ABOUT WORTH DEFENDING...

The story of America's first BJJ student... and the Martial Arts revolution he helped create! 

"Self defense is not just a set of techniques: it is a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending." —Grandmaster Rorion Gracie

Richard Bresler was Rorion Gracie's first regular student in LA, and is widely recognized as the first student of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the USA. His memoir, Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life, now available in its second edition, 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 Gracie helping to grow Jiu-Jitsu through the Gracie Garages, the challenge matches, the founding of the Gracie Academy, and the creation and inception of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Worth Defending includes never-before-told stories from the early "dojo storming" days and the challenge matches at the first Gracie Garage—in the house that Richard and Rorion shared in Hermosa Beach, CA—the founding of the Gracie Academy—made possible by a loan Richard made to Rorion—backstage and ringside at the first UFCs, and much, much more. Read the story of the birth of modern MMA from someone who was there every step of the way!

The first edition of Worth Defending was an Amazon #1 New Release (Martial Arts Books) and a top-10 Amazon Best-Seller (Martial Arts Biographies). With over 115 reviews it currently holds a 4.9 out of 5 star rating. Readers have called it "a must-read for any BJJ enthusiast or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner," and "a gift to the Jiu-Jitsu community."

This memoir includes:

- Richard's journey out of depression and substance abuse through the transformative power of martial arts.
- Richard's experiences training privately with many members of the Gracie family, including Rorion, Rickson, Royler, Royce, and Grandmaster Hélio himself.
- Richard's trip to Rio de Janeiro, where he shared the mats with the legendary Rolls Gracie.
- The "dojo storming" and "challenge match" days before the first UFC, when Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was struggling to gain a foothold in the US.
- The famous seminar with Chuck Norris in 1988, where Richard was the only non-family member on the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu team.
- Richard's experience watching from cageside as his friend and teacher, Royce Gracie, won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, including never-before-published photos from behind the scenes at the first UFC.
- Richard's promotion to BJJ black belt in 1998, making him one of the first BJJ black belts in America.
- The creation of "Krav Ground," the ground-fighting system that Richard developed for Krav Maga.
- Richard's experiences with and take on alternative health and dietary practices, including the Gracie diet.
- Richard's views on BJJ, the current state of the Art, and the direction he feels it needs to go moving forward, including priceless advice for those who want to stay on mat well into their middle years and beyond.

This second edition also includes a new foreword by co-author Scott Burr, in which he discusses the partnership, timing, and process that made this long-awaited book a reality.