Books and/or Magazines...

[Eric?!]

I really believe that "Knowledge Is Power" and I also know there is nothing like first hand experience as well. You just can't replace first hand training with books and/or magazines, but I wanted to know what the rest of you do read?! If any of you do that is...

[Timmyle]

I subscribe to Gracie magazine, which I have found to be totally worth the money thus far. I also read TapOut, MMA Worldwide, and Gladiator magazines-- the first 2 are a little ad-heavy, but there's usually some decent technique pages, and sometimes really good articles. Gladiator, while only one issue has come out so far, is really good as it keeps up with the smaller shows, and seems more geared towards those who train, not just fans.

as for books? it's weird-- sometimes I'll get a book and it's just over my head (ex. - Bravo's rubber guard book), but months later, it becomes useful to me.

is there a specific book you wanna know about?

[GrCh35]

My favorite book is the Gracie Way. I've read The Gracie Mag here & there.

[Tom Gavrilos]

Bas Rutten Big Books of Combat have a wealth of info and good illustrations!

[Eric?!]

is there a specific book you wanna know about?

Oh... NO, I was just wondering what other members are reading and have read?!

Here is my list:

Bas Rutten's BIG BOOK OF COMBAT VOL. 1 - 2
MUAY THAI: A Living Legacy
GUERILLA JIU - JITSU By Dave Camarillo
Six Books Written By Mark Hatmaker

I will continue to add to this collection as time goes on and as far as mags I read Ultimate Grappling, Tapout, Fighters Only, and Fight Source?!

[HossZalios]

I just finished reading "A Fighters Heart" by Sam Sheridan. Check it out, it's a pretty great book about his trip through fighting...

[Ryan]

I pick-up Grappling Mag. Every now and then. They usually have some decent training articles on conditioning and I like the "week schedule w/ Jeff Monson" Pretty cool stuff.

[BigD]

I like the Gracie series with Kid Peligro doing the photos. I have Rodrigo's book on BJJ for MMA. Kid's book on the guard. Rodrigos "path to the black belt" book too.

Path is not what i expected, I wanted a more philosophical book, it is for like 15 pages, then it becomes a survey course in BJJ. The guard book was amazing. I'd recommend that to anyone with a weak guard game (mine is atrocious).

Slightly OT, but Karo Parysian's Judo DVD set is great, there's also a Russian Sambo leg-locks dvd set by a guy named Igor, that was great too.

[Gmc310]

My personal fave is "the Essential Guard" by Rodrigo Medeiros, I'm a guard guy and this has every position , sweep and submission that I've ever seen from guard. good pics and drills too, another Kid Peligro book, top notch

[AJ]

I just got the following for Christmas.

Bas Rutten's Big Book of Combat (Volumes 1&2)
BJ Penn's Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge
Fedor: The Fighting System of the World's Undisputed King of MMA

Bas Rutten's books are great in terms of volume of content however it is still lacking in both detail and description. I usually have to read similar moves to obtain as many details as I can, cross referencing similar moves against each other. If it wasn't for my current knowledge of grappling the book would probably confuse me and some moves would probably be ineffective. For example, he takes a lot of his hip movement for granted and doesn't always explain it. So you have to pay close attention to his bodies orientation in each photo.

Both the Fedor and BJ books are great MMA books. Both have great MMA ground transitions that fluidly use striking to setup passes. BJ's takedown defense in the book is comprehensive and his sit up guard and overwrap guard easily integrate into my grappling game.

Fedor's stand up striking is surprisingly deceptive and it's full of sneaky setups and smart combinations. BJ's striking is insanely fluid with each strike chaining and setting up the following strike, take down, or clinch. Very comprehensive stuff.

[prodigypenn]

theres a magazine which recently came out that focuses pretty much on submissions grappling/bjj its called bjj legends, the first magazine came out like 6 months ago or sumthin, and they only recently released the 2nd issue in oct/nov or sumthin, they do alot of interviews of big names like bj penn, rigan machado and the like and the ppl they interview also have an instructional portion, and it comes with a free dvd

[slideyfoot]

I'll stick up the usual links to my book reviews:

Instructional

Mastering Jujitsu (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/07/book-review-mastering-jujitsu-renzo.html)): The first BJJ book you should buy. Best coverage of BJJ history and theory available, with thoughts on strategy, and a few basic techniques.

The Guard (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/07/book-review-guard-ed-beneville-joe.html)): Goes from beginner to slightly more advanced, keeping techniques in context. Lots of photos, multiple angles, concise and helpful descriptions.

Jiu Jitsu University (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2009/05/book-review-jiu-jitsu-university-saulo.html)): The first two chapters are ideal for beginners, with Saulo helpfully breaking down defence into survival and escapes. He methodically details how to work your way free, as well as common misconceptions. Later coverage of guard fundamentals is also good, with simple sweeps and submissions again described alongside typical problems.


Passing the Guard (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2009/10/book-review-passing-guard-ed-beneville.html)): Everything you could ever want to know about passing the guard is covered in this book. Opening the guard from standing or kneeling, dealing with grips, countering submissions, beating the lockdown, solo drills and of course a huge number of different passes are all present. I have some reservations about the inclusion of dubious (not to mention dangerous) techniques like neck cranks, but that aside, this book is awesome.

Strategic Guard (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/04/book-review-strategic-guard-ed.html)): Slightly more advanced than The Guard, but even better in terms of presentation, coverage and textual description. Useful flow-charts at the end of each chapter. If you're looking for defensive applications of the guard and escapes, absolute must-have.

BJJ: Theory and Technique (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/10/book-review-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-theory.html)): Plenty of solid technique, but erratic layout and a focus on self-defence. Good for beginners if you don't mind flicking back and forth to find what you want. Also has a very good historical and theoretical introduction, but the one in Mastering Jujitsu is better.

Mastering the Rubber Guard (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2009/01/book-review-mastering-rubber-guard.html)): Well-presented coverage of Bravo's bottom game, but not for beginners. I'd recommend you don't pick this up until later on, certainly not before blue.

Non-Fiction

The Gracie Way (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/08/book-review-gracie-way-kid-peligro.html)): Heavily biased, but still a great read, with loads of historical photos. Also pretty much the only BJJ history book currently available in English.

The Pyjama Game (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/06/book-review-pyjama-game-mark-law.html)): Jovial coverage of judo history, from Kano up through to more recent competition and major figures from the Olympics. Also has some snippets on BJJ.

Angry White Pyjamas (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2008/01/still-ill.html)): Oxford poet living in Japan learns aikido at the Tokyo Police Academy. Engaging, if a little misguided in places: good travel reading.

The Last Wrestlers (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2009/01/book-review-last-wrestlers-marcus.html)): Journalist travels through India, Nigeria, Mongolia and Brazil in search of 'real' wrestling (as you might expect, that means he checks out BJJ in Brazil).

No Holds Barred (full review (http://www.slideyfoot.com/2010/01/book-review-no-holds-barred-clyde.html)): Gentry was the first author to make a concerted effort to research and document the early years of mixed martial arts. He provides a platform for the personalities of the time to reminisce, presenting their own versions of what happened. Rorion Gracie, Art Davie, Tank Abbott, Relson Gracie and Don Frye all weigh in, amongst many others. To a large degree, No Holds Barred is the story of MMA's painful beginning, in the words of those who were not only there, but intimately involved.



I got a load of BJJ books for christmas, so will take me a while to get round to reviewing all those. When I do, they'll be up here (http://www.slideyfoot.com/search/label/review).