Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt Requirements: Fundamentals for All

[Broad Introduction of "the Roy Dean Academy DVD Collection":]There is one primary question you should ask yourself before making a purchase: is it worth it? In relation to the review at hand the question is "what separates this DVD collection from the free lessons I'm able to YouTube?" That answer is found in Roy Dean's unique teaching methods. From the introducing the world of BJJ to the uninitiated in comprehensible metaphors to his systematic and philosophical breakdowns of techniques, Roy Dean shines as a teacher in his DVD series, "The Roy Dean Academy DVD Collection." Roy's explanations are wrapped in experience, a calming philosophy of patience, and an overall focus on technique over strength and speed, providing a unique value from the YouTube experience._[Four Quick Points About Blue Belt Requirements:]1. About the DVD: Focuses on arming his students with the proper tools to be an effective blue belt. Nothing fancy here, just solid, effective techniques broken down into simple, understandable examples, including additional drills to practice solo or with a partner. Hitting the "Next" button skips to the next technique in the category, no "Play-All" option, easy to navigate.2. How This Influenced My Game: I train in a mixed martial arts gym where the focus is boxing and Muay Thai. Yeah, there's some BJJ and wrestling, but they really push the strategy of devastating from the feet. And that's why I appreciate Roy's DVD's so much, because I supplement what ground game I'm missing from my local gym and fill it with the personable, thorough methods of Roy. I know strong ground game is required in the cage and Roy Dean's awesome teaching skills fill that void. And while the Purple Belt DVD has expanded my philosphy on BJJ it's the blue belt DVD in particular has directly advanced my ground game. Roy Dean's setups for technique transitions makes these DVD's worth purchasing alone.I practice with friends in my home MMA gym and we review these DVD's weekly. We take each session one by one and apply them to our drills (for example, time is set aside for kimura's this session, and another session is triangles). My guillotine (gillo-teen as he pronounces it) gets quicker taps, and my triangles have become more effective. While certain aspects of Roy's lessons do utilize the gi there were adjustments we made for a seemless nogi transition. HOWEVER, there are certain techniques that I am unable to translate -specifically the sweeps and collar chokes. Therefore, even as a strict nogi practitioner, I recommend this DVD as nogi friendly.3. About Roy's Teaching Style: Roy Dean is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo, and his experience is immediately apparent. Every little move -dropping the elbow, switching the hips, hand placement on opponents body, "combing the hair," keeping postured, etc etc-- is all verbally detailed by Roy. Each category includes an introductory theory, the verbal walk through of the individual technique, and visual examples performed at comprehensible speeds from different angles for your viewing pleasure. With relevant concepts that display knowledge of the game and understanding of his audience, Roy Dean breaks down the basics into understandable concepts and examples. So any given technique is organized into the following:DVD>Section>Category>Broad Introduction of Category>Individual Technique Verbal Walk through>Key points of the technique>Examples from varying angles4. The Quality of the DVD: Clear, the sound has slight echo effects from being shot inside the dojo, but nothing hindering. Average quality for the teaching DVD category._[DVD Outline:]------DVD ONE (88 Minutes)------Welcome (6:53)Introduces the newbs into the world of BJJ: explains what he knows, the frustrations of BJJ, the dedication required, and subtle life lessons for becoming a stronger minded person. In these few minutes Roy's light as an extraordinary teacher really shines forth. His patience, his insight into the advanced, and his understanding of the difficulties are all marks of a great character. This is a fantastic introduction to show any of your friends who just joined BJJ.-Escapes from....mount (9:33)....sidemount (7:42)....sweeps (10:05)-Submissions....chokes; includes collar chokes which are irrelevant for me (18:53)....armlocks (13:38)....leg locks (9:47)-Guard Passing (11:18)....provides theory and concept; gravity's role, susceptibility when transitioning, gi focused, teaches appendage placement and dangers of misplacement; common resistance and breaking them down-----DVD TWO (69 Minutes)-----Ukemi: rolling energy displacement (6:31) ....forward rolls....backward rolls....break fall-Takedowns (12:49)....footwork: theory....hip throw: demonstration....inside trip: demonstration....high to double leg: drill....pummeling: drill....head and arm throw: demonstration....lateral drop: theory and demonstration....double leg tackle: demonstration-BJJ Guidelines (7:57)....Concepts, tips, and advise to noobs....where to grip, attaining better leverage....using other parts of the body....always move your body....slowing down-Demonstrations....Ellis Blue (9:39)....Doi Blue (9:15)....Malone Blue (10:51)....BJJ Combinations (7:32)....US Open 2001 (3:01)....Year One Trailer (1:25)The Demonstrations section is exactly what is sounds like: demonstrating everything that Roy provided examples of during the DVD. The "BJJ Combinations" is something I'll study in the future, because as stated earlier, submission transitions are a current focus of mine. The US Open segment is short, low quality, but shows full speed grappling._[Closing Comments:]If you're looking for specifics on a certain technique and that's all you need, then honestly, just stick to the resources of YouTube. However, if you're like me and crave more than the simple aspects of technique explanation, if you desire a teacher who knows, feels, and explains the game with wisdom and passion to motivate you to further absorb the concepts of BJJ, then Roy Dean is your guy. You're immersed into his teachings as a student into a class. His explanation of the nuances in BJJ, the patient breakdowns of technique, and his philosophies all make "the Roy Dean Academy DVD Collection" the perfect asset if you want to become a better artist on the mat and in the cage.

I bought this video because of the detailed review by "Dr. Zeus" here on Amazon. He/she was absolutly correct. The reason for my purchase is to allow my sons to use a "Watch, Explain and Do" learning principal along the lines of the "See, Say and Write" method of learning. This video takes care of the "see and Explain" part. I also have them teach other kids and I watch to insure they teach correctly and not leave out the details. Roy Dean has followed the same "BASIC" path I did by training in Aikido and Japanese Jui-Jitsu. His training and being an Instructor in Aikido and BJJ has had a very good influence on his ability to make such a consise and detailed video. If ever there was a way to learn the basic technics for Blue Belt via video instructions, this is it. May I say that he has a video for Purple Belt, and I would be surprised if it was not of the same high standerds as this one. For those living where there is no school of BJJ or someone like me, who had to drive 300 miles one way to study, this could be your ticket to learning BJJ. I would suggest, however that you also join an association such as Rickson Gracia's or Carlos Machado or any other such associations and attend any BJJ seminars that come close to you. Foe r that matter, I would also try to find someone local who could car pool with you and make the long trip to class at least once per week or month. I haven't said much about Roy Deans video because it has been said in detail by "Dr. Zeus" in his/her review. All I can add is that Roy Deans calm approch to teaching reminds me of Carlos Machido, my instructor. This video is worth every penny! I hope this helps someone on their path. Johnny

I like this DVD. I will mention, as some other reviewers have, that the physical disk itself is very thin. I've never come across a DVD this thin before, which made me worry a bit about breaking it as I was removing it from the case and putting it in and out of my DVD player (hence the reason for 4 versus 5 stars). But it plays just fine and I haven't broken it yet.The physical disk aside, the content of the DVD is excellent. I'm a newcomer to BJJ (a white belt) but have studied other martial arts (black belt level). What I liked about Roy Dean's approach to presenting the material is that he clearly explained the concepts and then clearly showed how to implement the concepts.Many DVDs of this type will show a bunch of techniques, which is fine, but then it becomes an exercise in attempting to memorize some or all of the techniques. BJJ is so technical and has so many techniques, that it can quickly become overwhelming.Roy Dean, on the other hand, first spent some time talking about the concept of position in BJJ, and then showed techniques specific to improving or maintaining your position. And this was great because improving or maintaining your position is your primary goal at the beginning. From there you move on to other defenses and attacks (armbars, chokes, and the like), but first it's all about position. You can neutralize much of what your opponent can do just by getting to and maintaining a superior position.Overall (at least in my impression), there are far fewer concepts in BJJ than there are techniques. The techniques can be grouped according to concept. Just this mental construct for approaching BJJ helped me a great deal in digesting and retaining the material.On top of that, Roy Dean's skill level is very evident. He moves very smoothly from position to position. That was inspiring to me in thinking about improving my own skill level.Some of the extras on the DVD were also very useful. The videos of various individuals testing for their blue belts were instructive in terms of just being able to see where their skill level was relative to some of the more advanced students and to Roy Dean himself. I think these test segments helped put the instructional material from the DVD into perspective.So, overall, the presentation seemed very well thought out and organized. The techniques shown were very relevant to the target audience (BJJ white belts). The instructions given (both verbally and visually) were very clear, precise, and thorough. The production quality of the DVD is first rate.The only thing I didn't like was the very thin physical material of the disk itself. It may be just fine, maybe this is a new thing in DVDs. I've just never encountered a DVD as physically thin as this one. So far though, it's played just fine.A highly recommended DVD for anyone interested in BJJ!

I bought this because I have been struggling with rolling at my MMA gym, there have been explanations of certain techniques that they were looking at in that particular week but haven't covered escapes and some of the more basic techniques and submissions, so I have been struggling quite a bit at the last 20 mins for rolling..!As soon as I played this DVD, this covered exactly what I wanted and needed. Just need to apply it at the gym..!