Renzo Gracie & Craig Kukuk - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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I have beaten on the Renzo/Kukuk set (don't confuse this with Kukuk BJJ A-Z) in many reviews. I originally never reviewed the set because it was assumed that if you had a tape set, it was Renzo/Kukuk (Note, at the time, I also assume that you had the Gracie Basics). Renzo/Kukuk was, at one time, the best set on the market. It kicked the crap out of anything Rorion Gracie put out (even to this day). The set sold for $380 and you got a t-shirt (or maybe it was a $380 t-shirt and the tapes were free). On the positive side, Kukuk is the best "Joe lunch pail" teacher. I mean that as a compliment. Kukuk really made you feel like BJJ was easy and he was, to some extent, right. Anyone could do these moves and they really worked. The video quality of the tapes was good and Kukuk spoke perfect English. Renzo gave us BJJ catch phrases that are still with us today like, "Sooo, what you gooon a dooo." To this day, this set has two of the best tapes out there. Tape 11 on takedown is still the best place start learning takedowns and tape 4 on headlock escapes is a tape everyone should own. The Headlock tape is still the last word on the subject and nobody has improved on what was taught on this tape.

For beginners, you get an unrushed explanation of the basic positions and their importance. Many sets, intended for beginners, only gloss over this information. Here you get the full introduction of BJJ basics. I will also confess that when I meet someone that is thinking of starting BJJ, I will lend them one of the Kukuk tapes because they are the least threatening and most inviting tapes out there. You really walk away thinking you can really do this stuff. The pricing of the tapes when they came out on DVD has made me rethink my position on the set. The DVD's are priced at $60. At $60, you have a great place for someone to start learning Sport BJJ. I would also tell them to move on to Pedro Carvalho's tapes after you get your feet wet with the Renzo/Kukuk set.

That was the positive, now for the negative. You can find my rants in other reviews. I still stand by everything I have said about the Renzo/Kukuk set. When Pedro Carvalho came out with his first tape set at $250, it busted the market apart. What had been the exclusive domain of the Graices was now owned by some person we had never heard of, Pedro Carvalho. The short comings of the Renzo/Kukuk set became obvious. You can pretty much toss out most of the passing the guard tape, there is no real discussion of leg locks, and the knee on chest position is not mentioned. In addition, the realism of the techniques on the Renzo/Kukuk set was diminished by making the moves too basic. Kukuk often assumes that your opponent is unskilled. You will find that you will not use a lot of what is taught on the tapes for very long when you enter your first BJJ school. You will have to bump your game up a notch to a set like Pedro where the opponents are not assumed to be clueless.

Bottom line: At $60 the Kukuk/Renzo set is a great place to get your feet wet and start you down the path of learning BJJ. I think the set is a wonderful confidence builder. You just have to be aware of some of the short comings of the set. Once you have learned the basics on the Renzo/Kukuk set, it time to move quickly to Pedro Carvalho's tapes to take your game to a completely new level. I also think the set holds a lot of attraction to collectors. Watching this set is enjoyable stroll down memory lane. You can see how far things have come.

All 11 tapes have been put on 3 DVD's:
Volume 1. Beginning Armlocks
Volume 2. Advanced Armlock
Volume 3. Escape from the Bottom
Volume 4. Escape from the Headlock
Volume 5. The Guard
Volume 6. Defending the Mount
Volume 7. Beginning Chokes
Volume 8. Advanced Chokes
Volume 9. The Mounted Position
Volume 10. Passing the Guard
Volume 11. Takedowns and the Clinch
Bill Lewis BJJ33@aol.com
© Copyright Bill Lewis 2004 all rights reserved.