Where to Start with Saulo Ribeiro
Saulo Ribeiro is a six-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion from Manaus, Brazil, known for his technical precision and methodical approach to grappling. After a decorated competition career, Ribeiro founded the University of Jiu-Jitsu academy in San Diego, California, where he has trained generations of competitors and recreational practitioners. His teaching philosophy centers on building a solid defensive foundation before adding offensive techniques, an approach that runs counter to the flashy, submission-first style many academies promote but produces grapplers with fundamentally sound games.
Start here
Jiu-Jitsu University
Saulo Ribeiro · 368 pages · 2008 · Easy
Themes: technique, defense, belt progression, fundamentals, guard
The most widely recommended Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu book ever published. Saulo Ribeiro, a six-time World Champion, structured this instructional guide around the belt system itself, creating a book that grows with you from your first day on the mat to advanced black belt concepts.
Why Start Here
Ribeiro’s genius is in what he chooses to teach first. Rather than opening with attacks and submissions, the book begins with survival: how to protect yourself in bad positions, how to breathe under pressure, and how to stop making the mistakes that get white belts submitted repeatedly. This defense-first philosophy reflects Ribeiro’s own approach to the art and produces practitioners with games built on solid foundations rather than a handful of lucky submissions.
The book progresses through more than 200 techniques organized by belt level, from white through black. Each chapter assumes you have absorbed the previous one, creating a natural learning curve that mirrors how skills develop on the mat. The photographs are clear and well-sequenced, making complex movements easy to follow even without a training partner to demonstrate.
What sets this apart from other technique books is Ribeiro’s emphasis on understanding position before movement. He explains why each position matters strategically, not just how to execute the technique mechanically. This conceptual depth is what makes the book valuable to beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
What to Expect
A large-format 368-page reference that you will return to for years. The writing is straightforward and practical, focused on giving you exactly the information you need for each stage of your development. Treat it as a companion to your mat time, reading the relevant chapter before or after class and using the techniques as a framework for your drilling.