Zen Jiu Jitsu - White to Blue

by Oliver Staark

Feeling confused? Is beng a White Belt creating a few challenges?

This is a manual designed to get White Belts to competent Blue Belts in as fast a time as possible.
Zen Jiu Jitsu is more a rendition of concepts than techniques. This is the simplest and easiest way to break down and simplify the many and varied ideas, philosophies and combinations in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu arsenal. For both competition jiu jitsu and self defense jiu jitsu most white belts need to fully understand the concepts, but it can be VERY confusing!

Here is a short list of a few of the questions students ask, that are covered in depth:

What is the guard and how do we utilize it best?
What options do we have from guard?
Why is posture and distance important?
The mount is a powerful position but how do I get there?
... And when I do get there, how do I stay there?

>>>Zen Jiu Jitsu - White to Blue Answers these Questions and Many More...
It covers, Core Principles, Drilling techniques, Choosing a School, Technique Concepts, Tactical Considerations and more. It even includes some technique chains and Maps for the white belt to try when doing specific training or sparring.

>>>Don't forget every black belt started out as a white belt. This manual also covers the motivational strategies to keep you moving along the path and towards becoming a competent blue belt.
This is a great manual for anyone just starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Traditional Jiu Jitsu, MMA and Grappling.

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction, Health, Sports

118 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2013

Reviews

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read. The author is not going to be winning any awards for his writing style, nor did the editor invest much time into fixing the sentence structure and grammar in the book. I found that I had to reread some sentences multiple times in order to understand what the author was trying to say. Once you get past his writing style you will find useful nuggets spread throughout the book. After reading the book I am now seriously contemplating purchasing a training dummy to supplement my in-class drilling sessions. The book is not structured in a standard way. It has something of a table of contents but no pages for each topic/chapter and then each chapter's title font does not differ from the sub-chapters of that chapter, leading me to be confused as to which section I am currently reading. Beware that he also copy/pasted some content from his other Zen series book, including the aforementioned training dummies section and gradient learning sections to name a few. This is not a techniques book as he states in the introduction but it provides some inspiration and war stories from an experienced BJJ player for a white belt who is starting out or has been training for some time.

[John Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for newbies!

Easy to read with concepts that were explained well. Makes you aware there will always be injuries to manage. Always.

[John Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook.
This book covers the philosophy of training and progress rather than technique.
It was a decent read.

[Richard Wolff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is organized around short chapters, covering a range of issues concerning those new to BJJ. The author announced at the outset that this is not a training manual, so there won't be any particulars on how to do this or that move; rather the book covers general principles, guidelines and attitudes important to successfully reach blue belt from white. This would be fine; however, the author uses terms that, by definition, someone new to the art will not know. More basic explanations of terms, without necessarily becoming a training manual, are needed; and the more these terms accumulate, the more a beginner is likely to become frustrated with the book. He does give some good, general tips and advice. I found his discussion of the grappling dummy to be particularly good to include; as work with such a dummy will really help the beginner practice moves on his/her own and progress.

[Luca Andreol · Rating 4 out of 5]

ZEN JIU JITSU - KINDLE BUNDLE VERSION Zen Jiu Jitsu - 30 Day Protocol Zen Jiu Jitsu - White to Blue Zen Jiu Jitsu - Over 40

🚀 Il #libro in 3 Frasi

Technique conquers all' to quote the BJJ phenom Caio Terra.

Consistency is the message. Avoiding injuries, learning and most of all enjoying yourself while you are doing it.

This is scientific jiu jitsu, this is the style of jiu jitsu that makes the game so interesting to people in their forties, fifties and sixties. It's more mental than physical while still combing both.

🎨 Impressioni
Un pratico libro che permette ai neofiti della disciplina di orientarsi e trovare la propria strada nell’allenamento.
👤 Chi dovrebbe leggerlo?
Chiunque interessato alla disciplina del brazilian jiu jitsu
☘️ Come il libro mi ha cambiato?
Mi ha dato una chiara prospettiva del percorso che dovrò intraprendere e come iniziare ad affrontarlo già dai primi passi.
✍🏻 Le mie tre frasi preferite

 HIGH REPETITIONS WITHOUT A PARTNER.

"You cannot hurt me. All I need to do is tap."

"The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity."
~ Josh Waitzkin - Marcelo Garcia Black Belt from his book The Art of Learning

📒 Sommario + Note
Contents for 30 Day Protocol Chapter One - White Belt Mindset Chapter Two - A 30 Day Protocol Chapter Three - Development Chapter Four - Competition Psychology in Brief Chapter Five - Why Zen? Chapter Six - Follow Through Chapter Seven - Resources and Reference
Contents for White to Blue Foreword How to Use this Manual Choosing the Right School Core Principles Technique Concepts Tactical Considerations Maps and Systems In Conclusion Resources
Contents for Over 40 Foreword Chapter 1 - Training Life Keeping Going Motivation Age Vs Talent Chapter 2 - Rolling and Specific Training Considerations when Sparring Specific Training Chapter 3 - Promotions Chapter 4 - Staying Injury Free Chapter 5 - Getting Fit for BJJ Chapter 6 - Keeping Record Chapter 7 - Nutrition Tips Chapter 8 - Bonus: Excerpt from Zen Jiu Jitsu Chapter Two: A 30 Day Protocol Chapter 9 - More Books Chapter 10 - Resources Training Aids Websites

#libri 

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once you know that the author is in painful need of an editor and that typos and poorly-phrased sentences abound, it’s a decent book. While mistakes are annoying and everywhere, the content is useful.
It’s not a book with techniques. Instead, the author tells how to approach and think about training (and the challenges associated with training, like injuries and recovery and emotions).
I recommend the book to any newbie, with the caveat that the author’s grammar, spelling, and lack of sentence structure can be distracting.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful

If you are a white belt that feels overwhelmed and without purpose, this book will give you a road map to follow. Of course it is fairly vague (no two practitioners are the same). This isn’t a substitute for a hands on training plan from your teacher, but it was great supplemental study. It also has many useful tips in it for how to think about your training and how to structure it.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice starter manual, good concepts

Good read for concepts/actions to accelerate your game, even if you've been going awhile. Note this is not a techniques book per se, but more about where/how to invest your time to maximize your progress. Such as a section on considering having a grappling dummy.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book on BJJ, this give a good introduction into what BJJ is along with some helpful hints and tips on what to do when you are starting out. I don't get all the terminology here but I am sure as I go along in my journey into this martial art that I will be better able to understand it more, one book that I will come back to again once I am more involved.

[Paul Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good for what it is, but it has a lot of writing problems. Spelling and grammar mistakes, the formatting is awful, and a lot of the chapters read like they were meant for social media. It seems the book was writing more for the sake of the writer than for the benefit of the reader.

Still, good enough for what it is.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

More useful than the 30 day program book in my opinion. Some good nuggets scattered throughout which may help conceptualising your own training.

As other commenters have mentioned, the quality of editing is a bit low and you’ll likely get “self published” vibes. If you can look past that, it’s a quick, easy read that most people will be able to take something away from.

[Joekur · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fast and great read.

Very informative. It hits all major points, concerns and will recommend to others interested in this sport. I would recommend you go to bjj class before you start reading.

[Sa'id · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Really difficult to get into everything without losing people. I really think this book did a good job covering the principals off BJJ. Thinking back, not what I thought it was going to be, but it turned out to be an interesting read.

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author focus on concepts was in the right place however his explanations could have been much better. I've seen other BJJ content producers do a much more thorough and clear job of breaking down the concepts and principles.

[Abdulla Saif · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brotherly lecture from a black belt

A good straightforward conceptual guide that is definitely good to have on hand. will definitely be going back to read this again.

[Veli-Vesa Koret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy reading, simple rough English

[KG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, easy read. Some good principles and ideas. Lack of editing and attention to basic sentence structure and grammar was distracting.

[Ashley Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Osss

Had lots of great insights on BJJ. Lots of things that I've never thought of before. Most definitely going to read it again to soak up the knowledge.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book of jiu-jitsu concepts with practical and motivational elements. I read it twice.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff

Enjoying this series very much. Thoughtful, insightful, and obviously well grounded in BJJ, Mr Staark gives us current white belts hope.

[Malachi Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to BJJ

I’m brand new to the sport and I felt it did a great job of giving me an idea of where to go. I will be reviewing and revisiting this.

[Phillip Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book some brilliant insights 🥋🏆 #audibleapp #audiobooks

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just for white belts

I wish I’d found this book 4 years ago. Now excuse me while I go order a grappling dummy to drill with.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sound concepts for developing your game, but I got more value out of the author's 30 day program title.

[Madii Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information from an expert, but the writing would benefit from being cleaned up a bit. I would still highly recommend as a good conceptual guide.

[Cody Hiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good intro if you are brand new to the sport. Good tips for grokking the general mindset. Sets a good foundation for what to expect and what others will expect of you.

[Dylan Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for newbies just starting out. I’ve been doing BJJ for 15 years and got something out of this book. It’s an easy read and can be a good tool if you’re just starting out.

[Ro Urbino · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good reference book for bjj beginners. Colloquially written with a lot of helpful advice for newbies.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had very limited exposure to BJJ, so I was interested in what I could take away from this in the arts that I have practiced, as well as using the knowledge I gained in the few times I have rolled in BJJ. This book does have a lot of great things to say. If you are a BJJ practitioner, I recommend this book to supplement your journey. I think once I am in BJJ, perhaps I will one day, that I will re-read this and it's value will go up. I think that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an art worth knowing and becoming familiar with and books like these not only inspire you to get the most out of the art, but also keeps Zen at its center.

[Darisa Espinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info for white belts.

Great core foundations book. Highly recommend. As I move up in my white belt journey, the concepts highlighted in this book make more sense as time passes. Sometimes when I’m rolling, pages of the book pop up in my head, which says a lot. Thank you, Staark, for putting this together.