Book Review: Worth Defending

Title: Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life

Author: Richard Bresler, Scott Burr

Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing

Publication Date: November 12, 2020

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Pages: 280, 6 in x 9 in

Cover Price: $19.95

ISBN: 979-8691631290

Content

Richard Bresler is one of, if not the first, students of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. He was Rorion Gracie’s first student in the United States. He helped Rorion start the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu training program in the US in 1979, beginning with the original Gracie Garage in Mr. Bresler’s house, and continuing through the first Gracie Academy in southern California. He is also one of the first black belts in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the US, and he still teaches today. 

Worth Defending is a biography with two themes: the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the United States, and Mr. Bresler’s journey that began with a lack of direction and ended with personal fulfillment. The book is also a self-help guide based on Mr. Bresler’s experiences dealing with a difficult father, beating substance abuse, and seeking a more complete life.

Pros

This book is 280 pages, but I read it very quickly. It is well written and presents an honest, open, and vulnerable message. As a fan of martial arts history, I loved the discussions of how Gracie Jiu-Jitsu developed in the US in the 1980s-1990s. Mr. Bresler talked about his role in a humble way, but it’s fair to say both the Gracie Academy and the Ultimate Fighting Championships would not have been funded without the support of Mr. Bresler and his entrepreneurial, hard-working family and their small businesses. I also appreciated Mr. Bresler’s advice for older BJJ practitioners. He recommended adopting a self-protection mindset and avoiding aggression in class, especially when training with new or younger partners. 

Cons

I have very few concerns with this book. It adds an important element to the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu story that has not received much attention. Note that Mr. Bresler did not actually write the book. He worked with an unnamed female author on the first draft, then turned to Mr. Scott Burr to complete the process.

Conclusion

I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.

I enjoyed reading Worth Defending. Anyone familiar with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ will enjoy this book. The wider martial arts community will probably also like hearing about how this martial art expanded from Mr. Bresler’s garage to schools nationwide.

Note: I would like to thank Scott Burr for sending a PDF review copy of the book.

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Richard Bejtlich

Richard took his first martial arts classes in judo, karate, boxing, and combatives as a cadet at the US Air Force Academy in 1990, and continued practicing several styles until 2001. He resumed training in 2016 by practicing within the Krav Maga Global system, earning Graduate 1 rank. Richard now studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Team Pedro Sauer. Richard is married and has two daughters, and as a cybersecurity professional he helps organizations find and remove computer hackers. Richard is co-author, with Anna Wonsley, of the book Reach Your Goal: Stretching and Mobility Exercises for Fitness, Personal Training, and Martial Arts.

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