BJJ instruction books - do you learn much ?

O'Leprosy

Was thinking of buying a book on BJJ, seen a book in a magazine on the Guard position, half guard, butterfly guard, sweeps and submissions from the bottom etc. Thing is, can you take much from a book, drill it in the class etc, or are they just more useful as a reference for an instructor and it's best just to work with what your instructor teaches each week ?

cowzerp

Best to work with an instructor, or buy an instructional dvd, this will still need to be drilled with an instructor to get it right..bjj books are not for me,

ryoishin

Never a substitute for hands on teaching.

But i have a few bjj books and they ve helped me alot. Im a newb to bjj so it was good to read how not to do things, grips and stuff. Also something to read in the jax.

mark.leonard

Matt Thornton's BJJ instructionals (particularly Functional Jeet Kune Do Series 1 and 2) are the finest DVDs you can come across. I firmly believe you get better just by watching them!

I find books are a lot more hit and miss, they don't hurt when you are stuck for a new direction to take your game though

dunkamania

Mastering the rubber guard by Eddie Bravo is very good imo.

He does come off as a twat though, especially in the intro.

spiral

http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Guard-Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu-Techniques/dp/0972109757/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

This is an excellent book on passing the guard in Bjj. Although a book there are about 1000 full colour film reel sequence type photos . The best book I have seen on BJJ.

Nothingcompares

I dip into books and dvds on recommendations from friends. What i find is:

Broad concepts, typical of the Matt Thornton/sbg dvd sets are the most easily assimilated. Things like the 5 point guard pass is something any white belt with a few months training can take from the DVD and add to their game. This is because every day in training you do a guard pass so you're using it.

Small details in certain techniques that you use, or try to use, can also be picked up off a DVD if you're lucky. For example, you're always getting a good top position and you're getting white belts with a particular arm bar but it's not working against blue belts. You see a professional doing the same technique and he mentions a detail you weren't consciously aware of (grab the lapel like this rather than this etc.). I call these eureka! moments when you realise you've been doing something "wrong" for ages!

However, I find that anything else is easily forgotten. If I see a bunch of cool submissions or techniques on a DVD and I intend to perform them in the next training session I find that I've forgotten what I wanted to practice, tried to do the technique but can't remember actually how to do it, or I've found the stuff we're practising in class more relevant or I just didn't get an opportunity to practice the dvd techniques.

Like if you're training in a open mat environment for a couple of extra sessions and bringing the dvd/book in and taking the time to drill the techniques you'll definitely pick stuff up. But if you're sitting at home watching an instructional don't expect yourself to just assimilate techniques by osmosis.

Mark Hamill

To save yourself some money, try going to websites like Lockflow.com and look in their technique sections, Lockflow has hundreds of techniques, with videos or pic-by-pic instructions, from grappling to gi-only to striking and even drills/workouts. Another goods site is Aesopian.com (a blog with plenty of videos and pic-by-pic instructions), and sometimes, you can find stuff by doing searches on Youtube or Expertvillage.com

Usually I'd browse until I saw a move that caught my eye, then memorise the movements and try them in class against different people. Its very important to remember that you need to try anything you learn from a book or the internet on various people while rolling.
Also if your only a beginner (ie less than 6-10 months training) I'd suggest that you stick with what you are being shown in class, its easier to perfect moves when your coach is nearby and knows what the hell you are going for, and besides you need all the basics in order to learn the cool stuff anyway.

O'Leprosy

Mark Hamill wrote: »

To save yourself some money, try going to websites like Lockflow.com and look in their technique sections, Lockflow has hundreds of techniques, with videos or pic-by-pic instructions, from grappling to gi-only to striking and even drills/workouts. Another goods site is Aesopian.com (a blog with plenty of videos and pic-by-pic instructions), and sometimes, you can find stuff by doing searches on Youtube or Expertvillage.com

Usually I'd browse until I saw a move that caught my eye, then memorise the movements and try them in class against different people. Its very important to remember that you need to try anything you learn from a book or the internet on various people while rolling.
Also if your only a beginner (ie less than 6-10 months training) I'd suggest that you stick with what you are being shown in class, its easier to perfect moves when your coach is nearby and knows what the hell you are going for, and besides you need all the basics in order to learn the cool stuff anyway.

Well thanks for the advice lads, MAtt Thornton's books and DVD's get the best recommendation it seems. But Mr. Hamill links, and there are some very good links there, plenty to occupy me for a while.