This week we're joined again by Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth! Josh joins us to break down a powerful and underloved position: the honey badger. This is effectively when you "turtle" inside your opponent's guard and dig for a double under or stack pass. It's an amazing tactic for opening and passing the guard, especially against larger opponents. Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apexconyers/ Argue with Josh on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 269
This week we're joined by Edwin "Junny" Ocasio! Fresh off his first world championship win, Junny joins us to expand on a conversation he had with Emily Kwok on The Highest Levels (an ongoing BJJMM Premium podcast). In this episode, Junny explains how he thinks about optimization, when to dig deeper into optimizing an area of his game, and how to avoid over-optimizing. Follow Junny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junny_bjj Subscribe to Junny's YouTube channel: https:/...
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 268
This week we're joined again by Greg Souders! In this episode, Greg joins us to bust some common Jiu-Jitsu myths, including: the "win or learn" debate, why teaching with "training wheels" doesn't work, the problem with instructionals, and whether belts matter. Follow Greg and Standard Jiu-Jitsu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gdsouders https://www.instagram.com/standardjiujitsu Resources discussed in this episode: BJJMM Ep. 203: Evidence-Based Coaching, feat...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 267
This week we're joined by Alec Baulding! Alec is a black belt under Romero Cavalcanti, an accomplished competitor, and a reputed YouTube content creator. In this episode, Alec shares his thoughts on the journey from Jiu-Jitsu student to teacher. Subscribe to Alec's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlecBaulding Follow Alec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alecbaulding Get Alec's instructionals on his website and BJJ Fanatics: https://www.alecbaulding.com/ https://b...
Jan 08, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 266
This week we're joined again by Erin Herle! Erin is a black belt under Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" and is the founder of #SubmitTheStigma. She's also a mental performance consultant with a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology, which is relevant to our topic of conversation today. In this episode, Erin talks about mental toughness. She explains how mental toughness is an attribute you can train, how many people define it incorrectly, and what to expect when you ...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 265
This week we're joined again by Priit Mihkelson! In this episode, Priit reveals something surprising about the way he runs his gym: he teaches submissions first! This is pretty funny and surprising coming from "the Defensive BJJ guy," but there's a good reason why he does things this way. Listen to learn why. Follow Priit on social: https://www.facebook.com/priit.mihkelson https://www.instagram.com/priit_mihkelson Learn from Priit on Defensive BJJ: https://www.defensivebjj.co...
Dec 25, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 264
This week we're joined by Heather Morgan! Heather is a BJJ black belt under André Galvão and a prominent online instructor. In this episode, Heather discusses how she attacks from her favorite guard pass: the knee slice. Follow Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_morganbjj/ Subscribe to Heather on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CaptMorgan0820 Check out Heather's knee slice course: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/kneecutcrashcourse Mental models discussed in this e...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 263
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! In this episode, Rob talks about the concept of gamification, how it optimizes learning, and how both students and coaches can gamify Jiu-Jitsu. Keep an eye on Grapplearts for Rob's upcoming gamification instructional: https://grapplearts.com/ Learn from Rob at BJJ Concepts: https://bjjconcepts.net/ Follow Rob on Instagram: https://instagram.com/islandtopteam Train with Rob at Island Top Team: https://islandtopteam.com/ Resources mentioned...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 262
This week we're joined by Victor Hugo! Victor is a black belt under the Ribeiro brothers and a multi-time ultra heavyweight world champion. He's also an accomplished businessperson, being both the head coach at Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu in Lake Travis and the founder of several online Jiu-Jitsu brands. In this episode, the big man shares some incredible insights on the intersections between the worlds of business and BJJ. Victor explains how he balances all these projects, how his businesse...
Dec 04, 2023•53 min•Ep. 261
This week we're joined by Scott Sievewright! Scott is the head coach at Primal MKE in Milwaukee and the host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast. In this episode, Scott shares his pragmatic take on ecological dynamics for beginners and coaches alike. It's a great gentle introduction to eco, covering topics such as: how eco differs from traditional methods, the importance of making mistakes, and why we shouldn't be afraid of developing bad habits. Follow Scott and Primal MKE on Inst...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 260
This week we're joined by Dorothy Dao! Dorothy is a competition black belt now training under the Mendes brothers out of AOJ in Costa Mesa, California. Previously Dorothy had trained mostly with larger partners, but at AOJ she's found an elite competition team within her own weight class. In this episode, Dorothy shares how she's found success training with both much larger partners and also competitive athletes her own size. Follow Dorothy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...
Nov 20, 2023•59 min•Ep. 259
This week we're joined again by Lachlan Giles! In this episode, Lachlan talks about the philosophy of self-organization, where students take ownership of their own learning journey. We also touch on use cases for Lachlan's amazing platform SUBMETA and his thoughts on ecological dynamics in BJJ. Learn with Lachlan on SUBMETA: https://submeta.io/ Follow Lachlan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lachlan_giles/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Self-Organization https://bjjmen...
Nov 13, 2023•54 min•Ep. 258
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! Rob is fresh off an amazing performance at ADCC Open Canada 2023, where he won gold in the Masters division and Island Top Team took the #1 overall adult team rating. What makes this so impressive is that in addition to being a small team, they're also mostly hobbyists. In this episode, Rob breaks down his competition mindset: a rejection of the "alpha" tropes we see all over social media. Rob's approach is about trusting in...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 257
This week we're joined again by Stephan Kesting! In this episode, the legendary Grapplearts instructor breaks down key concepts from his latest instructional, Rolling Backtakes for Everyone. Follow Stephan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting/ Resources mentioned in this episode: The Dope Mount, The Easiest Way to Get to the Mount —Stephan Kesting https://youtu.be/hhZx5ZFhSQw Rolling Backtakes for Everyone, by Stephan Kesting https://www.grapplearts.com/rolling-backtakes-...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 256
This week we're joined by Chris Wojcik! Chris is a black belt under Jeff Serafin, an accomplished competitor, and the writer of the popular BJJ newsletter The Grappler's Diary. In this episode, Chris talks about the evolving standup game in competition Jiu-Jitsu, involving a hybrid of wrestling, Judo, and BJJ. Subscribe to the Grappler's Diary on Substack: https://chrismwojcik.substack.com/ Get Chris' free ebook: https://christophermwojcik.com/learn-bjj-faster/ Follow Chris o...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 255
This week we're joined again by Drew Foster! Drew Foster is a black belt instructor at Elevate MMA in North Carolina, the host of The Neon Belly Podcast, and a frequent contributor on /r/bjj under the alias Darce_Knight. In this episode, Drew discusses a topic we've wanted to get into for a long time: impostor syndrome. Oxford Dictionary defines impostor syndrome as "the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a resu...
Oct 16, 2023•54 min•Ep. 254
In this episode, we're joined by Joe Hannan! Joe is a BJJ black belt under Emily Kwok, the founder of BJJ Meditations, and the co-host of The Highest Levels on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Joe discusses the importance of finding meaning in your Jiu-Jitsu journey. Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjj_meditations/ Listen to the BJJ Meditations Podcast: https://www.bjjmeditations.com/podcast Subscribe to BJJ Meditations on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bjjm...
Oct 09, 2023•58 min•Ep. 253
In this episode, Brother Matt joins us to discuss his coaching experience with ecological dynamics and drilling. We also get into whether the discourse surrounding the ecological approach in Jiu-Jitsu is productive or toxic. Check out The Essential Jiu-Jitsu Podcast with Brother Matt: https://ejjp.show/ Subscribe to EJJP on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheEssentialJiuJitsuPodcast Check out the On Guard online academy: https://onguardbjj.com/ Zara Can Do Jiu-Jitsu: https://amzn.to/46tACIH Resour...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 252
This week we're joined by Kristian Woodmansee! Kristian is a black belt under André Galvão, the founder of Logic BJJ Online, and the head instructor at Logic Philly. In this episode, Kristian explains his ladder system for guard passing: a simple concept that helps anyone better understand best practices for passing the guard. Follow Kristian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/logicbjjonline/ Subscribe to Logic BJJ Online: https://logicbjjonline.com/ Train with Kristian at Logic Philly...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 251
This week we're joined by Riley Stearns! Riley is a BJJ black belt under Shawn Williams, and a film director best known for The Art of Self-Defense, starring Jesse Eisenberg. In this episode, Riley shares his advice on achieving work-life balance, and how to maximize your enjoyment of Jiu-Jitsu without letting it take over your life. Follow Riley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileystearns/ Check out Riley's Jiu-Jitsu project, Hobbyist: https://www.instagram.com/hobbyistinc/ W...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 250
"I truly believe I can create luck." That's something you'll hear if you listen to interviews with Wesley Seek. Wesley, better known by his handle LambySeries - or Lamby for short - is a world-class competitive card gamer, previously achieving Grandmaster status in Hearthstone and currently considered the best Marvel Snap player in the world. This episode serves two purposes. First, to feed Steve's crippling Marvel Snap addiction. And second, to give Lamby a platform to ...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 249
This week we're joined by Shawn Williams! Shawn is a black belt under Renzo Gracie, and is both a renowned competitor and teacher. In this episode, Shawn Williams explains his "closed loop" strategy for Jiu-Jitsu, wherein you're always advancing without compromising position. Follow Shawn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnwilliamsbjj/ Visit Shawn's website: https://shawnwilliamsbjj.tv/ Visit Shawn's digital academy: https://jiujitsuedu.com/ Buy Shawn&apos...
Sep 04, 2023•56 min•Ep. 248
This week we're joined by Anthony "El Toro" Birchak! Anthony is a UFC, Bellator, and Rizin MMA veteran, as well as a BJJ black belt under Casey Halstead. In this episode, Anthony draws on his wrestling background to explain the importance of wrestling, both mentally and technically, in Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Anthony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abirchakmma/ Follow Anthony on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyBirchak/ Train with Anthony at 10th Planet Tucson: https://...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 247
This week we're joined by Alexander Darwin! Alexander is a black belt at Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is best known as the author of the BJJ-inspired sci-fi/fantasy novel, The Combat Codes. In this episode, Alexander talks about the ethos of keeping it playful: a statement we've all heard before, but also a philosophy that significantly increases your enjoyment of — and performance in — Jiu-Jitsu over the long term. Follow Alexander and The Combat Codes on social: https://www.instagr...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min
This week we're joined by Shama Ko! Shama is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Penny Thomas and is best known for her role as Program Director at Girls in Gis. In this episode, Shama shares advice on the obstacles we encounter in our Jiu-Jitsu journey, and the power of community in overcoming them. Follow Shama on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamasko/ Visit the Girls in Gis website: https://www.girls-in-gis.com/ Follow Girls in Gis on social: https://www.instagram.com/girlsing...
Aug 14, 2023•58 min•Ep. 245
This week we're joined by Shanti Abelha! Shanti is a multi-time black belt world champion, management consultant, and head coach at Hive BJJ in Copenhagen. In this episode, Shanti draws upon her business management experience to introduce lean methodologies and explain how they can transfer to skill development in BJJ. Follow Shanti on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantibjj/ Train with Shanti at Hive BJJ: https://hivebjj.com/ Resources discussed in this episode: Toyota Kata, feat. M...
Aug 07, 2023•55 min•Ep. 244
This week we're joined by David Figueroa-Martinez! David is a black belt, instructor, and writer training out of Gracie La Mesa in California. In this episode, David discusses how Jiu-Jitsu, while not a replacement for therapy, can still be a powerful tool for assisting in trauma recovery. Follow David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfm.2099/ David's website: https://dfm2099.me/ Dawnbreakers BJJ: https://www.dawnbreakersbjj.com/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Mindful...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 243
This week we're joined again by Brandon Mccaghren! In this episode, Brandon breaks down the concepts behind an essential 10th Planet guard: the lockdown. Follow Brandon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonmc.ninja/ Subscribe to Brandon's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@brandonmcninja Get Brandon's lockdown instructional at BMAC academy: https://bmac.mykajabi.com/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Prevention Over Cure https://bjjmentalmodels.com/preventi...
Jul 24, 2023•57 min•Ep. 242
This week we're joined by Dr. Nate Zinsser! Nate shares the confidence-building guidance from his essential book, The Confident Mind. Get Nate's book, The Confident Mind: https://www.natezinsser.com/book Nate's website: https://www.natezinsser.com/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Growth Mindset https://bjjmentalmodels.com/growth-mindset/ Mental Gatekeeping https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mental-gatekeeping/ Self-Competition https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/ Habits...
Jul 17, 2023•54 min•Ep. 241
This week we're joined by Priit Mihkelson! In this episode, Priit explains recent developments in what he calls "sideways open guard:" a supine guard where your body is tilted to the side. It's an emerging position being used by competitors such as Lachlan Giles. Follow Priit on social: https://www.instagram.com/priit_mihkelson/ https://www.facebook.com/priit.mihkelson/ Sideways Open Guard — BJJ Fanatics: https://bit.ly/46HGUFi Defensive BJJ: https://www.defensivebjj.com/ Res...
Jul 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 240
