Good and Bad BJJ Videos

[pstevens]

Good and Bad Training Videos

Although there is no substitute for “live” instruction, some videos have done a good job, while others haven’t. This is basically my rant and glorification of the video sets I have viewed or previously owned.

The Rorion & Royce Gracie Basics Series
These training videos/DVDs aren’t too bad for a beginner. Rorion is a good instructor and it shows. He breaks things down to easy-to-understand steps. Unfortunately, the “Guard Passing” section is ridiculous and will get you triangled faster than flies on shiet. But overall, the series is worthwhile if you’re a beginner.

The Renzo Gracie/Craig Kukuk Series
I keep reading people say this series blew away the Rorion & Royce series, but I think those folks were on crack! There’s really nothing new here, except in the “Headlock Escapes” section. Craig Kukuk looks like a complete idiot (he moves like one too), and some of the things he covers will get you killed. God forbid you should try some of these moves in a real fight or BJJ tournament. For instance, in the “Clinch” section, Craig demonstrates that you should keep all your weight on your back leg, while leaning back with your chin very high, before you initiate a takedown. He does this Ronald McDonald step before he goes in for every clinch. In my experience, this is a recipe for disaster in BJJ, NHB, MMA or street fight.
Renzo doesn’t fair much better, although he moves better. Unfortunately, that’s about it because he can’t understand what he’s saying most of the time, other than “sooo... here’s what weee, gonna dooo.”
The bottom line is that neither Renzo nor Craig do a great job of teaching.

Craig Kukuk BJJ A-Z
The idiocy continues... Craig and a bunch of other people teach you Judo, Wresting, among other things, under the preminition that your opponent has no knowledge of BJJ, Judo, Wrestling or any sense of fighting back. Thank God I don’t own this series, but was able to watch a friend’s.
Basically, Craig is his sluggish self... He reminds me of one of those kids that could never punch correctly and ate crayons, or glue... Anyway, for some lessons the viewer is taught by other people who are better than Craig. For instance, for throwing, some other guy just shows up and starts teaching... What’s really weird is that for a BJJ A-Z series, there’s all sorts of Judo, Wrestling and other stuff being taught.


Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
This is several notches above the Rorian, Renzo and Craig Kukuk series. I say this because it takes a more realistic approach to BJJ and some Vale Tudo. Whereas Rorian, Renzo and Craig treated us like mushrooms, Cesar actually anticipates what the other guy might do. This is BJJ (mostly sport) where it really is today (or last least when this series was made). You get 9 volumes of basic, intermediate, and advanced skills, some of which I’ve never seen. The Guard Passes are real enough and you won’t get caught in a triangle, like Rorian and Renzo’s method.
Cesar is a very good instructor and he speaks perfect english, better than most Americans - I mean it... He also does a thorough job of covering every angle and possibilities.


Pedro Carvalho Series
These are the BEST tapes for BJJ guys, period. Pedro teaches REAL BJJ, not theoretical Guard Passes... Which reminds me, when asked whether the Guard Pass in the Gracie Basics would work, Royce recently commented: “It could work, if done correctly.” I’m not so sure, since everyone I’ve ever trained with told me NEVER to pass in such a manner. But anyway, Pedro’s BJJ represents modern BJJ and teaches all the things you would find at a real gym, and then some.

Mario Sperry Stuff
ALL MARIO SPERRY VIDEOS ARE THE BEST! They’re too pricey for one to buy them all, but if I could, I would. Mario basically lets loose and reveals great techniques that will work immediately. There’s no BS here, as Mario goes through his systematic recipe of kicking ass. Unfortunately, unless you have $700 lyaing around to spend on BJJ videos, you can’t find out what’s on the other tapes.

[vadrip]

Pedro's sets 1-3 and Cesar's set are very good for beginner/intermediate bjj, while the old Royce and Rorian sets-basic through advanced have some good stuff there's too much repetition and like you said the guard passing is terrible.

Their entire set is very basic and overly expensive considering the number of instructionals you can get nowadays for the price they advertised their sets being. Not to mention the sheer number of techniques they showcase on the subject is not much compared to a lot of other sets of instructionals.

Also Royce and Rorian set is terrible on leglocks and Pedro is not that great either, if you want to get a tape on leglocks find a sombo instructional. Mario Sperry's sport bjj tapes are for immediate to advanced level jiujitsu practioners.

[CKD]

From what I heard Mario Sperry's closing the distance videos are better for vale tudo. Most of the traditional bjj stuff will work against a tma guy but would get you killed if you were facing a shootfighting,csw, pancrase or any other mixed martial art stylists. Same with the groundfighting. Mario assumes you are fighting another vale tudo stylist who will strike you on the ground and knows groundfighting. Other tapes do not adress a person striking on the ground.

[peppi]

Craig Kukuk looks like a complete idiot (he moves like one too), and some of the things he covers will get you killed.

Totally disagree. The lessons are awesome with clear explanations.

For instance, in the “Clinch” section, Craig demonstrates that you should keep all your weight on your back leg, while leaning back with your chin very high, before you initiate a takedown. In my experience, this is a recipe for disaster in BJJ, NHB, MMA or street fight.

He is explaining the concept - not trying to show the moves as he will do it in a fight.
This principle of weight distribution is found in the old style western boxing, hsing i and wing chun.
Do you know why?

Whereas Rorian, Renzo and Craig treated us like mushrooms, Cesar actually anticipates what the other guy might do. This is BJJ (mostly sport) where it really is today (or last least when this series was made).

The fight is feeling and natural reaction - no way to anticipate in every case what the other person will do. This is the problem - it is mostly sport. While in Renzo/Kukuk tapes you are seeing examples from real fights.