I absolutely loved this book! It was part memoir of a legend, part history (of Jiu-Jitsu), and part life philosophy - and it exceeded my expectations on all three. It was thoroughly 'unputdownable'. Highly recommended to any martial arts or self-defense student interested in learning about the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in America.

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

“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.” Rorion Gracie

"In the family the saying goes, "Hélio Gracie is to Jiu-Jitsu what Einstein is to physics." Neither man created his field, but both elevated the level of understanding and the depth of knowledge to the point that afterwards their respective fields were intrinsically linked to them and defined by their input."

"It was a hard thing for me to realize that Jiu-Jitsu lives down here in the world with the rest of us." "People forget that modern MMA has weight classes and time limits and the guys are wearing gloves. Take those things away and you'll realize very quickly why the art is the way it is."

And...

"This belt doesn't mean I'm bulletproof: if anything it's supposed to mean that I really, really understand that I'm not."

If you love Jiu-Jitsu, you'll love this book.

"I really enjoyed this book! Richard Bresler has such an amazing story to tell. I was expecting a Jiu-Jitsu history lesson and it exceeded my expectations by being so much more than that. Widely considered to be the first American to learn Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, he was training with Rorion Gracie for well over a decade before the creation of the UFC in 1993. His experience and participation in the explosion of Jiu-Jitsu in America were so much fun to read about. But what really inspired and motivated me were the changes Jiu-Jitsu brought into his life off of the mat. He tells his story in a very honest, open and humble way."

"Just finished this book. It tells you how BJJ came into the American landscape and trials and tribulations of Professor Bressler and the Gracies. An easy read, but highly motivating and very good to read."

"Great book about the development of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu & the UFC in America from Rorion Gracie's first regular student. Richard Bresler is a great storyteller!!! He taught most of my beginner's classes at the Gracie Academy in 1994. His life was gradually transformed by jiu-jitsu. This book would be a great inspiration for any regular person that's unhappy with their life & has an interest in learning self defense & improving their health. For those that already train, there are GREAT stories about the early Gracie Challenge no holds barred fights, which Richard recruited opponents for!!! There's also a HILARIOUS story about Rorion walking in on Richard while he was doing drugs, hahaha! This book is DEFINITELY worth your time & money!!!"

"What a great read! Whether you’re a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, mixed martial artist or a UFC fan, this is book is for you. Incredible details about the first days of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the U.S. and the early days of the UFC. I had the unique opportunity to interview the author, Richard Bresler on the ‘Jiu Jitsu Dummies’ Podcast and I have to say it was hands down my favorite interview to date. This book is the next best thing to having a time machine. Thank you Professor Bresler for your time and your incredible contributions to Jiu-Jitsu!"

"Are you stuck in a rut of addiction and/or unhappiness that you can’t seem to get out of?
Have you ever had an issue with a parent that affected you later in life?
Are you a martial arts practitioner or curious about the history of the UFC/Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?
Are you a human being who may need to defend himself/herself one day?
Would you like to improve your health and how you respond to life’s problems?

If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then you will be moved, inspired, and enthralled by Richard Bressler’s new book (with Scott Burr) entitled “Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life”. It’s a captivating, novelistic page-turner, that never feels like a chore to read, despite plunging deep into the profound effects that childhood wounds can have on a psyche, the origin and eradication of non-useful mental, emotional, linguistic and behavioral patterns, the fundamental question of how we maintain our health from acute and chronic threats, and man’s search for purpose and meaning in what he chooses to do in life.

Before reading Richard’s book, I thought I was a Gracie Jiu-jitsu OG, having started training in Gracie Jiu-jitsu a few years after I attended UFC 3, and witnessed skinny Royce Gracie survive against a giant named Kimo, in the mid/late 1990s. Richard Bressler is the OG of OGs, having started Gracie Jiu-jitsu as Rorion Gracie’s first private lesson student in 1979, FOURTEEN YEARS BEFORE UFC 1 changed what we all thought we knew about fighting forever.

I don’t want to spoil the story, but it begins with an incident of serendipity or providence: If it wasn’t for Rorion Gracie (the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship) deciding on a whim that he might want to buy a waterbed, leading him on a long journey he walked together with Richard Bressler, there most likely would have been no Gracie garages, Gracie Academy, Gracie University, Ultimate Fighting Championship, or Mixed Martial arts, at least not in the form, manner, and timeline that we know them today.

If Rorion was Gracie Jiu-jitsu’s first prophet in America, at least the first prophet whose gospel about the necessity of Gracie Jiu-jitsu for self defense spread to a worldwide congregation, Richard Bressler was Gracie Jiu-jitsu’s first American apostle. Extremely interesting are the nuggets of martial arts history that have never before revealed to the public – from the wild west challenge matches of the early days of Gracie Jiu-jitsu, to why Royce moved to America in the first place, to Chuck Norris being choked out by a very famous Gracie, to the Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy’s most precarious times when the police repeatedly threatened to evict them and put chains on the doors if they were late again on their rent, to how relationships that should never have been severed, healed, at least as best they could. I loved learning about all these topics and more regarding the history of the art of jiu-jitsu, but what I took most from the book was Richard’s messages - conveyed non-dogmatically and with egoless honesty, about what his jiu-jitsu journey taught him about the art of living."

"I have just finished reading “Worth Defending,” and I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a pleasure, and a “page-turner.” I was one of the first wave of students that got put on the “waiting list” at the original Torrance Gracie Academy (after they added a second story training area) in the summer of 1995 when GJJ and the UFC were really “blowing up” and becoming household names. I remember when my friend & I started at the Academy (that first night), Royce was there-literally days after UFC V (second match-up with Shamrock)-still with a “black eye” and talking to the ladies at the front desk as we were registering! He taught the Intermediate class that day! That blew us away! That first class after enrolling was with Lowell Anderson (a great instructor). Most of the subsequent “beginner” (stand-up self-defense oriented) classes were with Richard Bresler (with a few exceptions mentioned below).

Prior to the Gracie Academy, I had trained for a few months at another school where I was from (N CA) run by a couple blue belts who were from Carley Gracie’s SF school, but were “charlatans” (claimed they were black belts, but, as stated, quit Carley’s “Instructor” program as blue belts).

So later, my friend and I started to make the weekly 6-hour drive to Torrance together, we thought it was TOTALLY crazy to drive that distance for a martial arts class. When we got to the Gracie Academy, and took our classes, we knew why we were there, and it WAS worth the time/effort/money. Then we’d drive back up north and the cycle repeated itself for a couple years until I actually moved to So CA. (I relocated back to N CA about 7 years later). I loved the GJJ Academy, but “home” is “home.”

I was fortunate enough to have classes with Lowell, Richard (the author), Klaus, Brett, and later eventually Royce when I got bumped “upstairs” to the Intermediate classes. When I compared the training at Torrance to what I had with those Carley Gracie blue belts-there was no comparison. It was obvious they were “amateur hour” & I was now with the professionals. I also trained with Ralph & Cesar Gracie (when they had a school together). Their instruction was good-if not more “sport” oriented (and a little rough/intense). But nothing compared to the quality of instruction at Torrance which Richard had a huge hand in developing.

While in the Intro classes, Richard was my main instructor, and he was a fantastic, patient, and detail-oriented instructor! As far as his attention to detail, as Richard mentions, only Rorion would rival his attention to detail-especially during those early years.

In getting back to the book review, the book captures the history, & evolution of GJJ here in the states. Things I only overheard Richard telling in the Academy locker room after class (how he met Rorion from selling a mattress) is told in great detail. Richard also explains the evolution of the “garage days”-a lot of which I didn’t know. Many of my friends who I met at the Gracie Academy were the second group who were in the “Instructor Certification” program, so I got to hear a lot of “behind the scenes dirt,” but Richard nicely fills in my knowledge gaps! Such as, I know how demanding Rorion can be. But when you see some of the schools that popped up, many using his family name, and the style his dad and uncle developed, and knowing how poorly they were teaching that style (as evidenced from my own search looking for a closer alternative to home), I can understand why Rorion did what he felt he had to do “control” more the “quality” of instruction which the man takes seriously!

Richard also dished on when/how he left the Academy-which I was there for, but never got the “full story” (as I was a blue belt in Intermediate classes with Royce). Richard also discusses his personal journey and struggles, which I found to be totally unexpected. Richard always seemed like the calm & cool professorial type almost like a unflappable “surgeon” in confidence and demeanor (at least from what I knew of him on the mat). I never would have guessed at some of the challenges he overcame. We all overcome some level of personal challenges/demons, and Richard doesn’t hold back with some of his.

Like Richard, GJJ has had a great influence on my life, and I have passed that baton to my daughter. She & I train together at a Cassio Werneck affiliate in N CA (which has excellent instruction). It’s both a good thing and bad thing that I had the opportunity to train at the original GJJ Academy, because I will now compare everything to it. As they says, “often imitated, never duplicated.” And Richard/Rorion are right; not everything that claims to be “BJJ/GJJ” is taught the same way.

Thank you Richard for an excellent book, journey, and walk through memory lane for me (in many respects) during and after reading your excellent book! And not to mention being an excellent GJJ instructor, and extremely influential during my early years in GJJ!"

"The author, has a very interesting story to tell. The book not only is a history of how Gracie JiuJitsu started a revolutionary new concept of self defense into the U.S. but was the father of the MMA. He also presents some excellent philosophy for people struggling with various self image problems, the importance of nutrition and how important forgiveness and perseverance are! Overall, anyone other than a martial artist would glean a lot from this book. I think it is definitely an important read for anyone who might feel they are weak, and/or have a real need to be able to efficiently defend themselves physically. Self defense and not aggression are stressed in this book. It is an easy read and I loved this book!"

"To be fair, Richard was my BJJ instructor for 6 years. I studied under him because he was extremely effective in teaching classic BJJ. He was always charismatic, passionate, calm, and really a good laugh to be around in class. But now having read the book, I learned so much more about his personal history, and the history of BJJ (and subsequently UFC and MMA) in America. He goes deep into the philosophy and mindset of a true BJJ practioner, but just as importantly, he discusses mental health, nutrition, as well as the different teaching styles of BJJ schools. He also delves into how his intimate time studying BJJ and living with the the Gracie family changed the course of his life for the better. Another thing that fascinated me, was the true passion and perseverance of Richard, Rorion and the Gracie family - for over a decade - to bring BJJ to the US, and then the world. I tip my hat to you Richard, for showing so much vulnerability and humility in this book, as well as for all you have done for me, and all my fellow students and friends, over the years."

"“My friend”. These are the first two words in the Introduction to Worth Defending, by my BJJ instructor, Richard Bresler. Richard tells the history of Jiu Jitsu in the USA and the founding of the UFC. Richard was the first American student of BJJ in 1979 and he partially financed several of the early projects like the famous Gracie Garage and the first UFC fights. His memories and role in these events are a part of the legacy of this sport and practitioners will appreciate reading about that.

But those first two words: “My friend,” are really the most important words of the book to me. This is how Rorion Gracie addressed Richard Bresler when they first met. Certainly at first, the words “my friend” could have been how Rorion addressed everyone. But these words are the core of the book. This is a memoir, a history of the sport and a story of personal growth. More than any of these things the book, is a story of friendship and how Jiu Jitsu can foster the very best kinds of friendships.

Richard had friends before Jiu Jitsu. He describes his life in Marina del Rey before Jiu Jitsu as getting up, getting buzzed, going to work, get high, go home and sometimes people would come over and everyone gets drugged up together. But his friends from that time are unnamed. They were not the kinds of friendships worth reading about. By chance Richard sold a waterbed to Rorion Gracie who offered him a free lesson as part of the deal. That first meeting with Rorion was special. Rorion spoke to Richard with respect, though Richard admittedly lacked any self respect. Rorion taught him a few moves and made Richard feel like, maybe he could someday learn. That feeling that he could learn something was not a familiar feeling. Richard had been a poor student and though he worked in the family’s fast food business, his work felt like little more than a series of failures. Rorion did one more thing. After the lesson, he squeezed some fresh apple juice and prepared date fruits for Richard. Growing up on fast food, running a fast food restaurant, the sweet fresh juice shocked him. Food wasn’t supposed to be that good.

Good friends enjoy each other’s company. Richard enjoyed his first few meetings with Rorion. But not so good friends also enjoy each other’s company and Richard had plenty of friends to spend time with. The special thing about good friendship isn’t the good times. A good friend pulls you in the right direction. A good friend sees your weaknesses and faults and also sees your potential. Rorion acted like he saw Richards potential. When Rorion and Richard became roommates, Rorion never used drugs with Richard, nor did he lecture Richard on the evils of Richard’s habit. He just put some mats on the floor of the garage, shared good food, introduced Richard to Helio, Rickson, and Carlos.

Richard worried about being a coward. He tells the story of some guy in line at the post office who started trouble when Richard looked at the guy’s girlfriend. Richard was afraid, even after years of training. He mentally beat himself up over this. Part of his problem was that when he had an emotion like fear or shame Richard assumed he was fundamentally flawed or that he had a weak character. In another incident Richard’s hands were shaking before fighting a challenger at the garage. When he talked to his friends at the Academy, Richard was surprised to learn they all were afraid before a fight. It wasn’t just him. His friends saw his potential. Rorion had made Richard the gym’s official smack talker. He sent Richard to other dojo’s to challenge martial artists to fight. Richard initiated the famous Gracie Challenges of the 80’s and 90’s that are on YouTube. Rorion saw, not just that Richard was afraid, but that Richard could play a role inviting tough guys to fight without intimidating them.

These friendships fostered more friendships. Richard headed down to Brazil and met with Relson, Rolls, Royler and a few other Gracies. Rorion’s wife, Suzanne moved into the apartment with them when they married. Richard took the instructor’s course with Lowell Anderson. When Richard had a falling out with Rorion, Richard and Lowell turned Jane Fonda’s old aerobics studio into Beverly Hills Jiu Jitsu. Richard’s falling out with Rorion was painful. Had Richard lost a friendship like this in 1979 when he started BJJ, he would have spiraled down into drugs and depression. He was devastated but not crippled when Rorion told him to leave the Academy. The confidence his friends had taught him allowed him to move on. Shortly afterwards, Fabio Santos gave Richard his black belt (after a mere 17 years of training) and Richard began teaching at Krav Maga. Darren Levine, a founder of Krav Maga in the US, knew of Richard’s reputation and just told Richard to teach whatever he wanted. That was great for Krav Maga and for Richard.

At this point in Richard’s life he is a different man than he was before starting BJJ. He is off drugs. He is eating right. He is learning NeuroSoma, a healing technique that he practices professionally now. He has his act together and the confidence to start his own gym, then to grow Gracie Jiu Jitsu within another martial art system. Eventually his friend Suzanne helped him to reunite with Rorion and their children Ryron and Rener. It is through Krav Maga that I met Richard. He is a calm, patient, gentle instructor. My son takes lessons with Richard now too. This story is terrific. I gave my copy to my son as soon as I finished it. I hope my son realizes that BJJ isn’t just about fighting. It is about character, growth and a healthy life. I really hope that my son makes the sort of friendships in BJJ that Richard made, friendships that will build character and confidence and good health."

"Grand Master Helio Gracie's two most memorable quotes in my estimation go as follows, "(Gracie) jiu-jitsu is the triumph of human intelligence over brute strength" and the most prescient is "If everyone learned (Gracie) jiu-jitsu, the world would be a better place." Rorion Gracie took his father's words to heart and has since taught legions upon legions, who took their new jiu-jitsu around the world until over 200 million people around the world now engage in some form or another of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, all stemming from GM Helio Gracie, and Rorion's dedication to his family's art. No one knows this better than Richard Bresler who was there every minute, working shoulder to shoulder with Rorion when the times were the absolute toughest for the man who earned the reputation for being the "toughest man in the world!" No one knows that better than me, I was there, I saw the immense effort, sheer courage, the iron grip on the dream and vision, the energy that was invested, it was as real as it gets! 200 million lives have been positively impacted!! Myself and all 200 million of us jiu-jitsu practitioners, owe a smile and a debt of gratitude to Rorion and Richard for the ying and the yang they became and their(our) results are amazing! Who can boast of positively impacting the lives of 200 million people? Not many."