All students of jiu-jitsu benefit from this step-by-step textbook, which takes them from the white belt right up to the ultimate, coveted goal of black belt. The comprehensive method assembled here by the well-regarded Gracie family lets fighters know exactly what they need to learn, when and why they need to learn it, and what they can do to progress more quickly. How and how often to train, pacing, training objectives, and how to measure success are all addressed according to the different goals students might have, from the casual practitioner to the self-defense student to the competitor bent on going pro. The plan detailed in the text can be customized to fit the trainee's body type and strengths. Instructors of jiu-jitsu will also find the manual helpful to their teaching, as it provides advice on program management, student evaluation, the selection of techniques for lessons, and recognizing a prodigy.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: excellent Comment: i conside this my textbook for jiu jitsu. all of the techniques are shown very clearly and often with multiple angles. my only complaint is the standup/takedowns is horrible. there re only 3 takedowns are shown. i sujjest judo unleashed if you are serious about standup. if you own them both you have a full grappling reference. Customer Rating: Summary: I never thought of it that way Comment: After reading this book I now have a better understanding of how I should look at my training as well as how I should train. I am only a year into BJJ and have come to find that I have been looking at it all wrong. The book stresses taking it slow and undersatnding your limitaions. The time to spar everyone in the club will come, realx and focus on the basics. The pitcures are great and the descriptions offered a lot of important insite. Even though I am still very new to the game I highly recommend this book to anyone starting out. I will buy future books from these authors. Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent resource for beginners Comment: Invisible Cities Press and Kid Peligro deliver another top-notch Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructional book with _The Path to the Black Belt_. In this manual, Peligro co-writes with Rodrigo Gracie to deliver an impressive text that is part student training manual, part self-instruction book. Every drill and technique is demonstrated with numerous photos and step-by-step explanations to help students master the moves on their own.
So, what makes this book different than the other jiu-jitsu manuals published by Invisible Cities Press? To begin with, this one contains numerous training drills instead of just the techniques. The book also covers a broad selection of techniques for all levels of training rather than a subject focus (Ultimate Fighting Techniques (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series) by Royce Gracie and Peligro, for instance, features techniques from the top positions). You're getting an entire course of study here rather than a book that will only help you with one aspect of jiu-jitsu.
The following chapters are covered in this book:
- Introduction. The first 43 pages are devoted to an introduction that covers the basics of being a student. From mindset to belt advancement and on to which techniques you should focus on for your body type, this section is one many will probably skip but that all should read.
- Basic Drills (14 pages). Almost every jiu-jitsu school practices drills at the beginning of a class - if you are studying on your own, shouldn't you be doing these drills, too? Drills such as the Hip Escape (shrimp crawl) and break falls are covered.
- Advanced Drills (18 pages). Most of these drills need to be done with a partner, but they will help your overall "feel" for the sport when you are actually in a match. The drills include side-to-side transitions, passing the guard chains, and guard replacements.
- Basic Techniques (14 pages). These are the moves you need to not get submitted. These moves focus on transitioning/escaping (bridging, side control escape) and maintaining distance.
- Dealing with the Stiff Arm (2 pages). How to deal with the stiff-arm tactic learned in Basic Techniques. This really should have been included in the previous chapter rather than being its own section.
- Chokes (11 pages). Some of the signature submissions of BJJ are covered here, including the triangle and rear naked chokes.
- Joint Submissions (14 pages). The basic join submission of BJJ, including the Kimura, Americana, foot lock, and arm lock.
- Takedowns (18 pages). Drills and tecniques for getting your opponent either 1) down on the ground from the standing position or 2) submitted from the standing position. This is a VERY important aspect of jiu-jitsu, though it is often ignored.
- Guard Defense Basics (24 pages). When you are "in the guard," you are on your back. In some grappling sports, this is not where you want to be (ask any wrestler), but in jiu-jitsu, it is just another position. The techniques in this chapter focus on defending position from the back (how to not get mounted), a few transitions, and a few submissions.
- Sweeps and Reversals (30 pages). These techniques focus on moving from your back to a more advantageous position (such as the mount).
- Half-Guard Sweeps (8 pages). How to move from your back and into a better position when in the half-guard.
- Half-Guard Passes (6 pages). How to get past your opponent's defenses when their back is on the ground and they have you in the half-guard.
- Passing the Guard (20 pages). How to take advantage of the situation when your opponent is on their back. Includes some submissions.
- Knee on the Stomach (5 pages). Knee on the stomach is an excellent technique that can be used either as a submission in its own right or to transition to a submission.
- Mounted Position (9 pages). How to take advantage of (if on top) or escape from (if on the bottom) one of BJJ's most dangerous positions.
- Escaping the Back (8 pages). If your opponent "takes your back," you are in trouble. This chapter deals with escaping from the most vulnerable position you will ever be in during a jiu-jitsu match.
This book has a lot to offer those interested in learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Still, it is not perfect, and has two major flaws. The first flaw is that, while most techniques get a thorough explanation with pictures, a few are not described in enough detail. Take, for example, the Americana on page 39; while many of the other techniques in the chapter are shown with numerous photographs, the Americana only gets two - even though the technique is described in its entirety in the page's text (and there's room for at least one more photograph if the text had been formatted properly). The second flaw is that the book is poorly organized and somewhat difficult to follow (why did "Dealing with the Stiff Arm" get its own section, while information on the arm lock/bar is scattered throughout numerous sections).
In conclusion: I recommend _The Path to the Black Belt_ to anyone interested in learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and only looking to buy a single book. More advanced students, however, will find that there is not a whole lot of new information in this text, and so might want to pick up some of the more specialized manuals instead (Ultimate Fighting Techniques, Ultimate Fighting Techniques Volume 2: Fighting from the Bottom, Gracie Submission Essentials: Grandmaster and Master Secrets of Finishing a Fight, and Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge are all excellent). Customer Rating: Summary: Nice addition Comment: As an experienced black belt Judo, with a long competition history, I loved this book very much. I am always searching to expand my technical skills. And this BJJ handbook gives me more inspiration to drill my students and myself to new skills. Customer Rating: Summary: One of the best books. Comment: One of the best books in BJJ.
I like the kind of way he presented,explained & teach about BJJ.
