Vitor Belfort: Ultimate Vale Tudo - DVD Review

Sometimes, I think that the powers-that-be at the MMA Universe website are a bit bonkers. Despite my almost constant protests that I am never going to start a career in mixed martial arts, they keep asking me to review MMA instructional DVDs, and this time it’s the turn of Vitor Belfort’s Ultimate Vale Tudo.

Belfort is without a doubt one of the top MMA fighters of the past decade, having exploded onto the scene as a 19 year old, and unlike the other sets I’ve reviewed, it’s more-or-less in at the deep end as far as learning the various fighting techniques here, starting with how to fight from the guard position, through to the last, where we see Belfort’s workout routine. It surprised me a little that there was no “starter” technique as it were, where those wishing to learn could take things a little easy at first, where they could ease themselves into the swing of things.

Belfort’s teachings are top notch and come from an extremely sound base. We learn the various ground fighting techniques such as side control, tacking the back, as well as leg and arm locks. There’s also a volume dedicated to boxing training, where Belfort shows how his tremendous hand speed came about.

But while I was watching these lessons, there was something that kept bothering me, and I couldn’t really put my finger on it until very late in the viewing, when it suddenly occurred to me.

Although Belfort was quite clear in his instructions, he seemed a little uneasy in front of the camera, hardly looking into the camera as he told us how to perform the various techniques. Having reviewed Mark Kerr’s excellent instructional set a few weeks ago, where his instructions were clear and precise and where he seemed like a natural in front of the camera, I found Belfort’s performance a little off-putting.

But that being said, that was the only part of this collection I could actually fault. To a complete novice like me, Belfort’s techniques look very sound, and this set is definitely a valid training tool for anyone taking their first tentative steps as they train to become MMA fighters.

So in conclusion, Vitor Belfort: Ultimate Vale Tudo is recommended viewing, but the lack of any “starter” techniques on this set makes me think that it would be best to start your training with another collection first.

With thanks to the good people at MMA Universe for supplying a copy of this collection. “Vitor Belfort: Ultimate Vale Tudo” can be purchased online by visiting www.mmauniverse.com.