Customer Reviews

Passing the Guard: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Details and Techniques: Volume 1 (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I began studying BJJ a couple months ago and have purchased a number of books and videos to supplement my training. Passing the Guard is not only the most reasonably priced books but the first that I've seen that has done everything right.

The book uses a unique method of graphical symbols that indicate what limb moved or had previously moved from picture to picture--they also list alternative approaches within a technique. Counters are listed on the same page with each technique so you not only learn how to pass the guard but you get some ideas on how to keep it.

Unlike many BJJ books the written instructions are clear and there are only a minor number of typographical/editing errors (many BJJ books are so bad it is distracting). There is also a remarkable lack of ego for a BJJ book--I've become accustomed to gratuitous chest thumping and repeating their names over and over as if the instructor was more important than the technique. Throughout this book the players are referred to as Blue and White (gi color) and the focus is entirely on what you need to know.

I can't recommend this book more highly. I eagerly look forward to additional books in this series--I want a book like this on the Mount.

This is an awesome piece of work. Tim Cartmell and Ed Beneville are two southern Californian Jiu-jitsu enthusiasts who are also regular competitors in the tournament scene.

I am getting a little bit tired of books that try to take on the entire subject of grappling or Jiu-jitsu. This is too vast a subject, and, as a result, 99% of books are function simply as yet another generalized introduction.

By taking one subject (albeit a very complex subject) and really exploring it very thoroughly, this book could actually directly result in noticeable skill improvements RIGHT AWAY. This book not only shows a technique, but it often shows you three or four counters to that technique, some counters to those counters, and then discusses the strategy and psychology of these moves. Even if all you do is browse through it, you are more than likely to come across an 'answer' to one of your grappling 'problems'.

Tim and Ed show all the techniques wearing the gi, but even grapplers who disdain the gi will find that 70 or 80% of the material is directly relevant to them.

This book is desktop published, and aside from one or two (very) minor glitches is very slick and professional. All the photos are in color, and a position is often shown from more than one angle.

Stephan Kesting
www.grapplearts.com

This book is the one I was looking for. I've had so many problems passing the guard and this is what I needed.
It's not just about passing but if you put yourself in the position of the person who's getting passed then you can learn counters to guard passes. It's just put in the perspective of the person who's passing but you can easily see how it can help prevent a guard pass.
The book should be titled guard passing and how to maintain your guard.

Lastly, sure you've never heard of these guys but so what. They do a tremendous job at communicating fine details that they've worked out through countelss hours on the mat. It's important to know a lot but just as important to be able to communicate what you know. You know that in your class sometimes you feel like your brazilian teacher just doesn't get the point across exactly the way you think he wants to. I mean come on - one of these guys is a US educated lawyer. Of course he's going to be good at writing and noting all the little details. But in Jiu-jitsu one small little detail can change everything.

Too many books try to cover too much in their text. This often results in poor details, a small snapshot of someone's game, or unconnected techniques that don't integrate well. It is a fantastic idea to spend an entire volume on one aspect of the game.

I'd read Cartmell's good work in "Effortless Combat Throws" and liked it a lot. I'd never heard of Beneville, though, as per most of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community.

However, the most important qualification is whther your information is accurate and effective. This book is exactly that.

The book opens up with imporatant details on posture and position. What it is, why you need to get there and - of course - how. This is golden information to the beginner and early intermediate, but more advanced practitioners will even find some useful info here.

Then, onto the guard passes. The passes shown are the same ones you're taught in every class. The details, though, are intricate and accurate. There are a number of options for each pass and photos aplenty, along with concise, accurate text descriptions.

The book covers more than passing and is THE text for the whole game from inside the guard. It covers posture and position, passes from the knees, passes from standing, submission attacks from inside the guard, defenses and counters to attacks and even a great section on a ttacking the turtle position.

More still, the book ends with some great drills that will help you develop the skills described in the book.

This book pioneered the contrasting coloured uniforms on the models and the blue vs white is still a great idea. The photography is great and has views from multiple angles. As said earlier, the text is concise, clear and descriptive.

It's clear that the authors know their subject and have planned this book well. Kudos to them.

Passing the guard is very useful book for the one who allready practiced or read about basic elements of bjj. Let me tell some things about photos. The photography is most immportant thing in martial arts books. The quality of the photos, in this book, could be bether-they are all overexposed, and the book is overdosed with the photos. I counted it 1578! The good thing is that the partners are wearing different gis (blue and white) what must be the rule in every book.

I'll start off by mentioning the only negative I can think of or noticed:

There are quite a few typos and grammatical errors in the technique descriptions/instructions. However, they only cause a minor distraction, and not enough to warrant giving this book anything less than 5 stars. The reason for this is because all you have to do is look at the accompanying picture and the problem is solved. For example, the instructions will say, "Grab with the right hand or swing to the right" and then you look at the picture and the guy is grabbing with his left hand and swinging to the left. I'm assuming those who buy this book already practice BJJ and are only purchasing the book for reference, so it should be easy to "understand" what the typos meant to say. This, however, leads to the best part of the book.

Everything else about the book is great. The only negative I mentioned above may actually go unnoticed by some. The reason for this is that the pictures are awesome. One may be able to learn a technique just by looking at the pictures. They're that good. The flow and clarity of the pictures makes the detailed instructions seem as an optional supplement.

Another thing that this book does well is it's order. The book starts from the ground up, literally: breaking the guard on your knees, passing the guard on your knees, standing up, breaking the guard standing up, etc, etc... More importantly, whenever the opportunity is given, the authors split the techniques into alternative "finishes" depending on whether or not the opponent reacts.

If you're looking for a well written book with plenty of details for BJJ as a reference, I cannot recommend this more. It's really great to look through and see a technique and think to yourself (or scream out loud), "That's what I should have done in that last fight/roll/etc!"

I will be buying volume 2 for sure.

With at least hlaf dozen pictures for single pass, almost like watching a slow motion video. Not only how-to's are detailed, how-not-to's and important points are enlarged in pictures and commented. It also helps they have same move from different angle.

They must have put a lot of thoughts and time into this book. It's my mat-side companion now. I even thinking about buying another one, so that I can make my own book in the order of passes and guards I learn at the class.

Passing the Guard is one of the best martial arts books I have ever seen, and the best book on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The book has a lot of cool features like multiple camera angles and graphics that highlight key points. There is plenty of well written text to go along with the pictures. Given the high number of pictures and the way things are laid out, you can ignore the text and still see what is going on. Whereas most martial arts books leave you guessing as to how the models got from point A to point B, this book cures that problem by showing you the in-between movements so that you don't have to strain your imagination.

The book is broken down logically into eight different chapters. It covers, basics, passing the guard from the knees and standing, common submissions you will encounter while trying to pass and their counters, attacks you can do while passing, attacking the turtle position, the half guard, and drills. This book is a must for sport jiu jitsu practitioners and Judoka alike.

This is probably the best single-subject BJJ book on the market.

The organization of techniques is excellent and the presentation, with the exception of sometimes small photos, is great.

The authors break down the art of BJJ guard passing, making it easy to understand and learn, proving that your name doesn't have to be Gracie to teach this art.

My only worry about this book is that there won't be any more. It seems independently published and no follow up volume has been released since its publication in 2002.

One of the few drawbacks to this book would be the organization (path) of the actual photos that outline the technique, which can be a bit confusing, but if you are an intermediate student looking to vastly improve this part of your game, this book is great! Buy it!

If there is one skill a Jiu-jitsu artist should get good at, passing the guard is it. Most of your time spent on the mat will be in someones guard. This book has a huge arsenal of techniques to open and pass someones guard. All of these techniques are the most fundamental passes in the game. My advice is, if you want to run with the big dogs, get this book and practice, practice, practice.