Gracie Jiu Jitsu Rocks! podcast

Justin Faiferlick, owner of Faiferlick Martial arts and Gracie Ft Dodge in Ft Dodge, IA, is a 7th degree black belt martial artist and a Gracie Jiu Jitsu blue belt. He is a career Air Force veteran, a husband, father, and grandfather. Justin is currently battling stage 4 malignant melanoma cancer. In this episode Justin discusses his military career, his martial arts journey, his family, and coura...

Professor Brian Glick is BJJ black belt under John Danaher and Renzo gracie. He is a world renowned instructor and coach, and John Dananher's longest running student. In this interview he discusses the culture shock of Moving to NYC at 17,  his introduction to Gracie Jiu Jitsu, his introduction to John Danaher at Renzo's academy, what the the environment was like at Renzo's academy in the early da...

Thomas Rozdzynski is a 3rd degree black belt, owner of the ROL academy of Jiu Jitsu, Co-Owner of the ROL Radio podcast, and creator of ROL TV. In this interview Thomas talks about the challenges of immigrating to the US as a teenager and how it developed his resiliency, the importance of doing hard things, the evolution of "fluffy Thomas", training with Carlosin Gracie Sr, his journey through the...

Nick Koumalatsos is a world renowned men's coach and mentor.  He's a husband, father, veteran advocate, former marine raider, and reconnaissance marine, founder of the Raider Project, Philanthropist, YouTuber,  host of the Always Forward podcast. He's the founder of the Agoge program, the Modern Day Knight, the Squire program, and more. In this episode he talks about his troubled childhood and the...

Master Carlos Machado is back on the show to discuss all things he's been up to lately, his recent 60th birthday, staying balanced as he ages (including carnivore diet, red light therapy, blue blockers, mindset, etc), staying present in the moment, what it was like back in the day in Brazil training with his cousins and brothers, what Rolls, Rickson were like, Carlson's influence, Grandmasters Car...

"Imagine not needing over the counter meds to get through training sessions." ~Kevin Lucas Kevin Lucas, Co-owner of New Hope Regeneration, discusses what stem cells are and what they do, the five things that have changed the course of human history, how allopathic medicine has missed the boat in the US, using Jiu Jitsu analogies to understand stem cells, how receiving stem cells stimulates regener...

"Helio Gracie was a general. He was a father, and instructor. He was the most amazing man I met in my life. He was the toughest man I ever met" Master Pedro Sauer returns to discuss The Sauer Protection Institute, His 2 new non profits (teaching kids Jiu Jitsu, and computer skills, and preserving the rivers/jungles),  how simple things make a big difference, the jungle he planted, how we fight for...

  "I'm not afraid of getting punched in the face. That's my love language" Dan Joseph, Dan Zia Joseph is a BJJ practitioner, Army veteran, and author of Backpack to Rucksack: Insight into Leadership and Resilience by Military experts. In this interview he discusses How his buddy got him into BJJ, his navy seal friends influence on him, joining the Army at 32 years old, training at Dean Lister and...

An "Active attempt to be humbly aware of how limited my knowledge is" lets me be a student in the truest sense.  ~Chris Haueter Chris Haueter is a  6th degree Black belt, member of the dirty dozen and founder of Combat Base. He is an insightful and skilled teacher as well as a gifted artist.  In this interview he discusses Reassessing your game as you get older, what the slogan Think street, Train...

"In combat simplicity succeeds and complexity kills." Lt Col. Jason Mills Jason Mills is a Pedro Sauer Brown belt and a Certified Gracie University instructor. He recently finished his military career and will be the new manager of Gracie Sacramento  (a new CTC) in the Sacramento area of CA. In this interview he discusses his military career, how he found Jiu Jitsu and his Jiu Jitsu philosophy, ha...

Marty shares his journey and experience of becoming a certified Wim Hof Method instructor

Dr. Peter Warshawski, Lifelong martial artist, Periodontal dental surgeon, fitness enthusiast, and recent author,  discusses his new book: Blows, and why he wrote it, overcoming all the childhood negative programming and discovering his power, Becoming a periodontal dental surgeon, what to look for in a great dentist, the importance of dental hygiene has on other areas of health including cardiova...

Todd Fox, Security & Expert and 3rd BJJ Black Belt, is a former Marine, law enforcement officer, BJJ black belt, and Author. After his military service, he began his career in EP (Executive Protection) and has spent the past two decades providing executive protection and safety services to high level clients including  some of the most recognizable names in music and movies including Guy Ritchie,...

Sean Patrick Flanery, world renowned actor and 4th Degree BJJ black belt, discusses new movie Nefarious and all that went into doing it, his gratitude for his long movie career, training at Rafael Lavato Jr's academy while filming the new movie, practicing Martial Arts since age 9, his deep obsession for Jiu Jitsu and why it will be the biggest part of his legacy,  training at Rickson's academy, H...

Charlie Vinch, BJJ black belt, expert striker and owner of Budo Martial Arts Studio in Ewing, NJ discusses his recent  Brazil trip and tips for those traveling to Brazil, training at the world renowned Chute Boxe academy and meeting Wanderlei Silva and others, his extensive martial arts journey, getting his Black belt from the Migliarese brothers and what he's learned from them, his academy and ph...

Matt Wahlstrom is a Tom DeBlass Black Belt, Entrepreneur, small biz owner,  licensed realtor, Crazy off road racer, inventor, and creator of the  lifestyle clothing brand, Epic Roll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I n this interview Matt discusses the Importance of balance in life, his BJJ journey, what fighting MMA taught him, training with Eric Silver and mario Yamasaki, landing at Team Renzo Gracie-team T...

Priit Mihkelson is a BJJ black belt and world renowned instructor. He is known for his innovation of Jiu Jitsu techniques and strategies, and his think outside the box philosophy. In this interview Priit discusses his current travels/seminars, his popular Defensive Jiu Jitsu and how it got started and has evolved, trenches and transitions, how his work is misunderstood, training to keep from getti...

Professor  Ryan Young, 3rd degree Kama Jiu jitsu Black Belt, discusses his current Annual Thanksgiving food basket drive, why he loves Texas, starting his journey in Hawaii and his time with Relson, Rickson's impact and influence on him, his Jiu Jitsu philosophy, running techniques through the self defense screen, is GJJ a complete martial art, staying out of the red zone, injuries in Jiu Jitsu, h...

 Karel "Silver Fox" Pravec, 4th degree Renzo Gracie black and owner of Silver Fox BJJ  discusses coming from Czechoslovakia and escaping to the to US, his introduction to Jiu Jitsu, training with Renzo and his relationship over the years , opening his own school and what it takes to succeed, His YouTube channel and live troubleshooting streams, his relationship with Firas Zahabi and appearing on t...

Professor Bernado Faria is a 5X BJJ champion, owner of Bernardo Faria BJJ academy, and Co-founder of BJJ Fanatics. In this episode he discusses where he grew up and how he got started in Jiu Jitsu, training with instructors Ricardo Marques , Fabio Gurgel, and Marcelo Garcia,his mindset and training leading up to his championships, his favorite technique and set up, the most important thing needed...

In this episode we celebrate the life of 4th degree Pedro Sauer Black Belt Professor Keith Owen through the eyes of his family,  affiliates,  fellow instructors, the people who loved him. Keith Owen was an incredible man. He was an incredible teacher, mentor, friend, husband, father, and an amazing human being who impacted so many people's lives. He left this life too early but he was a true examp...

Mark Schultz, olympic gold medal wrestler, UFC veteran, and Pedro Sauer black belt discusses Why he purposely threw the last match of the 1988 Olympics, Foxcatcher movie and why he didn't like it, His book - Foxcatcher and the real story of Foxcatcher,  His epic match with Rickson, How he got into UFC 9, Why he only fought in one UFC, Pedro Sauer's epic fight against Lance Batchelor, What he learn...

Jamie Marich, Ph-d and Anna Pirkl, LMFT, authors of Healing Trauma with Jiu Jitsu, discuss what trauma is and how common it is, the toll it takes on our lives, how trauma shrinks our worlds, the link/relationship between addictions and trauma, importance of physical play, moving from victim mentality to warrior activist, the range of response in Jiu Jitsu and why Jiu Jitsu is can be so effective i...

Rickson discusses  writing his book, how his philosophy about fighting has changed through the years, learning to fight without emotion, Representing the Gracie legacy, His early fights in Japan, the spirit of the samurai, being treated like a God in Japan, cold exposure, meditation and his fire ceremony during his fight prep, the incredible power of breathing/ breathwork, the importance of visual...

In this interview Ricardo discusses his academy and how it got it's name, the special things going on in addition to Jiu Jitsu out of his academy, working with wounded veterans and some modalities that have helped him, what he learned from Navy frog men, the KB1 foundation working with PTSD and suicidal ideation, the incredible variety of high level people he's trained with that have impacted his...