Last week, a reader of the journal commented on my holiday wish list, disagreeing with my recommendation of Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu
He bet me (quite literally) that I would prefer Judo Unleashed
Having had a chance to work through Judo Unleashed, I’m going to offer my opinion of it in a head-to-head review with Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu, specifically addressing several of the reader’s points.
“Even on a superficial level, there are very few pictures per page in Guerilla Jiu Jitsu.”
I don’t agree with this, and I think give specific examples from each book will show why.
Ohlenkamp shows o-soto-gari with three photos (beginning, middle and finish) and explains it with one large paragraph and a bulleted list of key points.
In contrast, Camarillo shows the same throw with eight pictures, each of which has a full paragraph explaining it. The introduction to the technique describes the best times to use it as well as how to modify the grip for no-gi and MMA.
These examples are representative of the majority of each book.
If I had to roughly estimate, I would say that Camarillo’s book shows most moves with 6-8 photos, with simpler ones like specific grips getting 2-3, and more complex techniques (e.g. transitioning into ground work from a throw and moving into a armbar that counters specific defenses) having as many as 16 pictures.
I’d say that Judo Unleashed shows most techniques in 3-4 pictures, with variations getting 1-3 photos on the side, and some moves getting around 5-8 pictures.
To be fair, Judo Unleashed attempts to cover a wider variety of throws than Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu. It would seem that Camarillo chose to only teach those basic judo throws which he felt were the foundation to developing stand-up skills.
The newaza (ground techniques) chapter of Ohlenkamp’s book seriously disappointed me. Most of it is text that broadly discusses points like leverage, balance and base, the mechanics of armlocks and chokes, general strategies from the top and bottom, etc.
While nothing is glaringly wrong with what Ohlenkamp is saying, where this chapter really fails to deliver is in technical instruction. Techniques are only explained in general terms, and the setups are left unexplained or unshown.
For example, the page on ude-garami (“entangled arm locks”, usually the basic bent armlocks like the kimura) shows pictures of an americana, an omoplata and some kind of hammerlock (I couldn’t really make out of the details), but doesn’t show or explain how to get them. I couldn’t tell but it also looked like the armlocks were all being applied awkwardly so they attacked the elbow and not the shoulder, as required by judo rules.
The page on chokes has pictures of a couple but doesn’t show how to set them up.
A sequence of pictures showing sankaku-jime (triangle choke) on a turtled opponent, a standard of judo, has no explanation.
The information offered was so general, and the techniques so poorly shown, that I got next to nothing out of the newaza chapter of Judo Unleashed.
“Setting aside flying armlocks, once you get a chance to read/review Ohlenkamp’s Judo Unleashed, just answer one question for me: which book, Guerilla Jiu Jitsu or Judo Unleashed, would you recommend to a jiu jitsero seeking to add some standup judo moves to their game?”
I will gladly set aside the flying submissions since I feel this subject is better shown in Camarillo’s DVD set, not static pictures.
I feel the real strengths of his book are the in how well he teaches the basics of judo and then the meshing of it with BJJ.
The chapters on rolling and falling in Camarillo’s book are better than every other judo book I have read. BJJ is often criticized by judoka for its sloppy breakfalls, and yet this is the first time I’ve seen them taught in great detail. He even includes simpler versions used to familiarize the student with the skills needed for the full breakfalls.
The throws that Camarillo chose to teach from purely from a judo perspective are all extremely well-taught.
While you can find many more throws from the judo syllabus elsewhere, Camarillo covers several topics I’ve never seen addressed in any judo books, including:
- Stopping a wrestling shot in gi grappling.
- Finding your balance in a single leg takedown.
- Throws to counter a single leg.
- Throwing a hunched over opponent.
- Forcing high stance against the hunchbacked jiu-jitseiro.
- Grips and throws that are only possible in the slower-paced stand-up of BJJ.
- Throwing a kneeling opponent, such as a jiu-jitseiro who’s trying to avoid the takedown.
- Moving from groundwork to a throw (on an escaping opponent).
- Blocking the guard pull and stepping past guard if they do.
Situations like these are what I have experienced in BJJ more than I’ve needed the majority of the throws in judo books.
I have seen transitions from throws to groundwork taught in other judo books before, but none take it as deep as Camarillo does, devoting an entire chapter to the topic.
He coins the term “impact control position” to show how most throws end in one of several similar positions, and how you can learn to use them to seamlessly moves into submissions after throwing your opponent.
Even if you take throwing out of the equation, this would still be a great chapter on a dynamic attacking style of side control, knee-on-belly and mount.
Judo Unleashed does contain several well-written sections on topics like kuzushi (breaking balance), foot work, grip fighting, what a belt rank means, how judo and competition can develop a person’s character and help him in other aspects of his life. While most of these section don’t require illustration, I did find the ones on more technical subject (e.g. grip breaking, foot movement) lacking since they did offer any pictorial explanations or specific techniques.
That said, I found Camarillo’s topics more interesting, since he tells stories about how insane Ralph was as his instructor, his take on judo vs jiu-jitsu, and on gi vs no-gi. These just personally interest me more than what Ohlenkamp wrote about.
All things considered, my recommendation of Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu still stands. Judo Unleashed has its good points but I think Camarillo offers more actual instruction of techniques that will mean more to the jiu-jitiero at the end of the day.
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu by Dave Camarillo
Pros
Many clear photos of each technique; better breakfalls than most judo books; detailed grip fighting; high percentage throws and takedowns; handles many issues that are specific to BJJ stand-up; the best instruction of transitioning from throws to groundwork and flying submission in existence.
Cons
Difficult to see the timing and momentum of some moves, like the flying submissions.
Overall
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu remains my top recommendation for jiu-jitieros who want to improve their stand-up. It offers better information on judo than many pure judo books, as well as a ton of innovative material on blending the art with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
[rate 5]
Judo Unleashed by Neil Ohlenkamp
Pros
Well-written essays on the theory of judo, competition, maximum efficiency, character development, et cetera; a wider variety of throws; a couple interesting throws and variations; inexpensive.
Cons
Not all techniques have enough pictures; extremely poor groundwork.
Overall
Judo Unleashed has rough spots but is overall a decent book on the art. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I were a judoka, but as it is, I already have better judo books, and none of them combine it with BJJ like Camarillo can.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive judo book, I recommend the excellent title Best Judo
[rate 3.5]
Thanks Aeso. I owe you $10 … and I owe Camarillo another look at his book. This review of Camarillo’s book convinces me there is more to it that met my (inexperienced) eye.
Would you consider posting your complete review in Amazon under each book, to guide future buyers? It’s a great comparo.
One’s opinion of a book can change with time and experience.
When I had a week of training, I thought Theory & Technique
was a great book. A year later, I couldn’t find more than a handful of moves in it that I hadn’t learned better through normal classes.
The reverse happens too, with books getting better with age.
I got Jean-Jacques Machado’s Black Belt Techniques
and Championship Techniques
over a year ago, and didn’t really find them that impressive at the time. Now I look through them and find all kinds of techniques I had overlooked before. Jean-Jacques has been doing a lot of moves for a long time that become the “New Hot Thing” when a younger competitor starts pulling them off.
I enjoyed “Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu” and thought it was a 4, maybe 4.5. I just purchased the DVD companion, I might review it, but I can be pretty lazy so we’ll see.
I did take issue with one aspect of the book. That was the idea that you could easily transition the Gi Judo game to No-Gi. As someone who has been trying to work No-Gi Judo into my game for the past year I know this is not the case. I’ve also seen in firsthand when someone who is used to the grips of a Gi tries to fight without it. Mind you I’m nowhere close to his experience level but I feel that people reading this book shouldn’t think for a minute that they will be able to integrate the material here into their No-Gi game without seriously considering the gips and balence breaks both standing and on the ground. To understand just how different the No-Gi Judo game differs from the Gi game, check out any of Karo Parisyan’s fights and his DVD “Judo for MMA”.
I would have liked to have seen a larger variety of submission techniques besides armbars, triangles, and a few flying Omaplatas. I understand that these techniques are legal (save Omaplata’s unless you are attacking the elbow joint instead of the shoulder) in both BJJ and Judo comps but I still would have liked to see more. A 4 out of 5.