Which Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instruction books are the best for some one who is just starting out ?

Question

I look on amazon.com and saw a whole bunch of different books which one do you think would be the best for me to buy first ?

Answer 1

In my experience, the best book to start with is Mastering Jujitsu, by Renzo Gracie and John Danaher. That has the big advantage of not overwhelming you with a bunch of complex techniques, but instead taking a detailed look at principles and theory. It also covers the history of the sport, and has general advice on training. My full review up here:

http://slideyfoot.blogspot.com/2008/07/b...

Once you.ve read that, I'd say the next book to get is The Guard, by Ed Beneville and Joe Moreira. That is a lot more technique-heavy, but still keeps things simple, starting off with basic drills, gradually showing how to apply the fundamentals of BJJ (e.g., how shrimping is applicable to certain escapes/submissions etc). Carefully laid out, clearly explained and well-presented. My full review here:

http://slideyfoot.blogspot.com/2008/07/b...

Hope that helps: good luck with your training!

Answer 2

This book is very useful for beginners:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brazilian-Jiu-Ji...

I would also highly recommend Jiu-jitsu Unleashed by Eddie Bravo (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jiu-jitsu-Unleas... for when you have a good grasp of the art and want to learn a few tricks to improve your game.

Answer 3

The Master Text!

http://www.jiu-jitsu.net/handbook.shtml