The 8 tapes (Tapes 9-16) that make up Pedro 2 contain all new material and don’t overlap that much with other tape sets. The first 2 tapes (Tapes 9 and 10) are great. They are devoted to no Gi training. For those who can't go to regular classes tape 12 is devoted to BJJ drills. Useful stuff, not the Jane Fonda nonsense. Tape 11 has more BJJ self-defense like set one. The last 4 tapes (Tapes 13-16) cover strategy, escapes and submissions. There is a lot more theory behind setting up moves and transitioning between them. There are a lot more counters taught on this tape set than on Pedro 1. Often a move is shown then the counter to that move is shown, then the counter to that counter is shown. These tapes would clearly fall into the intermediate to advanced category. By this I mean, the tapes assume that you understand and are familiar with the mount, guard, back mount, etc. The moves are all understandable and most are fairly easy to execute.
The production value, sound quality, and graphics are of the same high caliber as Pedro 1. Pedro has a new partner (a purple belt) for this tape set though. In Pedro 1, as the tape progressed, Pedro’s partner (Paul "Master" Viele, the guy that brought us Pedro 1, Swain’s tapes, Ralph’s book and owner of WMA) looked like he was in more and more pain. I just figured that he was kind of a wuss. From watching Pedro 2, I have come to the conclusion that Pedro has a sadistic streak in him. On numerous occasions the purple belt in Pedro 2 could be seen mouthing many a four letter word after Pedro got done executing a technique. You see this sort of thing all the time in football when the camera focuses in on a coach after a referee made a bad call. Twice I thought this purple belt was going to hit Pedro. If looks could kill, this kid was having fantasies of backing his pickup truck over Pedro’s pointy head and asking him, "how do you escape when someone has parked a pickup truck on your head," moments before smoking the tires.
I have had a lot of people writing me and informing me that Pedro had new tape set out. WMA has not run any ads for Pedro 2. I not sure why. WMA appears to have only done a direct mailer to their customers. Maybe they assume that if you did not buy Pedro 1 you wouldn’t be interested in Pedro 2. I don’t think this is necessarily true. You might be interested in the two No Gi tapes or the tape on BJJ drills. Moreover, the last 4 tapes cover lots of escapes and counters to "bread and butter" type chokes and armbars. While I would suggest buying Pedro 1 before Pedro 2, it is not a necessity.
Anyone who has not tried to grapple without a Gi top, should be strongly encouraged to do so. What you learn is that your techniques have to be cleaner. Moreover, you also find out how limited your repertoire of techniques becomes. At first you feel like a fish out of water. All those techniques you thought you knew don’t seem to work anymore. You have to rethink your approach to grappling. You feel like you don’t know anything. Then after awhile your start to realize that most of the techniques you know can be modified to work without using the Gi. In the end you end up with a much better understanding of what actually makes the techniques work and you end up with the ability to make the techniques work in a street situation.
Off and on throughout the tape Pedro points out what he calls "Big Mistakes." These mistakes are often techniques that work great in sport BJJ, but don’t work as well when grappling without a Gi or when there are no rules. For example, Pedro starts the tape off by informing the viewer that going for juji-gatame from the mount, when your opponent does not have a Gi top, is a "Big Mistake." Pedro explains that when your opponent has a Gi, the arm (to be locked) can be controlled when setting up the armlock. However, without a Gi your opponent is often so sweaty and slippery that your chances of not getting the armlock and ending up losing your superior position are great. As a side note, I was watching Gracie in Action 1 and 2 the other day. The tape contains mainly NHB fights. I remember only seeing juji-gatame being used once and that was by Rolls Gracie. Roll’s opponent was wearing a Gi.
Another "Big Mistake" came as a painful surprise. Most BJJ practitioners learn to escape the mount by oomping and rolling. Part of setting this escape up is the blocking of your opponent’s leg with your foot. This prevents your opponent from extending his leg and thus preventing you from reversing the position. Pedro shows a simple, effective and painful counter to the oompa and roll for the person who is mounted. All the person who is mounted has to do is wait for you to block his leg by placing your foot on the outside of his foot. He then just extends his leg straight out like he was doing a side kick while on the ground. The extending of his leg will catch your foot too, twisting your leg. To finish, he grabs your foot and pulls it towards him dragging it up his shin. It hurts just writing this. The only way to prevent this leg lock is to secure the appropriate arm before you block the foot and oompa and roll. The securing of the arm will prevent your opponent from securing your foot to finalize the lock.
Most of the tape is spent doing moves from the mount. Pedro goes through a series of chokes, wristlocks, and armlocks. All very practical. Several other moves are devoted to maintaining the mount position when your opponent attempts common counters like the elbow escape. My favorite move on the tape is for the situation where your opponent tries to sit-up on you while you have the mount. It’s hard to describe but easy to perform. You snake your arm around the back of his head (kind of like doing the guillotine from the mount) and then under his armpit. Then, to finish, slide off him into base (facing his head) and rock back snapping his head off like twig. This move is variation of the "cervical." Lots of fun, for you at least.
The last portion of the tape is devoted to when your opponent has "turtled" and you are on their back. Pedro covers the common situation where your opponent starts to stand on you. This happens all the time, especially if your opponent is a lot bigger than you.. There you are looking like Jerry Lewis (no relation) on the back of a camel trying to not be thrown off. Pedro walks you through how to approach this situation and more importantly he tell you what not to do.
Bottom line: This is a great tape that should be the starting point for anyone interested in No Gi or NBH fighting techniques.
What is interesting about the ways Pedro shows to pass the guard is that sometimes he does not actually pass the guard. On several of the moves, Pedro’s goal is to get to a safe position within your opponent’s guard so that you can strike your opponent at will and he can’t do much but eat teeth. He states that passing the guard is an option, but not necessary. We have seen this strategy used successfully in a lot of NHB tournaments of late. This is the first tape series that has explored the weaknesses of the guard. Had it not been for some of the severe beatings that several prominent BJJ fighters have taken from an opponent in their guard, the need for this material would not be so painfully obvious. In fact most people would not have believed that the guard could be a potentially hazardous position to have an opponent in. This tape really hits home on what an opponent could do to you while still in your guard.
The next fourth of the tape is devoted to no Gi use of the side control. Again, the emphasis is on striking the opponent from the side control. There is also some discussion of common mistakes that will cause you to lose control and how to avoid them. The last fourth of the tape covers how to maintain control of someone, without a Gi, while they are in your guard. Like before, how to strike someone and still maintain control is the focus here. Pedro also shows how to counter an opponent who is trying to pass your guard. This is good material since the lack of a Gi does really change the whole situation. My favorite move was where your opponent has broken your guard while he is standing. You just grab one of his opponent’s wrists (i.e. Right) and put both feet into the opponent’s hips and pushes away. Then you maintain the pressure on your opponent’s hips and use one of your legs (i.e. right) to kick the crap out your opponent. This is an easy position to get into and not easy for your opponent to counter. Mr. Nike, meet Mr. Groin.
I made a prediction in the Pedro 1 review that Pedro would come out with his own set of self-defense tapes. I was sort of right. Pedro did not come out with a tape set, he did however, devote a whole tape to self-defense techniques in his second tape series. As a reminder, in Pedro 1 tape 2, Pedro devoted part of the tape to takedowns and the rest of the tape to self-defense moves. (Click here to read that review for more details). This tape continues where Pedro left off with that tape. However, you don’t need to own tape 2 from Pedro 1 to enjoy and make use of this tape. There is very little overlap (2 moves) between the two tape sets. The tapes mainly just compliment each other.
Pedro explores what I would call the barroom self-defense moves. He deals with a wide variety of standing attacks from grabs, punches, chokes, kicks, and clubs strikes. Pedro handles each of the situations in a straight forward no-nonsense way. Almost all the move involve a throw or takedown which then allows you obtain a superior position. Each move is explained a clear and precise manner that characterizes all of Pedro’s tapes.
You might look at this tape as a continuation of the NHB focus of the first two tapes of this series. There are really only two places you will run into NHB fighting, in the ring and on the street. All the move on this tape are no Gi and assume that you are both wearing street clothes. Like the first 2 tapes of Pedro 2, this is a great tape for those looking for street oriented techniques rather than a tournament focus.
(1) Hand on throat pressing you against the wall
(2) Rear choke
(3) Rear bear hug
(4) Side headlock
(5) Overhand club strike
(6) Overhand club strike
(7) Baseball bat strike
(8) Roundhouse kick
(9) Front lapel choke
(10) Front lapel choke
(11) Double lapel choke
(12) One handed lapel grab
(13) Punch
(14) Elbow striking drill
(15) Front bear hug over arms
(16) Front bear hug over arms
(17) One handed push to chest
(18) Rear bear hug (under arms)
(19) Rear bear hug (under arms)
(20) Rear choke
This is a great tape that is clearly created for those who train at home. This tape is similar to the training drills tape in the Mike Swain tape set. For those who train regularly at a school there should still be several drills or new ideas that you can pick-up. Pedro covers 20+ basic skills and drills that are designed to improve your grappling.
Pedro starts the tape with some fundamental instruction on how to fall backwards and to the side to avoid hurting yourself. He then moves into basic front and back rolls. It should be noted that Pedro explains each move, demos it a few times and then has his purple belt partner demonstrate the move multiple times in a drill. I am not sure I like the purple belt doing the drill. While he made me feel real good about my front rolls, I would have rather seen Pedro doing the drills himself. Maybe this was the purple belt’s pay back for letting Pedro beat on him during the filming. He definitely showed that there is a distinct difference between black belts and purple belts.
The tape then moves on to cover a series of strengthening exercises including neck bridges, two person leg raises, midair sit-ups, spread eagle pushups, standing and lifting someone in your guard, leg pressing your partner, etc.
The next section of the tape deals with BJJ specific training drills. Pedro shows a nice drill for practicing triangle chokes and another for practicing arm bars. One of the drills from this section will probably not be appreciated by many observers until they see the move used in a tournament or perform it themselves to save their rear end. This drill has you on your back and your partner standing with his feet near your head. All you do is roll up and cross your feet and place one foot on each of your opponents hips (the tops of your feet touch his hips). Then rotate your whole body in place using your feet to pivot you around by pressing on your partner’s hips. You end up on your back facing your opponent. This seems like a complete and utter waist of time until you actually use this move and see that it really works. In the real world, what happens is that your opponent will break your guard and try to pass. Often you opponent will try and push your knees one way and race around your body to get past your legs. Your opponent will often go to far and end up standing near your head. This is when you roll up and do the move I described above. Your opponent will probably sink his weight down trying to get some semblance of control. The net result is your opponent is back in your guard and has to start all over.
The last section of the tape will really help those who are looking for creative and new ways to improve their sparring. Pedro first shows "one handed sparing." Despite the way it sounds, this is nothing like a one legged man at an asskicking contest. Pedro just places one hand in his belt and then spared his partner who was not limited in any way (other than being just a purple belt and not a former 5 time BJJ champ).
Then Pedro did a nice little demo of blindfolded sparing. Pedro show an impressive sensitivity. See if you can anticipate how Pedro wins the match. The tapes ends with 13 minutes of Pedro and the purple belt practicing vale tudo fighting. This is really just a home movie of Pedro working out with gloves and no gi. For those who want more realistic training, this should be a good example of how you can add strikes to your sparring without killing each other. It was refreshing to see that this tape footage was not chosen to make Pedro look like Gods gift to grappling. You kind of felt like you just walked in during a normal sparing session at Pedro’s school (except there was cool mood music).
A couple of techniques to commit to memory from this section. Pedro gets caught in the half guard. Watch closely at the move he used to escape. This method, while not unique, has not been taught on a tape set yet. The other technique to take a look at was Pedro’s, in the heat of grappling, method of passing the guard. He stands in his partner’s guard and steps back while swatting his legs to the floor and then rushes forward with a knee over the thigh passing of the guard.
Overall this type of tape is most critical to those who practice at home. This tape helps to fill in some of the gaps that exist when you don’t attend a school for your training. By picking and choosing the drills that best suit your needs you will improve your sparring and add new dimensions to your training.
The last 4 tapes of Pedro 2 cover counters, escapes, and submissions. These tapes RULE. It has taken me a really long time to get to these reviews. During this time I have received a lot of mail from people telling me that these last 4 tapes are their favorite out of the series. I very much agree. The tapes cover a wide range of positions and techniques. Most of the moves demonstrated are combinations. They assume that your opponent has some experience or knows the counters to the moves you are attempting. Tape 13 spends quite a bit of time on how to set your opponent up for various moves. Like Pedro states on the tape, this is what separates a purple belt from a black belt.
Here’s a consumer tip: There is no such thing as black belt techniques (i.e. individual chokes and arm bars). After purple belt you know most of the moves. It’s your execution and the way you combine the moves into combinations that qualifies you for black belt. Once you know this, some things make more sense. Take a look at Carlson Gracie’s belt ranking tapes (I plan to do a review in the future or at least in my lifetime). His Black Belt tapes essentially demo combinations and make no attempt to show super secret deadly nuclear powered decapitating black belt chokes and armbars of death.
A lot of tapes will try and sell you something called "black belt techniques." The question then becomes, does Pedro live up to its ad that claims that it is "advanced black belt" techniques. The simple answer is yes. The moves are advanced (we could debate over what that actually means). Moreover, the moves are combinations that, for example, combine a choke that transitions into an armbar. This tape takes quite a few moves that you probably already know and puts them together into extremely effective combinations. That satisfies my test.
The tape starts off with a series of choke/armbar combinations from the side mount (where you slide off your opponent’s chest next to his head while leaving one leg across his chest). Most people will quickly recognize the chokes that Pedro uses to start the combinations and most people will recognize the armbars that he finishes with. What is important, is the strategy and psychology behind forcing your opponent to commit or make a mistake. You want to be several steps ahead of your opponent. You go for your basic choke from the mount and you might succeed. However, if your opponent has some experience he will counter or at the very least attempt to thwart your choke. That’s what you are waiting for. You are already several moves head. To some extent, being several moves ahead, takes the fun out things. When you fight people who are inexperienced, its like trading your six-year-old kid brother your nickel for his dime and telling him the dime is worth less because it is smaller. It just too easy. Although, if you are like me, you can go quite a while before you get bored (what other investment will give you this kind of return!).
Pedro moves on to some choking combinations and some very practical methods for maintaining the mount that counter the elbow escape. Pedro also covers some strategies for getting the mount and a nice move for keeping the back mount. Near the end of the tape, Pedro covers a series of moves from the most ignored positions in all BJJ tape series, the north and south. Anything you can get on this positions is helpful.
Bottom line: Another solid effort from Pedro.
This is the second tape of the 4 tapes dealing with strategy, escapes and submissions. This tape continues to add sold moves to deepen this catalog of techniques.
Pedro opens the tape with two effective counters to the knee on chest position. The first move is very straight forward. If your opponent has his right knee on your chest from your right side, you simple reach under his right leg with your right hand and secure his pants or belt. Then with your left arm you push on his chest making him fall back and lose his balance. The second move is fairly complicated and starts with you rotating under your opponent and ends with you getting the back mount on your opponent.
Half the moves on this tape deal with a variety of advanced sweeps which are really done as counters to someone attempting to pass your guard. None of these moves are your basic sweeps. These sweeps will add some much needed depth to most peoples sweep library.
Pedro moves on to cover escapes from the back mount. These moves are always a welcome sight. There are so few moves that are shown on how effectively escape from the back mount. You take what you can get!
The tapes ends with a description of how to do the "crucifix" on a turtled opponent. Pedro walks you through this elaborate technique. This is a similar move as Garry "the nut crusher" Goodrich did to his first opponent in his first UFC fight. Your opponent ends up laying on top of you with his back on your chest. Your opponent very much looks like he is being crucified. This allows you to both choke and place an armbar on your opponent. This is great fun. What is even more impressive is the fact that Pedro teaches the counter as the last move on the tape. I challenge anyone who watches this tape to pause the tape when Pedro gets his opponent in the terminal position for the crucifix and see if you can figure a way out of it. This looks like something that Houdini would have trouble getting out of. I will tell you this, you will laugh at how easy the escape is.
Pedro puts out another great tape. Some many great moves, so little time.
This is the third tape of the 4 tapes dealing with strategy, escapes and submissions. This tape focuses on escapes to a wide variety of situations. Most of the moves on this tape you will not find anywhere else. This is a very valuable tape. You can never have too many methods of escape.
The tape starts with a nasty move. You opponent has you in his guard and is applying the guillotine. Most people know to put the knife blade of your hand into your opponent’s throat an push. This works great. However, Pedro goes one better and goes for a submission. Even better, Pedro’s submission is very simple. Assume your opponent has his right arm around your head. You take your right arm and wrap it around the back of his head. Then simply drive forward into your opponent pushing your shoulder down. This creates a nasty shoulder lock on your opponent’s head squishing it like a grape. Having practiced this move, I have quite a bit of sympathy for Pedro’s demo partner. The poor guy sits there literally gurgling as Pedro chokes the crap out of him. The problem is Pedro is only half done explaining the move. Loooosing conscienceness, vital oooorgans not fuuuunctioning, must breathhh . . . . Pedro teaches a variation of this shoulder lock in Pedro 1 from the side control.
The next move on the tape is a counter to when an opponent tries to sweep you while you are standing in his guard by bringing his knees together, grabbing your ankles, and driving. The counter is, again, simple and you already know it and have been doing it. Remember the way Pedro teaches to properly stay in someone’s guard. You have one arm extended grabbing your opponent’s lapels. This keeps your opponent from sitting up on you and driving into the mount. Well guess what? This hold on the lapels is the same thing that will prevent your opponent from sweeping you with the knees together sweep.
Pedro covers some unique and effective escapes from the triangle choke, the side mount, north and south, footlocks, kimura. Juji-gatame.
Pedro ends the tape with ways to thwart your opponent’s attempt to counter your knee on chest position.
Pedro delivers the goods on this tape again. All great counters that are easy to apply. Life is good.
This the last tape in Pedro 2 and is also the last of the four tapes on strategy, escapes and submissions. Everyone of the these categories is touched on in this tape.
The tape starts with a vary unique counter to when your opponent puts you in an armbar while you are in his guard. Pedro then shows you how to counter this counter. Its easy to perform, but hard to explain.
Pedro then moves into a series of chokes from the guard. These range from straight forward to advanced. None of the chokes are your run of the mill chokes. My favorite of this group of moves was the simplest. You have your opponent in your guard. You simply grab each of his lapels with your thumbs down and your fingers facing each other, 4 inches from the base of his neck. Your right hand will be holding his left lapel and your left hand will hold his right lapel. Then your drive your left fist across your opponent’s throat. To be sneaky, you cover your left fist with the material held by your right hand. This hides the hand and prevents attempts to counter. Just keep pushing with your left hand until your opponent turns several blue.
The tape moves on to cover an escape when some tries to get your back and how to get the back mount when your opponent is turtled.
On another portion of the tape, I found it informative when Pedro showed that you can still go for juji-gatame when you only have the half mount on your opponent. This is something that probably would not naturally occur to most practitioners. Once you see it, it will make sense. You might even be embarrassed that you did not think of this yourself.
At the end of the tape Pedro does counters to someone passing your guard and adds some realistic ways to set your opponent up for the triangle choke.
The last move on the tape is my favorite of this tape. Again, it involves a simple choke. You have the back mount on your opponent, who is laying on top of you. You take your right arm and reach around the left side of your opponent’s head and grab hold of his right lapel as deep as you can get. Your right hand is thumb down, or if it makes more sense, your pinkie is near your opponent’s chin. Then you lay back and grab your opponent’s uniform near his neck with your left hand. Then pull your elbows to your ribs. It has all the traits of a great choke. Simple, sneaky and very effective. Your opponent will probably just grab your right hand in a vain attempt to counter. Once you have the right hand secured, he might as well kiss his sorry ass goodbye. Its too late. He won’t even see it coming.
Bottom line: Another good tape in a great tape set. Pedro 2 is a worthy continuation of Pedro 1. The biggest question will be whether lighting can strike a third time. Pedro has just released a third tape set, cleverly called Pedro 3. I have this on my "to buy" list. However, it might be awhile before I do. If anyone gets this tape set, let me know your thoughts on it.
Bill Lewis BJJ33@aol.com