Carlson Gracie - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Experts
(Book Review)

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The man and the man behind the man has finally written a great book - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Experts Only. Carlson Gracie used to be the top Gracie fighter in the early days of BJJ. Then he transformed into the coach of most of the top sport and Vale Tudo BJJ fighters. His students include Mario Sperry, Victor Belfort, Murilo Bustamante and Wallid Ismael. The list is very long and distinguished. So when Carlson speaks, you might want to listen. He has probably forgotten more BJJ than most of us know.

The first thing that confronts you when looking at this book is its title. BJJ for Experts Only. Is this just another way of saying that this is an advanced book? The simple answer is, yes. The more complex answer is that the title is meant drive some people away and challenge and encourage others. I guess it is like some old kung fu movie where the eager new student goes to the Shaolin Temple wanting to learn to fight. However, instead of being let in, the student is told to come back the next day and the next and the next (of course it rains most of these days), until one day they let him in. Some people who are not really serious would just get discourage and say screw it. Others rise to the challenge and are rewarded to for their persistence. This is what Carlson is trying to convey with his title. However, make no mistake this is a book of advance moves.

The book is divided into three parts -- Sport BJJ, Submission Grappling, and Vale Tudo. I often get people writing me not really understanding that these three things are completely different animals. People say they want to learn Vale Tudo and then ask which submission grappling set would help them most. The only thing a submission grappling set will help you will with in a Vale Tudo fight, is to help you get your ass kicked. There is a reason why I divided my site into different categories of books and tapes. If you want Vale Tudo, then get a Vale Tudo set of tapes, ect. This book should help people see the differences be between these different styles of competition. Having one place where you can compare takedowns, guard passes and submission will really drive home the differences. This is also the first book that I will list in each of the three categories. I am usually able to just pick one category that best suits video or book. However, this book is really deserving of addition to each category.

The first section of the book covers sport BJJ. Like each of the sections, the moves are not overly fancy and are clearly advanced. Of the 37 moves that make up this section you have a few moves from the different parts of the sport game. You have 4 takedowns, 10 guard moves, 8 sweeps and reversals, 7 chokes and cranks and 6 arm bars and ankle locks. There is no attempt to cover the basics or explain thing like why you would put someone the guard. It is assumed that you know all of this.

I though it was interesting that Carlson called the De La Riva Guard the "Jello Guard." I had never heard that term before. A quick search of the www only shows links that reference reviews of Carlson's book. However, it then occurred to me that I just could not see Carlson calling a common variation of the guard, the De La Riva Guard. Carlson was probably using this guard way before Ricardo De La Riva was even old enough to poop in his diapers. To take this one step farther, you will also notice that the term "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" does not appear in the book. There is a lot of history and bad blood over the name. So, pretty much everyone outside of the Rorion Gracie Camp, calls what they do "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" or something like "Carlson Gracie Jiu-jitsu." You can't stop a guy from using his own name.

The biggest flaw with the book is the Spartan descriptions that go with each picture. Carlson states at the beginning of the book that the pictures will do the talking. This is fine, if you already know how to execute the moves. This concept works much better in a video, since we can watch how the move is applied and can see how the heal hook is applied or how the elbows move during a particular choke. You might be left guessing as to how to apply some of the moves in this book. Most of these issues can be overcome if you have good working knowledge of the basics. This is a book for "Experts" after all.

The second section of the book is devoted to Submission Grappling. Similarly to the Sport BJJ section, you have moves grouped into guard work, escapes and defenses chokes and cranks and arm bars and wrist locks. This section is comprised of 23 moves.

The last section is devoted to Vale Tudo fighting. Here you have 20 moves broken out into sections on the clinch, takedown defenses, guard work, and side-control and knee on stomach moves.

Each of these sections has clear and professionally done color photos. You are getting the same extremely high quality production value that we have seen with the Kid Peligro books by the Invisible Press. However, this time Kid had nothing to do with this book. This might be why the production value of the book is very high, but the text is someone lacking when compared to Kid's books.

There is no attempt to be exhausted of moves or really build from one move to the next. I guess the thing that is missing from a book for "Experts" is the one thing that makes you an expert and that is a game plan that puts all the moves together. Generally the thing that separates a brown belt from a black belt (if a black belt is considered an expert) is NOT knowing more moves. It is the execution of those moves and the ability to put them together. This book will only help you along this path, but not spoon feed any great incites.

To his credit, Carlson demonstrates a fair amount of the moves in the book himself. On other moves his standing there coaching as though this were a video. On a humorous side (backside that is), you do get to see what can best be described as the famous Gracie "plummer's crack" on page 61.

While each section is well done, I wish that Carlson has done three books and given each of the areas the space that it deserves. But don't get me wrong, he did each area right. The sport BJJ guy are not punching each other, the submission grappling and vale tudo guys are not wearing Gis, the vale tudo guys are wearing gloves (not many events go bare knuckle these days). It is refreshing to see someone finally take the time to do it right.

Bottom line:
This is book for intermediate to advance practitioners. None of the moves are fancy, they are just advanced. This not a place to start learning the basics. Duh. Too much detail and basic information is purposely left out. This is very high quality book that will add depth to anyone looking for more advanced moves to add to their sport, submission grappling or vale tudo game. I am really pleased to see that Carlson finally came out with a book. I can only hope that he follows it up with a set of videos. Like the students that Carlson produced throughout his teaching career, this book is a winner.

Bill Lewis BJJ33@aol.com
© Copyright Bill Lewis 2005 all rights reserved.