Book Review – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Renzo & Royler Gracie, with Kid Peligro & John Danaher)

Theory and Technique was one of the first BJJ instructional books on the market (I think Pedro Carvalho's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Vale Tudo may have been the very first, in 1997, but I'm just going by the Library of Congress search results for 'Brazilian jiu jitsu'). Since then, the quality has improved vastly, with superb volumes like those produced by Ed Beneville. Arguably it is unfair to judge an older work by its successors, but on the other hand, both books are currently available to the consumer, so I'm reviewing on that basis.

I'll start with the negatives. The layout of Theory & Technique is erratic and illogical, because techniques are somewhat arbitrarily assigned to belt levels. Far more sensible would have been arranging them by position, or categories like 'chokes'. I'm sure Peligro and his co-authors had their reasons, but their choice of organisation makes for a counter-intuitive read.

Colour photographs (normally between five to eight per technique) are accompanied by a reasonable amount of mostly helpful description. Unfortunately the distinction between the two Gracies is blurred because they're both wearing a white gi. Instead, one should have worn a blue gi while the other put on a white gi, as then there could be a clear reference to 'blue' and 'white' (like in the aforementioned Beneville books) rather than 'Renzo' and 'Royler'.

Personally, I disliked the inclusion of many 'self-defence' techniques (for want of a better word: for some related thoughts on that issue, see here), but that is a subjective criticism: it isn't something I care about, so I'm not in the best position to discuss the relative merits of the self defence in BJJ: Theory & Technique.

Also, the situations are things like bear hugs and being grabbed by your shirt, so it certainly isn't at the rather ridiculous level of a later volume, the notorious BJJ: Self Defence Techniques. In that 2002 release, Royce manages to demonstrate unarmed defences against somebody pressing a gun into his stomach with a straight face (the text on page 66 does at least warn the reader it should be a last resort, along with the unsurprising revelation that you're in danger of being shot).

On the plus side, the historical and theoretical sections of BJJ: Theory and Technique are excellent. The comparable segments in Mastering Jujitsu (which Renzo and Danaher produced two years later) are even better, but if you don't have that book already, BJJ: Theory and Technique does a similarly accomplished job of detailing BJJ's origins and philosophy. You also get what was then recent biographical information on the authors, as well as Sheik Tahnoon bin Zayed, who was instrumental in setting up the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Championships.

It’s a shame the book doesn't have a more sensible categorisation, as the majority of the techniques included (aside from my reservations over the 'self defence') will serve any BJJers well. For example, several of the sweeps I've been trying to use in sparring are featured, referred to in the book as the hook, sickle (which Nick G showed us, though he didn't call them that), handstand and star sweep. Yet due to that bizarre layout, instead of the handstand sweep being followed up by the star, there are inexplicably over 100 pages between the two.

It would appear there were some strange decisions at the editing phase. The handstand sweep is included under 'purple belt', while the star sweep is apparently 'black belt': the reason given, as far as I can tell, is that the star sweep is of greater complexity. Others might disagree, but I would say they're both relatively basic sweeps.

For its day, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Technique (available to purchase here in the UK, or here for the US) was a reasonably good compendium of techniques, which despite the haphazard layout gave a broad perspective on the practical and theoretical aspects of Brazilian jiu jitsu. However, while I don't think you'll be disappointed if this is your first purchase, it has long since been bettered in terms of presentation and technical coverage. Therefore, unless you are especially interested in the self-defence aspects of BJJ, or don't already own Renzo's Mastering Jujitsu, I would recommend you pick up more recent publications rather than BJJ: Theory & Technique.

Book Review - Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher)

Mastering Jujitsu (available here, or here in the US) was written by Renzo Gracie and John Danaher, and I would assume that the latter's academic background in philosophy is the main reason the text is unusually eloquent for a martial arts book. Both men are well qualified for the task of writing a martial arts instructional book, as both hold high ranks in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Renzo Gracie is a legendary figure in the sport, having also competed many times in mixed martial arts. John Danaher is one of Gracie's black belts, and a well-regarded instructor in his own right, teaching out of Renzo's New York academy.

Their book begins with a modified version of the introduction to Renzo's previous book, Theory and Technique. This opening segment contains a brief outline of the sport, discussing the origins of jujitsu (the breadth of this investigation is probably one of the reasons the title is 'Mastering Jujitsu' rather than 'Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu'), also musing on the most plausible historical explanation for the development of martial arts in general. There is an extended section on Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, and in particular his groundbreaking innovations in training methodology. That theme of what Matt Thornton has called 'aliveness' (see his blog for more details on the concept) continues throughout the book, convincingly arguing the benefits of non-compliant training in a sport setting.

I've been careful with purchasing any supplemental material for my BJJ training: I'm conscious of not wanting to get ahead of myself. After a few months of BJJ, Mastering Jujitsu was perfect for me, providing good holiday reading for a long holiday I took to the Caribbean. Rather than trying to cover as many techniques as possible, Danaher and Gracie approach a small selection of fundamental tactics and strategies, detailing the principles through a text-heavy approach (there are a few black and white photos for each technique, but the description relies largely upon words). This follows on smoothly from the academically inflected historical summary, that same tone examining the basic techniques of mixed martial arts.

Due to this theoretically based perspective, I think Mastering Jujitsu works well as an introduction to the sport, doing a magnificent job of explaining the main principles and history. Its always a great pleasure 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 wonderful motivation, which is exactly the function Mastering Jujitsu has served for me.

Danaher and Gracie do not only discuss the recognisable ground positions of Brazilian jiu jitsu, but also look at striking, as well as takedowns, footwork etc: again, this goes some way towards explaining the use of 'jujitsu' rather than 'Brazilian jiu jitsu' in the book's title. Mastering Jujitsu features a brief section on 'jujitsu for self defence' at the end, as well as discussion of competition and common issues in training, like conditioning and injuries. There are even case studies for each of the technical sections: for example, Royce Gracie is discussed in relation to winning from the guard position, or Randy Couture when looking at effective use of the clinch. The choice of fighters for the case studies is of course affected by the publication date, which was back in 2003.

If you've just started Brazilian jiu jitsu, or are thinking of taking it up, then this is the first book I would recommend you purchase. Instructional books and DVDs should be used as supplemental material by a student already training under a competent instructor: it would be inadvisable to attempt to purely learn Brazilian jiu jitsu from a book. It is also a good idea to avoid getting buried in books and DVDs as soon as you start BJJ, as at that stage, your time is better spent concentrating on class and getting used to the grappling environment by regular sparring.

Therefore, most books are best left until later on in your training. Mastering Jujitsu is one of the very few I would have no qualms about recommending to beginners, as it provides an excellent introduction to the sport in general, rather than a long list of specific techniques. Available for purchase here (for the US, click here).