A ProMMA.info product review – Brandon Quick’s Fade to Black

One of the first things I posted here on ProMMA.info was a profile I did of Brandon “Never Quit” Quick, one of the leading no gi BJJ instructors and trainers out there. I first got into contact with Brandon when he was still with 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and we have stayed in contact since he cut ties with 10th Planet to focus on his own school, Trinity Combat Academy.

One of Brandon’s final projects before he left 10th Planet was releasing Fade to Black, a three-DVD instructional set on chokes, specifically gators, darce chokes, Peruvian neckties, reverse arm triangles, arm triangles and guillotines. The cover of the set proclaims it to be “The most comprehensive instructional DVD set on no gi chokes ever produced,” and quite simply, it’s right.

Over three DVDs, Quick demonstrates numerous setups to these choke from various positions, and even throws in a lot of good defensive techniques. Simply put, this set is an excellent choice for anyone looking to step up his or her choke game, whether it be for BJJ or MMA.

Chokes are clearly the focus of this DVD set – just take the name – Fade To Black. As many of you would expect, it was given this name because that is what happens when you get choked. However, the usefulness of this set extends beyond BJJ to MMA. MMA fighters at any level of the sport can appreciate the set-ups that Quick uses as well as the tips he sets out throughout the set, noting at various times where the application would be useful to MMA, where strikes could be thrown and better positions achieved.

The three DVDs are divided into six volumes, one for each choke. The first DVD is Volume 1, darce chokes. The second DVD has Vol. 2, Peruvian neckties, and Vol. 3, guillotines. The third DVD has Vol. 4, reverse arm triangles, Vol. 5, arm triangles, and Vol. 6, gators. For a full description of the techniques shown on each DVD, head over to BudoVideos.com.

Each DVD starts off with a brief intro from Quick, talking about the particular choke that he will be demonstrating. The variations on each technique are helpfully separated by DVD “chapter” so fast forwarding by chapter will allow the viewer to skip ahead to whatever variation he wants to see, or continue to watch the same variation repeatedly simply by rewinding by chapter. The name of each one is shown before the technique itself so there is no confusion.

With regard to the techniques themselves, Quick first explains the mechanics of each choke and each variation on the technique, and all the techniques are shown from multiple angles, first slowly, with live narration by Quick, then at a faster speed with no narration.

Fade to Black also focuses on a number of escapes and reversals, so there is a defined defensive element as well. Additionally, a number of the variations are explained in the context of a different choke, because as all BJJ practitioners should know, a failed submission in one position can set up for a successful one in another. In fact, Quick even says in the intro to the volume on Peruvian Neckties that there “are many different failure options”.

At various times, Quick also demonstrates the chokes without an opponent. This may sound strange, but the camera angle is such that not every minor body movement or hand or leg placement can always be shown, so Quick demonstrates the techniques on a live opponent, explaining along the way, then shows the same technique with no opponent to stress those details that could not initially be seen.

All in all, there are a lot of different variations shown.

For the darce – 18
For the Peruvian necktie – 12
For the guillotine – 16
For the reverse arm triangle – 7
For the arm triangle – 8
For the gator – 7

Each disc also contains a special feature. On the first disc, it is an in-depth interview with Quick. He speaks to many of the same things that he did in our profile, but it is definitely worth a watch. From it, and throughout the set, you can definitely understand that Quick is a true martial artist.

On the second disc, the special feature is over fifteen minutes of Quick sparring with various opponents. As he stated at the beginning of the first disc, the darce is his favorite choke, and it’s not hard to see that as he repeatedly works for it in the sparring. The sparring is also a good thing to watch because viewers are able to see more of the application of the different techniques from a number of different positions.

On the third disc, it is a behind the scenes short documentary. A lot of what you’ll see is what is included in the trailer below, but there are shots from other sparring sessions and from the taping of the DVD set and Quick’s journey as a whole as he put this set together.

All in all, it’s an excellent set. It is not hard to see very early on that Quick is at the top of the game when it comes to these chokes, and no gi BJJ. I would recommend it for even the casual BJJ practitioner because of the sheer volume of the information that is presented. Many of these set-ups are not ones you would normally see, and the ease with which Quick demonstrates them is a further testament to his years of training. One of the things I most liked about Quick’s instruction throughout was the sense of total body awareness and control, stressing things like the power to use breathing control as a weapon. There are tons of helpful hints throughout the set, and Quick also mentions where common mistakes are often made to prevent the viewers from making those mistakes.

In speaking with Quick recently, I found out that things are getting even bigger at his school, the Trinity Combat Academy, and that there are big plans for more instructional materials in the near future. So check out his school’s site, check out his online training offerings, and to get in touch with Quick himself to set up a seminar in your area or some private instruction, feel free to email him at [email protected].

Thanks again to Quick, and BudoVideos.com for the opportunity to review Fade to Black. To purchase Fade to Black, check out BudoVideos.com.

-By Brian Furby