Rating: 
Summary: EXTRAORDINARY!!!
Review: If you practice any martial art - not just jiu jitsu - this book deserves your careful study and attention. It is indispensable for anyone who desires a better understanding of unarmed combat between two fighters. The book could just as easily have been entitled "Mastering Vale Tudo." Vale tudo (no holds barred fighting) matches and mixed martial arts competitions have been the crucible through which different martial styles have tested themselves for combat effectiveness. These competitions have demonstrated that fighters must understand and be prepared to deal with combat in all of its phases. This book delves deeply into each of these phases and covers such concepts as overall and positional strategy. It also contains chapters on self-defense and training. The chapter on fighting from the clinch alone is worth more than the price of the book. The authors are to be commended for the depth and clarity of their thinking on these subjects and the crystal clear manner in which they articulate their insights. For me, reading this book was a series of "eureka!" experiences. I suspect that (depending upon your particular martial practice) you will find this book illuminating, insightful, perhaps controversial, but always compellingly thought out and lucidly written. It should change the way that you think about fighting and the way that you train. To my knowledge, there is nothing else like this on the market. It is extraordinary.
Rating:
Summary: Best book on Ju-Jitsu ever?
Review: If you want to learn Ju-Jitsu, it's best to take classes, and practice with real partners. But as for learning specific moves and combinations, as well as the theory behind the moves, this is the best book around. It also covers the history of Brazilian ju jitsu, and the Gracie family's envolvement in martial arts. Renzo is one of the best mixed martial arts fighters around, and he did a great job making this book. Also, it's a great buy at only 14 bucks. Get it now, you won't be disapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Great way to fill in theoretical gaps
Review: If your BJJ instructor is like mine, then he doesn't talk much about theory or high-level strategy - he's too busy showing you how to do the stuff. I found this book to be the perfect compliment to a "less talk, more work" training regimen because it takes the things you are learning and applying (normally immediately) each week, and explains the foundations and reasons behind them.
For example I came from kenpo and never had strong grappling skills or a lot of experience in it, so I could accept that I didn't want someone to get double underhooks locked on me, but I had no true understanding of the implications of screwing that up. Rather than stop the class a dozen times to ask questions, I suggest reading this book first, then asking questions. Previous reviewers have touted the "phases" of combat instead of the traditional "ranges", and I also found that very helpful. The ranges always seemed a bit too ... neat to me. Both theories are very helpful and should be learned in my opinion, if only to argue intelligently for/against one.
The writing style of this book was actually quite good as well. This worried me since the Gracies focus on combat, not English literature, but the co-author is a PHd who managed to NOT throw unecessary Latin phrases around. Overall it's a smooth and interesting read without grammar/spelling mistakes or illogical jumps in topics.
One thing that I was very happy to see was a non-arrogant tone. There is a division nowadays between standup and grappling arts that sometimes gets snippy for no reason, and to be honest it's pretty annoying (since pure grapplers and pure standup fighters BOTH consistently lose to complete fighters). This book's tone is very objective and when it states an opinion that might raise some ire, like pure standup fighters are flawed, it points to either direct evidence, strong logic, or both.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: Includes in depth discussion about all aspects of the game and even incorporates some of the "Jujitsu" techniques and tactics used by Sakuraba against the Gracies. The techniques are demonstrated by the actual instructors at the New York school as well as Renzo himself. I tried a number of the techniques against an experience grappling opponent and they worked without a hitch. Great stuff!
Rating:
Summary: worthy read
Review: Let's just say that as a student at Rickson Gracie's school, I rarely find a bjj book which augments my training. This one does. It's a deep, rich read with fasinating history and theories of combat. It changed the context through which I view the Gracie artform.If you train or are interested in bjj, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not dissmised if you buy it.
Review: Mastering Jujitsu is an interesting martial art book without gi. At the beggining of the book there are very good chapters about theory and history of Jujitsu and aslo about modern Jujitsu. At the end of the book there is one of the best words I've read about Jujitsu for self-defense. I would like to see this book in next edition with color photos. One of the best on teh market.
Rating:
Summary: Training's useful but there's no substitute for experience !
Review: No, that's not a quote from Gichin Funakoshi or Moriei Uyeshiba. That's from Ian Fleming's "From Russia with Love." The Gracies agree. The bad news is that we're told that 'There is no Santa Claus' against multiple opponents, so wannabe James Bonds are out of luck. The good news is that when Royce Gracie entered the 'Ultimate Fighting Championship' he was able to do what most martial arts promised but could not deliver; consistently defeat much larger men. At 170 lbs soaking wet, Royce kept winning against Sumo, Greco-Roman wrestlers, Boxers and Karateka-- as did the rest of his family. Fleming would have approved of their methodology. The Gracies had tons of eperience, Brazilian law did not forbid no-holds barred challenges. A bit of a throwback to the 19th century catch wrestling matches, if not quite The Wild West . . . This book covers the beginning of the Gracie clan's ascencion to prominence. The authors make the point that martial arts which teach 'deadly moves' e.g; eye-gouging, shuto throat strikes and such are weaker than those which practise safe techniques--an easily explained paradox in their view, since the 'deadly' ones (Karate and Ryu-style Ju-Jitsu) have to remain theoretical--not too many students being willing to get their throats crushed in practise; whereas boxing and Judo spend most of their time in sparring safely against a training partner-that is not being cooperative. Thus they have nothing but the highest praise for Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo. Indeed their 'lineage'is traced back to him via Mitsuyo Maeda,(1871-1941) a Judoka who saw Judo lose to the Fusen-Ryu school of Jujitsu. This was the first time Kodokan Judo had EVER lost against the 'theoretical' schools Fusen Ryu employed ground grappling. Kano added this to Judo and Fusen Ryu was 'incorporated' into Japan's official national sport--but not before Yukio Tani, a Fusen-Ryu stylist traveled to England around 1900 and defeated all comers, sometimes fighting as many as 50 a week. He only weighed 125 lbs. In any case Maeda moved to Brazil followed Yukio's example and quickly adapting to foreigners who wrestled without a gi, boxed, etc. He then met and befriended Carlos Gracie, and the rest, as they say is history. . . --------------------------------------- This book shows some of the most basic (read effective) holds, takedowns and submissions in BJJ. It also treads on some toes by stating that the cherished concept in JKD about 'ranges of combat' (kicking, boxing, trapping and grappling) has proven to be false. A flying knee can be long range and a grappler who has his mind set on a clinch and takedown from 15 feet away, will indeed, take you down. A possible weakness is the dogma that 'all fights end up on the ground' which the authors sometimes amend to 'most fights between usnkilled opponents' etc. The reality is that BJJ confesses to having no defense against two or more opponents save running or looking around for 'improvised weapons'-- See chapter 10, JuJitsu for self defense. But there is a lot of data in which a boxer a karateka or a good street fighterhas indeed prevailed aginst two men---and more. Ask around your friendly local barroom bouncers, LEO's , and MP's. Come to think of it, many in the military police and other similar organizations think the world of the hand to hand combat developed by the likes of Fairbarns, Sykes and other commando trainers from WW2--which are indeed 'theoretical' Furthermore with the introduction of 'Redman' and other protective suits and gear, the gap between theoretical and practical is closing. Lastly, and I know I'm nitpicking--I think the world of the Gracies--Bruce Lee would be somewhat taken aback by the statement that the roundhouse " Can be safely regarded as the 'king of kicks' ". Here the authors are referring to Thai low roundhouse using the shin to attack a boxer's leg. I'm surprised the authors did not follow their own logical conclusion, that the low side thrust kick to the leading leg of the opponent does not exist in Thai boxing because it's too dangerous and thus is 'theoretical', but might prove quite handy in a real fight , just as Bruce thought. In any case, all martial artists can be gratefull to the Gracies for putting back some perspective into what works and doesn't, as well as for founding an organization where it does take years of hard work to earn a 1st degree black belt, as opposed to--well I'm too much of a gentleman to name names but if you've been around the MA scene, you know the score- and where possesing one actually means that yes, you can handle yourself in a fight-- WHAT A CONCEPT ! Outstanding book.
Rating:
Summary: Great, great book!
Review: Renzo and John really did it with this one. This is the best book out there on FIGHTING - whether for sport or self protection. The authors really get into the 3 phases of combat ("free-movement"; "the clinch"; and "ground fighting"). There is also some great historical information on the evolution of Jujitsu since the Meiji Restoration, how Judo revolutioned the art, and the innovations since. This book is not full of "how-to" photos, but has more than enough photos to get their points across. I also own Renzo's other book "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Technique", and it is well laid out with scores of color photos. However, I'd recommend this one, "Mastering Jujitsu", over his other book or any other Brazilian Jiu Jitsu text. Buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe good fighter Poor Instructors
Review: Some people can fight and some people can instruct and some people can do both. This is not a good instruction tool.
Rating:
Summary: Gracie doesn't use weights in training
Review: The greatest revelation of this book is that Gracie recommends bodyweight exercises such as calisthentics rather that weight training for the martial arts.
| 
