What Jiu Jitsu Means to Me

My final episode of the podcast. Thank you for listening!

Dorothy Dao is a Ralph Gracie Berkeley black belt currently training at AOJ. In this episode, we talk about her time living and training abroad, how she’s learned to address burn out, and what she hopes to get out of her last year competing in the adult division.

6 months post-surgery, I reflect on what my life has been like in the absence of jiu jitsu.

Andrea Hixson is a filmmaker who recently released a full length documentary on women in jiu jitsu. American Jiujiteira follows Andrea’s journey traveling the country with her husband as she embarks on her first year and a half of training jiu jitsu. The documentary is a mix of her own triumphs, struggles, and reflections, along with interviews of jiujiteiras of all levels. In this conversation, w...

When Rose Miller picked up and moved across the country to San Diego, she didn’t have a clear idea of the path ahead of her. Eventually, her long standing interest in martial arts was met with a series of fortuitous events that led her to jiu jitsu. Drawn by the opportunities for discipline, growth, and accountability, Rose quickly found a home in the gentle art. She appreciated both the intense p...

In this episode, I'm joined by Nia Blackston Doyle. While she once thought she was going to be a white belt forever, she is now a black belt with multiple World Masters medals, including gold at purple and brown belt. In this episode, we talk about what it was like for her to come back to the mats after giving birth, how she’s seen the culture at our gym change over time, and why it’s importan...

Ariana Chandra is a judo black belt, jiu jitsu brown belt, and recent Masters Worlds gold medalist. She and I chat about how she prepared for the competition, how she feels about her new belt, and what she’s reaching for next.

Betty Broadhurst is a jiu jitsu black belt and the founder of Roll Forever, an organization that aims to increase accessibility to high level training and sponsors professional athletes. Betty is someone I’ve looked up to since I first started training, and it was really inspiring to learn more about the ways she’s contributed to the sport and worked really hard to create opportunities for jiu jit...

I go to Masters Worlds and learn what an AC joint is the hard way. A few days post-surgery, I share my experience so far.

In this episode, recorded a week before I competed in Masters Worlds, I talk about how I prepared for the big day and how I dealt with the lowest point in my journey.

Summer Guerra is a blue belt at Precision Jiu Jitsu Academy. In this conversation, we chat about her recent competition successes, what it's like to be a mom who trains, and how jiu jitsu has helped her find her true strength.

Melissa Templeman was on a path to the Olympics when a sudden injury changed her trajectory. In this episode, we talk about how that journey impacted her and the insights she's gained from her over decade of experience in martial arts. She shares how she approaches the challenges of being a smaller jiu jitsu practitioner, strategies for having a more productive mental game, and the impact that...

I've been losing more competition matches since I got to blue belt. Surprisingly, I'm a lot more okay with that than I would have expected. In this episode, I discuss how my feelings about losing have changed over time and the new question I'm asking myself when I feel afraid.

In this episode I have my first black belt guest! Von Stricklen is a military veteran, podcaster, and fitness coach who brings a holistic approach to her work. In this conversation, we discuss Von's philosophy around coaching, how taking a break from competing made her stronger, and her experience of being promoted to black belt.

I'm a very driven person, sometimes to a fault. There have been times when I've stuck to a goal to my own detriment. In this episode, I discuss how I've learned to be flexible with goals while still moving forward and how the idea of just doing "the next right thing" has helped me both personally and in my rolling.

For years, I struggled with dealing with uncertainty. During challenging periods of my life, I just wanted to know so desperately how everything was going to turn out. Competing in jiu jitsu has been an invaluable tool in learning how to accept that I can never know the outcome of anything until it's happened. In this episode, I discuss how I've become more comfortable living with the unce...

Since I was promoted to blue belt, I've noticed there are less people in my competition divisions. There have been a couple competitions I wasn't able to do at all. This issue is particularly relevant for women, and it's something I'd like to see change in the sport. In this episode, I discuss why I think competing is so valuable and provide a framework for how to think about appro...

I've committed to doing Master Worlds this year. It'll be the biggest competition I've done, and I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how I want to mentally and physically prepare. In this episode, I discuss how my perspective on winning has changed over time and the new mindset I'm taking on with my competition prep.

This episode features my fellow competitor, Dessi, a blue belt at 10th Planet Oakland. We met when we faced off at our last competition, and in this episode we reconnect to recap our matches and discuss Dessi's experience living and training with Type 1 Diabetes.

Doing my best can be hard. When I really go for something, I'm forced to confront the reality that there's only so much I'll ever achieve. In this episode, I discuss how a recent challenging period in my training showed me the importance of being willing to confront limitations.

Jiu jitsu has many physical and mental benefits, and it can be a vehicle to improve your life during challenging circumstances. It can also be a way to avoid dealing with your feelings. In this episode, my friend Mai and I talk about how childhood trauma, divorce, and anger issues have impacted her training. We explore how her relationship with jiu jitsu became unhealthy, and where she wants to go...

This week's episode has a very special guest: Elaine Wynn, aka Jiu Jitsu Grandma. Elaine and I chat about what it was like to start jiu jitsu at 69, the benefits she's seen from training, and how she measures success.

The crew and I head to Stockton for Jiu Jitsu World League's Golden State VII. I take you through my thoughts and feelings leading up to the competition day and all the big moments at the arena. Will Daniel make weight? How many times will Jason yell at me to shrimp? Do I know how to use butterfly hooks? Come along with me on my journey of answering these questions and coming to a new understa...

In this episode, I talk with my friend Jacki about the anxiety she started experiencing when she transitioned to a new gym, what’s it’s like to have a partner who also does jiu jitsu, and her thoughts on how we can all be more considerate training partners.

In this episode, I catch up with my friend Gurwant, who is a white belt at San Lorenzo Jiu Jitsu. We talk about her experiences competing, how she's dealt with anxiety, and the beauty of building a jiu jitsu family.