MTRG vs. ARG

[Dylan Robertson]

Hey guys, I'm really looking to get into some 10th Planet stuff, as I'm from a non10p school. I really like Nogi (much more than the Gi), and want to up my bottom game (Half Guard is my favorite bottom position besides Butterfly/SLX/X game). I've read that there are a lot of overlap between the two books, and was just wondering how much over lap there is? Does ARG cover all that's shown in MTRG and then the new stuff that's been added to the system?

I'm also planning on getting MTS because it's so cheap, does MTS have any overlap with these two books at all?

Overall, just a general recommendation for which book I should get first as a guy looking to get into the 10p System.

[Arman Fathi]

Start with MTRG, but if you're serious get both.

[Jay Chow]

You already enjoy playing half, so I'd definitely go with MTRG first. The first section after the intro is focused on the half-guard and lockdown. Adding it to your game will help you to mess with your opponents base and get to grips with the intricacies of underhooks. Even if you aren't successful at sweeping with it, there are various transitions like the "stomp" to move to butterfly guard.

There are also things like the pyramid, a great position for setting up triangles or transitioning to rubber guard, and further your understanding of overhooks (which are super important in no-gi)

[Brian Debes]

I'm actually super curious as to whether Jay and Armen above have A. Read Advanced Mastering the Rubber Guard and B. Are aware of the price of currently getting that out of print book, on average.

I'm going to guess no. MTRG was by far the most influential book I have ever read on my game. But only because I read it before Advanced Mastering the Rubberguard was written. AMTRG contains almost everything the first book does plus more stuff.

More importantly, AMTRG shows the old techniques with the new tweaks to help keep you from getting countered. The lock down game especially has some key holes plugged in its basic techniques.

The original MTRG is out of print and can be quite expensive to pick up used, often more than double its original resale, and I've seen it go for up to $250 or so right before AMTRG's release... for a USED book the is arguably worse than MTRG in basically every way (no offense to it, it was one of the most influential grappling books ever written and largely the reason I am with 10p).

MTS is so vast that it does have allot of overlap with EVERYTHING in grappling basically lol. However, every book and DVD Eddie has ever printed has some things that have never been in MTS. You can bet that's on purpose.

My recommendation would be to get AMTRG and a MTS subscription first, and pick up everything else Eddie has ever put out after that if you wish.

By the way, MTS is the most vast resource out of all of those and also the cheapest... That's really a no brainier if your looking into buying 10p instructionals.

[Dylan Robertson]

So ARG covers what MTRG has, improvements on it, and new stuff? Sounds like the way to go. Thanks everybody

[Jay Chow]

Haven't got the advanced one, and wasn't aware that it was out of print, fair enough.

[Pat Campagnola]

I agree with Brian. I have both and almost always defer to ARG for the same reasons he stated.

[Jay Chow]

I've just purchased it, should probably read it before advising