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IronFist
03-12-2002, 05:56 PM
I just saw it at Borders yesterday. I flipped through it but I don't know anything about BJJ so I don't know if it was good or not. On thing, though, the book was good quality in terms of physical quality. Nice pages and pictures and stuff :) Anyone read it?

This book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931229082/qid=1015981083/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_3_1/103-3215676-3129423)

IronFist

Merryprankster
03-12-2002, 05:59 PM
I've heard nothing but GREAT things about it.

qeySuS
03-12-2002, 06:02 PM
If it's Renzo and Roylers book (Theory and Technique) i bought it in October at Barnes and Noble when i went to USA, i really enjoyed it, just as you i know next to nothing about grappling (except for what i've seen in pride and such) so i liked it, nice graphic pictures (would have been nice if they were wearing different color Gi's though).

I never really read a whole lot beyond the Blue Belt section (that is about 50% of the book right there) because without having anyone to roll with i figured the advanced moves wouldnt stick very much in my brain, so i just read the basics many times. It also has an excellent beginning, goes through the history of BJJ and how it evolved, also the tactics in BJJ and what the purpose of it is.

IronFist
03-12-2002, 06:05 PM
Yeah, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Technique, that's it. Amazon has it for 30% off. Dizamn, nice discount, eh?

IronFist

Chang Style Novice
03-12-2002, 06:11 PM
As a goofy aside, I loved the way Amazon prints Rigan Machado's name as Rigan MacHado. Who knew he was Irish?

qeySuS
03-12-2002, 06:12 PM
I'm pretty sure the Gracies were also Irish (or was it scottish).

It says so in the book ;) I'm too lazy to look it up.

Chang Style Novice
03-12-2002, 06:16 PM
I know a number of Scottish Gracies - I'm not disputing that at all. Brazil is like the United States, a nation of immigrants. I've just never seen the Machado name spelled MacHado like it was MacDonald or something.

qeySuS
03-12-2002, 06:20 PM
I'm making a wild presumption here, but i think Brazil is just about the most blended society on earthwhen it comes to skin color, the indians that were there, the black slaves that were imported there, the portugese that took over Brazil and of course some white guys that imported there.

Mix all that up and everyone having kids with everyone and you got one blended society.

So it doesnt really shock me that Gracies were irish or whatever :)

Btw i wonder if racism prevails in countries like brazil where you got every color of the spectrum.

Chang Style Novice
03-12-2002, 06:26 PM
Xeb could answer this better than I, but I know a couple of folks that lived in Rio de Janiero and Sao Paolo for good stretches, and they've told me institutional racism based on skin color is maybe even more prevalent in Brazil than in the US. Sad to say.

As for melting pots, North and South America are all pretty well blended as these things go. For example, Cuba's most famous painter was Wilfredo Lam, who's father was Chinese.

This is waaaaay offtopic, though. Sorry for the threadjack.

yuanfen
03-12-2002, 06:52 PM
qeySuS


Btw i wonder if racism prevails in countries like brazil where you got every color of the spectrum.
----------------------------
Dig deep my friend-to find out what they did to
Indians and how the remaining tribes are affected by the greed for land.Racism is a continuum-different degrees different kinds.

Water Dragon
03-12-2002, 06:52 PM
I LOVE that book. The stand up is effective, but a little crude. The ground game is excellant though.

My boy, the one who got me back on the mat, just got back from a 3 week stint at Humaita, w/Royler. I know a lot of the technique in the book, but I was taught different variations of the tech. I can definately see the principle though. It serves as an excellant study guide for me.

Whatever I'm working in class, I study at home. Right now I'm doing strictly basics, guard passes, sweeps, and positional transitions. I've developed some nice "stance work" for the guard moves that are starting to pan out during rolling. I've got little forms for the sweeps too. Kinda like a bunch of Upa drills. I'm having a blast :D

qeySuS
03-12-2002, 07:03 PM
hehe Water Dragon it's funny you should mention the standup stuff, that's the part i TOTALLY skipped over, Royler did some front kick and Renzo grabbed it under the ankle and did some move, after that i decided not to look at the striking aspect anymore :)

Btw i know the indians were massecred by the Portugese, but is there any one "race" there? It was my understanding that it was all mixed up and such so it's not like in USA where you got black ppl and white ppl and black dudes got treated badly by white, pretty cut clear, i'm not sure Brazil has such cut clear "races" or whatever you can call it.

Then again my knowledge of Brazil isnt evry extensive (not of america either for that matter) this is basicly just the feel i got of it.

straightblast5
03-12-2002, 07:13 PM
Hey Iron Fist,

Here's a link to a review on that book.
http://members.aol.com/BJJ33/renzoroylerbook.htm

Phil
Ng Family Chinese Martial Arts Association (http://www.ngfamilymartialarts.com)

3D Man
03-13-2002, 04:33 AM
The section on theory is excellent. The technique section is a rudimentary overview of a variety of techniques. I have been taught every technique in the book or a variation. There are more effective variations of some of the techniques, but on the whole, the book is a great place to start learning about BJJ.

I did not like the organization of the book. Some of the advanced techniques should be in the blue belt section. Some of the techniques will get you mauled by an experienced BJJ guy; the standing guard pass in particular. Some of the techniques are pure sport, but they don't explain why like they do in class. They don't explain how to finish the star sweep. Little stuff like that.

The cool thing is that I thnk that a lot of the problems will be addressed in the second edition. The book is a best seller and they are already working on improving on it. I'd say they have set a new standard for martial arts texts. Dr. Yang Jwing Ming's Chin Na books are the only texts that come close to the overall quality of the book. it is interesting how many of the self defense techiques are similiar to tradiional chin na.

QeySus, I've used the technique you have mentioned to great effect. It actually isn't that hard to pull off. The foot work is the key. Finish it by sweeping their support foot.

Nichiren
03-13-2002, 05:13 AM
3D MAN said it all. It is a great book for beginners.

I really liked the soundness of the techniques, like the hip throw (Ogoshi). In the book they show how to execute it without exposing yourself to much. Thats a theme in the book. Executing the techniques and explaining what to look out for. Of course there are some exeptions.

IronFist
03-16-2002, 12:17 PM
Thanks for the link, Phil!

IronFist