Knowing When to Tap Out (a final farewell)

Tapping out in an inevitability. When you're a white belt, you learn (rather quickly) that you can get caught in some bad spots, and you need to tap before something bad happens. Tapping is admitting defeat. Some people will have a hard time with that, but those people are usually the ones who don't last. It's a mark on your pride, to be sure. But tapping out gives you the opportunity to start over--the trick is knowing when it's time to tap, and when it's okay to keep fighting.

Getting caught in any submission is not the end of the road. In most cases, you may be able to hang on for a little while before you're able to fight your way out, or be forced to give in and tap out. Personally, that is one of my favorite parts of this martial art--having to make that decision.  Stick around longer than a week and you'll be sure to hear "tap today and train tomorrow", or some variation there of; and that's true. More than just being true, it's good advice. No one wants to get hurt. It's sometimes silly to try and fight your way out of some submissions; but often times as a white belt you tap too soon without knowing your limitations. Just because a submission is applied does not mean that the game is over.  There are escapes that you could implement, or MAYBE (strong "maybe" here) the submission isn't applied all that well, and you can weather the storm. It's a fine line to dance on, for sure, but one that is a part of the game. It's also one that you need to do for yourself to know your thresholds. The trick/game is to not be so stupid that you get hurt trying to get out of something. Knowing when to tap out is a skill.

...A Final Farewell

Having said that, I started WBS two years ago with the mindset of being a fresh blue belt with my level of experience still so close to being a while belt that I could be useful in giving advice. A lot of higher ranks are/were so far removed from being a white belt that today's white belt just isn't the same as it used to be. There are, of course, some constants in BJJ that will always be true to all white belts--spazzing, etc--but chances are, back when your local black belt started training there wasn't as much resources out there as there is today. With all due respect, I felt like I  had a unique opportunity to plug into today's various multimedia outlets with my perspective to help deliver a "survival guide" to being a white belt.

I never wanted to show technique (despite so many requests ("How do I get out of side control")) because I wasn't qualified. But what I was qualified to do was to enlighten readers to theory and advice. I likened WBS to asking someone for directions who has recently been to a destination versus someone who hasn't been there in some time--chances are some things have changed. Since I was just a while belt like two seconds ago I felt like my perspective was unique in its freshness since I was just where you, the white belt, was. I tried to combine that with a honest delivery, and sense of humor, that I think went over well with all of you--and I thank you for that. But it's time to tap out.

WBS started out as a no name blog from a no name blue belt, and it grew to more than I imagined. I hoped that if I could help a few people, then it would all be worth it. As it turned out, I helped a lot of people. When I'd get Tweets from someone with pictures of them with their new blue belt saying "thanks", it was--and always will be--a special thing for me. Sponsorship became a thing, people were getting involved, podcasts were podcasted, and it was all great. But as I said, it's time to move on. Generally speaking, it will take about two years to go from white belt to blue; and here is two years worth of "Survival Strategy" to get you through it. So I felt like now is a good time to walk away before I start putting out useless material just for the sake of putting out a new post. All killer, no filler here, y'all. So here on the two year anniversary of WBS, it's time to tap out, and move on to more projects. 

Thank you all for making these two years more than amazing. Thank you for caring. Thank you for sharing WBS with people, and following me on the various social media platforms, and for being fans. All of that truly means a lot to me, and that always will. 

But there's a special thank you out there to my family who encouraged me through all of this; my wife and daughter are truly amazing women--thank you. Thank you to all of the podcasts out there that took a chance on me, and had me on as a guest. Never did I think I'd make it to all the big ones. Raf & Kev from Verbal Tap along with Cam & Kyle from Expanded Perspectives, though, you guys were always my favorites. 

Thank you to Gregg King and the gang at VVV Fight Co, Bill Thomas at Q5 Sports Nutrition, Guy Sako from Defense Soap for believing in me with your friendship and sponsorship. That stuff will never be lost on me, or forgotten. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to my instructor, Sonny Achille, all of the staff and my training partners at Steel City Martial Arts. Thanks to all of the friends I've made online, and in person because of this thing. All of you mean a lot to me. Thank you for you friendship and support. 

In closing, I'm going to shift my focus back on training hard, and working to the goal. I'll still be writing in other various platforms, but that will all mostly be in the fiction world. Maybe I'll be back to the non-fiction world, and writing about BJJ again, but if so, it won't be for sometime. In the meantime, though, don't be afraid to keep sharing WBS, stop by Steel City Martial Arts in Pittsburgh to come train with me/us, and keep taking chances out there on the mat. But, for now, it's time to tap out. 

Warmest Regards,

Jesse

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BJJ and My Bank Account

So you started BJJ a few weeks ago and you love it--naturally--but now you're looking at some sticker shock at pricing. Let's keep it real, BJJ isn't cheap; but that's not to say that it isn't affordable. When you stack monthly tuition up against other martial arts, it does seem a bit stupid to be paying so much (I just Google'd "karate lessons" and the top hit (major school in my area) is offering $19.99 a month plus a free uniform). I'm not going to try to drop all kinds of knowledge here on financial advice, but hope to remind you that BJJ is more like an investment than an expense. But if you're reading this then I think we both know that other martial arts out there are mostly rubbish and, to keep with the old adage, you get what you pay for.

Did I just imply that by paying more for martial arts that you get better training and ipso facto can dust more fools in the streets? I mean, yeah--to a point. I usually try to avoid drawing comparisons between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts, but here it will be necessary. Going back to UFC 1, we all learned that BJJ is the most effective martial art against someone trained (or untrained for that matter) in any other martial art. Royce Gracie dismantled a a well-known boxer in Art Jimmerson, then the Shootfighter Ken Shamrock, and then finally a kickboxer, Gerard Gordeau. All of whom were, respectfully, masters in their field. MMA has since evolved and in that area the case can be made for BJJ being enough, or not. To the point: BJJ is at the pinnacle for effective martial arts. It's proven time and time again. Helio Gracie once said that "a knockout is a win on accident," and I've always loved that train of thought. I don't mean to take away from any martial art--because mutual respect--but let's keep in mind that we're paying to learn how A) not to die in a fight and B) how to kill. Any kind of martial arts background is better than none, but BJJ don't get bent out of shape over the price when we consider what an average Blue Belt can do to an average punk.

All that in mind, a lot of school offer tiered memberships over flat rates. For instance, you may be able to find a school around you that offers 1 or 2 classes a week + an open mat for a smaller monthly fee. Or, even with the gaining popularity of BJJ, you may be able to shop around and find a school with a more affordable rates; though I wouldn't expect much of a difference. But you may be able to find a school run by a higher belt (Purple or Brown) that may not charge as much as Black Belt level training. Hey, food for thought anyway; and if you're not a Purple or Brown yourself, then who cares? It's better to be on the mats (somehow) than not.

Buying a gi isn't cheap, either. While no gi BJJ is an option, I highly encourage you to train in the gi--or both. No gi grappling is more popular now with the seamless transition to MMA, but the gi is jiu jitsu. But if you're in a pinch and want to keep training while you work out your expenses and save for a gi, no gi is a great option to keep training. My friends at VVV Fight Co will get you fitted up for both, so go holla!

Also keep in mind that you'll be replacing your time doing something else with time on the mat. Additionally, you're--eventually--going to want to make dietary changes, too. Those are two good opportunities to refine your budget to ensure your monthly tuition isn't an issue. Personally, I stopped going out on weekends as much because I didn't want to waste all the time I put in on the mats and throw away my physical progress on 12 beers and fried food. Keeping it real, a weekend night out is like $50.00 USD--and that's on the low end. Stay home two weekends and you've pretty much doubled your gains right there by investing in BJJ :).

So while I will agree that this life isn't cheap, but we both know it's worth it. Personally, I look at BJJ as my second shot at life. By that I mean that I look at BJJ as my opportunity to do something that I love forever; and maybe one day earn a Black Belt and do it professionally as an instructor. So, for me, BJJ is an investment. Maybe for you it's something else; but for all of us it means bonds of friendship that you can't find just anywhere. Yes BJJ is expensive, but now that you know what's up, can you really afford not to pay for it? Doubt it, homie.

This week's sponsors:

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Left Hand Pass

Left Hand Pass is that new BJJ ish you been hearing about, but didn't know the links--I got you, dawg. My friend, Jake Miclot, and his crew got their new brand of BJJ life by way of a dope BJJ podcast and shirts. Check them out, give them some love.
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Tapping Online Resources

You may be shocked to learn that WBS isn't the only online resource for BJJ stuff. I know, I know, you're shocked. But dig this: the Internet is a wild and wonderful place where knowledge is unrestricted and fact checked by Internet Trolls. BJJ is such an ever-evolving sport that such knowledge is able to be shared, for free, and still allow people to make a living doing what they love. In this post we're going to spotlight some of my favorites. I'm certain that in the future there will be more posts just like this where we'll look at some others, but this is the list, for now.

1) Reddit is sweet, but the sub-Reddit pages are wormholes of delicious topic-specific knowledge for you to gobble up. BJJ, of course, has its own sub-Reddit /r/BJJ. 

In this sub-Reddit you'll find a ton of links to new BJJ stuff. If you're not familiar with how Reddit works, it's pretty cool. Links climb the rankings to the top of the front page based on the volume up UP Votes they receive. An UP Vote is positive, and conversely, a DOWN Vote is bad. The reader votes accordingly. So, the front page will have the links that are currently receiving the most UP votes and the subsequent pages will have less popular links in descending order. 

 Why is that cool? Well, it's a huge community. You can pretty much bank on finding interesting and useful stuff here that's currently relevant to today's BJJ. Tomorrow's BJJ will be completely different and so will the front page of /r/BJJ. This is where you can go to see, read, and discuss all things that are currently happening in the community. It's also where you can meet and talk to some new people, and sometimes big names in BJJ (Keenan posts on there often). My friend Matt Kirtley (AKA Aesopian) is also a mod there. So go read and say hi to Matt.

2) Instagram is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to get new BJJ moves and see the community. By Following BJJ people (Like Jesse WBS, your favorite online BJJ blogger--So ADD) you can see pictures and video of things that they're doing and what they're up to.

Additionally, as you can see in the picture here, you have the ability to search various hashtags to be able to see subject specific content. I like to look up stuff for inspiration and motivation. It's also cool to see your favorite athletes personally posting things from their training and personal lives. 

Why is that cool? It's cool because it's handy; and like Reddit, it's always changing and moving along to the next post. You can download the app to your phone and literally have new BJJ material at your fingertips--that's cool. It's also inspirational to see pictures and videos of just normal BJJ players out there training and living the #jiujitsulifestyle. You can Like pictures and video, meet and connect with friends and athletes, and get your BJJ fix in those down times without having to get on the mat.

 3) Kurt Osiander Move of the Week

First of all, no one is cooler than Kurt. Kurt's BJJ Heroes Bio will break it down for you if you don't know who he is, but he's--more or less--your cool uncle in the BJJ family. 

Kurt started doing his YouTube web series, Move of the Week a few years ago and it's been completely useful and absolutely a must to work into your off-the-mat schedule if you're not doing it already. Every week Kurt posts a short video, usually about 3 minutes, with some new move for you to work into your game. Sometimes it's not something that you're currently working on, but it's good to watch it to not only know that the move exists (and can and will be used against you), but in case you want to come back to that move later. 

Why is that cool? Well Kurt is one of Ralph Gracie's main instructors at his main San Francisco gym, so it's basically like getting some sweet one on one time every week with one of the coolest and best instructors out there--for free. YouTube also has a app for you to subscribe to the channel, but if you have a phone capable of apps. you can also Google it later if you don't want to bother with the app (or come back to this post for the link (ily)). Kurt has an honest approach to BJJ that lends to the younger generation a fun sense of seriousness. When Kurt uses swear words, it's like when you were a kid and an adult used them with you casually. Check Kurt out each week for something cool, fun, and free. And that's cool.

4) http://www.learningbjj.com/

Kaeli Sweigard is your favorite White Belt, you just don't know it yet. Kaeli runs her blog, LearningBJJ.com, and consistently puts out fun and informative content.  What's different about her approach is that she admits to being scared and through that she continues to push through it to inspire others. 

Kaeli often has guest posts--your's truly wrote something for her that you can read here--that will give you fun stories and pointers for surviving BJJ. Kaeli will also tell you all about her trials and tribulations with BJJ. It's fun to follow along with her (especially if you're also a struggling White Belt) and share her feelings. Beyond that, she's also a great human. She's super smart and very inspirational. She's into nutrition and will often help me during my weight cutting with positive vibes, encouragement to eat more "green things."

Why is that cool?  Well, man, we've all been there. We've all been terrified of setting foot on the mat and grinding it out again. We've all thought about how we'll 'never get better,' but Kaeli has the balls to put it out there for the world to read. She's very active on all social media, too, so chances are if you need some inspiration or motivation and ask her, she'll deliver. She also makes BJJ-themed coloring book pages for all those little ones in your life who don't have that. Now what's cooler than that?

That wraps the list--for now. As I mentioned, there's so much cool stuff out there that this post would be entirely too long, so we'll revisit this topic a little later on down the line. I already know of some things I want to highlight, but for now, I think this is a good mix of the obvious, to the less obvious. PS. I just text Kaeli that I'm putting her webite in this week's WBS and she text back "hahaha OMG, I'm terrified, but excited." See what I mean? So let's wrap there. Obviously, if there's something you guys want to see featured on here, let me know! I'm now available on all forms of social media at WBSurvival, but here's the links:

https://twitter.com/WBSurvival

https://www.facebook.com/WBSurvival/?fref=ts

https://instagram.com/wbsurvival/

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

VVV Fight Co.

The coolest and best quality BJJ gear and street wear. I promise you all that you will not be disappointed with ANY VVV products. I wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't true. VVV Fight Co is full of top quality, from the people to the products. 

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Q5 Sports Nutrition

If you're currently not using supplements for your BJJ you may want to consider it. Why? Well either you're young and they'll help your performance, or you're old and you need help with your performance. Let's keep it real, we can all use a little bit of help. Whether it's an extra boost of energy from a preworkout to joint care, Q5 has it all. 

Made by grapplers for grapplers, with the sweetest tag line ever #StayAlpha !

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BJJ: The Home Game!

Sometimes getting to the gym is just impossible. It's not an uncommon problem that all of us will face at one point or another in our Jiu Jitsu Journey; and it will happen more than once. You've undoubtedly felt the itch to be on the mats on your days off, or felt the need to get out there and go hard and leave it all out there--and that's good. But what if you get those urges but can't get to class later that day, or even later that week? Maybe you're sick, on vacation, maybe your significant other REALLY wants you to take a break (ugh), or maybe you just live in a Rebel base on the frozen plant Hoth and your gym is closed for the weather.

Working out at home isn't a new idea. Even today we can see infomercials on TV advertising the latest home workout system, product, or DVD. The idea of doing BJJ at home might seem silly, but I'm here to tell you that not only is it productive and easy to do, but also, "es normal."

First of all, you do not need a training partner to improve your Jiu Jitsu. Of course, having someone there with you will truly expand your options on techniques and what you're able to do. But not having that luxury doesn't mean you're screwed/out of options--NAY! Quite the opposite, my frien! Think about how your instructor conducts class: you have a warm-up, the stretches, line drills, and so on. There are a lot of things you can do right there to help supplement your Jiu Jitsu. Even just stretching alone will help you tremendously, as I'm sure you already know how much of a help flexibility is in Jiu Jistu. Here is a video showing some other exercises you can do at home, on your own, to keep progressing your BJJ.

It doesn't have to stop at just drills, though. Take what we JUST did RIGHT THERE for example (watching a video). Watching videos online is huge. There has never been a time when more resources are available to you at just a few keystrokes. There are a good bit of websites out there dedicated to BJJ instructional videos. Nearly every major BJJ player has their own website where you can pay a fee to learn their techniques. But even just YouTube stuff can be more than enough. Personally, I can tell you that the pay sites are worth it. I would, however, advise that you learn what YOUR Jiu Jitsu game is like before you sign up for a year of MG InAction. (Because you might not have the same game as Marcelo. You might not be the same size, body type, or aggression. Learn who best shadows your style and go from there.) But if you're on vacation, and maybe the Internet isn't an option, grab a book. We did an entire post once about BJJ Books for beginners. 

Be mindful of your diet, too. Your time off, for whatever reason it may be, can--and will--play hell on your diet. I'm not suggesting that everyone in the world that rolls BJJ is on some hardcore Gracie Diet or anything, but we can all relate to rolling on the mats after having a heavy meal and how that will really just monkey wrench your whole system when you're trying not to die. If you're going to be off the mat for awhile, do yourself a favor and be mindful of what you're putting into your body because sooner or later you're going to be back on the mat and you'll be hating yourself for that delicious double, Animal Style, from In-N-Out. Ya dig?

Strength and Conditioning, yo. Strength. And Conditioning. 

When all else fails, when you're in a hotel room, with no BJJ Gym in the area, no room to shrimp, no kitchen to eat healthy, etc. You can still do some push-ups, jog, sit-ups, jumping jacks, sit-outs, and so on. Most hotels have a dinky gym inside that you can hit up for SOMETHING (because something is better than nothing). I can relate, I've been in a Hilton with nothing more than a few ellipticals and considered myself "too manly" for that, but, on second thought, I'd rather elliptical-it-up than nothing. And the elliptical is a legit, hardcore, workout. If you're at the beach, do your BJJ drills on the beach (Remember when Rickson did it in "Choke?"). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was (basically) born on the beaches. Pay homage, hit up the beach, do some drills, have fun.

Remember: Nothing can replace an actual class. But when an actual class is not an option, that does not mean that we have to abandon Jiu Jitsu all together. We're  BJJ players. It's in out blood. You owe it to yourself to keep your training going and mitigate the loss of your mat time as best as you can. Look, sometimes none of what we talked about is an option. But in that crazy case, then there's nothing you can do, then, hey, there's nothing you can do. But really, how often does that happen? You CAN control what you eat. You CAN control 15min a day to do some stretching. You CAN improve YOUR Jiu Jitsu even is you're not on the mats/in class. As in all things, it all depends on you.

  

Today's WBS brought to you by:

VVV Fight Co.
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Improving Your BJJ With Yoga

Like a lot of you, I was introduced to Yoga as a youth through Street Fighter II and the character "Dhalsim." As a youth, I viewed Yoga as some mystical thing that included meditation and ultimately could make me breathe fire and slap fools from across the room with my super-stretchy arms that I (somehow) achieved through said mystical practices that involved elephants.

 Eventually, I grew up enough to learn that breathing fire is (probably) fake and can't be achieved; but I'm not a Yoga expert. Flash forward some years and shake in some BJJ and watch Rickson Gracie's "CHOKE" documentary, and then I remembered that Yoga was a cool thing, so I reached out to someone who's proficient with BOTH Yoga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to drop some knowledge on us. Sam Dei Lune is a life long martial arts practitioner and a certified Yoga instructor, who has used that knowledge to help MMA fighters and other professional athletes improve themselves in their respective fields with Yoga. So take off your gi pants, replace them with SPATS (not Yoga pants, but you can if you're a girl. Guys, no), and let the powerful and wonderful friend of WBS take it away. Ladies and gentlemen, Sam Sarahbi:
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   Yoga not only is an invaluable tool for breath control, but also will improve a jiu jitsu practitioner’s balance, stability, and flexibility.  I will break down some aspects of yoga and their benefits for your use in practicing martial arts:

Breathing: Hot yoga, or yoga practiced at 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity, will increase your awareness of your breath by focusing on breathing through discomfort.  If you’re new to rolling, something like a solid knee mount, or a tough scramble/battle for position can be very draining if you hold your breath throughout, or breathe without a proper rhythm.  Breath control is paramount to advancing/finishing position and escapes, and can assist in controlling of the heart rate as well as mental focus and awareness.  Vinyasa yoga is a moving meditation, much like rolling, and most proficient rollers seem to prefer this type of yoga for their asana practice.  I engage ujjayi breath with my students, six seconds in through the nose, six seconds out through the nose, with a slight constriction in the back of the throat to build heat.

Flexibility: Vinyasa yoga at what would be considered normal room temperatures are probably the most helpful for flexibility.  While you may get a deeper stretch and you may be able to push your body further in heat, this is an artificial depth that you are unlikely to be able to sustain while practicing jiu jitsu.  For the most part, practice your yoga at the same temperature that you will be rolling to be better in tune with how far your body can be pushed.  Poses that spread your hips will help you wrap a higher and tighter guard.  Pigeon pose is a popular hip opener among martial artists and one that I use every day when working with fighters.

Balance:  Balance is essential in avoiding and initiating sweeps and takedowns.  If you only have time for one balancing pose and you are a beginner, I suggest Tree Pose.  This pose will have you balancing on one leg at a time.

Core Strength: Every submission, movement, position, and defense requires core strength.  Every yoga pose engages the core in a manner that can stretch, and strengthen your muscles and joints, which makes it ideal cross training for jiu jitsu.   Specifically, Boat Pose is an intense core strength builder.

Spine Strength: I include a complete series of spine strengthening in every class that I teach because it is important in preventing injury, as it is important to counterbalance some of the movements your body makes in Jiu Jitsu.  Floor bow is a full counter pose to the bending and pressure you will put on your spine during your martial arts practice.

Even though I have included some poses here, it is important to note that I suggest a full yoga sequence, with a warm-up, cool-down, and a full range of motion in between.  Make sure that you are entering and exiting each pose properly, and that you keep balance in your movements, doing a back bend each time you bend forward, doing poses on both sides, and twisting both directions.  Always consult your professional healthcare provider before beginning, or making changes to any fitness regimen/ exercise program.

**********************************************

Incredible, right? Sam is awesome. Over the course of WBS becoming 'a thing,' she and I have got to be pals. She's always insightful and has a lot of great things to say about everything from MMA to just life in general. She's a great example of what can be the result of incorporating multiple disciplines into your life. 

Get more familiar with Sam Sarahbi at her website: http://www.samsarahbi.com/

Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamSarahbi

and if you really want to be the coolest of the cool, and want to get more into what she can offer with her Yoga, you can pick up her book The Sequence at Barnes and Noble, or on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Sequence-Vinyasa-Yoga-Script-Cues/dp/0692294880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411882584&sr=8-1&keywords=SAM+DEI+LUNE

in closing, here's Rickson doing Yoga (skip to 3min to get real)

  

The White Belt's Guide to Good BJJ Books

I’ve always been a believer that putting in the extra time would produce better results—in anything. So, as a newer guy, where do you even start to supplement your training with books? Yes, I said “books.” In today’s modern age, there are a wide variety of media sources to which you can get your information—things like DVDs, YouTube, and athletes own subscription-based websites are all great—and we’ll cover some of those on future posts; but books are always going to be a foundation of supplementing your training with resources outside of class. Books are also, traditionally, going to be more cost effective than some other choices, too—and considering that you might have just dropped a couple hundred bucks on your first gi and membership dues, your BJJ Budget might not be ready for an expensive set of DVDs. But a book is (usually) cheap, and not nearly as cumbersome as loading a DVD or online video.

     Now, I’m not suggesting that books are the be-all-end-all of Jiu Jitsu education; because they’re not. Nothing can replace the training from your instructor or time on the mat. But what’s difficult is that sometimes you learn something in class that plays to your game well and you might not be able to make the next class where the follow-up technique is taught. Or maybe you really want to learn more on developing a good closed guard and how to retain it, but it’s just not being taught at your academy at the moment. That’s where, and why, supplementing your training through books comes in handy.

     There’s been an explosion of books on the sport in recent years. If you were to just Google Search "Jiu Jitsu Book" you’d see there’s enough books to fill an entire bookshelf in your study. So what books are the best ones for beginners? Well, there is no official grading system; but there are some that are always in the conversation. Now, I admit: I have not read every book out there on the subject; but I have looked into the topic enough to know what books are always brought up and suggested by people way smarter than I am on the subject—and for that reason I’m suggesting these four books as starting points to supplement your training.

Recommendation 1: A Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu By Stephan Kesting

 http://www.beginningbjj.com/BJJ%20Roadmap%201.3.pdf

I’m sure you’ve have to seen Stephan by now. His ubiquitous presence on the Internet has made him one of the main faces of the community for at least as long as I’ve been paying attention. In this FREE online PDF, Stephan gives a detailed introduction to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by identifying positions, defines terms, reviews direction to take/look for from each position (hence “Roadmap”) among other things. Sincerely, a printed out version of this PDF should be handed to each new student with their white belt.

Recommendation 2: Mastering Jujitsu By Renzo Gracie and John Danaher

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Jujitsu-Martial-Arts-Series/dp/0736044043

If you’re new to the sport you probably know who Renzo Gracie is—or at least his famous last name is recognizable enough to lend credibility. But you might not be so familiar with John Danaher. John’s a black belt under Master Renzo, and generally considered to have one of the best minds for BJJ, receiving praise from such grappling minds like Greg Jackson and Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes. Not good enough? Danaher is Georges St. Pierre’s submission coach. This book will go over fundamentals, principals, techniques, tactics, and strategy. Considering the source, it’s what I consider another ‘must-have’ in any BJJ library.

Recommendation 3: Jiu-Jitsu University By Saulo Ribero

http://www.amazon.com/Jiu-Jitsu-University-Saulo-Ribeiro/dp/0981504434

Saulo recently shot back into the spotlight with his match in Metamoris 4, but before all of that, Saulo is one of the best BJJ competitors that the sport has ever seen. He’s a black belt in both BJJ and judo, a 5x Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion, and won the ADCC (the biggest/most important submission grappling even in the world) twice. And here, he’s also wrote one hell of a book. The book covers theory for every belt level—ascending from white belt to black belt—speaking to where your focus needs to be at that development stage. In the white belt portion, Saulo speaks to a lot of the simple techniques that often get overlooked in classes (since there’s no day/class dedicated to guys taking their first class) because they might be considered ‘too simple’ or ‘common knowledge.’ But here, Saulo focuses on teaching the white belt how to “survive,” something I find close to my heart—and I hope you do too.

Recommendation 4: The Cauliflower Chronicles: A Grappler’s Tale of Self-Discovery and Island Living By Marshal D. Carper

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cauliflower-Chronicles-Grapplers-Self-Discovery/dp/0982565879

     This is the leisure-reading portion of this post. You can’t focus entirely on technique or you’ll go mad. In this non-fiction selection, the author breaks up with his long-term girlfriend and moves to Hilo, Hawaii to train with BJ Penn. Not sold on that yet? Consider this: Marshal’s co-authored with Marcelo Garcia, Matt Kirtley, and Neil Melanson; and The Cauliflower Chronicles is on Gracie Barra’s list of Great Books for Jiu Jitsu reader. The book follows Marshal’s exploits and misadventures on and off the mat. He talks about his struggles to overcome injury, his time going head-to-head with BJ—and various local insects—as well as his off the mat time with colorful locals. It’s a fun getaway from life while still staying in the right (BJJ) frame of mind.  

So there you have it; four really great books to get you started. Pick one--or all 4--and get crackin' on your off-the-mat Jedi Mind training. :)