I am a bit of an instructional junkie, and I have been that way since I started jiu-jitsu. After spending hundreds of dollars on books and DVDs and after watching hours of YouTube videos, two questions occupy my mind each time I read or view an instructional: "Would this material actually work and will it work for me?"
Many times, there is video proof of certain techniques working in competition, even consistently, but often there are certain prerequisites that I do not meet. Size. Strength. Speed. Flexibility. For example, I used to play rubber guard religiously, a position that I discuss in The Cauliflower Chronicles, but multiple knee injuries have made it impossible for me to execute even the most basic rubber guard tactics. Other techniques do not suit my weak arms, and any attack that relies on explosiveness is out of my reach.
I am not physically blessed, but that's why I started training jiu-jitsu in the first place, and I suspect that many of my readers are like me in that respect.
When I had the opportunity to write Marcelo Garcia's next book, I was stoked. I could finally get an insider's perspective on a world champion's style, and I could test every aspect of his game. I could see if Marcelo's jiu-jitsu could translate to other grapplers or if it was the product of some genetic fortune.
