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  • Worth Defending

  • How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life
  • Written by: Richard Bresler, Scott Burr
  • Narrated by: Scott Burr
  • Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (14 ratings)

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Worth Defending

Written by: Richard Bresler, Scott Burr
Narrated by: Scott Burr
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Publisher's Summary

The Story of the First American Student of Bjj...and the Martial Arts Revolution He Helped Create!

"My friend, have you ever done any martial arts? My family has been doing Jiu-Jitsu for sixty-five years. We're champions. We're very well known in Brazil. Why don't you come by for a free class?"

I couldn't have imagined it then, but that moment would mark the beginning of the rest of my life...

Richard Bresler was Rorion Gracie's first student in LA, and is widely recognized as the first student of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the US. His memoir, Worth Defending, chronicles his over 40 years' involvement with the Gracie family and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, including the almost 20 years he spent working closely alongside Rorion helping to grow Jiu-Jitsu through the Gracie Garages, the challenge matches, the founding of the Gracie Academy, and the inception of the UFC.

This memoir includes:

  • Richard's journey out of depression and substance abuse through the transformative power of the martial arts.
  • Richard's experiences training privately with many members of the Gracie family, including Rorion, Rickson, Royce, and Grandmaster Hélio himself.
  • Richard's trip to Rio de Janeiro, where he shared the mats with the legendary Rolls Gracie.
  • Richard's experience watching from ringside as his friend and teacher, Royce Gracie, won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  • The creation of "Krav Ground," the ground-fighting system that Richard helped develop for Krav Maga.
  • Richard's experiences with and take on alternative health and dietary practices, including the Gracie diet.
  • Richard's take on the current state of BJJ, and where it needs to go moving forward.
  • A new foreword by co-author Scott Burr, in which he discusses the timing of the project and the partnership and process that finally made this long-awaited book a reality.

www.WorthDefendingBook.com

©2020, 2021 Richard Bresler, Scott Burr (P)2021 Scott Burr

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Riz
  • 2023-01-08

Average book with few good pointers

poor narration, I lost interest minutes into it. Few good pointers, rest I am disappointed. I bought it as it had good reviews, meh

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    3 out of 5 stars

Unfortunate

It's too bad because I'm sure the story would have been at least decent. But the naration makes it just shy of unbearable to listen too. It does the book a diservice. Even in the opening it misrepresents the author as self indulgent and elitest. Do not buy this audio book, you will not gain anything from it Go to your local book store and read it in print.

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