{"title":"BOOKS","description":"\u003cp\u003eBOOKs\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"open-close-guard","title":"OPEN CLOSE GUARD","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"a-size-medium a-spacing-none a-color-base a-text-normal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOpening Closed-Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: The Story Behind the Film\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eWhat are the origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Is it merely a by-product—a rebel offspring—of Judo? What was the nature and content of the art that Mitsuyo Maeda, a.k.a. “Count Koma”, and other Japanese were teaching in the Amazon? Was it Judo? Jiu-Jitsu? His own personal fight-tested style, built on a foundation of Judo and informed by his dozens and dozens of matches around the world? What was the bridge between the art he learned at the Kodokan and the Brazilian style that claims him as its godfather: a style now practiced by millions worldwide (and growing bigger every day)? Should Maeda even be at the center of this story? And what role did Carlos and Hélio Gracie play in all of this? Did they \"invent\" BJJ? Would BJJ exist without them? And, if so, what—if anything—did they create? And why does this history matter to the average BJJ practitioner today?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAny history possesses its official narrative with its own favorite characters and events. But true history is seldom simple, and more oft than not the real story is far richer than the popular version that is widely repeated and handed down. The history of BJJ and MMA in Brazil doesn’t escape this paradigm. The recent renaissance in research in regards to the history of martial arts in Brazil led to the author’s curiosity, which in turn led to the documentary Closed-Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, which in turn led to this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis manuscript started as an account of the author’s recollections of the film's production, and quickly grew into much more. Opening Closed Guard: The Story Behind the Film contains conclusions, analysis, and historical interpretations, as well as the story behind the documentary itself and the many challenges it faced along the way. It contains interviews, research articles pertaining to the history of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, as well as the author's own take on the current state of BJJ and MMA. Finally, it is the story of the author rediscovering his love for Jiu-Jitsu in a completely new and unexpected way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn in the US from a Brazilian mother and American father, and having spent his life between these two countries, Robert Drysdale remains the only American competitor to have ever won both the IBJJF and ADCC World Championships, the two most prestigious tournaments in all of Jiu-Jitsu. Furthermore, he has also cultivated a career in MMA, both as a fighter and as a coach. The author also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History, as well as a long-held passion for this discipline. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. He is also the co-founder of the international team Zenith Jiu-Jitsu, and is the father of two girls.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Armor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51845092180246,"sku":null,"price":29.22,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0702\/2677\/2246\/files\/3B88F690-C500-482E-9D12-C50C1F94D788.png?v=1788903396"},{"product_id":"the-rise-and-evolution-of-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-from-vale-tudo-to-carlson-gracie-to-its-democratization","title":"The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Vale-Tudo, to Carlson Gracie, to its Democratization","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this new addition to the history of BJJ, multiple time World Champion and the author of the bestseller \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e“Opening Closed Guard,”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Robert Drysdale explores the history of jiu-jitsu by concentrating on the major events and characters that were responsible for turning BJJ into a global phenomenon.\u003cbr\u003e“The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” is divided into four parts, or four waves of practitioners (1934-1967; 1967-1993; 1993-2007 and 2007-present) as these practitioners were exposed to different brands of jiu-jitsu as the art evolved over time, in both cultural and technical terms. For this, the author takes a dive into the importance of vale-tudo in shaping the Gracie fighting system away from judo and into a more reality-based approach to combat. It also investigates jiu-jitsu’s continuous evolution inside its first federation as well as how the family feud between Helio and Carlson Gracie played a vital role in this evolutionary process.\u003cbr\u003eFurthermore, the book discusses the importance of the brotherly-rivalry between Carlson and Rolls Gracie as setting the foundation for jiu-jitsu to evolve from its previous form into the brand of jiu-jitsu practiced by millions of people around the world today. According to the author, it was Carlson’s role in insisting on a competition-oriented approach to jiu-jitsu open to all that breathed life into the brand of jiu-jitsu that took the world by storm after the rise of Royce Gracie and the UFC in 1993. For these and other reasons discussed in the present work, the author places Carlson at the center of this history as the father of modern BJJ and MMA.\u003cbr\u003eLastly, this book discusses the struggles and importance of Carlos Gracie Jr. and the IBJJF in giving jiu-jitsu, structure, shape and professional credibility at a time where jiu-jitsu was under threat of becoming simply another fad. It also discusses the greatest challenges the art faces today as its popularity carries with it problems that threaten to fragment precisely some of the qualities that set jiu-jitsu apart from other martial arts to begin with.\u003cbr\u003eBJJ has conquered the martial-arts world, yet its history remains only half told. Its rise and evolution are a captivating story of resilience, courage, rivalries and ambition that, ultimately, led to the prestige and popularity it enjoys today. This book is about this story and its main protagonists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbout the Author: Robert Drysdale is the only American to have ever won the IBJJF Gi World Championships and the ADCC (the two most prestigious jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world) as well as having fought MMA successfully. He has also trained multiple UFC champions and BJJ World Champions. He is the co-founder of the Zenith BJJ team and the author of the bestseller \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e“Opening Closed Guard.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and lives with his two daughters in Las Vegas, Nevada where he teaches daily.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Armor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51850030776598,"sku":null,"price":32.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0702\/2677\/2246\/files\/F1F989DC-DF50-4173-A8E1-0888CAB58B20.png?v=1788981674"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0702\/2677\/2246\/collections\/DB4C734D-A6CE-475E-8E43-400673814898.png?v=1788985436","url":"https:\/\/theblackarmor.com\/zh\/collections\/books.oembed","provider":"Black Armor","version":"1.0","type":"link"}