If you had to pick one dvd set to learn from which would it be?

[Lookyoung]

Fellow sherdoggers I need your help. My birthday is coming up and my GF asked me what I wanted I told her that I wanted some jiu-jitsu technique dvd's. My question is which ones should I tell her to order me if you had to pick. I don't want her to spend more than 250 dollars on them.

Which dvd would you guys order if you were me. These are my stats.

I got my bluebelt not too long ago. My school is primarily a gi school. My school preaches self defense just as much as sports jiu-jitsu however I am looking for a dvd that is going to help me in sports gi jiu-jitsu. I want a dvd that either could help me better my fundamentals or a dvd that will help me bring up my game.

If there was one dvd set you could purchase who would it be from? Dean, Maia, Garcia, Riberio, Kesting, Gracies, Bravo....

About me I am 5"11 with short legs for my height. I am also not the most flexible guy in the world so a dvd showing the rubber guard is not for me. For my frame I would say a dvd that shows alot of butterfly and half guard fundamentals wouldn't probably be a bad idea........

I would like for for fellow sherdoggers help me make an important choice! If any of you watched any of these DVD"S than please help me make my decision. Thanks guys.

 

[hitmanrva1]

maia or ribeiro...

 

[GodsDevil]

Saulo Ribeiro vol 1.
I like Maia but Saulo's dvd is better becouse he talks about : side, mount, half guard, back, passing the guard, and all of there from the bottom and the top.
Maia dvd about how to defend passing the guard, escape side, triangle, omopata, and atacking the back. All good but not all u need to learn.
If u learn all the tehcniques in Saulo's dvd ur a good bjj artist all around.

 

[spicy(sfc)]

Demian Maia - the science of jiu jitsu is my favorite. I have gotten a lot of use out of mark hatmakers stuff, even though a lot of people talk crap about him. I also have a set of 4 dvds from fabio gurgel that arent bad. Mostly basic stuff. Hatmakers stuff is nogi, so I would recommend Maias above all else.

 

[bjj_ninja]

It depends on what you are looking for as far as theory and concepts or new techniques and combos. Saulo or Demian, imo, are the best for theory and concepts whereas I've really enjoyed the galvao or marcelo dvds for techniques. Will this be your first dvd set? If so my advice would also be to focus on only a few of the techniques at a time and don't try to watch too much all at once.

 

[slideyfoot]

I haven't quite finished watching Maia yet (in the process of reviewing it), but I would add to the chorus recommending Saulo's first set. As a relatively new blue belt myself (I got mine in Feb 2008), that has been the set I've found most useful. My full review here.

Roy Dean is also worth considering, depending how dedicated you are to your fundamentals. There is no better set on the basics than Blue Belt Requirements (my full review here). Saulo's DVD assumes you already have a solid grasp of those fundamentals.

More reviews here.

 

[fittafeis]

another +1 for maia's

 

[dza76wutang]

If you want a bargain, check out Igor Yakimov's Russian Judo. Before you say "ZOMG Dza, that is not BJJ" it's like 40 bucks IIRC and it covers stand up Judo and Judo Ne-Waza.

The teaching is pretty brisk, so you'll have to rewatch it a few times, but there's stuff in it that I can pick up and implement now and I've owned it for 1.5 yrs. I even converted it to mp4 format so I can watch it on my Zune while I do cardio. I highly regard Yakimov's teaching and insight into grappling. The material on that DVD set will give you lots and lots of stuff to add into your grappling repetoire.

If you're absolutely deadset on strictly BJJ dvds, Saulo Ribeiro and Demian Maia have both put out incredible stuff. Check ebay and Amazon, you might find some deals (I think I saw DM's videos for like 80 instead of the 150 retail it usually fetches, IIRC).

If you want something more specialized. Brandon Quick's choke dvd set (Fade to Black) is sick. Almost anything by Stephen Kesting will be worth its sticker price (he has like a dozen some odd DVDs each one is its own topic, and they each cost like 40-50 dollars I think) as he is to the point and a fantastic teacher.

So your tentative shopping list:
Igor Yakimov - Russian Judo
Demian Maia - Science of Jiu Jitsu I/II
Saulo Ribiero - Jiu Jitsu Revolution I/II
Stephen Kesting - Particular Topics buy em as you want em
Brandon Quick - Fade to Black if you like chokes

 

[Calibur]

Hmmmmm.

1. Saulo Ribeiro's first set. You need to understand the basics and once you do, Saulo takes them all and shows you how much you don't know. The guard and guard passing is worth the sticker price on its own. Everything else is a bonus.

2. Damien Maia's Science of jiu jitsu. Very good set. The retaining guard section is a must have and again...worth the sticker price alone. Everything after that is a bonus.

3. Robson Moura BJJ Fusion. Excellent set. Good for when you have a decent base and want to start venturing into other things. A good turtle guard section and shows a special open guard called the Robinho cross guard. This DVD is more sport orientated than the previous.

4. Damien Maia SOJ 2. This adds half guard stuff and butterfly guard material. It's great, but lower on the list.

5. Carlos Machado's infinite Jiu jitsu. This set is absolutely amazing. Everything is very simple. Machado reteaches how to get different armlocks and sweeps against an opponent who knows how to stop them. IMO it is poorly organized and Machado works with the assumption that you know what you are doing, so I would get this later.

6. Saulo's BJJ revolution 3. This set is good, but unlike set one where Saulo shows brilliant fundamentals, this seems more like Saulo Experimenting. I recommend this for intermediates. The turtle guard section is great no matter what level you are at. Things like the running escape and the X^pass are great, but low priortiy.

7. Tinguinha's basic Spider guard set. These DVDs will get you on your way to having a decent open guard game.

8. Braulio Estimas DVD set. This set is more competition based, and unlike most of the other DVDs it seems more like Estima is just showing moves as they pop up in his head. This set will show you how to truly create a dynamic guard. From De La Riva, to spider, to the leg lasso, to the cross guard and back to closed.

9. Cobhrina's set. This is the latest set that I have bought. It's much much better than I thought it would be. I usually don't like voice overs, but this was done great. These DVDs are pretty much competition based moves and Cobhrina (or the narrator) goes over the moves as if you have a decent BJJ base. I love the inverted de la riva guard stuff. Something that I didn't expect to like but now cherish is the competition footage. It makes up most of the DVD and I have learned more from watching Cobhrina react in competition than I have from his actual instruction and that says a ton, because I learned A LOT from his instruction.

10. Robson's Fusion 2. This set is great, but it is primarily competition based IMO. It feels like it has a half guard focus since half of the DVDs are, half bottom, half top, and a special half guard called 93. It also has a section based on the gi loop choke and the spider guard. Great set, but I only recommend it if you are bored or if Robhino is your role model.

Sorry this is so longwinded, but I wanted you to get an idea of what these sets contained. My favorite right now is Carlos Machado's set, specifically because he is answering the questions that I have at the moment, but Saulo's first gi set is fundamental. I think all blue belts should watch them at least once, followed by Maia's first set.

 

[Sherdog_Mutt]

Personally, based upon your criteria, my top 3 dvd sets would be:

1) Saulo Ribiero- I echo all of the comments above. It is a must have instructional set.

2) Braulio Estima- I'm surprised that this wasn't mentioned more by others. In my opinion this set is almost as awesome as Saulo's. Not as much theory but the stuff in here is pure BJJ gold.

3) Robson Moura Fusion- No single instructional DVD set has impacted my personal game as much as his Fusion 1 and Fusion 2 sets.

 

[outlawimmortal]

saulo is best for basic/general bjj

Demian maia's triangle and defending the pass dvds from Science of jiu-jitsu 1 is enough to justify buying that set.

Jacare's has some pretty good moves, but they are kinda random. good if you wanna add a few moves into your game, not so much as a tool to help you focus on one prt of your game to work on.

I have only seen The Darce choke dvd from Brandon Quick's Fade to black set, but it was phenomenal, and definitely worth a look(great for no-gi, and MMA aswell).

 

[tenktriangles]

I'd also vote for Maia's Science 1 o2, and agree that you could pick up both off ebay and have a sweet birthday gift. when he says science- he means it. he breaks it down and explains why he does simple things- like pushing the head when someone is trying to pass guard. every time i do it i smile. because it works.

 

[PedroCassidinho]

I was wanting to get one of these as i am a fledgling Judoka looking to add some ground but i always wondered how you use these videos in the home without a training partner. Is it more a case of soaking in the knowledge then trying it next time you're rolling in class?

 

[outlawimmortal]

I was wanting to get one of these as i am a fledgling Judoka looking to add some ground but i always wondered how you use these videos in the home without a training partner. Is it more a case of soaking in the knowledge then trying it next time you're rolling in class?

that is how i normally do it. If you have someone you can drill the moves on right there, it's probably better, but watching a certain move enough times is plenty in remembering it for class.

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

that is how i normally do it. If you have someone you can drill the moves on right there, it's probably better, but watching a certain move enough times is plenty in remembering it for class.

Agreed.

If the technique is simply a small addition or variation on things you currently know, then just watching the video should be enough to allow you to work it out the next time you spar.

If the technique is way beyond anything you know...or simply doesn't build up a current skill in your set, then it's going to be a lot hard to just watch and learn.

 

[tenktriangles]

what has worked for me is to have a partner who can commit to working through the video with you. i.e. you both watch one section at a time then drill just what is in that section. otherwise they tend to get overwhelming. something like science 1 or 2, revolution 1 or 2 should take you a good chunk of time to absorb.

 

[DarceBrabo]

Hmmmmm.

1. Saulo Ribeiro's first set. You need to understand the basics and once you do, Saulo takes them all and shows you how much you don't know. The guard and guard passing is worth the sticker price on its own. Everything else is a bonus.

2. Damien Maia's Science of jiu jitsu. Very good set. The retaining guard section is a must have and again...worth the sticker price alone. Everything after that is a bonus.

3. Robson Moura BJJ Fusion. Excellent set. Good for when you have a decent base and want to start venturing into other things. A good turtle guard section and shows a special open guard called the Robinho cross guard. This DVD is more sport orientated than the previous.

4. Damien Maia SOJ 2. This adds half guard stuff and butterfly guard material. It's great, but lower on the list.

5. Carlos Machado's infinite Jiu jitsu. This set is absolutely amazing. Everything is very simple. Machado reteaches how to get different armlocks and sweeps against an opponent who knows how to stop them. IMO it is poorly organized and Machado works with the assumption that you know what you are doing, so I would get this later.

6. Saulo's BJJ revolution 3. This set is good, but unlike set one where Saulo shows brilliant fundamentals, this seems more like Saulo Experimenting. I recommend this for intermediates. The turtle guard section is great no matter what level you are at. Things like the running escape and the X^pass are great, but low priortiy.

7. Tinguinha's basic Spider guard set. These DVDs will get you on your way to having a decent open guard game.

8. Braulio Estimas DVD set. This set is more competition based, and unlike most of the other DVDs it seems more like Estima is just showing moves as they pop up in his head. This set will show you how to truly create a dynamic guard. From De La Riva, to spider, to the leg lasso, to the cross guard and back to closed.

9. Cobhrina's set. This is the latest set that I have bought. It's much much better than I thought it would be. I usually don't like voice overs, but this was done great. These DVDs are pretty much competition based moves and Cobhrina (or the narrator) goes over the moves as if you have a decent BJJ base. I love the inverted de la riva guard stuff. Something that I didn't expect to like but now cherish is the competition footage. It makes up most of the DVD and I have learned more from watching Cobhrina react in competition than I have from his actual instruction and that says a ton, because I learned A LOT from his instruction.

10. Robson's Fusion 2. This set is great, but it is primarily competition based IMO. It feels like it has a half guard focus since half of the DVDs are, half bottom, half top, and a special half guard called 93. It also has a section based on the gi loop choke and the spider guard. Great set, but I only recommend it if you are bored or if Robhino is your role model.

Sorry this is so longwinded, but I wanted you to get an idea of what these sets contained. My favorite right now is Carlos Machado's set, specifically because he is answering the questions that I have at the moment, but Saulo's first gi set is fundamental. I think all blue belts should watch them at least once, followed by Maia's first set.

What he said ^^^^^^^.

 

[diadom]

Before I give my take on which DVD's are the best.

Does anyone know specific dvd's done for De la Riva Guard?
Does anyone know specific dvd's done for Deep Half Guard?
Does anyone know specific dvd's done for Spider Guard? With exception of tinguihna SP

My input, thes eare the ones that I keep going back to

Braulio Estima (My Instructor aka the man)-Closed Guard and Open Guard
Gordo (Instructor at the moment in Brasil )-Half Guard
Damien Maia-Science of Jiu Jitsu-Especially the Dvd on sidecontrol from the bottom
Tinguihna-Spider Guard
Stephan Kestling-Butterfly Guard

I know my ones are position specific so I would check the price of the Damien Maia one as he covers more areas and then the Braulio Dvd as he also does guard passing in his DVD set.

Either way Happy birthday and keep us posted on what you go for and what you thought of the set

 

[dead koala]

Hmmmmm.

1. Saulo Ribeiro's first set. You need to understand the basics and once you do, Saulo takes them all and shows you how much you don't know. The guard and guard passing is worth the sticker price on its own. Everything else is a bonus.

2. Damien Maia's Science of jiu jitsu. Very good set. The retaining guard section is a must have and again...worth the sticker price alone. Everything after that is a bonus.

3. Robson Moura BJJ Fusion. Excellent set. Good for when you have a decent base and want to start venturing into other things. A good turtle guard section and shows a special open guard called the Robinho cross guard. This DVD is more sport orientated than the previous.

4. Damien Maia SOJ 2. This adds half guard stuff and butterfly guard material. It's great, but lower on the list.

5. Carlos Machado's infinite Jiu jitsu. This set is absolutely amazing. Everything is very simple. Machado reteaches how to get different armlocks and sweeps against an opponent who knows how to stop them. IMO it is poorly organized and Machado works with the assumption that you know what you are doing, so I would get this later.

6. Saulo's BJJ revolution 3. This set is good, but unlike set one where Saulo shows brilliant fundamentals, this seems more like Saulo Experimenting. I recommend this for intermediates. The turtle guard section is great no matter what level you are at. Things like the running escape and the X^pass are great, but low priortiy.

7. Tinguinha's basic Spider guard set. These DVDs will get you on your way to having a decent open guard game.

8. Braulio Estimas DVD set. This set is more competition based, and unlike most of the other DVDs it seems more like Estima is just showing moves as they pop up in his head. This set will show you how to truly create a dynamic guard. From De La Riva, to spider, to the leg lasso, to the cross guard and back to closed.

9. Cobhrina's set. This is the latest set that I have bought. It's much much better than I thought it would be. I usually don't like voice overs, but this was done great. These DVDs are pretty much competition based moves and Cobhrina (or the narrator) goes over the moves as if you have a decent BJJ base. I love the inverted de la riva guard stuff. Something that I didn't expect to like but now cherish is the competition footage. It makes up most of the DVD and I have learned more from watching Cobhrina react in competition than I have from his actual instruction and that says a ton, because I learned A LOT from his instruction.

10. Robson's Fusion 2. This set is great, but it is primarily competition based IMO. It feels like it has a half guard focus since half of the DVDs are, half bottom, half top, and a special half guard called 93. It also has a section based on the gi loop choke and the spider guard. Great set, but I only recommend it if you are bored or if Robhino is your role model.

Sorry this is so longwinded, but I wanted you to get an idea of what these sets contained. My favorite right now is Carlos Machado's set, specifically because he is answering the questions that I have at the moment, but Saulo's first gi set is fundamental. I think all blue belts should watch them at least once, followed by Maia's first set.

I own all that are mentioned minus Carlos Machados (I probably have it, but haven't watched it). I have unwrapped dvds sitting in my bookcase from budovideos lol. I pre-ordered the Cobrinha dvd and it's still sitting there un-opened.

I'm going to go ahead and go with Saulo as well. There are 4 stripe white belts and brand new blue belts I know that still do not know basics such as opening and passing the guard without having to jam your elbows into your training partners thighs. I do not even particularly like Saulo's game, but he really goes into theory/technique versus going over just random moves.

 

[Calibur]

Before I give my take on which DVD's are the best.

Does anyone know specific dvd's done for De la Riva Guard?

William Bittencourt. The set teaches you all you need to get started on the DLR. I am not a fan of Bittencourts teaching style, and he harps on about points he doesn't have to harp on about but it is a good set to get you started. Once you go through that I think Cobhrina and Estima can fill in the gaps of playing DLR.

Robson Moura has a good section on Spider guard focusing on the leg lasso and Cobhrinas set has a good spider guard section which is good for both beginniners and advanced players.