The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter: The true story about a frantic, 140 day long, around-the-world trip to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

With its focus on seeing Jiu Jitsu as a means of connecting people and enriching life, The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter is a must-read for anyone who has been bitten by the Jiu Jitsu bug. Christian tells an inspirational - and often touching - story about his six months of travel around the globe, which was facilitated entirely by the invisible ties of the Jiu Jitsu community. Chapter by chapter, Christian paints a picture of the distant and sometimes forgetten corners of Jiu Jitsu. He of course covers the mainstays like Brazil, the U.S., and Thailand, but what truly engaged me were his portraits of Jiu Jitsu clubs in remote places like Moldova, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands: dusty halls or open beaches filled by nothing more than an old, worn out wrestling mat (when available) and a few people who continue to come together for the love of the sport.Throughout the book you gain a vivid feel for Christian's outlook on the connective properties of Jiu Jitsu, and it goes a long way toward explaining the refreshing anti-exlusionary, pro-community philosophy behind the Team BJJ Globetrotters movement. Christian also shares, in raw detail, a bit of his personal life, and how it has shaped his perspective and, ultimately, the journey he took. These episodes add a welcome human touch, giving the book a complete feel which brings it beyond simple narrative. Ultimately, The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter is part travel journal, part life story, part manifesto, and wholly enjoyable.

I really liked the book, thoroughly enjoyed reading about faces of jiu jitsu across the globe. It is inspirational in the sense that this is the kind of book I wish I could have written (implication is that I would have taken the trip myself), as well as in that it brings you to what jiu jitsu is really about - a lifestyle, a philosophy on life, a playful attitude towards life, and caring for those around you. Graugart also ended up being a humanitarian as a result of the book, helping many jiu jitsu programs/schools around the world get the equipment that was out of reach previously (i.e. a small village in Moldova). Drawbacks to the book are the writing style, which is probably related to the fact the author is not a native English speaker; additionally there were too many references to being unable to train due to excessive drinking efforts on the previous night, which I find a bit disrespectful towards the individuals that you are training with and that made the effort to bring you into their community. It isn't too big of a deal if it happens here and there, obviously Graugart was travelling the world and you need to have fun with the locals, but being that it almost became a theme at certain points, it is a nuisance for the mentioned reasons.Overall, I do recommend it and have enjoyed reading it, especially since it inspired me with regards to training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

I loved this book. I am not an avid reader, but as one who has fallen in love with jiu-jitsu, I found this book difficult to put down. In short, it is a book about BJJ, about travel and the friends made around the world. Christian even includes some life lessons, one through the passing of a friend and a few during the journey. In this day and age, when the sport of BJJ can be very political and cliquish, it was refreshing to read of Christian's idea to remain unaffiliated, remaining open to training with anyone. Honestly, you can probably find much better reviews here or on the back of the book.My one problem with the book was the large number of grammar and/or syntax errors. Yes, I am one of those people who finds that sort of thing distracting. While I realize that English is not Christian's first language, he could have had the book reviewed by an editor prior to going into publication. Still, if this sort of thing isn't an issue for you, I think you will thoroughly enjoy this book. If not for the grammar/syntax errors, I would have rated the book 5 stars.

The BJJ Globetrotter is one of the best books I've ever read...and it was about BJJ! Christian is a fun writer, and really spends the time to share his experiences in full details. I had a great time reading about his travel adventures and training at both famous and less famous gyms. At the end, it was all about the insights that he has shared.As a blue belt student of the game, I am especially grateful for Christian's honesty regarding his initial fear of having to prove his skills at gyms across the world. Throughout the book, he invites everyone to walk with him as he grew as a traveller and a BJJ student. I will take his words to heart as I grow my own game.After reading each chapter, I highly recommend readers to compare the content to what Christian wrote on his blog ([...]). His extra writings and pictures on the blog really bring his adventures to life!Thank you Christian for writing this book!

This book was not only about him, but also his journey in life to experience more and inspire folks to get out and see and meet people through whatever medium, whether jiu jitsu or surfing or art. The book was about bettering yourself and others on the way. Very Jack Kerouac and "On The Road". Thanks Christian for reminding me about the goodness of life and people globally. Christian

I have followed Christinas journey through his online blog and a write up in a well known UK BJJ Magazine. So when I found out a book was being wrote I became particularly excited with anticipation for the release date of the book, monitoring updates daily via most social media. The book I ordered on 1st and amazingly it arrived this morning. I am already a chapter or 2 into the book and its engrossing, i have not wanted to put it down. I love jiu jitsu and just as importantly i love travel to so to link the two up in such an informative way is just brilliant. If there is one book you should consider buying this year this is it. Jiu Jitsu is an art that people all over the world can relate to and if you love it you know from deep within that its something to be respected and brings people to together with a common aim to imporve and be the best.Christian thanks for taking the time to document your amazing experience, and what a journey it must have been. Hopefully you release a further book one day.

I'm not one to typically write reviews for things but when something changes your life you'd like to think that sharing your experience might help someone else out there.I was lucky enough to read this book whilst travelling around Europe. From the very start this book gripped me; I think one of the reasons being Christian was a normal person who had a normal 9-5 job like myself. However, he then decides to follow his passion, leave his job and goes on what can only be described as one of the best trips ever! Christian goes on an adventure to seek more knowledge about the world, other people/cultures and BJJ. His ability to portray the characters that he came across, how he was feeling and his surrondings at the time makes you feel like you're a fly on the wall for his massive trip.This book had inspired me so much so that 2 weeks after I got home from my trip I signed up to a BJJ gym and 6 months later I'm still hooked on the gentle art. I'll be doing my own little globetrotter trip (on a smaller scale of course) but this book has given me the confidence to so!

Picked this up last week after following Christian's travels via his blog, and even though I already knew the basics of his story travelling and training across the world, it's been highly enjoyable to read about it again in greater detail, both in terms of the journey itself, and in getting to know the writer better.If you enjoyed the Cauliflower Chronicals, then you should love this. In my opinion the story and writing far surpasses the Cauliflower Chronicals, making this a must for any BJJ or travel fans alike.

A really enjoyable story about taking chances and embracing life. Christian seems like a great character, I'd love to train with him someday! Also, the kindle version was a bargain at 99p!

A light but fascinating read. I read it just after taking up BJJ, so it was all new to me. It created enough interest to make me travel to two of the author's training camps in Copenhagen!