Testimonials

"In this day and age of sport Jiu-jitsu/submission wrestling (no-gi) students are too focused on fancy techniques and submissions. Basics win matches!! The way I look at grappling is that you must have a good foundation of technique and without it you will have too many holes in your game. That's exactly what The Practical Grappler teaches. The Practical Grappler gives you a guideline of core, high percentage tools needed by every grappler. If it weren't for these tools I couldn't have won an NHB title, and the Bronze medal at the 2004 Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Nationals."

NHB Champion
Josh "Kah-tay" Cate

  • USA BJJ Nationals Bronze Medalist 2004
  • Tennessee State BJJ Champion 2004
  • Most Technical Fighter BJJ TN State 2004
  • Smoky Mountain Open BJJ Champion 2005
  • 7 NHB Wins
  • 2004 Instructor of the Year (UMAHF)
  • 2004 Inductee into Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame
  • Hook and Shoot Superfight Champion 1999
  • Triple F Threat Lightweight NHB Champion 1998

"This DVD set has a ton of useful and practical moves. This is by far the best bang for the buck I have seen in a DVD series. It is a no-gi DVD, but most of the moves work with the gi too. Buy it, you won't be sorry."

National BJJ Champion
Kurt Rasmussin

Awards:

  • USA National BJJ Champion 2004
  • USA vs Brazil BJJ Champion 2005
  • Pan American BJJ Bronze Medalist 2005
  • Tennessee State BJJ Champion 2004

Testimonials from CrossFit forum members (http://www.crossfit.com)

For a beginer, I would go with the Practical Grappler series, good solid basics and instruction.

Rob Davis
2/4/2004

I second the recommendation on the Practical Grappler. I have the series and I love it. It's a very basic, yet comprehensive look at the ground game. Every major position is covered, as well as escapes, hold-downs, stalls, and submissions from those positions. Just be aware that it is a no gi tape series. The movements and strategies are highly BJJ oriented, but you're not going to learn collar chokes, sweeps using the gi, etc

Craig Stovall
2/4/2004

Independent Verification of some of the testimonials at ADCC NEWS web site

http://209.196.181.64/archives/00July11-20.html


To The Practical Grappler,

To begin with, when I first saw your website I thought I might get ripped off, it's happened before when I ordered tapes. I see a deal that looks too good to be true and then I pay a wad of cash and find out that it really is too good to be true. Now that I've watched and reviewed your tapes (twice) I want to ask if I've ripped you off. Do you need me to send you more money? Is there some sort of catch? Do I have to send the tapes back now? Come on, there has to be a catch. I ordered the tapes thinking, "$135.00 for three tapes. What have I got to lose?" Now that I've watched them I'm thinking, "$135.00 for three tapes. These guys must be out of their minds. I've payed $300.00 and up for tapes with half the information that these tapes have. Don't they know that they could do what everybody else is doing, and break up all this information into about ten tapes then sale those tapes individually for forty bucks a pop and up."
I'm in my house watching these tapes in awe of the sheer simplicity of some of the moves and completely stunned at the progressive nature of the program. Instead of throwing a melee of techniques at us you put them in a step by step format, with each technique building on the previous one!!! It's so simple it's genius. And instead of having to rewatch the tape over and over, you have a syllabus which makes the step from VCR to mat about ten times easier. Once again, pure genius. So to get back to my point, what's the catch guys? Do you need me to send more money? Was that 135.00 just a first installment? Tell me what you need, I'll do it, because to get these tapes out of my hands will take a flame thrower, I ain't letting go. I've ordered from a lot of companies over the past few years, good companies too, like Lala's IWF and WMA, but I never felt the need to write an e-mail to them. I'm doing this because I feel like I ripped you guys off and I just want to know what I can do about it.
Seriously guys, this program is simply amazing, it belongs on the shelf of well . . . it belongs on the shelf of every practical grappler. One more thing, there were a few things in the syllabus that weren't on the tapes, maybe I missed them but since I got you here might as well ask. One was the on toes flex in the Enhancing Methods and Drills. The other was the Far Side Arm bar on Phase Seven, Section F, 4, b.(See that syllabus really does help). The others like a few places where it said offense to defense knee bar I could figure out, but I was a little hazy on those two. If you could send a verbal description or direct me to a place where I could look up the info myself I'd appreciate it. If
you can't don't worry about it, I have plenty of stuff to practice on with the rest of the material. Once
again, this is truly an outstanding program. If you guys ever sell any other program, like the gi/kimono and takedown one I saw advertised to release at a later date please notify me, I'll buy it immediately.
Thanks for the time.
Sincerely,
A Texas Grappler.

I've been involved in various martial arts competitions for many years. To many videos and books focus on closing moves and submissions without teaching what you must know to create the possibility of getting a submission. This program is not a simple and vague run through of randomly collected moves. It's not pictures or war stories, it is a direct and effective system which instructs you on the technique you must have to position yourself to win. It teaches you the nuts and bolts about the mechanics that I have always wanted to receive.
Stuart Scott
Attorney at Law, Nashville TN

I've been grappling for over three years and spent well over two thousand
dollars on various grappling tapes and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminars. I have
found that The Practical Grappler course has answered all the questions that
those sources left open. My wrestling has improved dramatically in just a
few months. I just wish I would have had this information three years ago.
Just do what the outline says and you'll win.
Chris Winget
Asst. Manager, Bally Total Fitness, Knoxville TN

I have been grappling for 8 months and by applying what The Practical
Grappler course teaches me, I am able to complete with and submit
opponents who have been grappling for years.
Matt Spalding
Medical Sales Representative

The Practical Grappler curriculum is by far the most complete segment of
information that I have seen. The positions, defenses, counters, and
submissions are very efficient and effective. This information provides one
with the opportunity to plan several moves ahead in order to trick an
opponent into doing what you want him to do. Six months spent learning and
practicing this syllabus has provided me with more usable grappling
information than three years in a jujitsu class. I would recommend this
syllabus to anyone.
Ray Stapleton
Scientist ORNL, Oak Ridge TN

I have been grappling in several different styles for some ten years and
assumed I knew wrestling inside and out. The Practical Grappler has given
me a refreshing and new enthusiasm towards wrestling with its common sense
but totally novel strategies and tactics. Let me say this to everyone
interested in the grappling style-invest your time and money in this course,
it's all you will need.
Mike Moore
Sales Rep. Manager, Charlotte NC

Testimonials from SubmissionFighting.com forum members
(Look under the "product review" section)

I have invested about two thousand dollars in the top of the line video tapes, I have gained a lot of
information from them which helped turn me into a pretty good fighter. Then I heard about The Practical Grappler, so I gave it a shot and ordered it and boy was I impressed. I have seen moves on these tapes that changed my whole jiujitsu game, some of the best counters and submission set ups that I have seen on video. I could not believe how informational these tapes were for the price they asked for them. I would give these tapes 4 stars!
Posted by "Fun"

Guys, I have seen just about every good tape set out there. Now along with the Mario Sperry (NHB) and Cecchine (pure submission), I have found the next great tape set. I am still not quite finished with it but I thought I would let you guys know how good it was and where to find it. The name is the Practical Grappler and it is not a NHB tape. It is pure submission grappling without striking. I believe this will be the next big insider tool. I think Sperry is better for pure NHB and Cecchine's Hooks and submissions are the Stuff , but I am really really impressed with the practical grappler tapes so far. The one downside is the production quality and sound. When I finish with the last tape I'll review the series for you in more depth. But there is a ton of information on the tapes that I've seen already.
Posted by BDKool

I purchased a set. I thought they were good. They are largely good basic techniques for grappling (no
strikes) and are clearly presented. I would say they are somewhat comparable to the Walt Bayless and Michael Jen series. I saw several practical techniques there that I had not seen elsewhere. Also, I liked the printed outling they provided with the tapes. It helps to locate and review the techniques. My only complaint is that they could have moved the camera closer to the guys as they demo the techniques. It is a series I would recommend for guys getting into grappling.
Posted by cbower

I have the practical grappler and think it is a good package. Although Jiu-jitsu was my first style I do not work on pure grappling that much. I feel this tape delivers exactly what it claims. A simple, straight forward, organized method for learning basic grappling. It does not take strikes into consideration. I do think it will be helpful to those who are just starting out or those who are cross training and looking to add grappling to their toolbox.
Posted by Taku

Two weeks ago I read a post about a new set of grappling videos called "The Practical Grappler". I checked out their website(www.practicalgrappler.com) and it sounded very good. I then exchanged some e-mails with Rick Sparks, the guy who runs the company, and I was so impressed with their customer service and their money-back guarantee that I ordered the videos. They arrived about five days later and I was not disappointed.

This set could be called "the syllabus of the freshman curriculum of Grappler's University". It is primarily, but by far not exclusively, a series for students such as myself, beginners in the grappling game. Other levels can certainly benefit as well, but players with higher levels of grappling ability would need to "check their egos at the door" and enter with unbiased minds to benefit from the excellent instruction here. What we have here is an introduction to the basics of grappling on the floor,with submissions, without striking. The teaching is presented clearly, in a logical and sequential order. It is presented in a very organized manner and one skill flows into the other smoothly, each skill building on what was previously learned.

A total beginner would learn the most basic, fundamental material and be led step by step through the basics: The basic positions, how to defend yourself in an inferior position, how to escape an inferior position, how to transition from inferior to superior position, how to hold superior position, and how to do your basic attacks(submissions) from superior position. Anyone with a complete and thorough mastery of these fundamentals, who could execute these basic moves with fluidity and lightning speed would be a formidable opponent for any grappler and could most certainly hold his own against anyone on the street.

Besides total beginners, these videos can benefit those with more experience but who feel that perhaps their fundamentals are not as sound and solid as they could be. These tapes can provide any grappler the foundation on which he can build and add more sophisticated techniques. Having a very solid foundation of basics is as important as knowing scores of submissions.

What I have found to be a problem with most instructors , schools, and instructional videos is a total disregard for this necessary logical, orderly progression of knowledge, an organized "ladder of success" that leads to mastery of the basics. Not that you can't learn in any other way, but a lot of frustration and unnecessary "lumps" go along with the "scatter-gun" approach of most teachers and instructional videos.

This is a magnificent video set for: 1. Those who are just starting to grapple and want to learn the right way, learning first things first . 2. Those who are already accomplished grapplers and may feel that they are lacking in the fundamental skills and would like to go back and relearn the essential basics.
Posted by Mario