Attack, attack,and then attack some more with Cobrinha…
When it comes to instructionals, there are usually two major subcategories that arise: 1. Encyclopedic- including the macro every move under the sun as well as the micro/position specific instructional and 2. Game specific- where the player tries to give insight into why his/her jiu-jitsu works so well. However, sometimes the dividing line between these subcategories becomes hazy and this is definitely the case with the recently released Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Vol. 1 and Cobra Jiu-Jitsu 2 instructionals by Bull Terrier out of Japan.
First off, let’s learn a little about Ruben Charles and why these instructionals are going to be of such interest for so many practitioners. To talk about Rubens is so to talk about the famous and now defunct TT School. As a student/blackbelt under Fernando “Terere” Augosto and Eduardo Telles as well as a classmate to Andre Galvao, Rubens has been fortunate to train under some of the most popular and sought after instructors. With the collapse of TT and lack of instruction from Galvao or Terere, this set along with the Eduardo Telles Turtle Guard is pretty much all that is available to get an insight into the techniques of TT. With that said, Charles has also blossomed into an international BJJ star in his own right with dominating victories at the Mundials in which he became a world champion by convincingly defeating Marcio Feitosa and chasing this with a Pan American title as well. His style most closely mirrors that of Fernando Terere in his use of hooks, capoeira infused athleticism (he is an instructor level in capoeira as well), uncanny sensitivity, and transition.
Regarding the instructional, this is a 2 volume set (Rubens Charles I and Cobra Jiu-Jitsu II) that is filmed entirely in Japan. The language track is Portuguese only with Japanese subtitles, so if you have a problem with visual learning this may not be the set for you. Each disc retails at 39.95 and consists of over 50 moves per disc. Both volumes consist of techniques, interview (once again Portuguese only), sparring footage, and class footage. The class time includes warmups, drills, Swedish Ball techniques, and a capoeira demo. It should be noted that the class and sparring footage is filmed on a different camera and due to lighting and resolution the visual quality suffers a little bit compared to the instructional footage. However, the issue is a minor one when you consider how enjoyable these segments are.
The content of these DVDs is superb, but may not be for everyone. Foremost, it is a non-English import DVD (don’t worry - it works fine on Region 1 players) and some people will not be able to learn visually or understand the language. As far as techniques the movements include a lot of transitions and again this may be alien to some viewers. What we do get with these DVDs are some of the most advanced techniques I have seen; some complex and some simple. Here are some of my personal favorites:
For the Andre Galvao fan: Cobrinha goes through several moves with the leg lasso from spider guard that Galvao has made famous in competition, Arte Suave vol. 1 (where he is partnered with Cobrinha), and in his segment at TT Academy on BJJ Spirits. The lifting sweeps from the leg lasso are incredible.
The Terere fan: Most of the transitioning techniques are very similar to what you may have seen Terere accomplishing in competition, especially Charles’ back taking moves, guard pass transitions, and hook guard techniques. Both Charles and Terere have a great ability to sweep off being flattened with their hooks in. It is a position that most end up in and get passed, yet these guys manage to sweep and for that alone I think these techniques are incredible. Not to mention, there is no Galvao or Terere instructionals- this is the only way to see their techs.
The Marcelo Garcia fan: As an Alliance lineage black belt (and present student of Fabio Gurgel), there are a lot of comonalities between Cobrinha’s attacks and Garcia’s. On Volume 1, Cobrinha goes in depth on what Garcia now calls the monoplata and he shows how he attacks it from a myriad of positions. You can often see Gavlao, Charles, and Garcia working this with great success in competition. In addition, both volumes include guard passing and harness strategies that look very similar to Marcelo’s game as well.
In addition, there are similarities to Telles’s Octopus game in a couple of moves and Leo Vieira’s movement based guard passing throughout the DVDs. One of my favorite things about the guard passing is that he puts moves together so that you do 2 or 3 passes to get the pass and it is all about drilling for your opponents reaction. There is so much on these DVDs and most of it I have not seen anywhere else.
Who should get this? Anyone looking to add transitions to their game that do not mind a language barrier. The moves range from intermediate to advanced, but more often than not lean towards the advanced end of the spectrum. In a recent interview, Rigan Machado spoke of the importance to train yourself in transitions and Cobrinha looks like living proof of this sentiment.
Asides from transitions, this is a collection of the current most advanced competition techniques out there. Almost every position is covered (with the exception of escapes) and these two volumes have a lot of great new content.
What I did not like? Some of the moves are very advanced and you will need some attributes to stand on your head or to do some of the rolls. Also, some of the moves may not be high percentage, but they are pure jiu-jitsu entertainment. On that entertainment value alone, I would recommend this to everyone.
So, if you are interested in some high level movement based BJJ (or at least watching it) you will love Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Jiu- Jitsu Volume 1 and Cobra Jiu-Jitsu Volume 2. Both fit together perfectly to show a gameplan and are encyclopedic in their scope of covering modern competitive jiu-jitsu.
Tags: Jiu-Jitsu DVD Instructionals
