Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: what is the best book to buy for techniques?

Question

i currently own: Ultimate Fighting Techniques (1 & 2), Theory and Technique, Submission Grappling, Self Defense Techniques.

i like to get the BJJ books by Kid Peligro but i dont just want to add another ordinary one to my collection. i want another excellent one (esp. for a beginner)

Answer 1

grappling masters

by: jose m fraguas

Answer 2

BJ Penn's: The Book of knowledge

Answer 3

Main one I'd suggest if you're a beginner is Mastering Jujitsu by John Danaher and Renzo Gracie. I've been careful with purchasing any supplemental material for my BJJ training, because I'm conscious of not wanting to get ahead of myself. So back when I started, Mastering Jujitsu was perfect for me.

That's mainly because Danaher, putting his academic background in philosophy to good use, does an excellent job of explaining the main principles and history. Its always cool to learn more about something you enjoy - I listen to podcasts for the same reason. I find that personalising a sport through the acquisition of background knowledge acts as great motivation, which is exactly the function Mastering Jujitsu served for me.

In terms of full-on instructional books, then Ed Beneville has produced three excellent volumes: Passing the Guard, The Guard and Strategic Guard. That has plenty of material suitable for beginners, such as the stuff on shrimping at the start of The Guard. The best feature of Beneville's work is that its very well laid out, with multiple angles and logical progressions. There's a good interview with him on the Fightworks Podcast.

You may often hear Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard suggested as an instructional book, and like Beneville's work it is also well laid out, but I'd recommend you don't tackle that until much later in your BJJ training. Instead, get the basics down first. Bravo does have a few more fundamental techniques in there, like shrimping to escape mount, but it only makes up a small part of the book.

Also, with books and DVD, you need to keep in mind a proviso: as others have said, they're supposed to supplement training, not form its basis. Especially for beginners, its essential to have an instructor present.

Unlike a DVD/book/video, an instructor can correct your mistakes (which otherwise you'll continue making and thereby entrain bad habits) and modify their advice depending on your particular situation: body type, experience, strength etc. Not to mention you could potentially injure yourself and/or others if there isn't an experienced eye supervising.

So, your instructor should always be your first port of call if you've got a question: after all, that's what you're paying them for. Always better to get hands-on advice rather than a book/DVD.

Answer 4

i was gonna say pick up a phone book and join a school but other then that i'm not really sure.

I tried learning martial arts through a book before but even while your learning one or with past experience books are terrible, they show you stages and give verbal instruction on how to get from a to b, but without the fluid motion of it, you can't really get things correct.  Unles you can find some good video guides, since thats a bit mor elike watching the sensei etc.  Bue even then you lack the feedback on if your doing well.

bah.

Answer 5

Books are good for reading and studying and refining but they are no substitute for a real teacher.

SO do you have a teacher? If so then keep on reading and learning!!  Just do not rely on them to teach you Martial Arts, they are guidelines and help aides for trained people.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

Royler gracie mastering jiujitsu is one of the most thorough books out in the market.

Answer 7

Do you have some real, first-hand experience to work off of? Or are you trying to teach yourself solely through books?

If its the latter, keep in mind that it's borderline impossible to teach yourself by book with no prior experience. But even so, I'd suggest that you pick up Mastering Jujitsu by Renzo Gracie. That's a good book for some bare basics, but what's more important, is that it talks a lot about the theory/strategy behind JiuJitsu.

Beyond that, I don't have much recommendation, since I don't have many BJJ or grappling-focused books.

Answer 8

You can't learn grappling from books.

Sorry.

Karate or any striking art, the basics and the forms, sure, but it still doesn't beat personal, close instruction, with a school having a ratio of 5 instructors per 20 students.

In China in the 19th century, from the 19th century backwards, a Kung Fu master would only take 5 students, train them for 10 years, and then those 5 would each take 4 students, and train them for 10 years.  God my math doesn't add up.....  but I know the ratio of 5 per 20.  The school would get started with 1 master, and 5 students, and then ever onward a ratio would be maintained of 5 instructors per 20 students.

As time passed, a given Kung Fu school would grow exponentially.

You can not have a ratio like that these days, because martial arts is run as a business in the west, while in the east, its government funded, thus the people who dictate the rules in the east, are politicians and not the instructors themselves.  Okinawa and South Korea are the last remnants of traditional training, and the mountains of Japan in the rural communities were families still train in theri given style.  However they do not teach non-family members.

When a school gets started; 1 master, 5 students.  When a school is to keep going, a ratio maintained, of 5 masters, per 20, and so on.  The reason there are countless variations in Kung Fu in China, is precisely because of this ratio.  Literally, a given style can have as many as 1,000 variations.

Oh yeah, regarding your question; if anything is to be learned from what I illustrated here is that, you can learn striking from books, but, you still need personal instruction eventually.

Grappling however, more than striking, requires personal instruction of 1 instructo per 5 students, which roughly makes a ratio of 5 instructors, and 20 students.  The more expensive BJJ schools in Brazil, I know, have such a ratio.

It may be possible to learn a few moves but grappling is one of those things you only learn by actually doing it.  There is a saying in Judo that goes "the best training for Judo, is Judo."  Same applies to BJJ or any grappling style actually.

Ratio of 5 to 20 man, when you look for a school.

good luck.

Answer 9

Learn from one of the guys who started it all.......Helio gracie

Answer 10

It isn't really suitable for beginners but this book really helped me to improve my game "Mastering the rubber guard"

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Rubber-G...

Like others have said, you cannot learn from books alone, thgough thats how some start off....Rich Franklin for example.

Eventually you will have to get real training.