Brandon “Hapa” Is a Capoeirista. Strongfirst SFG 2 and just became a TACFIT Senior Instructor!! We talk about his TACFIT Journey, what it took to achieve TACFIT Senior Instructor, how he found his groove and his motivation to persevere.
Prof Leo Cantu is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Owner and Operator of Gracie Barra Corpus Christi in Texas. We have been friends for close to 20 Years. Prof Leo also suffers from Epilepsy. We talk old stories and talk about some of his personal battles along the way.
Thomas Pless New Mexico’s first home grown Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and my first Black Belt. He just received his 4th Degree promotion. Prof Thomas Pless has been teaching in Santa Fe New Mexico for over 25 Years. We discuss his martial arts journey of moving from Traditional Martial Arts to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His dedication to his students and our community. It was an honor to sit down with him.
New Professors Andrew and Jordan just received their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts after many years. We talk about the journey and lessons learned along the way.
Mike Fowler is a 4th Degree Black Belt and achieved his Black Belt in under 3.5 years being one the fastest ever to achieve the rank. Mike was one top American BJJ Competitors for many years, beating some of the top names in the Sport. In 2006, controversy struck Fowler and stopped him on his tracks at the IBJJF World Jiu Jitsu Championships (his first year as a black belt). Mikes match with Daniel Moraes was one of the most talked about that year. This caused such turmoil that IBJJF (Brazilian ...
Robert Torres holds Black Belts in multiple martial arts and now Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has been teaching for over 20 years. After High School he joined the Army National Guard and now owns and operates Crescent Moon Karate. He was one of our first students here in Burbank and it’s been a big pleasure watching him grow and interesting to hear his perspective on BJJ compared to other Martial Arts.
Kris just received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt after almost 10 years of Training. Enlisting into Navy as a teenager, traveling around the World on a Nuclear Submarine. Transitioning back into civilian life. He tells his story about how he got into Jiu-Jitsu. Meeting his wife on the Mat, being a father and more. Great to hear more of Kris’s life story as it’s been a big pleasure to watch him and his family’s growth over the years.
Marcus Kowal is a professional kickboxer, MMA fighter and boxer. He is also a 2nd degree black belt in Krav Maga, teaching self defense to civilians, military and law enforcements. Marcus has over 20 years in the fitness and martial arts industry. He was also in the Swedish special forces (Rangers) before moving to the US. He owns and operates Systems Training Center in the South Bay. His 15 month year son Liam was tragically killed by a drunk driver and seriously injured Liam’s 15-year-old aunt...
Coach Greg Jackson has won Best MMA Coach, Best MMA Gym, MMA Coach of the Year Awards and has been nicknamed the “Yoda” of MMA in many articles and publications. He has trained some of the greatest fighters, including former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovksi, former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, Diego Sanchez and countless other professional MMA athletes and champions. It’s...
Felicia is a Jean Jacques Machado Black Belt , ADCC Silver Medalist and BJJ World Champion. Always great spending time with her and conversation. On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and most Platforms.
One of the Original Gringos who moved to Brazil in the Nineties to live the Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle. Scotty had a huge influence on myself and American Jiu-Jitsu with his BJJ Content as well as having cool gear from Brazil in the early 2000’s. He later opened up OTM Fight Shops with locations around the Country. He was responsible for bringing the “Jiu-Jitsu Cut from Brazil” to Pakistan that most of us around the World use now. His Lucky Gi Brand just became the official Gi for the UFC Store. He now...
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, World Champion, Jeff has won at the highest levels in Gi and No -Gi against the best competition over the years. Jeff has fully dedicated his life to Jiu-Jitsu and has always been one to watch with his style and showmanship. I’ve been a fan of his for as long as I can remember so it was a big pleasure to talk a little about his career, about the adventures and lessons learned along the way.
Fresh off of their TACFIT Online Certification Level 1 they discuss the process, the learning and the journey. Had a great time with lots of laughs!
Chris is a Veteran who now helps our Military use their benefits to get a College Degree, as well as a Personal Trainer. Chris had just finished the ZULU (formerly FOXTROT) TACFIT Physical Test. He discusses his TACFIT Journey on how he got started in the System, him flying in from Arizona to Burbank to learn as well as bringing TACFIT Team Leader Robert Miller to teach Workshops and how thorough and how much he’s learned in his TACFIT Certification processes, from in person workshops, Certifica...
Jan Stolz owns and operates the Budokan Training Center Halle in Halle (Saale) Germany he has been teaching since 1990 and has had his own martial arts school since 1993. He is also a TACFIT Team Leader, we discuss the similarities of Martial Arts and TACFIT and how they compliment and improve each other. Jan grew up in East Germany in a time when it was illegal to practice martial arts publicly, it was interesting to hear how martial arts became really popular after the Berlin Wall came down an...
Robert Miller Stuntman, Actor, Fitness Model, Coach and TACFIT Team Leader talks about training with the Barbell, Clubbell and Mobility. We touch on our Online TACFIT Certification, the new TACFIT Barbell 101 Instructional he just filmed and more.
Eliot Marshall is a martial artist, business owner, podcaster, author and TED speaker. He was the first American to win the BJJ Pan American championship at blue, purple, and brown belt. After transitioning to MMA, Eliot fought on The Ultimate Fighter, earned a UFC contract, and fought for 4 more years. Upon retirement he became the co-owner of Easton Training Center, one of Colorado's leading martial arts schools, with 7 locations across the Denver area. Through his podcast, The Gospel of Fire,...
Jihad is a TACFIT Team Leader as well as the TACFIT MENA Director (Middle East and North Africa). He is a Judo Black Belt and speaks English, French, Arabic. We discussed how he chose his Passion of being a Trainer and Coach as a career over his Finance background many years ago and has never looked back.
Rafael Lovato Jr is an American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. He’s an IBJJF Black Belt World Champion and the first American to win the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Grand Slam (Worlds, Pans, Europeans, Brasileiro). He later entered MMA where he became the Legacy and the Bellator World Champion. It was an honor to hear about his roots of growing up in his fathers dojo, going to Brazil at 16 years old by himself and how he developed his Winning Mindset.
We both just flew in from Brazil and caught up on the amazing 25 Year Anniversary celebration of starting his first academy exactly 25 years to this month. The beginning of so many future champions from BJJ Gi, No-Gi, MMA and of thousands of Black Belts now spread all around the World. I am forever grateful to be a part of this Team, this Family and this Legacy. Enjoy!
Alaina Sawaya is a Firefighter, TACFIT Team Leader, Wife and Mother of Two. She shares her career transition from being a long time movement specialist and fitness model to becoming a Firefighter at 40 years of age. How TACFIT has helped her in her career and how she uses Flow to recover and live her best life.
Saulo Ribeiro received his black belt in 1995, he is a 5 x IBJJF World Champion, 2 x ADCC Champion him and his brother Xande Ribeiro are the most accomplished brothers in the history of the Sport. Sensei Saulo has been someone I had studied, learned from and have been inspired by since I started competing in the 1990’s. I learned Strategy, Tactics, Game Planning by his example in competition. To me Saulo Ribeiro is my favorite BJJ Competitor of all time so it was a huge honor to finally train an...
Jessica is an Ultra Marathoner, Endurance Athlete and one of the top women in the world. She’s ran the Badwater Ultramarathon twice (135 miles thru Death Valley with temperatures getting up to 137 degrees), has done four Ironmans and just finished running the Appalachian Trail (2,193 miles) by herself this year. She shares here experiences on how she got involved in these extreme challenges as well as her process and mindset to complete them. #UltraMarathon #Ironman #BadWater #JessicaHardy #Albe...
Professor Amal Easton began his martial arts journey over 30 years ago with the study of Muay Thai. He has studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu extensively since 1992. After earning his degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Easton moved to Rio De Janeiro in 1995. One of few Americans living in Rio de Janeiro, he trained and competed out of the Gracie Barra Academy for three and a half years. Professor Easton was only the seventh person to receive a black belt from the legendary Renzo Gracie. ...
Mauricio "Tinguinha" Mariano was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 11, following in his brother and friend's footsteps, with instructor Pitoco until the orange belt, as he developed into the sport and competitions he moved to the Barra Gracie school, a bigger Academy conducted by Jean Jaques Machado and Carlos Gracie Jr. at the time, until Jean Jaques moved to the US, and he started training full time under Master Carlos Gracie Jr., so...
Erik ‘Esik’ Melland is the CEO and founder of Viking Ninja LLC. He embodies the Viking Ninja - rooted within his Norwegian and Korean descent. His background as a massage therapist, fitness coach and creative artist has allowed him to design a program that is built around Balance, Discipline and the Warrior Spirit. His unconventional training system focusing on safe and mindful Bodyweight and Steel Mace movements for performance, strength, mobility and recovery. Erik’s journey has led him to tra...
Machado is one of five brothers of the Machado family. He began training at the age of five with his cousins, "The Gracie Family". Rigan was awarded the first black belt under Gracie Barra founder Carlos Gracie Jr. and is one of the original teachers who taught in the garage of Rorion Gracie in the early days of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in America. He also trained with his other cousins such Rickson Gracie, Rorion Gracie, Rillion Gracie, his uncle Carlos Gracie Sr, and his brothers. He is widely rega...
Lloyd Irvin Jr is One of the Top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Coaches in the World, coaching IBJJF World Champions from Blue Belt to Black Belt Belt. Lloyd’s Team being the first American Academy in BJJ history to truly and consistently make a mark in the sport. We talk about Think and Grow Rich, the 3% Percent Mindset, his Grappling Game Plan System and much more.
Steve Cotter is one of the leading authority in kettlebell training. He is a global pioneer in kettlebell training education, having personally instructed thousands of fitness professionals around the world. He is the founder and director of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF) and is on the Men's Health Magazine 'The 100 Fittest Men of All Time' list. He has lectured and presented in fitness-industry conferences on nearly every continent and has educated kettlebell trainer...
Andreya was born and raised in Sweden, now living in Los Angeles. Andreya was a Collegiate Boxing Champion for UCLA and later earned her Masters Degree in Exercise Science. She shares her story of how she got involved with Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and found TACFIT. I always see Andreya training and studying so it was great to hear her story, thank you Andrea for sharing!
