The Big Ones - Marcelo Garcia 4 and Braulio Estima…
Recently, two of the largest jiu-jitsu instructional producers went head to head with nearly simultaneous releases of the newest Marcelo Garcia vol. 4 instructional and the highly anticipated Braulio Estima set. Although the timing is certainly hard on the wallets, these instructionals couldn’t have been any more different and both are definitely worth checking out.
Marcelo Garcia vol. 4- As the latest iteration of the famous franchise, Marcelo breaks new ground in this volume entitled New Game Jiu-Jitsu. Gone are the x-guard, back attacks, and arm drag DVDs of volumes 1-3. In its place is a whole lot of submission grappling specific omoplata, guillotine, and crucifix attacks. This is definitely new ground for the series.
Like many WMA productions, the picture quality is very clean and the dubbing is crystal clear, but someone needs to tell the producer to get rid of the different colored curtain in the background. It appears frumpy and out of place when compared to the clean lines of the all blue background in Marcelo Garcia vol. 2. Ever since Saulo Ribeiro’s Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 2 we have seen the emergence of the grey curtain and i’m hoping this isn’t the beginning of a trend. Take note producers: solid screens that match the mats are better than curtains!
With that said and done lets dive into the content of Garcia 4… there is a ton of omoplata on here (4 DVDs worth). This has to be the omoplata of Garcia because he covers everything. Easily some of the most worthwhile information is on defeating the omoplata defense and isolating the arm to create the omoplata angle. These entry strategies are really top notch. For those looking for the latest and greatest techniques, the monoplata and its many variations should more than sate your curiostities.
What I liked about this set? The crucifix and guillotine DVDs are also quite excellent. Some of the transitions into the crucifix have to be seen and I had quite a few “wow” moments throughout my viewing. The guillotine instructional focuses a lot on the “ten finger” style guillotine and there are some great variations as well. My favorite DVD in the set is the crucifx; the material just felt newer to the DVD market.
Complaints: 4 discs on the omoplata felt a little overdone at times and my mind waned when viewing for long periods. Also, like some of Marcelo’s other series’, there is a little overlap to his previous sets. For example: Marcelo 2 and 3 show the same “Sperry style” arm behind the back pass, Marcelo 1 and 2 the same drag sequence, and Marcelo 2, 3, and 4 the same guillotines (from passing the sit-up guard and north south). To me, the variations between how it is shown from gi to no gi is slight and I could have used some different stuff.
Overall impression: The set comes packed with some focused material and it is definitely worth it. I don’t think it is the type that you can watch in one sitting, but you will definitely get some great insight into finishing from these common positions. My favorite is still Marcelo 1, but this set is just as solid as the other three. Marcelo could release a cookbook and I’d prob buy it.
Braulio Estima - This is the first instructional of any form from BJJ World Champion Braulio Estima by Bjjtapes. Being the owner of an incredible guard, Braulio showcases the closed and open guards as well as a small segment featuring his guard passing strategy.
The production quality is good and the background is the standard gym. Once again, it would be nice to see more of a studio feel with more control in the background. Braulio speaks English throughout and he is easily intelligible. Once again, let’s dive into the content…
I think 90 % of the moves on this set are high percentage; the closed guard and guard recovery are solid gold. The other 10 % will take a little play and practice to get used to your opponents reactions. Some of these moves include some leg movement, lassoing, and spider guard movements that will probably need a little time to get the movements and strategies down pat. With that said, I really found the basic attacks and combinations were priceless. Anyone suffering from a weak guard should see what Braulio has to offer in this department.
What I appreciated about this DVD was the attention to detail in every position. Braulio really breaks down the necessary movement and answers the why of the position. In this regard the set feels more like a private lesson than an instructional. He also teaches every technique using an intelligent opponent who is not just sitting there lame duck style. Due to this, each move really feels like three or four. For any given move, Braulio gives multiple end games and alternatives - all of which created a very dynamic feel. In fact, if Bjjtapes would have separated each move into at least two or three, he could have created a much higher move list based on Braulio’s variations. This said, I like to see the variations within the same string of thought.
My favorites techniques: Once again, I liked all of the core fundamental sections: How to defend the pass, putting together an open guard, controlling wih the guard, and posture breaking to the attack with the closed guard. Braulio’s closed guard is incredibly dangerous.
Complaints: I would have liked to see a intro menu graphic, but that complaint is very minor and is more of just a personal preference. Other than that, I was really impressed.
Overall impression: This is my favorite set from tapes. However, I really think this has more to do with the strength of Braulio as an instructor; Braulio is articulate and he presents the guard as a dynamic and moving system. Great set.
One more thing. Both sets cover totally different areas and have their own specialties. I really think they are beyond comparison in case someone is wondering which is better.
Braulio teaches some of the best gi closed and open guard that I have seen. There is a lot of value and I think the principles can be utilized without the gi. Apart from this, Garcia shows technique specific moves that are great for gi and no gi, but are definitely assisted by the no gi freedom of movement. Both are grade A quality instructionals.
Happy Training,
Kevin
Tags: Jiu-Jitsu DVD Instructionals, Submission Grappling DVD Instructionals
