created in the pdfs below - we hope you find them informative:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

As usual, Marcelo's speaks in Portuguese, which is translated nicely into English. The rest of the production is sharp, which is what we have come to expect from World Martial Arts.

Overall, we give strong recommendation to this set for those jiu jitsu players who are looking to expand and broaden their game ahead of the traditional learning curve. For those looking for fundamentals, perhaps other sets are more suitable, but advanced grapplers will probably find Marcelo's New Game Jiu Jitsu very appealing.

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional series, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Keith Owen - Favorite Moves - Volume 1 (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

2007-10-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

In this review, we take a look at the first volume in a new Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructional series by Keith Owen, a black belt under Pedro Sauer with a school in Boise, Idaho.

As named, this DVD aims to cover Keith's favorite moves - in his own words (on his website): "This awesome dvd covers a wide variety of positions including sitting mount, side control, S-Mount, turtle position, and north south this dvd will give you a new page for your BJJ playbook."

First problem here - although we have watched this dvd multiple times, we cannot find any techniques covering the S-Mount nor can we locate any attacks from the north-south position.

What is actually on the dvd? There are 35 techniques presented (in 24 dvd chapters) and some of the highlights include the introduction of the 'Sitting Mount', a number of interesting America setups, and a few defenses that morph into counterattacks.

We have mapped out a chapter-by-chapter look in the pdf below that you may find useful if you are considering purchasing this dvd or if you already own it (note: we did not name these techniques as they are labeled on the dvd's own chapter menu):

CLICK HERE for the pdf map of what's on this dvd

Which brings us to our second issue with this dvd: we believe that the concept of having a dvd that focuses on 'favorite moves' is not ideal, unless the instructor is a famous competitor who is somewhat known for his unique moves in competition. Otherwise, this is essentially a 'random moves' dvd (a traditional tactic in bjj tapes) and does not follow the logical and growing trend of having better thought out grappling instructionals that are organized by technique or position, or even better yet, those that layout a gameplan based around an organic series of moves. In our opinion, a random selection of moves really limits the marketability of this disc and perhaps even obscures the fact that there are some interesting techniques presented.

That being said, we like Keith's demeanor when presenting these ideas and you can sense that he has a genuine enthusiasm for teaching. From time to time, he credits specific people that he has learned certain moves from, and as a native English speaker, one can clearly understand his instruction.

Most importantly is the question of the actual content; the techniques and teaching. We think that there are some interesting techniques shown, but details were not presented as carefully as we would have hoped. For example, Keith introduces the concept of the sitting mount (which is more similar to the knee-on-stomach position than a mount). It is a very interesting position and he shows it as a setup for a number of submissions depending on the opponent's reaction. However, at some points the details are glossed over a little, such as the transitioning to the position itself ("you can do this. . . it doesn't really matter"), and finer details on the execution of some of the actual finishes. As an example, we are of the view that the gogoplata from the guard is very poorly demonstrated, as pretty much anyone who has ever seen a gogoplata will just posture right out if they follow the way it is presented here (there is no clinching setup or anything to prevent this in the video). At times during this instructional, certain details were visibly absent.

Also, some of the content and ideas presented were fairly elementary. For example, although Keith states that he hasn't really seen anyone outside of the Pedro Sauer network teach the guillotine defense presented, it is in fact a very basic one that most white belts are taught. Keith goes on to show after escaping and passing if the opponent keeps holding your head, you can crossface to break the grip and then transition to an armbar. Although the initial defense is sound, the reality is that only beginners at brazilian jiu jitsu will continue to hold your head in a guillotine once you've passed, and therefore, this is a very poor setup for an armbar.

We had a major complaint with the chapter menu setup, which has a master screen with all of the techniques listed by name (rather than the traditional number) which theoretically makes it much easier to use the dvd as a learning resource. However, this was a classic 'good idea / poor execution'. Several of the names are inconsistent when comparing the listings on the menu and the listings on each technique's intro screen (ex. "Gi Choke from Top" and "Half Guard Gi Choke" are actually the same move, and connected to this it should be noted that this is actually a technique that is presented from the knee-on-stomach position). Further, the left side of menu screen is slightly cut off in standard resolution on our televisions and it was slightly annoying that the extended introduction could not be fast forwarded if one was to watch the dvd in entirety. Coincidentally, the arrangement of the moves is somewhat random on the dvd.

We believe this dvd would also greatly benefit the viewer if each move was shown in full speed at some point, either before or after the instruction, with a bit of resistance from the opponent (more than the highlight clip during each intro screen). All of these production issues can be cleared up in the future - but importantly, they relate to the overall usability of the dvd as a standalone training tool at this time.

In terms of other production comments, we should mention that the sound quality is pretty good, which, as you may know, is not the standard for BJJ instructionals. Further, there are good angles shown on most of the techniques with the introduction of a very clever cutaway idea - where a move is being discussed and shown from a certain angle, and then the camera switches to different camera angle in slow-motion, while the narration continues in the background. This is a good addition and is definitely helpful to the viewer.

We noticed several other reviewers of this dvd are of the opinion that it is extremely well priced at $24.95, but in our opinion, that is premium or top level pricing as that calculates to ~$150 per six dvds, which is the same price of most of the six dvd sets from World Martial Arts, whom we believe to be the industry leaders at this time. Can we recommend this dvd for purchase? In comparison with all of the other material currently out there covering jiu jitsu, it is difficult to have a high recommendation for Keith Owen's Favorite Moves - Volume 1.

We are not meaning to be overly critical of this dvd, but the standards have been raised in teaching brazlian jiu jitsu in recent years. . . perhaps we'll leave you with a quote from Keith that suggests somewhat unusual advice: "Practice slowly with a friend. Get it down before you do it in class."

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional, and perhaps to see what other reviewers had to say about it, check out Keith Owen's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Marcelo Garcia - Series 2 - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

2007-09-07T06:34:00.000-04:00

Although Marcelo Garcia is known more for his amazing performances in submission wrestling competition, he is also at the top of the class when fighting with the gi, with gold medals in the 2004 and 2006 Mundials (World Championship of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). Fabio Gurgel, Marcelo's teacher says: "I don't think he is better without the gi than with it, but I think that without the gi it is harder to hold him. But his technical quality is the same."

With that said, we were curious to take a closer look at Marcelo's gi instructional series (series 2) to see what type of game he wanted to teach in comparison with his other sets [CLICK HERE for our Series 1 review] and [CLICK HERE for our Series 3 review].

If you are like most grapplers, you are likely wondering how many of the techniques in this six dvd set you can use in submission wrestling - the answer is that the majority of the techniques presented are immediately transferable to your nogi game, as we count 41 out of 94 techniques (44%) to be reliant on the kimono. Most of the discs are very balanced in this regard, except for the sweeps disc, which is about 80% gi.

Some of the technique highlights include: interesting gi-adapted techniques from the X-Guard, a very nice series of takedowns from the armdrag which are generally all usable in submission wrestling, a robust series of sweeps from the open butterfly, and really good back transitions and submissions from a variety of situations (which include a couple of Marcelo's guillotine variations which we call the French Guillotine).

Once again, for the readers here we have mapped out a chapter-by-chapter look at each DVD. In this instance we have also indicated which techniques are presented with gi-dependency (yes, we understand that perhaps many gi-dependent techniques can be adapted to nogi, too). Have a look at the pdfs below - you should find them interesting if you are considering purchasing this set or if you already own it:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

Despite the typical solid production from World Martial Arts (English translation) and a good variety of techniques, there was something lacking from this set. Perhaps Marcelo set the bar too high with the unmatched Series 1 dvds, which really explained much of his thinking and competition philosophy during each technique. We also would have liked to have seen more closed guard passes including how Marcelo fundamentally approaches that aspect of the game.

Don't misunderstand us - we do think this is a good dvd instructional set and recommend it as a valuable purchase - but somehow Series 2 did not leave as big of an impression on us as his other sets. It is still advocated as an instructional series that should add a significant amount to your brazilian jiu-jitsu game - keep in mind this criticism is only relative to his other dvds, because Series 2 stacks up very well in comparison with other instructionals in the marketplace.

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional series, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Saulo Ribeiro - Freestyle Revolution

2007-07-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

Over the past decade, Saulo Ribeiro has been crowned champion of every major brazilian jiu-jitsu event, both gi and no-gi, including two victories at ADCC. Saulo is also known for his attention to detail as a teacher, using his deep bjj knowledge to drive students towards a more efficient and smooth grappling game.

This six dvd set is Saulo's first submission grappling set. Prospective viewers might wonder, is this a game plan type of instructional, or is it a collection of techniques? It's not exactly either - instead, it's designed more to clean up common mistakes that Saulo perceives are somewhat widespread, while adding linked techniques onto this discussion.

Some of the highlights of this set include: a broad look at takedowns and guard sweeps, valuable positioning details from top-half guard, interesting bottom half guard options, smooth passes for a variety of situations, and a nice variety of guillotine options. Since it may be difficult to really get a handle on what this set is all about, we've mapped out a chapter-by-chapter look at each DVD. Check them out if you're curious:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

This dvd series is well produced (another World Martial Arts production) and Saulo's english, although not perfect, is easy to understand and fine for the purposes of instruction. Although we think this is a good video series, in our opinion, we would have liked more discussion on Saulo's philosophies on gi versus no-gi in certain positions, as well as a better gameplan style layout of how Saulo thinks and attacks from each position. Also, the escapes dvd is quite small compared to others in the market.

That being said, we recommend Saulo's Freestyle Revolution dvd set for submission grapplers looking to tune up their game and add some interesting techniques to the mix. Freestyle Revolution, though not totally revolutionary, is a solid instructional series and shows some of the smooth technique details and concepts that make the difference between success and failure.

For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional series, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Marcelo Garcia - Series 3 - Submission Grappling

2007-06-28T22:08:00.000-04:00

For the last four years, Marcelo Garcia has mesmerized the grappling community with his unique attacking style, winning three ADCC championships in a row. Marcelo is always moving forward in his fights, looking to attack with unexpected speed and power - but it is also the creativity in his techniques that also intrigue submission grappling and brazilian jiu-jitsu fans. Of course, Marcelo's fearlessness and natural charisma easily show through, making him perhaps the crowd favorite whenever he steps on the mat.

In this six dvd set, which is Marcelo's third instructional series (the second series was with the gi), Marcelo expands his teaching beyond the fundamentals of his arm drag and taking the back game. He shows takedowns, guard passes, other aspects of his open guard game (including more X-Guard techniques), and very interesting submissions. In addition, the set finishes with a crescendo with a double disc of Marcelo's escapes, both from positions and submissions.

Similar to Series 1 [CLICK HERE for our review of Series 1], the content is arranged closely in a linked form, with Marcelo explain an initial position or move, and then showing additional options depending on how the opponent defends the previous attacks. The production of the instructional set is as solid as ever, with World Martial Arts showing their typical quality filming and English translation.

Once again, we attempt to make the use of this set even better by mapping out a chapter-by-chapter look at each DVD. Check out the pdfs below - we guarantee that you will find them valuable:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

Overall, we will highly recommend Marcelo's third DVD set for those wanting to advance their submission grappling game with additional interesting techniques - perhaps even just based on the Escapes disc, we could easily endorse this set. For further information on purchasing this dvd instructional series, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Gustavo Machado - The Great Escapes & Counters

2007-06-10T22:04:00.000-04:00

Although the majority of DVD instructionals for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focus on submissions and offense, during the first few years of training, most students find themselves on defense most of the time - and it takes a lot of time to learn the actual escapes from a broad range of positions.

Gustavo Machada's DVD, "The Great Escapes & Counters", is one of the only instructionals on the market which focus entirely on defense and escapes. By our count, there are 53 escapes on the DVD, and if you are wondering, this is a gi-oriented instructional set (although some escapes will work in no-gi as well).

For each escape, Gustavo first shows the submission working successfully, then shows the initial defense, and finally walks the viewer through the escape technique. In most instances, he also leads the escape to a control position, or in some cases, a submission attack.

The production quality of the DVD is generally good, and majority of the time the angles and audio allows the viewer to understand the escape as the various movements involved (although for some reason in a few instances where Gustavo presents multiple options in an escape, he does not show different angles or the escape in full speed).

If you are wondering what escapes are shown in Gustavo's DVD, once again, we've put together a chapter-by-chapter map both for those who already have this set (to increase its usefulness) and also for prospective purchasers. Check out this pdf by clicking below - you will find this layout informative:

CLICK HERE to Download the Chapter-by-Chapter Map for the DVD (in PDF)

Overall, this is a good set and is probably more useful than many offensive oriented instructionals for the first couple years of jiu-jitsu training. The only potential negatives, or perhaps suggestions for future follow-on DVDs, would be to show escapes to more advanced attacks (the twister, gogoplata, heelhooks, kneebars, etc.) and also to show more escapes that can work without the gi (or in mma) as many of these escapes are oriented towards pure Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and rely on gripping the gi. Still, we recommend this as a solid DVD to anyone's collection.

For further information on purchasing this set, check out the product page on Fightlife Production's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

DVD Review: Marcelo Garcia - Series 1 - Submission Grappling

2007-05-28T21:38:00.000-04:00

With Marcelo Garcia recently winning another world title of submission grappling at ADCC 2007, his worldwide popularity as a jiu-jitsu fighter has never been higher. Watch any of his matches and you will know that this is for a good reason, too, as he is a panther, attacking quickly and without reprieve.

In 2003, Marcelo exploded onto the scene by not only by winning ADCC, but also on how he competed, showing a unique jiu-jitsu style with moves that are now known to be part of the "marcelo game" - open guard, x-guard, arm-drags, taking the back, rear-naked chokes - all executed against opponents typically bigger and stronger than Marcelo.

Afterwards, he released his first instructional series, a six DVD set which we claim is an amazing submission grappling (no-gi) resource. At the time of this review, he has also released two additional follow-on sets (one gi, one no-gi), which we plan to review in the future.

From a production point of view, this instructional set is good, with Marcelo showing the right angles, and discussing details and his strategy at all times. Although Marcelo speaks in Portuguese on the tapes, a narrator translates what he is saying.

The content is arranged by position/move and mainly focuses on Marcelo's fast and aggressive offensive game. For each of the dvds, Marcelo first shows a move, and explains what he is trying to accomplish, and then usually shows multiple follow on options depending on how the opponent reacts and counters.

Keeping with our philosophy of trying to make MMA products more useful, we have mapped out a chapter-by-chapter look at each DVD both for prospective purchasers and those who already have this set (to increase its usefulness). Check out the pdfs below - we guarantee that you will find them valuable:

Chapter-by-Chapter Maps (Click on the Titles for the PDFs)

or CLICK HERE for the entire series map in pdf

Overall, we highly recommend this set for those wanting to pattern their submission grappling game after possibly the best pound-for-pound jiu-jitsu fighter in the world. For further information on purchasing this set, check out the product page on World Martial Art's website [click here for the link]

Enjoy it.

Downloads: DVD Maps and Book Chapters

2007-05-28T21:31:00.002-04:00

Eddie Bravo: Book Flowcharts - Mastering the Rubber Guard & Mastering the Twister

Robert Drysdale: Nth Dimension Jiu Jitsu - Chapter-by-Chapter Maps

Marcelo Garcia: Series 1 - Submission Grappling - Chapter-by-Chapter Maps

Marcelo Garcia: Series 2 - Brazilian Jiu-Jit - Chapter-by-Chapter Maps

Marcelo Garcia: Series 3 - Submission Grappling - Chapter-by-Chapter Maps

Marcelo Garcia: Series 4 - Submission Grappling - Chapter-by-Chapter Maps

Cesar Gracie: Gracie Jiu Jitsu

Master Technique Sheet

Stephan Kesting: Dynamic Kneebars

Master Technique Sheet

Gustavo Machado: The Great Escapes & Counters

Chapter-by-Chapter Map

Keith Owen: Favorite Moves - Volume 1

Chapter-by-Chapter Map

Saulo Ribeiro: Freestyle Revolution

Equipment Review - SelectTech Dumbbells

2007-04-10T04:45:00.000-04:00

To serious athletes, Bowflex (Nautilus) is a company with a significantly low amount of credibility as far as being a supplier of useful fitness equipment.

The first thing that comes to mind with the name 'Bowflex' are rubber-band based home gym systems, and while any strength training workout is certainly better than none at all, it is commonly agreed that these systems are not optimal for intensive functional strength training. It is true that there is a very good benefit in having a 'complete' system that fits within the home as it allows some people to maintain a level of health that they would not be able to do for a variety of reasons, but in general, we probably do not have to explain the benefits of weight training with dumbbells (as opposed to rubber-bands) to anyone reading this article.

However, the problems with assembling an effective set of dumbbells in one's home are obvious. Plate-based systems are not ideal to use and are basically ugly in a home-environment (sounds like a flimsy reason, but these plates seem to often end up unused in the corner of an apartment). On the other hand, dumbbell sets (like those in commercial gyms) are expensive and take a large amount of space.

Surprisingly, Bowflex actually has a solution to this with its SelectTech Dumbbell line. These are adjustable dumbbells where one simply turns the dials on the ends of the dumbbells to the desired weight, and then you simply lift the dumbbells and what you end up holding is the amount of weight that you 'dialed' in.

The difference in the product line are as follows:

SelectTech 220: (2.5 - 20 lbs) - $149
SelectTech 552: (5 - 52.5 lbs) - $399
SelectTech 1090: (10 - 90 lbs) - $599

After using the SelectTech 552 for several years, and recommending it to friends, we can say that like the product very much. The dumbbells are easy to use and making weight changes are fast and quiet. The system is very efficient in terms of taking up space, and the weight range is broad enough to handle a robust set of exercises. The handles are also very comfortable in comparison with the other somewhat viable adjustable dumbbell system on the market, Powerblock.

What are the negatives when considering this purchase? Well, first, the cost is somewhat expensive although we admit that once you have a set in your lifting range, you are pretty much set on dumbbells.

The only real negative we can say is that Bowflex as a company is garbage. Like the majority of fitness equipment suppliers whose target market is not serious athletes or those involved in intense training, they do not value their customer base. Within the MMA community, information on products, equipment, and other training tools, is often shared through a network (training partners, friends, internet forums, etc), as well as at MMAembrace.com, and there is a new breed of equipment suppliers out there which really cater to ensuring that the athletes and customers of their products are happy and satisfied with their products. This not only builds a certain amount of loyalty within the customer base, but it is a tool for viral marketing within the target demographic. Further, quick responses to customer needs, problems, and issues tend to be resolved by these companies quickly and without complaint - this builds in a certain dynamic quality control and real-time product design and evolution.

Expect none of this at Bowflex (Nautilus).

We bring this point up because for years we were saying that the SelectTech set needed a heavier version (until recently, the 552 with a 52.5 lbs upper limit was the heaviest). Voila, the company finally introduced its 1090 series recently, but with no compatibility to the other versions (meaning, the sets have nothing to do with each other, so if you have an older version, you are basically stuck with it). Why couldn't the company build in a system that builds on the older system - perhaps using heavier plates etc. Ok, if that was not possible from a technical design point of view, what about providing some sort of upgrade discount to prior owners of one of the other systems?

We mentioned this to the company and their response was basically that there is no discount and "Another option would be to sale your 552 and put that amount towards the purchase of the 1090" - yes with the typo. What kind of company wants to piss off their end-user community by ridiculously suggesting the obvious as if it was out-of-the-box thinking? The same kind of company that does not cater to real athletes (who generally form more of a community about gear and equipment than recreational fitness users) and does not have the requisite level of customer focus for this target market.

Overall, although we can definitely recommend the product, it difficult to support a company that you know will eventually just put out another product and render your initial purchase less valuable.

We should mention that the products come with a DVD called "Secrets of the 4 Step Rep" - this is basically useless unless you don't have any idea of what to do with dumbbells. The one useful accessory which is available for purchase is a stand which is actually pretty handy (often there are specials available online where the stand is sometimes included or a discounted price).

Here are some links if you're thinking about picking up a set:

[Click for SelectTech 552 on Amazon.com]

[Click for SelectTech 552 Dumbbell Stand on Amazon.com]

[Click for the Bowflex SelectTech homepage]