On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss New Year’s resolutions and goal setting. We discuss being careful not to get obsessed with a goal and what to do once you reach your goal, the importance of the person you are developing into instead of the importance of the goal, when do you change a goal if its unattainable, the value of journaling to figure out what you want, and Chewy’s goals for 2022. Live Q&A starts at 39:00 Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to char...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 59 min
Kody Steele is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and MMA fighter. On this episode, we discuss Kody’s start in wrestling, what he feels are the most important aspects of wrestling, Kody’s favorite competition ruleset, if you should you modify your game based on your opponent, learning from your losses, the adjustment period at every belt and his toughest belt to adjust to, developing your style of Jiu-Jitsu, his biggest Jiu-Jitsu influences, why being an exciting grappler is sometimes more important than wi...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 31 min
Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of discipline and how you can access more of it in your life. We also chat about how discipline for Jiu-Jitsu can be the conscious effort of working on techniques or positions that you’re not as good at, lining up your habits achieve your goals. how being disciplined is demonstrated as being more thoughtful with your actions, the awareness that is required for discipline, the value of having a coach, will-power being a limited resource, why you should strive to ...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr
On this episode, we discuss gym culture and its impact on Jiu-Jitsu, training, and life in general. We discuss how the gym culture at Chewy’s gym has evolved and changed over the years, traditional gym environment vs. a relaxed gym environment, the values that we set for our gym, unwritten rules, how your actions reflect what you say, shaping students through gym culture, being a product of your environment, the most important aspect of finding a gym, ineffective self-defense techniques, why peo...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 29 min
On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of not judging a book by its cover. We discuss over-estimation and under-estimation of others and yourself, importer syndrome, letting go of expectations, drills in Jiu-Jitsu to help with opening up your game, why you shouldn’t perceive things as positive or negative in regards to Jiu-Jitsu, how to build confidence, why you should avoid hanging on to things, why Chewy’s game stalled at purple belt, and correlations of body-type an...
Dec 13, 2021•50 min
On this episode of The Chewjitsu Podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss why you shouldn't call Jiu-Jitsu a "grind." Chewy discusses how incorporating joy and fun into Jiu-Jitsu will help with progression, what changed that helped Chewy’s Jiu-Jitsu improve, one of the best things to do if you dislike drilling, how Jiu-Jitsu changes your life perspective, getting into a flow state, using fear as a motivator, if there is any benefit to referring to Jiu-Jitsu as a grind, and one reason Chewy thinks peopl...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Deon Thompson is a 3rd degree Jiu-Jitsu black belt and the head coach and owner of "Ohio Brasa." On this episode, Deon discusses his start in Jiu-Jitsu and what Jiu-Jitsu was like in the early 2000's. Deon also talks about his desire to compete at a later stage of his career, why cross-training is more accepted now in Jiu-Jitsu, how basketball was helpful for improving Jiu-Jitsu, useful techniques for taller athletes, the trends he is seeing in BJJ , the danger of making Jiu-Jitsu attribute-base...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 43 min
PJ "The Butter Panther" Barch is a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and high level competitor. PJ joins the podcast to discuss his start in wrestling and martial arts, the Jiu-Jitsu environment compared to the Wrestling environment, the pros and cons of tough training, the evolution of his jiu-jitsu game, the job of the coach, ADCC trials trends, why you should pull guard, how PJ started with 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, his goals in Jiu-Jitsu, the closing of his gym, how Jiu-Jitsu impacts lives of ot...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 43 min
David is a Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, multiple time IBJJF champion, "Who’s Number One" and "Fight 2 Win" competitor, and the owner of "Assembly Jiu-Jitsu" in Bloomfield Hills, MI. On this episode David discusses preparing for the ADCC East Coast Trials, how to structure a warm-up, his start in martial arts, where his competitive drive came from, how to move past a loss, the Jiu-Jitsu scene in Michigan, learning leg locks, applying submissions safely, his thoughts on ripping submissions, the toll Inju...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 56 min
On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch. Jacob is a Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, No-Gi Brown Belt World Champion, and trains out of Pedigo Submission Fighting. Jacob discusses how he got his name Hillbilly Hammer and the saying “Biscuits and Gravy,” what its like being a late replacement for tournaments, Jacob’s competition mindset, his favorite rulesets to compete in, ADCC prep and weight cutting, the transition to Pedigo Submission Fighting and what its lik...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 21 min
On this episode we chat with Pake McNally. Pake is a BJJ black belt, Blacksmith, former Wildland Firefighter, and the owner and fabricator of "Become Stronger Industries." Pake talks about how he became a Wildland Firefighter, learning Blacksmithing, his introduction to BJJ and the parallels of metal work and BJJ, starting his metalworking business ("Become Stronger Industries). We also discuss the importance of purpose, starting Jiu-Jitsu and how it pulled Pake out of a difficult time in his li...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min
On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the need to remove your dependency on the outcome and trust the process. We also discuss the need to recognize good performances and bad performances, and be able to break down the bad performances to get the lessons to be learned from the experience. We also chat about the difference between a good performance and a bad performance, the difference between understanding and recognizing, how to enable self-discovery, and one of the problems with winning. ...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 7 min
On this episode of The Chewjitsu Podcast, we recap the 2021 No-Gi Worlds, discuss some competition takeaways, Chewy's experience competing on a gas tank that was a quarter full, and do a live Q&A. Q&A Includes: What to do when getting fatigued holding closed guard, how to get competition intensity into regular rolls, how to stop thinking about BJJ before bed, how to get in shape as a white belt, how to get better at takedowns, if its normal to feel invisible to the coach, how important i...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 58 min
Brandon Reed is a 3x NAIA College Wrestling Champion, 2021 NAIA Wrestler of the Year, and recently became the 2021 No-Gi Blue Belt Ultra Heavyweight World Champion. On this episode Brandon discusses his childhood and feeling like he didn’t fit in, being out of shape as a kid, discovering wrestling, getting adopted by his wrestling coach, developing his winning mentality, developing his work ethic, the best style of wrestling for BJJ, the most difficult adjustment from wrestling to BJJ, dealing w...
Oct 11, 2021•2 hr 14 min
Heather Jo Clark is a retired professional mixed martial artist, former UFC Strawweight, and the head MMA coach and co-owner of "10th Planet Denver." On this episode, Heather discusses her upbringing, playing professional Ice Hockey, finding MMA, being on "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 20, and starting her gym, “10th Planet Denver.” Heather also shares how she discovered Jiu-Jitsu, finding MMA and her first pro MMA fight, the transition to the UFC, trying out for TUF, her greatest victory, the en...
Oct 04, 2021•2 hr 4 min
In the fourth installment of "Rules For Jiu-Jitsu," we discuss the concept of rolling to win and how to train to your full potential. Chewy shares a couple of stories he received, one from an athlete who rolls well at the gym but doesn’t compete to his potential. The other story is from an athlete who was able to use the idea of "competing without the fear of losing” and having a great showing at their tournament. We discuss how to overcome the fear of losing, Chewy shares some of his tournament...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 1 min
On this episode, Chewy discuses his COVID experience, his symptoms, how he recovered, and how he is doing now. Chewy’s shares his biggest concern when he got sick, how he will decide whether he will compete in IBJJF Worlds, why he avoided working while recovering, helpful ideas for maintaining a positive mindset, getting clarity from rest, if there is there a good time to worry, random history facts from Chewy, and the major takeaways from getting sick. Subscribe to Chewy's e-mail list and get i...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 13 min
On this episode, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ Black Belt Tomer Alroy. We discuss the growth of BJJ in Israel, Tomer's start in Jiu-Jitsu, when his Jiu-Jitsu started to evolve and improve, the benefit of competition, how to study your matches, warm up ideas/tournament prep, how to build confidence/get out of a mental funk, Tomer's other interests before BJJ, Tomer's approach to training, how to know when a technique is tournament ready, Tomer's Jiu-Jitsu inspirations, preferred rulesets, on...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 37 min
On the episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the concept of how increased quantity of work performed will increase the quality of work produced. In Jiu-Jitsu, this is a focus on increased attempts at a position or technique to increase the quality and effectiveness of those techniques. We also discuss why long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity, why you should focus on one technique instead of many, why previous sports experience can speed up the learning process, avoiding self-judgement, ...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 26 min
On this episode, we answer a question from a newly promoted BJJ Blue belt, who doesn't feel that they are up to the standard of the other blue belts at their gym. We discuss the magical powers of Jiu-Jitsu belts, growing into your Jiu-Jitsu belt, which belt ranks are the largest jumps, underestimating and overestimating your abilities, the belt when everything restarts, the usefulness of belts, the value of recognition in Jiu-Jitsu, and dealing with imposter syndrome. Subscribe to Chewy's e-mail...
Aug 30, 2021•1 hr
On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss their recent trip to Colorado to visit one of the Charlotte’s Web CBD research farms and also get some training in while in Denver. We discuss our visit to the farm, what sets Charlotte’s Web apart form other CBD companies, their farm practices, how CBD can effect the body and how it is absorbed, and the benefits we have gotten from using the product. We also discuss moving past mistakes, going with the flow, being present and enjoying an experience when...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 34 min
Chewy and Eugene discuss the altercation between Mikey Musumeci and Geo Martinez at a recent match and discuss the idea behind whether a Jiu-Jitsu black belt should be a better person. We also talk about the “ego” that high level Jiu-Jitsu practitioner have, whether you can become a better person through Jiu-Jitsu, how Chewy has gotten better through Jiu-Jitsu, service to others, the difference between a boss and a leader in jiu-jitsu, and how bad experiences can be the greatest teachers. You ca...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 17 min
On this episode of The Chewjitsu Podcast, we are joined in studio by the 2018 Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Mahamed Aly. On this episode, Mahamed discusses his approach to grappling, how he structures seminars, getting into new hobbies, how he sees Jiu-Jitsu everywhere, getting worse to get better, an important lesson Mahamed learned from Henry Cejudo, maintaining the beginner’s mindset, what it means to be a “fighter”, how to develop a stronger mindset, how warming up properly can reduce fatigue at...
Aug 09, 2021•2 hr 5 min
On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss the importance of establishing your grips for Jiu-Jitsu techniques, and how this has an immense impact on your Jiu-Jitsu game. We discuss different types of gripping, using feints with gripping, modifying grips to make techniques work, problems that white belts have with gripping, decreasing grip/hand fatigue, reducing injury risk to the hands, and how to improve your grips. Live Q&A starts at 55:00 Topics Covered: Getting back to trai...
Aug 02, 2021•2 hr 2 min
Richard Bresler is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Rorion Gracie's first Jiu-Jitsu student in America, and the author of the book "Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life." Richard shares his story of how he met Rorion Gracie, how he started training , how jiu-jitsu offers a new beginning, what it was like training with Rorion Gracie, meeting and training with Rickson Gracie, his experiences from the early Gracie challenge matches, being a part of the first UFC and what it was like at...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 24 min
On this episode, we discuss the concept of being an "Anti-Martial Artist." We also chat about the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu and the importance of learning new techniques influenced by other martial arts, being a “technique mercenary,” maintaining a “beginner’s mind,” the importance of training strikes with Jiu-Jitsu, using instructionals, and watching matches to improve your skillset. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/31HEWoT and use the promo code Che...
Jul 19, 2021•46 min
Joel Blanton is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has been training for over 20 years. Joel and Chewy share their first encounter at a tournament, how training in Professional Wrestling led to Joel's start in MMA, what the MMA scene was like in the early days, his start in Jiu-Jitsu, the ability to avoid confrontation, how to come back from a loss, tips for recovery for older grapplers, how to keep training exciting, giving back through Jiu-Jitsu, and applying lessons learned from Jiu-Jitsu to life. Th...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 22 min
Kade Ruotolo is a Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt who trains out of Atos HQ. We start off the podcast discussing Kade’s recent victory at Who’s Number One by “Buggy Choke.” We discuss how Kade developed this new technique and how he implemented the submission into high level competition. Kade shares what it was like starting Jiu-Jitsu at 3 years old, the relationship and support he received from his parents, what makes Andre Galvao a great coach, his class structure and training schedule, favorite tourname...
Jul 05, 2021•1 hr 16 min
On this episode of the podcast Chewy and Eugene discuss the recent viral video between ADCC Champion Orlando Sanchez and Professional MMA fighter Sean Strickland. We break down the technique Orlando used in the video, whether it was a "dick move," and give our thoughts on the situation altogether. We also discuss what makes something a "dick move" in Jiu-Jitsu, talking trash in the gym, moves that you use in competition vs. moves that you use in training, avoiding pointing the finger at others, ...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 15 min
On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the "rules for Jiu-Jitsu." The rules discussed were: Jiu-Jitsu is a marathon, doing something new to shake things up, having a clear vision to what you’re chasing, pacing yourself, and accepting failure as the currency for progress. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/31HEWoT and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 20% off of your total purchase during the month of June 2021. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://w...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 17 min
