Website Review - BJJ Library (Saulo & Xande Ribeiro)

Short Review: Both Xande and Saulo Ribeiro have respected DVD sets on the market, as well as arguably the best instructional book to date, Jiu Jitsu University. BJJ Library follows on directly from that work: video versions of the techniques taught in Jiu Jitsu University currently account for the majority of BJJ Library's content. Due to the youth of BJJ Library the archive is not yet extensive, though new videos are being added every day.

This site is ideal for people who are not looking for the latest flashy acrobatics, but instead want to develop a steady pressure game. Having said that, there are regular guest seminars from current luminaries like Leandro Lo, meaning more ostentatious BJJ will presumably be covered when somebody with that style is brought in to teach. You can sign up for a $25 monthly membership here, with other packages available.

Full Review: When I wrote about online training at the start of 2010, it seemed that the success of Gracie University had prompted many others to follow suit. Almost three years later, MGinAction (which I recently reviewed here) appears to have become the model others are trying to emulate. Cyborg, Paragon, Andre Galvao and the Mendes Brothers have all set up online training sites, among numerous others. Two other major names have entered the fray: Saulo Ribeiro and his brother Xande.


The main factor which will make it difficult for new instructional websites to break into the market is that MGinAction has such a large archive. As a result, the consumer may well think, "well, MGinAction has over 15,000 videos: nobody else comes close." The Mendes brothers can potentially compete, because they are trendy at the moment: not only are both brothers current champions, they are fashionable due to their popularisation of flashy techniques, especially the berimbolo.

BJJ Library has a different appeal. Both Saulo and Xande can boast lots of gold medals from the highest levels of competition. Xande is still active and retains his place in the tournament elite: he will be appearing again at Metamoris in a few weeks. You may well see the name Alexandre Couceiro Ribeiro listed amongst the Mundials medallists a few days before that.

Yet neither is known for their flashy style. Instead, they are valued for the solid substance of their technique and mastery of old school, reliable pressure. That too has an audience, of which I am a part. Personally, I have no desire to learn the details of the berimbolo, beyond a simple defence. I want that old school pressure. Therefore it is the brothers Ribeiro who most peak my interest, not the brothers Mendes.

The Ribeiro brothers' website does not yet have the incredibly rich labelling of MGinAction. In the description of each video there is a part that says 'tags', but for most of them it is blank. Having said that, plenty of thought has clearly gone into the organisation of the material: there are two main configurations to choose from, for a start. When you open the site, the default is the first tab at the top, entitled 'Library'. This shows all the content on BJJ Library, split by position in a menu on the right hand side.

You can also select the 'Curriculum' tab to see the archive broken down in an alternative arrangement. This is exciting if you own Saulo's book, because 'Curriculum' is where you will find videos for each technique featured in Jiu Jitsu University, corresponding to the same chapter and sub-chapter categorisation (with a few other related videos thrown in, such as the seven part '2 on 1 guard' series). Another benefit is that structuring part of BJJ Library as live versions of the book has provided the Ribeiro brothers with the opportunity to revisit those techniques. In the example below, I have clicked through to a video: the listing window remains in place on the right.



For example, my favourite defence to side control is the running escape. I first learned this from Jiu Jitsu Revolution 1, which was then refined by the sequel. Once Jiu Jitsu University came out, that shifted the focus of the escape again, this time emphasising the leg swing to guard. In 2013, there is yet another variation.

Saulo starts off his BJJ Library version with the same method as in the book, pushing off his feet into his training partner then swinging through to guard. There are a a few tweaks, so as I regularly teach this escape, watching that video earlier this week was useful for my most recent lesson. Saulo then does something entirely different, combining the running escape with a more orthodox approach. As soon as he gets his shoulder free, he walks his shoulders back and shrimps out to recover guard.

If it wants to keep up with its rivals, then the vidoes on BJJ Library will need to increase in number at a faster rate. As of Sunday 19th May, BJJ Library has a mere 203 videos, which is up from 192 this Monday. As far as I can tell, all of the videos are presently gi. This does not bother me personally, as I barely train nogi, but many others do: again, they will look to MGinAction, where a large proportion of the database is made up of nogi.

There is the argument of quality over quantity, but that initial proposition facing the customer - choosing between 15,000 videos on MGinAction and 200 on BJJ Library - must be dealt with. One of the unique features BJJ Library can offer to tempt potential subscribers is the Jiu Jitsu University curriculum, which benefits from the immense good will towards the book. Another is BJJ Library's growing range of guest seminars.

The Ribeiro brothers have already brought in some huge names, including Rafael Lovato Jr and Leandro Lo, along with an upcoming Terere session. According to a post by site admin Dave Kim on Sherdog, the intention is to get to a point where the site becomes a 'Netflix for BJJ', with hour long seminars from top level instructors every week. If that will be included in the standard membership it sounds appealing, but if not, the price per seminar will be interesting to see. Budovideos have been offering live seminars with a replay for a while now (although not on a weekly basis): generally they have cost between $10 to $20.

Currently, each seminar on BJJ Library is divided into short videos, which from what I've seen so far are shot as if they were a DVD: the instructor addresses the camera rather than a class, they show each technique from multiple angles and (generally) they wear a different colour gi to the person they are using for the demonstration.

The Lovato Jr series is an intriguing example. He has his own online instructional site, which received some bad press due to marketing practices. Appearing on BJJ Library gives him a chance to present his technique in a more neutral environment, freed from the unpleasant overtones of Lovato Jr's maligned marketing approach. He mentions his website twice, at the start of the first video and the end of the seventh, which is not intrusive (particularly as Lovato Jr's opening 'introduction' video, which is essentially an advert for his website, can be completely ignored because it does not contain any techniques).

Lovato Jr's teaching is excellent. He is a student of the Ribeiro brothers, so it is perhaps unsurprising there was a lot that I could see fitting well into my own game. The pressure passing system is relatively straightforward, with several elements that reminded me of what I've been learning from Dónal in his private lessons on guard passing. Dónal taught me a comparable passing start point to what Lovato Jr calls the 'headquarters' position. There are plenty of similarities between Lovato Jr's 'cross knee pass' and Dónal's 'knee cut', which I look forward to testing out in sparring.

Leandro Lo's introductory video to his seminar does not include any sales pitches (although that's mainly because Lo does not have an instructional site, as far as I'm aware). Lo speaks in Portuguese, but there are subtitles. If like me you're interested in learning Portuguese, that's a cool addition. The last word of the subtitles is occasionally a little obscured by the BJJ Library watermark, but it is just the end of the sentence.

After briefly explaining his background, Lo moves into teaching his variation of the bullfighter pass. I especially liked that at the end of his video, you get to see Lo working through the technique with Saulo and Xande, as they compare notes on how they prefer to apply the bullfighter pass. That's accompanied by a much longer video (almost eighteen minutes) on the same lines, in the BJJ Library section dubbed 'Lifestyle', presented as a 'behind the scenes' perspective on the Lo seminar.


The translation is occasionally somewhat unclear, though that is probably because they are being fairly literal, meaning the phrasing is unusual to English ears. For example, in the above screenshot, where the line is "You know, I open, I try to get some space and then do this, but if he will so strong". Then again, that is mitigated when you consider this is a far less formal situation than instruction, as you're basically watching a bunch of jiu jitsu people sat in a room chatting about technique. That necessarily impacts on the clarity of their language.

Unlike the videos on MGinAction, BJJ Library does not tend to cram a massive chain of techniques into each video. Instead, they are tightly focused, like three variations on the scissor sweep, an explanation of the running escape or how to finish the bow and arrow choke from the back. This is a matter of preference: some may plump for the convoluted combinations on MGinAction. Both make for a perfectly sensible instructional methodology.

The BJJ Library approach is a better fit with my learning style. When there is more than one technique in a video, it is normally different variations. To make a comparison, on BJJ Library, the descriptive nomenclature consists of titles like 'JJU 4-0, 4-1, 4-5, 8-1, 8-2 Side Control Survival & Escape', or 'Scissor Sweep 3 Variations - Low, High, Knee Push'. By contrast, on MGinAction, you can find the monster titles 'Frame Escape vs Underhook and Head Control, Guard Recovery vs Side Control, Bridge Escape vs North South, Guard Recovery vs North South' and '2on1 Control from Butterfly, Cross Arm and Belt Sweep from Butterfly, 2on1 from Butterfly to Back Control, Rear Naked Choke'.

There are similarities to Jiu Jitsu Revolution, in that Saulo still loves to talk. As a result there are several lectures to the camera, such as the video on side control survival and escapes. This combines multiple segments of Jiu Jitsu University, resulting in slightly over eight minutes of instruction. However, the first two and a half minutes are Saulo sat on his own, explicating his theories on side control.

The same thing happens in a video on mount survival, filling three out of the ten minutes. What Saulo says is certainly useful, but if you prefer less exposition in your instructionals, Saulo's loquacious tendencies are worth keeping in mind. Of course, there is plenty of Xande instruction on BJJ Library, giving a certain breadth of teaching style. A small number of non-seminar videos are taught by other staff at the two schools, but unlike MGinAction it is overwhelmingly the star names teaching right now (though in fairness, that is easier to do in 200 videos compared to 15,000).

If you've read my previous reviews of Saulo's material, then you'll know I generally enjoy his lectures: after all, he is responsible for my favourite quote in jiu jitsu, made during Jiu Jitsu Revolution. In regards to BJJ Library, Saulo makes some salient points in his two and a half minute discussion on surviving side control, stating that:

Before you escape, you've got to defend yourself against mount, knee on the belly and any kind of choke or any kind of situation that would make you tap. So, what's the message here? Don't try to escape and get into a worse position. Set yourself and take your time. The cross-side position is about taking your time. We can't have the mentality that is just for tournaments, we've got to escape right away. Man, you already let them pass your guard. You already allowed them to cross-side you. Take your time. You cannot allow something to get worse.

Many of the videos are not simply recordings of Saulo or Xande teaching class. For example, the six minute video based on JJU 36.01 (the bow and arrow choke) features Saulo and his demonstration partner on their own, teaching directly to the camera rather than any students. That can be seen in how the video starts, with the two sat next to each other in classic DVD fashion, followed by a "hey guys, today we're going to show you the bow and arrow choke," finishing with a look at the camera while they wait for the cut. Also in keeping with a DVD, Saulo shows the technique from multiple angles (although unlike a DVD, they are wearing the same colour gi).

Most of the videos I have watched have been from between three minutes to ten minutes in length, which is comparable to the selection I viewed from MGinAction. It is nowhere near as long as the videos from the blue belt stripe 1 guard chapter I bought from Gracie University, but then that's because Gracie University is not a typical subscription site. In fact, I would argue the subscription model fits it poorly, because the videos on Gracie University are very long and infrequent: you can still buy individual videos or chapters, as I did, which makes a lot more sense in the case of Gracie University. The subscription model works best when there are numerous videos appearing each day, as is the case with MGinAction and BJJ Library.

For those who are interested in self defence, there is a section on that too, taught by somebody called Phillip Wyman. I'm not sure if that will prove to be a one-off seminar series, or if the self defence section will be a growing part of the site. I presume the latter: it is not an area of BJJ that interests me from a practical standpoint (I discussed the issue at length during my Gracie Combatives review), but it is another indication that the audience for BJJ Library has some differences to the audiences for the Mendes brothers' site or MGinAction.

Like MGinAction, BJJ Library includes drills. At present, this is a series of sixteen Ginastica Natural warm-ups performed by Xande and Saulo, rather than lots of methods for drilling specific techniques. The latter would be a useful addition and perhaps will be enhanced in future. There are a few videos that include a drilling option to aid the technique: e.g., Saulo demonstrating the hip-bump/sit-up sweep.

Another feature the two sites share in common are sparring videos, which on BJJ Library are grouped under 'Rolling'. Again, I am not certain how much this part of the site is due to grow, as it consists of just one video at present, where Xande spars with Leandro Lo. It is only three minutes and again lacks the exhaustive labelling of MGinAction, so while you get to watch two elite competitors spar, there is not yet detailed tagging to tell you exactly which techniques are being used. What I would most enjoy seeing is some commentary from Xande and Lo discussing the roll afterwards, providing analysis of what they did and what they were looking to achieve. Roy Dean does this on his DVDs (e.g., No Gi Essentials) and it is fantastic: hopefully that format might be considered for BJJ Library in the future.

There is a forum (listed in the tabs on the main screen), which is just a basic vBulletin without a lot of content at the moment. Still, it looks as though the site admin posts on there regularly, meaning you should be able to present feedback and get swift answers to any technical issues with the site or perhaps video requests. On individual videos, as can be seen in the above screen cap, you can leave comments (although I do not know how interactive that will be, in terms of directly communicating with Xande and Saulo).

If I was going to join an online instructional website, my choice would be BJJ Library. However, that's because I'm a fan of Saulo and Xande's teaching and the old school elements of their respective BJJ games. I also thought Jiu Jitsu University was a great book with a brilliant structure, which therefore means I am really pleased to get the chance to see the pictures from the book come to life. The main challenges will be the (currently) small archive and the question of cost.

At the moment, you can sign up here for a monthly membership of $24.99, with the option of three months at $74.99 or a whole year for $249.99. That is comparable with other instructional sites. However, it is being advertised as a limited time offer: should the price significantly increase, that's a potentially dangerous path, as it would mean the MGinAction database - which will remain far more extensive than BJJ Library for the foreseeable future - becomes the cheaper option.

Book Review - Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro)

I interviewed Saulo about this book here.

Short Review: The first two chapters are ideal for beginners, with Saulo helpfully breaking down defence into survival and escapes. He methodically details how to work your way free, as well as common misconceptions. Coverage of guard fundamentals is also good, with simple sweeps and submissions again described alongside typical problems. Large, well-spaced pictures provide clear instruction, further aided by the demonstrators wearing a blue and a white gi respectively.

The considerable array of different guard variations is a little overwhelming, especially in the huge chapter on passing the guard, but the material is nevertheless good, in particular the simpler opening section detailing the basics with concise and helpful description.

I was very pleased to see the approach Saulo took in his final chapter on submissions, where he emphasises essential concepts like tapping before injury, treating class as learning not 'winning' or 'losing' and accepting that you will eventually find yourself tapping to lower belts. The submissions themselves are all straightforward, accompanied by Saulo's trademark clarity of explanation.

It's an excellent book, which will be of benefit to anyone looking to improve their BJJ. I wouldn't recommend it as the first book you buy, as it would be easy to get bogged down by the sheer amount of technique on display, but its definitely an instructional you should have in your library. Available to buy here.

Full Review: This book has been getting rave reviews on the internet even before it was officially released. As many of the people writing were particularly enthusiastic about its applicability to beginners, I was very keen to take a look, finally picking it up earlier this month.

Saulo's teaching style is perfect for a book: as can be seen on Jiu Jitsu Revolution, he loves to talk. That tendency towards extended discussion translates well to the written medium, where has a chance to really go into detail. It is also a little clearer, as the words are filtered through Kevin Howell and the rest of the editing team, so Saulo's trademark Brazilian English has been cleaned up for grammar.

In the introduction, Saulo has lots of points to make, with sensible comments about controlling the ego. I don't agree with him that the journey from white to blue is the most important, but then I can only judge that as a blue myself. I would have thought that blue to purple is far more momentous, though its difficult to make any absolute statements about rank in a style which lacks any kind of standardised promotion system.

The organisation unfortunately follows in the footsteps of Renzo and Royler's Theory and Technique, with sections divided by belt level. Fortunately Saulo isn't quite so haphazard as the earlier work, especially in the well organised white and blue belt chapters. While using belt ranks as a basis for structure makes little sense in a sport as non-standardised as BJJ, it doesn't significantly detract from the book's usefulness.

Saulo states that the focus of a white belt should be survival. It is not about technique or even getting the escapes right at this point, but simply getting into a solid defensive position. As he will do throughout the book, Saulo also shows what not to do, which is immensely useful but unfortunately absent from many books and DVDs. Ed Beneville does a good job of it in his earlier work, which is perhaps where Saulo got the idea from.

The manner in which Jiu-Jitsu University spaces out the full-colour pictures is another point in its favour. Beneville's work is fantastic, but can sometimes feel a little cramped due to how much he squeezes onto each page. On the other hand, Saulo's book is rather large as a result: there are benefits to either approach.

In those pictures, Saulo also makes certain that one person is wearing a blue gi while the other wears white. This is a small but essential detail missed by books like Theory and Technique: the colour distinction makes equating the text to the illustration far easier for the reader.

Getting to side control survival on page thirty-five, the links to the Jiu Jitsu Revolution DVD are clear, a frequent occurrence in the book. Saulo runs through the survival position, then explores what he calls common misconceptions. Interestingly, some of these contradict other instructors, such as the outside underhook on page forty-one. This is exactly how Gustavo Machado escapes side control on his Great Escapes DVD.

Saulo calls it "a more advanced misconception," because "if you break this move down it makes sense." The problem, according to Saulo, is if you attempt to get into this position but forget to block the cross-face. As the pictures demonstrate, that could lead to getting caught in a kimura.

Page fifty marks the next section, escapes, which Saulo attributes to the blue belt level. I very much like that on the facing page he has a picture of female athletes: hardly any instructionals acknowledge that there are in fact women who practice BJJ as well as men, which is a problem. Hopefully small steps like the one Saulo takes here (and much larger steps, like his strong support of female athletes in his San Diego school) will help tackled the male bias.

As Saulo puts it, "the escape always stems from your ability to survive." I like the way that he breaks down defence into these two parts, beginning with the posture, then the technique. I also like the use of multiple angles: like Beneville, Saulo generally shows two angles for each technique, such as escaping the back on page fifty three (which is exactly the same as Jiu Jitsu Revolution).

When it comes to escaping the mount, you would expect to see the upa as a central part of instruction. However, Saulo chooses not to include it, instead taking time over the elbow escape. He explains:

I do not focus as much on the Upa because it is very hard to use in high-level competition. That is not to say that it doesn't work. What I am proposing is that the elbow escape is more efficient

I'm not sure I entirely agree, but then I'm not a high-level competitor, just a mediocre blue belt. I would have liked to have seen detailed coverage of the upa too, but along with the above reasoning, it may have also be a matter of space.

To take another positive, Saulo includes drills for specific sections, helping posture and movement. For example, Saulo shows a solo drill for both recovering guard from side control and also going to your knees. This is an excellent idea, especially for an instructional volume you're probably going to be reading at home. Rather than having to wait until class to put what you've read into practice, material like this gives you something to practice in your living room.

As well as positional escapes, Saulo also looks into submissions, covering armbars, triangles and guillotines. While this is generally of a similarly high level as everything else up to this point, I did have two questions when reading the material. First, Saulo dismissed grabbing the knee and driving it to the mat as an effective tactic to escape the triangle; I had always thought it was one of the fundamentals ways to get free. I can see his reasoning, however, built on the fact that legs are stronger than arms.

Second, and more glaring, is that he includes footlocks and the kimura from half-guard, but not the far more common kimura from full guard. On top of that, there is no mention of the Americana or the cross-choke, which you're also bound to encounter regularly during sparring, from both a defensive and offensive perspective.

Those minor points aside, the opening two chapters of the book are excellent, with a wealth of superb material for beginners. This is definitely something all white and blue belts could benefit from, and the focus on defence rather than offence is also excellent.

The guard, which Saulo decides to use as his theme for the purple belt, receives close attention in the next chapter. He states that he emphasises teaching open over closed guard, because the latter

gives you the sensation that you are safe. So insecure people usually maintain the Closed Guard at all costs, thinking, "Why take the risk of being passed?" Well, life is about taking risks. You have to jump for higher goals rather than just staying safe. While you feel this false sense of security, you are not progressing.

That makes a certain amount of sense, as just clinging on to closed guard with all your strength gets dull fast. I think you need to be comfortable with closed before open guard, but then Saulo doesn't appear to be disagreeing. As he says, "the Closed Guard is certainly effective," but the problem is "it gives you a limited world in which to work." With any kind of submission or sweep, you are almost always going to have to open your guard at some point during the attempt.

Saulo moves through several options involving over and underhooks, along with taking the back, which I hadn't expected to encounter at the start of the section. Saulo gets back to basics after the initial few pages, with scissor sweeps, basic armbars and cross-chokes...then goes to a Brabo choke. Again, that seems a little out of place in the opening section, but it is immediately followed by a basic triangle, sit-up sweep and flower sweep.

If your partner stands up in your guard, there are numerous sweeps available, which Saulo discusses next. These are all solid fundamental techniques, like the handstand sweep, which combines well with the star sweep. I was paying particular attention here, as I'm always going for that (so far without success). The misconceptions part was therefore especially handy, where Saulo warns against forgetting to control your opponent, bulldozing forward and stalling.

The comparison to Beneville is strong after that, as Saulo covers off various ways to defend against specific guard passages, reminiscent of Beneville's Strategic Guard. Having been relatively basic up until that point, the book suddenly erupts into a bewildering array of guards: butterfly, spider, cross-grip, De La Riva, sit-up, reverse De La Riva and half-guard. The majority of the positions follow a similar pattern: notes on posture, possibly with a solo drill, followed by a sweep, then finishing with common misconceptions.

At times that can make the section on guard feel like an overview, so it might have worked better if perhaps the book had been split into several volumes, with this first release looking purely at the basics. On the other hand, Saulo has tried to be comprehensive, and does a fairly good job of not getting too complicated. His concentration on sweeps rather than submissions is a definite plus point (they aren't completely absent, but its rare), particularly when catering to beginners.

I also liked the snippets of historical detail. For example, the section on De La Riva explains how Ricardo De La Riva developed many of the sweeps and attacks for this position, beginning in 1981. Saulo also often refers to contemporary stars of competition, like Roger Gracie, Rafael Lovato Jr and his own brother, Xande. Lovato gets a little box entitled 'case study', but strangely, he is apparently number three, with Helio providing number one. Unless I've misread, there doesn't appear to be a second case study in-between the two.

On page one hundred and seventy nine, Saulo comes up with a revealing description of the half guard:

The Half Guard is a great guard for people who are neither flexible nor athletic. It is not a purely offensive guard. The best kind of guard is one that combines submission attempts with escapes, survival, and sweeps. This is where you really want to be. The Half Guard does not have many high-percentage submissions, and it is mostly for reversing or sometimes stalling. However, it is a guard that is necessary, and I believe you need every type of guard position to cover all possible situations.

That isn't what you'd call a glowing recommendation: in short, this quote seems to be saying that if you're inflexible and unathletic, half guard is a necessary evil that can help you stall. I have to admit that this is a pretty accurate depiction of how I tend to use half guard, so I was pleased to see Saulo follow up with a method of recovering full guard. As ever, he also goes into detail on what not to do, before moving on to deep half guard and taking the back.

Guard passing is grouped under brown belt. Like the previous chapter it also includes lots of different types of guard, but here Saulo goes into a little more depth, especially on open, butterfly and half guard. This chapter also includes the best part of the previous purple belt section, which is the coverage of fundamentals in the opening few pages.

For guard passing, basic means passing from the knees, again just like Jiu Jitsu Revolution. Saulo discusses how to prevent your opponent establishing grips, then how to remove them if they manage to get past your defences. A wonderful quote from the DVD, where Saulo talks of treating your training partner as your best friend, is echoed on page one hundred and ninety-eight. Saulo advises:

do not make the mistake of trying to use your elbows to hurt your partner. This does not cause him to open his guard: it only gets him mad! Remember, you are not here to hurt your partner. Instead, use technical jiu-jitsu and preserve them

A few pages later, Saulo revisits Rorion's infamous 'Gracie Gift', first seen on Gracie Jiu Jitsu Basics. Saulo acknowledges that "some think this move is too antiquated to be useful and others complain that this technique is a sure-fire way to get triangle choked." However, he argues that "if done correctly, your opponent will be unable to prevent the opening or triangle-choke you."

The key element is not putting their leg up on your shoulder, as Rorion demonstrates. Instead, Saulo underhooks with his hand on top of his knee. It still looks a little risky, but certainly safer than Rorion's suicidal version, where the Gracie patriarch never even mentioned the possibility of getting triangled.

Passing from standing receives an equally detailed explanation from Saulo, with more drills, pointers, variations and examples of mistakes. That same treatment goes for open, butterfly and half guard, with briefer segments on X-guard, De La Riva, inverted guard, spider guard and reverse De La Riva.

The section on guard passing is massive, spanning one hundred and thirty-three pages, by far the largest in the book. It is followed by a 'black belt' chapter of less than fifty pages, covering submissions. Saulo's ethos here is excellent, starting with the organisation: submissions are left right until the end of the book, having first established the defensive tactics of escapes and sweeps.

In addition, Saulo's introduction to this chapter is perfectly in keeping with what I firmly believe is the right approach to BJJ, as espoused in the brilliant thread by NSLightOut on training, stagnation and tapping. Saulo reiterates those points:

I think jiu-jitsu is the only martial art where you must continually accept defeat. [...] Although it is very difficult, you really need to let it go and understand that this is something that will happen frequently. [...]

I always have been a competitive person, but I have also had to check my ego. I have had to remind myself that I am at the academy to learn and not to compete. The time to compete always comes, and the academy is rarely the place for this.

Similarly, he emphasises the importance of not getting caught up in an imagined hierarchy when training, though his comparison is a little strange:

Tapping is a difficult concept to wrap your mind around, especially if it is an upper belt tapping to a lower belt. To these students, I say set your souls free. I believe that jiu-jitsu is a samurai art. So as a samurai, your job is to pass your knowledge to the lower belts. [...]

When I train, I tap to lower belts from time to time. Everyone does. The important part is bringing your students with you, not fighting them to keep your superiority. If you do not help them, you will never create the image of yourself in your students.

Samurai are not the historical figures which spring to my mind when thinking of people without ego looking to help their juniors, but then I'm no military historian. It is an important message either way, as is Saulo's next point that "it is better to tap many times, train hard, and have a safe learning experience than not to tap once and suffer injury and time away from the mats." Eminently sensible, and essential advice for everyone involved in BJJ.

The submissions themselves are simple and functional, all either chokes or arm attacks from one of three positions, mount, rear mount or side control. The only exception is a straight ankle lock right at the end, shown from within someone else's guard. That isn't something I would expect to be included in a book aimed at beginners, but Saulo does preface his demonstration with the advice to "not utilize this move in lieu of learning proper guard-passing skills," one of the pitfalls of focusing on leg attacks.

Jiu Jitsu University is a polished piece of work, giving the BJJ student everything they need to know to progress in the sport (though you could argue takedowns aren't present, that part of grappling is - and has always been – far better explained by judo and wrestling instructionals). This is without a doubt worthy of inclusion in your grappling library.

Update May 2013: The Ribeiro brothers now have an online instructional site where there are videos of every technique from Jiu Jitsu University, among numerous other features. So, if you're a fan of the book, you may want to take a look at BJJ Library (my review here).

For the absolute beginner, I would still recommend Mastering Jujitsu as your first purchase, as the enormous number of techniques in Jiu Jitsu University could be a little much for somebody new to take in. If I was suggesting order of purchase, this would probably come in at number three, after Mastering Jujitsu and Ed Beneville's The Guard, along with at least several months of mat time. Available to buy here.

DVD Review - Jiu Jitsu Revolution (Saulo Ribeiro)

Short review: Saulo Ribeiro's instructional set is rightly acknowledged as one of the best available. This is because Saulo is meticulous in his detail, taking a concept-heavy approach to all the major positions in BJJ. Multiple angles and methodical progression mean these DVDs are perfect for refining your understanding of the sport, with an entire game laid out over the course of six hours.

However, I would not recommend this as your first purchase (I'd continue to suggest Roy Dean for the absolute beginner). There is an implicit assumption throughout the set that you already understand the fundamentals: what Saulo presents are modifications, improvements and alternatives to those basics. Therefore I'd suggest that Jiu Jitsu Revolution works best for those who have recently got their blue belt, or are fast approaching that level.

Full Review: Saulo Ribeiro, a black belt under Royler Gracie, has a very impressive pedigree in BJJ. He has won the Mundials six times and the ADCC twice. On top of that, Saulo's teaching expertise was instrumental in enabling his brother Xande to rack up even more titles. Together they currently run the very successful University of Jiu Jitsu in San Diego.

Jiu Jitsu Revolution, Saulo's first instructional, was released in 2004, later followed by Freestyle Revolution, a no gi instructional, in 2005, with Jiu Jitsu Revolution 2 coming out during 2006.

Saulo prefaces Jiu Jitsu Revolution with a ten minute solo discussion, ranging from his opinions on other tape series, his reasons for making one himself, and a long list of acknowledgements to family, instructors and training partners. This sets the tone for his instructional style: Saulo loves to talk. He provides the complete opposite of the concise, no frills teaching epitomised by people like Pedro Carvalho. Instead, there is a certain similarity to the long explanations of Cesar Gracie and extensive detail of Rorion Gracie, taking his time over the techniques, rather than speeding through like Carvalho or Renzo.

Roy Dean also makes for a good comparison with Saulo's teaching style. Both black belts add a philosophical slant to their interpretation of jiu jitsu, exemplified by the rather high ideals Saulo attributes to his instructional set:

I think that now is time for me to give back what jiu jitsu gave to my life. I think that's a good contribution that I'm doing to the martial arts, to the jiu jitsu, and I think that make me a better man. Not just as a fighter, as a teacher: as a person. I want to be remembered by the people not for the champ that I am, not for the medals that I get, the Abu Dhabi that I won, I wanna be remembered as a guy that really help people.

As the above quote reveals, a major difference is that Saulo lacks Roy Dean's grasp of English, but you soon get used to Saulo's idiosyncratic vocabulary and grammar. He is especially fond of throwing in "aspects" and "concepts," which points to the attempt Saulo makes to approach BJJ with principles on top of technique.


The Mount (slightly over an hour) begins with yet more discussion, about "aspects" and "concepts" in the mount. Saulo emphasises the importance of the mount, a position which demonstrates your superiority, of which there are several variations. Handily, a number pops up in the corner of the screen, which is used to clearly break up each sequence.

Saulo's first mount variation is to grapevine their legs, basing your arms by their head, hips right on top of theirs. Saulo comments that he recommends this option "when you just want time." In other words, this is where you can catch your breath in competition, though Saulo states there aren't that many attacks from this position (although as he explains in the next section, the Ezequiel is one of those few submissions).

A second mount variation is to get your knees up into their armpits, marking section three of the DVD. Saulo advises you don't try to wrap an arm behind their head, as you are higher up on their body, meaning their hips are free to bridge (or as Saulo puts it, bump, another word he'll use throughout the series). He says you should keep your weight back, careful to avoid their efforts to bridge, although it is possible for flexible people to hook you with their legs and pull you down if you're not careful.

Saulo provides a useful tip in the fourth section, on securing the collar choke. If they're defending, you can simply grip the lapel lower down and open it there. I had always assumed you had to get past their arms first, but Saulo's method –at least against that particular grip - shows how you can break through their defences by using their gi against them. Saulo insists that they can only defend either the neck or the collar, not both at the same time.

Once you've got a hold on their collar, you can switch to seated mount (which Saulo calls 'technical mount'), then combine an armlock with a choke. Saulo demonstrates how you can try the choke, then attack for the arm if they try to defend, and in turn go back to the choke if they block that attack as well. As with much of this set, the purpose is to use what your opponent gives you, rather than forcing any particular position or submission.

Another point that crops up repeatedly is not gripping too deep. Saulo generally recommends a grip higher up, as he is keen to avoid getting "locked" into his partner's body. He also invests plenty of time into teaching the viewer how to maintain a position, rather than just lots of techniques.

On this DVD, that covers both maintaining the basic mount and the seated mount. For the former, Saulo states that the secret is to lift your hips when the person underneath you attempts to bridge. Effectively, that looks rather like riding a horse, and prevents your partner from disrupting your base. I would assume that your timing has to be good, however, and that you also need to be careful about leaving too much space.

By section nine, Saulo is ready to show the other side of the position: escapes. Across the six DVDs, the instruction on escapes tends to be shorter, with a focus on a few fundamental principles that apply to multiple situations. In the case of mount, as with much of BJJ, it is all about the hips. Saulo advises that you want to stop the person on top moving, which can be achieved by creating a frame with your arms to block their hips. From there, execute the usual elbow escape.

Another important part of Saulo's escapes is avoiding the cross-face. You need to keep your head pressed against the floor, so they can't get an arm underneath. If they do manage to get past and lock the head, look to the 'open' side, then block their hips and elbow escape as before.

Something more unusual crops up at the end. Having spent the previous sections basically showing multiple applications of the elbow escape, Saulo finishes with a completely different option. If they aren't giving you the resistance you need to frame against their knee and make space, you need an alternative. This turns out, surprisingly, to be a sit-up sweep.

Saulo doesn't call it that, but it certainly looks like the same motion. You pop up onto your elbow, lock their knee, then roll to guard. I would never have thought to try the technique in that situation, but Saulo claims it can work, as long as you get the timing right.


The Cross Body (around an hour) follows, with a similar division between maintaining the position, attacks and then escapes from the bottom. Again, Saulo draws attention to controlling your opponent's body without expending lots of energy, and he also repeats the central importance of the hips. As he says so often in this instructional set, you need to "connect" your hips to their hips.

Having achieved the control, Saulo moves on to a choke. This gives him another opportunity to emphasise that you shouldn't be hurting your partner, so there is no need to really smash your arm into their throat. Instead, focus on leverage and motion, sliding round to effect the choke.

After a variation that demonstrates how to overcome a blocking arm, Saulo adds what he refers to as one of his favourite chokes. This time, you use your legs to get the power for the choke, stepping over their head once you have a hold on their collar. This reminded me of something Tran called the 'exposé' choke, which he learned from Nic G. Probably the same thing, as he's definitely caught me with it in the past. I thought I was safe because it was just a single grip on the collar, until he stepped over and I was suddenly tapping.

While the submissions all looked useful, as do the details on transitioning to mount, I was far more interested in escaping side control. That's been my focus in BJJ for most of the time I've been training, so I'm always keen to see the different approaches in instructionals.

Saulo begins with positioning: he states that you should not put your arm under their armpit, as then it is too easy to block you. Also, in direct contrast to Demian Maia, Saulo advises against putting the arm against their head: Maia uses this as the basis of several escapes in his popular Science of Jiu Jitsu series. Again, Saulo shows how he feels this is a dangerous option, locking you in place.

As with the DVD on the mount, Saulo also highlights the need to stop them getting an arm under your head. This means that his arm position is slightly modified from how I've seen it in class. His forearm is into their neck with the other elbow inside their knee as usual, but the hand is not on the hip. Instead, that's holding their arm, stopping them from getting the cross-face. This is a little reminiscent of Indrek Reiland's use of the 'paw' from half-guard, with the same purpose.

Once you're into position, you need to use your hips: as Saulo says, they are "the strongest leverage that you have" so you should take advantage. Everyone knows to bridge, but Saulo shows how you need to bridge into them, not just up, which is an important detail. This helps with shrimping out, as you're already moving onto your side.

That then leads to another essential detail, which is yet another "connect". This time it isn't hip against hip, but elbow to your knee, to create a barrier to their knee. Saulo goes so far as to say that "no matter what happen, the perfect thing is the connect. As soon as I connect, I got it."

The escape in section thirteen is a little unorthodox, but I've already found it of use a few times in training. That is because Saulo goes against the idea that you should never turn away from your partner when escaping side control. However, if they have both their arms on the near side of your body, turning away from them can be an effective strategy.

Normally, the reason you don't turn away from your opponent is because it means you expose your back, but Saulo shows how you can get a step ahead. His secret is to push on their shoulder and get an arm between their chest: that way, you're able to make enough space to swing your leg right over and come to your knees before they can get to your back.

Like many other instructionals, Saulo includes knee-on-belly as an aspect of side control, showing two escapes. The first is when their knee isn't deep, so you can bring your near elbow around (as Saulo comments earlier, never put your hand on their knee or you're asking to get submitted), shift onto your side and shrimp out to escape. The second is against a more secure knee-on-belly: this time, you bridge up to get your arm under their foot and grab the back of their gi. Once you've got that hold, you can again shrimp, but this time knock them to the ground.

As I often get squished under knee-on-belly, I've been trying that second one repeatedly. So far, I haven't had much success, but I think what I'm missing is firstly the bridge to get a good deep grip, and secondly I'm not shrimping enough. Its been useful to have something to go for nonetheless, so hopefully with more mat time things will start to click.


The third DVD is about the Back Position (slightly under an hour). Continuing Saulo's established pattern, he first details common mistakes. For taking the back, Saulo states these are attempting to control the arm, pulling the belt, controlling both elbows, the collars etc, because that misses the issue. The first concern, as ever, should be to "connect my hips". Not too far forward as they can then drop you over their shoulder, or too far back, as they can spin to guard.

He continues to show how once you've got the hips in place, you don't want to grab with both hands, and especially not deep: otherwise, they can lock your arm and roll you into side control. Instead, Saulo recommends a shallower grip on the opposite collar, then pull that up tight. He progresses through to showing how to establish hooks, roll them to rear mount and get in position for a choke.

The way in which Saulo breaks down how to take the back (and importantly, how to stay there) is brilliant. His slow, concept-heavy style of explanation makes for a perfect fit, showing you step-by-step how to get into position, the pitfalls to avoid, and how to finish (e.g., chokes and omoplatas), along with variations depending on their reaction. As with all of the techniques on the DVD, Saulo uses multiple angles and pauses to clarify particular details, such as raising up his partner so you can see the grip on the collar.

His discussion of escaping from back mount occupies less of the disc, covering just three of the twelve sections, but it is nevertheless equally methodical and carefully explained. Readers of Jiu Jitsu University will recognise both the 'survival position' and eventual escape Saulo demonstrates here.

He begins, as before, by detailing common mistakes. That includes three of the more common escapes, all of which Saulo briefly demonstrates: putting your weight onto them and bridging; pulling their foot up and placing your weight on them; grabbing their arm, stepping over, spinning then completing the escape. Saulo is blunt in his appraisal:

I would say, that is a waste of time. Because, in fact, every time I put my weight on him, I'm not having the control of my body: he's controlling my body.

Saulo also makes a point of ridiculing the bizarre raised arm defence shown several years earlier on Gracie Jiu Jitsu Advanced, though he doesn't mention any names. Slightly mitigating that criticism, Saulo goes on to say that those escapes might have worked back in the 1990s, when knowledge of BJJ was both not so widespread and less refined (at least according to Saulo, from what I can gather from his comments). Today, which for this DVD was 2004, the level has shot up, largely due to the increasing development of elite competition.

Rather than focusing on getting your weight backed onto your opponent, Saulo's alternative is to drop down and lock their body onto yours. He states you do not lift your hips, instead 'scooting' into the survival position from his later book, Jiu Jitsu University. From here, you can kick out your trapped leg to remove the hook, then shrimp towards the opening and spin to face your partner.

After covering how to defend when turtled, Saulo moves on to a late defence from rear mount. This time, they've managed to get one arm around your neck. Rather than focusing on grabbing the arm, Saulo instead shows you how to drop to your side, then make space to return to the previous survival position and escape. Its notably different from the defence I'm used to (which is to clamp my hands by my chin, like Ais showed me), so will have to give that a try in sparring.


The Guard (just over an hour) begins with sweeps. Saulo's first piece of advice is that if they put their knee in the middle, its fairly easy to sweep them, though he notes "the sweep always in the momentum", so requires initial resistance from them. He moves on to what looks like the windscreen wiper sweep Ciaran showed me back at the first Belfast TD, before explaining a technique I almost always try at least once in sparring: the handstand sweep.

Saulo shows how that sweep is not about pushing up: instead, you want to drop slightly, then drive your hips sideways into their knee, using leverage rather than force. As Saulo puts it, you "don't want to be strongest, but the smartest." To get into position, wiggle back on your shoulders, which is something I've never thought about, so will have to try that next time.

After adding in the classic follow-up, a star sweep, Saulo progresses to butterfly guard sweeps: contrary to what you might expect, there are few submissions on this particular DVD. I hardly ever use butterfly guard myself, but the way Saulo has referred to it as ideal for shorter people makes me wonder if I should be attempting it more often. The sweeps here are the usual fundamentals, where you come in close, then drop to the side to roll on top.

Open guard, however, is a place I'll often find myself, which is unsurprising given how central a position it is to BJJ. Saulo's preferred grip is to hook on the opposite leg, bringing the same side leg and hand around the outside. He comments how this is an excellent controlling hold, which again gives you an opportunity to rest: that certainly appeals to me. I assumed it had a specific name, so checking Stephan Kesting's guard glossary, I see its called the reverse De la Riva.

From there, Saulo explains a sweep where the idea is to get them to step forward. One option is to grab their same side lapel and pull them forward, or if they resist, lift your legs to force them to step. You can then push with your legs to knock them down, or as Kesting mentions, switch to things like x-guard.

Another option Saulo discusses is going for the omoplata from open guard. This time, it looks more like a variant of spider guard: cross grip, foot into their same side armpit, with your hand hooked around their same side leg. From here, you can kick your other leg right up towards their arm for the omoplata.

If they try to put their leg behind to roll you, there is an unusual attack to combined with the omoplata. This looked reminiscent of Cesar Gracie's leg lock, as Saulo also hooks their leg behind him. Alternately, Saulo walks you through both a sweep and an armbar if your omoplata is blocked. As with all his techniques, Saulo shows multiple angles, generally adjusting as and when there is a particular detail he wants to emphasise.


The Half Guard (a little under an hour) was another point of interest for me, as like escaping side control, half guard is a place I frequently find myself during sparring. Like most of the other DVDs (with the exception of The Guard and Passing the Guard, which fit together), Saulo covers tactics from both on top and underneath the position.

Before passing half-guard, Saulo states you have to get them flat on their back. His method is very simple: circle round towards the trapped knee side. Once you've got your opponent onto their back, trap them there by getting your chest onto theirs. You can now secure an underhook, put your head on the ground, a hand on their knee, then lift your hips to pop your knee through.

Another common position is facing the knees. Saulo advises that you don't go too high when trying this half-guard, as otherwise you're liable to get swept. As before, you need to block their hips, keeping in mind Saulo's mantra of "connect." Once you've settled, you can then drive back against their arm, in a similar fashion to when you're looking to go from side control to mount.

Interestingly, Saulo makes a point here that contrasts with what I've seen before. When pushing their leg to free your own, it is not the top leg that should concern you, but the bottom. This is because they are unable to exert as much power with that lower leg, so its easier for you to manipulate. As soon as you've made some space, trap that leg with your knee.

Having demonstrated some passes, Saulo adds in a few submissions. Instead of going for a kimura, as you might expect from this position, he instead attacks with an armlock off a figure-four grip. The kimura from here, according to Saulo, is likely to get you swept, as you don't have the angle to apply it properly.

A simple looking armbar follows later on: this time, you're just using your weight on their arm and pulling up on their wrist. Saulo takes this opportunity to talk about how he has used this particular submission successfully in high-level competition, a method of proving the efficacy of his techniques that occurs repeatedly throughout this set.

I have found myself with a whizzer (if you don't know what that is, see the picture on the left) when in top half guard a few times, but never been able to capitalise. Saulo demonstrates one method I could use, which takes advantage of the whizzer to armbar the person on the bottom. Importantly, he shows this from both angles, which makes the technique much clearer.

Saulo then has a handy section reviewing all the passes and submissions he's just done, showing how you can fit them together. Its a shame he doesn't do this on all the DVDs, as its a great refresher and 'big picture' moment.

Now that he's worked through the top of half guard, Saulo moves on to the bottom, which I was particularly looking forward to watching. As you would expect given his advice for the top, on the bottom you need to make sure you're never flat on your back: get onto your side instead. You also need to work hard to avoid the cross-face, as that severely restricts your movements.

Like Indrek Reiland, Saulo uses one hand for blocking their arm, with a similar 'paw' concept (though he doesn't call it that). Saulo then does something in common with another internet legend, Aesopian, by putting his knee across the hip. If they manage to break your legs open, shift that knee up to their chest.

The next section is impressive, as Saulo very methodically breaks down exactly how you move to deep half guard, then finish by coming up on your elbow to execute the sweep. Lots of explanation, numerous angles and frequent emphasis on details make this a real highlight, exemplifying how an instructor should go about demonstrating a technique on DVD.


Saulo finishes off half-guard by showing a similar escape when the person on top is facing your legs, before moving onto the final DVD in the set, Passing the Guard (a couple of minutes under an hour). This opens by stating the two broad groups of passing, which is either standing or on the ground.

Saulo emphasises that as legs are stronger than arms, you never want to be matching your arm strength against their leg muscles. That will expend a great deal of energy without much purpose, so instead, you need to get in close.

He demonstrates how to approach and block one side, avoiding omoplatas and the like (as he showed earlier in the guard section). Saulo uses his leg to press into the back of their same side knee, bolstering that barrier with his same side elbow.

Basic theory follows, with how to stand up. Saulo doesn't just use the cross-grip, but instead drags their arm right over to trap it under his other elbow. This makes sense, as then he is able to control their arm while still keeping his own arm free. He also repeated something Jude said to me a while ago about passing, which is to make sure you don't lean forward when you're standing up: you're easy to pull back down in that position.

However, Saulo does not drive his hips as I was expecting. He prefers to lean to the side, then stand up at a diagonal. Once you've got to your feet, you can then switch your same side hand to grab that sleeve, preventing their attempts to hook your foot and go for sweeps. Finally, turn your body and disengage their leg in order to open the guard.

After numerous further tips on posture, grips and how to react to their attacks, Saulo progresses to opening their guard on the ground. This is the first clip I saw of the DVD, and the quote he produces here is what generated my interest in the DVD as a whole:

A lot of people give up about trying to open the guard on the ground because they have got so many problems and spend so much energy here on the ground. You have to think that your partner, the guy that you're training [with], has to be your best friend.

So, you don't want to hurt him, you don't want to try to open his guard with your elbow, make him feel really pain, because jiu jitsu is not about pain. You have to find the right spot to save your energy and be able to open the guard.

I really like the three main parts of that: your training partners are your friends, jiu jitsu is not about pain and always save your energy. It is an excellent philosophy for BJJ, which fits very much with how I've tried to approach my learning. Saulo reiterates the point in his later book, Jiu Jitsu University.

The guard break itself it not one I've yet been successful with, but I take heart from what Saulo says about "a lot of people give up," so I'll continue to persevere. It is similar to what I've called the 'tailbone break' at various points in this blog, in that you use your knee by their bum, then create distance by stepping back.

The essential differences in Saulo's version are that his knee is by the side rather than the middle of the bum, and he steps back and twists, in one motion. Rather than then shoving their leg off his hip, he moves around and dips, using his body instead of arm strength. The production company have a few clips on YouTube, which fortunately includes this particular technique: I'll embed it at the end of the review.

Passing on the ground again involves blocking one side. Once in place, Saulo uses his head to post, weighing down their legs. You can then swing your leg behind in order to pass, with a comparable principle to the leg pin. As always, maintaining pressure is essential, aiming to trap their hips through the combination of your bodyweight and your posted head.

Butterfly and open guard are also tackled, as is attacking the turtle, which was a little unusual. I would have thought that would crop up in the section on the back: as it is instead on this DVD, its possible that Saulo is treating the turtle as a sort of guard. Then again, it may just be an organisational choice for this particular instructional set.


After five years, Saulo's first set is still one of the best available, largely because he builds up the instruction through a series of concepts, like "connect the hips", "save your energy" and "your partner has to be your best friend." Saulo talks incessantly, pointing out details, explaining how they fit into a bigger picture and frequently emphasising how these techniques have helped him perform successfully at the highest levels of competition. Like Rorion Gracie, Saulo is incredibly thorough, spending a long time explicating a comparatively small number of techniques (an average of around ten or twelve per DVD).

However, I would not recommend this as your first purchase (I'd continue to suggest Roy Dean for the absolute beginner). To get the most out of these DVDs, you need to already understand the fundamentals. This is because everything in Saulo's set is built upon those basics, so if you haven't yet come to terms with the fundamentals, these DVDs will be much less useful. Therefore I'd suggest that the set works best for those who have recently got their blue belt, or are fast approaching that level.

Another good reason to delay until later in your training is the cost. Unlike the relatively inexpensive Blue Belt Requirements, Jiu Jitsu Revolution 1 normally retails for around $130, sometimes even more. It is certainly worth the cash, but wait until you've had enough mat time to really appreciate what Saulo has to offer.

Finally, here's a clip to whet your appetite. This is where that great quote about treating your partner like your "best friend" pops up: