Carlos Machado - Infinite Jiu Jitsu

It's been a few days since I posted. Sorry. Hopefully this'll interest some, though. I've recently been re-watching (and re-watching and re-watching) Carlos Machado's recent instructional set. I know the point of this site is not to review DVDs, but this set has to go into my 'Best of the Best' collection.

Carlos' set is titled 'Infinite Jiu Jitsu'. It features six eighty-odd minute DVDs and takes a slightly different approach to other DVD sets I've seen. Some videos outline a set of techniques. Some outline someone's strategy and show the techniques that are their bread and butter. Others are very detail oriented. 'Infinite Jiu Jitsu' manages to be all three..... And more.

At the beginning of disc one, Carlos explains his outlook on the set and, hence what makes it different. He explains that most sets don't show what really happens when an opponent applies resistance and that he'll have partners on the DVD set that do apply the right resistance. Further, he says he'll explain the proper resistance to give and how to do it.

To prove the point, he gets started with disc one's 'Defensive Power Drills'. In this disc, Carlos essentially works on what I had formerly called guard retention. Now I know it's not that simple. He starts with some positioning work and how to counter some common and effective guard passes.

The odd thing about this disc is that it's nearly as good a guard-passing instructional as it is a guard one. Carlos goes into detail about how to pass the guard and has his partner apply that pressure whilst he explains how to counter. Detail here (and everywhere else on the set) is extraordinary.

On this disc, Carlos provides a fantastic study on the crucifix. It has sealed up a big chunk of my game. It is, doubtless, the best treatment I've seen of the crcifix on a video. He does the same thing for the clock choke. Think you know how to apply this fundamental technique? Have a look at the DVD and see if you can't learn something.

Disc two is entitled 'Defending and Attacking'. I won't go into the details about the instruction, as it is in the same style as disc one. Carlos covers what he calls the knee-ride pass. Others call it the knee-through pass. I call it my best pass. Now it's better. Once I can absorb some more of the details, it'll be better again.

He then gets right into armbars, covering different manipulations to the arm to get a tap or control and a number of novel (to me, anyway) ways of getting the armbar. Then, he covers what to do when stacked. This leads into another one of these gem details, which he calls the "Russian Flip".

Disc three is all about armbars and kimuras. Which brings me to a point. There's a little overlap between ealier discs, but this is great. It serves to introduce you to a concept earlier and expand on it later. It also whets the appetite for the coming details.

Machado covers the usual things, but he does so differently. A section on common errors, a section on finishes, and one on setups. What is less common is the way it is instructed. Just like in disc one, the right resistance is shown and you get instruction in that, as well. Also uncommon are Carlos' personal observations and improvements. I'm talking about such details as the "V Grip" and "Americana Squeeze".

Carlos - if you're reading this - the Americana squeeze has been worth the cost of the whole set to me.

I haven't delved into disc four, yet (The Science of the Shoulder Lock), but I have watched it through. The general overview is that Carlos covers mechanics to make the finishing lock work andhow to set it up. However, he also covers how to escape it and counter it and to deal with those counters. All with the same resistance instruction and intricate attention to detail.

Disc five (Top Mount Finishes, Half Guard Passes and Hook Flips) sees the keylock make a re-entrance, along with finishing chokes and all the fun stuff. Most of all, though (for me, anyway), Carlos covers mount control and passing the half guard. The details are so intricate and effective and my game is improving every day because of this. Here, he gets into a sweep he calls the "Perosh Flip". He touches on the position named for his Australian student, Anthony Perosh, throughout the set and it gets a good look-in here.

Finally, comes disc six - Troubleshooting. Again, I haven't gotten into this in detail, although I have viewed it through. If I was to describe what is on the disc, it would look a little mixed up and all over the place, but it's not. Here, Carlos covers some commonthings people do wrong in everyday training and answers to some circumstances you may just plain have no answer to. All with that same ralistic instruction style with outstanding attention to detail.

There's been a lot of discussion about this set and its price of US$199.99 (although the website lists this as reduced from $250). I believe it's well worth it. It's also available to by volume by volume at US$49.99 each.

The DVD struck me as more like a group private in presentation than an instructional. There really is material for years, here. I saw this set described really well on the MMA.TV forum by someone who I don't remember. Paraphrased.....

"This set will be great for blue belts who are looking to get to purple. And even better when they get there and re-watch them."

Get it 20% off at BudoVideos