I plan to update this periodically.

Biography

Snowden, Jonathan. Shamrock: The World’s Most Dangerous Man.

Comment: Before reading this book, I knew Shamrock had had a tough childhood, but this book helped me better understand some of the adversity Ken has been through in his life. The book also offers some well-considered reflections on the proto-MMA organization Pancrase, of which Shamrock was a part.

Stevens, John. The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students.

Comment: To understand the development of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it’s necessary to understand the development of judo. To understand the development of judo, it’s necessary to know at least a little about its founder, Jigorō Kanō. This is a good place to start.

History

Drysdale, Robert. Opening Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: The Story Behind the Film.

Comment: I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Drysdale’s documentary. Until then, I recommend reading Drysdale’s account of the making of said documentary.

Drysdale, Robert. The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Vale-Tudo, to Carlson Gracie to its Democratization.

Comment: This book does a fine job celebrating Carlson Gracie’s contributions to what we today call Brazilian jiu-jitsu. For me, the most intriguing portions of the book had to do with Carlson’s innovations in training methodology, such as the move away from private lessons to group classes.

Pedreira, Roberto. Craze: The Life and Times of Jiu-Jitsu Volume 1, 1854–1904.

Comment: I recommend all of Robert Pedreira’s books, at least those that concern the history of jiu-jitsu. This one makes a compelling case for starting the history of jiu-jitsu in 1854, the year Japan was compelled to open itself to trade with Western powers. This, in turn, kicked off the country’s modernization, of which Kodokan judo—the parent art of BJJ—was one notable byproduct.

Pedreira, Roberto. Craze 2: The Life and Times of Jiu-Jitsu Volume 2, 1905–1914.

Comment: As Pedreira notes in the introduction, “Craze 2 takes up where Craze 1 left off and brings the story to 1914, the year Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil.”

Pedreira, Roberto. Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: Volume 1: 1856-1949.

Comment: If I had to recommend just one book on the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it would be this one, dealing as it does with jiu-jitsu’s arrival in Brazil, Carlos Gracie’s learning of the art, and the first stretch of Hélio Gracie’s fighting career. If that weren’t enough, the book shines a line on a number of significant figures who have hitherto been neglected in the telling of BJJ’s history.

Pedreira, Roberto. Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: Volume 2: 1950-1960.

Comment: Volume two continues the story and provides illuminating commentary on Hélio’s match with Kimura (spoiler: he lost), his fight with former student Waldemar Santana (spoiler: he lost that one too), and Carlson Gracie’s rise to prominence as the champion of the Gracie family.

Pedreira, Robert. Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: Volume 3: 1961-1999.

Comment: Volume three takes the story up to the end of the 1990s and is notable for its discussion of how the success of the first few Ultimate Fighting Championships reverberated across Brazil.

Snowden, Jonathan. Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling.

Comment: Among MMA purists, there is a tendency to look down upon professional wrestling. Snowden is to be thanked for pointing out that the two forms of entertainment—and, being real, that’s ultimately what they are—are more closely related than many realize. Here’s Brock Lesnar making the same point.

Memoir

Bresler, Richard, and Scott Burr. Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life.

Comment: Richard Bresler was Rorion Gracie’s first American student. As such, he was in a prime position to observe the growth of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu® in America. One reason to read this book is to encounter a more sympathetic portrayal of Rorion Gracie, a man who has not always been depicted in a fair way.

Davie, Art, and Sean Wheelock. Is This Legal?: The Inside Story of the First UFC from the Man Who Created It.

Comment: Speaking of Rorion Gracie, it’s important to remember that was not the sole creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Art Davie played just as important a role. This is his story.

Gracie, Rickson, and Peter Maguire. Breathe: A Life in Flow.

Comment: Considered by many to be the greatest jiu-jitsu fighter of all time, Rickson provides an engaging narrative of his MMA career. While his love for his father and brothers is evident throughout, he does not hold back criticisms. He is especially damning of his father and uncle’s attitudes towards women.

McCarthy, “Big” John. Let’s Get It On!: The Making of MMA and Its Ultimate Referee.

Comment: Apart from Art Davie, there are few people better qualified to tell the story of mixed martial arts in America than “Big” John. He also played an important role in what came to be called the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

Pedreira, Roberto. Jiu-Jitsu in the South Zone: 1997–2008.

Comment: Pedreira wrote this book before he embarked on his magnum opus, Choque. The book is primarily about the author’s experiences training BJJ in Brazil between 1997 and 2008, but I found the prologue the most intriguing part of the book, touching as it does on BJJ’s history and Rorion’s role in the popularization of the art.

Technique

Gracie, Helio, and Thomas De Soto. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Comment: At this point, Hélio’s book is primarily of historical interest. (You are unlikely to pass anyone’s guard using the guard-passing techniques taught in this book.) But that’s okay with me since I’m very much interested in the history of the martial art I love.

Ribeiro, Saulo, and Kevin Howell. Jiu-Jitsu University.

Comment: Saulo’s book is worth buying for the first chapter alone, which offers advice on how to survive as a white belt. It also contains an inspiring story of the author training with Helio Gracie when the latter was in his nineties.