Many including myself have lauded the Baret Yoshida DVD/Book combo by Airyudo Books as one of the best buys on the market. It has it all, a huge library of techniques from a myriad of positions, a convenient book with easy to read English, and best of all- a companion DVD that includes every move. For 25 bucks, I still believe that this is one of the best buys out there. However, besides its price point and value laden content, what could have been done better with this product and how does it fit into the framework created by the first Baret Yoshida 3 DVD Set (formerly only available on VHS)?

Well, to understand this, we should first evaluate what the Baret Yoshida DVD/Book Combo is and is not. It is a mammoth of a set and it includes plenty of options and attacks; it is a great buy. What it lacks though is complexity. This set shows complex movement, but it does not really fit into the framework of how Baret plays his no-gi grappling game. Sure the armbar section from the guard is very well done, but it is well done in a surveyed sense - it does not let you into how Baret moves and plays his guard, it only shows how he does these specific context focused techniques. I feel that this is actually by design, the authors/publishers could only make it a value by LOADING it with techniques, over analysis by Baret would have only limited the scope of the book/DVD.

With that said, I feel that the 3 Disc Baret Yoshida Set by High Performance Videos takes on and completes the Book/DVD combo. Whereas the Airyudo set (Book/DVD) is more encyclopedic and macro, the Baret 3 Disc Set accomplishes both. It is micro in that Baret takes the time to bring you into his game and he shows you a mutlitude of options for attacking and finishing your opponent from Yoshida’s favorite positions. The moves do tend to build off of eachother and Baret talks in more detail than on his Airyudo set. The set is also macro in its scope in that Baret covers both his top game and positional attacks as well as his very dominating guard style including guard defense (with some very good attacks against the aggressive passer). What makes this DVD work is that it mixes both of these elements very well - there are a lot of moves, but they all fit into the context of Baret’s “A Game” and he sheds light into what is a high or low percentage technique.

Reading this, you may think that this is a “perfect” set; well, up until now I have failed to find one and Yoshida’s is no different. As has been pointed out before, Baret does appear somewhat uncomfortable in front of the camera. He seems a little shy and sometimes his voice is a little soft or there is a little trepidation in his speaking style. I have also heard that his thick Hawaiian pidgin tongue (or Hawaiian Creole English) is unintelligible, but on this point I disagree. His pidgin is not that thick, I find it hardly noticable and Baret does not use any slang or terminology that would be foreign to most people. The English is less than perfect at times, but the content is still at a very high level. If you are an English professor, you may shy away, but you will wish you had not. In addition to this, I do feel that the visual quality is higher in the Airyudo combo set, but the 3 DVD set is clear and well shot for its time.

-With this product review, I am going to start a little section on why I would personally purchase (or not purchase) the aforementioned product.

So, why would I get the Baret Yoshida 3 Disc Set? I can clearly answer in three easy pieces. First, it has a whole gameplan from Baret on attacking armbars and triangles from the no-gi guard. I find it to be very difficult to finish anyone beyond the beginner level with triangles or armbars from the guard due to the sweat factor, but over and over I have seen Baret submit top level competition from within his guard; this is something worth looking into for everyone. What makes it even more amazing is seeing Baret teach and implement his submissions from the open guard, poetry in motion. Secondly, the DVD set includes a lot of bonus sparring footage and once again I get to see how Baret finishes big strong guys from his guard as well as his transitions and top subs. I am a big advocate of sparring footage on any DVD set, as I feel that this is where the viewer gains an uncompromised view to see if the instructor actually practices what he teaches. The sparring on here is really enjoyable. Finally, I appreciate that Baret defines the likelihood of the attacks that he presents. He tells you when to pursue certain attack combinations and actually tells you that some are always high percentage while others are best used as “Hail Mary”-style attacks or in the waning seconds of the match. I appreciate this candor and it was actually very useful to practice a lot of these riskier techniques as movement drills as well.

On to the winner between Baret and Baret. Obviously Baret is the winner, but my preferred format is the 3 DVD set. I really enjoy the Airyudo Book/DVD, but I just feel that the 3 DVD set has so much more to offer. The quality is good, the menus are easily navigable, and the extras let me feel like I am getting my money’s worth. If I had to make the purchase between one or the other I would still get the Airyudo set first. It is very inexpensive and it is not likely to show up on your significant other’s monthly accounting. As I continually say, it is a good deal. But once you can afford it (about $110.00) and have the time to give it a good sit through- I would purchase the 3 Disc Set. It is a solid purchase, especially if you need work on submitting your opponents from the open and closed guards.

Happy Training,
Kevin

Tags: Submission Grappling DVD Instructionals

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 9:35 pm and is filed under Submission Grappling DVD Instructionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.