BJJ Mental Models

This week we're joined by Dr. Clayton Green!  Clayton is a board-certified dermatologist, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Rochester, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. This episode is THE definitive resource for skincare and skin issues in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Topics covered include: cleaning the gym, hygiene, staph, ringworm, psoriasis, eczema, acne, sensitive ski...

This week we're joined by Roxanne Modafferi!  Roxanne is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, retired UFC fighter, and true women's MMA pioneer.  Known as "The Happy Warrior," Roxanne joins us to discuss the Happy Warrior Philosophy, and how we can stay positive even in the face of adversity and loss. Follow Roxanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxyfighter/ Get Roxanne&...

This week we're joined by Adam Benayoun!  Adam is a Ryan Hall black belt and is the head instructor at Black Cat Jiu Jitsu in Springfield, Virginia.  Adam's got an upcoming K Guard instructional with BJJ Fanatics, and in this week's episode, he breaks down the core concepts for playing this versatile guard. Adam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adambenayoun/ Black Cat Jiu...

This week we're joined again by Dominyka Obelenyte!  Dom is a Marcelo Garcia black belt, and a 10x overall world champion, with 4 of those wins at black belt.  Dom is currently recovering from knee surgery, and in this episode she shares her best practices for maximizing the value of your idle time. Dom's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domdabomburmom/ Dom's Linktree: https://l...

This week we're joined by Darin Conner DeAngelis!  Darin won IBJJF world champions at blue and purple belt, but as a black belt he's decided to step away from his original goal of being a professional competitor.  In this episode, Darin explains to us how re-evaluating his life led him to abandon his goal of being a professional competitor, and what listeners could do if they're exp...

This week we're joined again by Oliver Taza!  Oliver is actually the first guest we ever had on BJJ Mental Models, so it's great to have him back.  Oliver and his team are actively preparing for ADCC, and in this episode of BJJ Mental Models, Oliver generously shares key concepts for standup in an ADCC-like environment. Oliver’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/tazagarami/ Oliver's...

This week we're joined again by Mike "Doctor Kickass" Piekarski!  Mike is both a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a physical therapist.  In this episode, Mike provides general guidance on how BJJ athletes can safely return to sport after an injury or layoff. Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor_kickass/ Mike's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorkickas...

This week we're joined by Mike Mahaffey!  Mike is a black belt under Chris Haueter, and is a certified Old Bastard.  In this week's episode, Mike breaks down the tenets to "Old Bastard Jiu-Jitsu": the old-school style where you give them nothing, minimize movement, and crush them with pressure. Mike Mahaffey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xibalba1972/ Magic BJJ website...

This week we're joined again by 3x world champ and Marcelo Garcia black belt, Emily Kwok!  Fresh off winning the 2022 Pans, Emily joins us to talk about what it's like to compete after the age of 40.  A great chat about what competition looks like as you get older, take on more responsibilities, become more concerned about your health, and achieve a broader life perspective. Emily's...

This week we're joined by Sonia Sillan!  Sonia is a black belt under Hannette Staack and is the owner of Combat Arts Academy of Seattle.  In this episode, Sonia shares her honest advice on how to build a BJJ business.  Topics include financing, business partners, affiliations, customer onboarding, customer contracts, trial classes, class safety, and volunteers vs. employees. Sonia's Inst...

This week we're joined again by Malachy Friedman!  Malachy breaks down mental models for the knee shield half guard. Get Malachy's knee shield instructionals on Jiu Jitsu X: https://jiujitsux.com/profile/malachyf/ Malachy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malachyfriedman/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Controlling the Distance https://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-t...

This week we're joined by Ryan Hurst!  Ryan is the head coach at GMB Fitness, the creators of the popular Elements program for strength & flexibility.  In this episode, Ryan introduces GMB's concepts for expanding your range of motion, shares tips on injury prevention, and explains why most BJJ warmups are suboptimal. GMB on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GMBFitnessSkills GMB&apo...

This week we're joined by Micah Brakefield!  Micah holds dual BJJ black belts under Don Whitefield and Nabil Salameh, and is the head coach at 10th Planet Etobicoke.  Micah joins us to discuss the importance of unorthodoxy and creativity in Jiu-Jitsu. Micah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micahbrakefield/ Micah’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/micahbrakefield/ Train with Mica...

This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki!  Following up on a previous episode, Rob introduces Island Top Team's proprietary system for constraint-based training.  He calls it "F**k Your Jiu-Jitsu," because he's Rob Biernacki, so of course he does.  FYJJ has four categories: sweeping, passing, top control, and submission control. BJJ Concepts: https://bjjconcepts.net/...

This week we're joined by Robert Drysdale!  Robert brings his extensive experience, both as an elite grappler and historian, to discuss the BJJ "generation gap" and how he's witnessed the art evolve.  A really insightful conversation about the importance of history, the evolution of coaching, how rulesets have changed the sport, and fundamentals vs. trends. Opening Closed Guard...

This week we're joined again by Matt Kirtley!  Matt, better known by his internet handle Aesopian, is a lead moderator on Reddit's /r/bjj and an instructor at Inverted Gear Academy.  During the day, he's also a web development and search engine optimization (SEO) specialist. In this episode, Matt draws on his BJJ and SEO experience to share some website best practices for BJJ gyms. ...

This week we're joined by Brandon Mccaghren!  Brandon is a 10th Planet black belt under Eddie Bravo and the head instructor at 10th Planet Decatur.  In this episode, Brandon explains the concepts behind the rubber guard, how it integrates into a more conventional gameplan, and why we haven't seen much rubber guard success in high-level competition. Brandon's Instagram: https://www.i...

This week we're joined by fan favorites Rob Biernacki & Stephan Kesting!  Rob and Stephan's newest instructional, "BJJ for Old F***s," explains concepts and tactics for safe and effective Jiu-Jitsu as you age.  We dig into their ideas in this episode.  A great listen for older grapplers, or anyone concerned about maximizing safety and effectiveness. Get the instructional he...

Just a heads up that this episode has almost nothing to do with Jiu-Jitsu, so if you want to skip it, I don't blame you.  🤣 In this bonus episode, philosophy enthusiast and grappling luminary Robert Degle joins us to make an in-depth defense of the Star Wars prequels.  Robert makes the case that the Star Wars prequels are better than you remember, and may in fact be legitimately good movies....

This week, Andrew Wiltse from Daisy Fresh and Wiltse Bros BJJ joins us for a very raw and transparent conversation.  For those not aware, Andrew recently experienced a manic episode and was diagnosed with dissociative disorder.  He also recently launched the Gym Rat program, a charitable organization focused on sponsoring athletes in need.  In this episode, Andrew talks extensively about his exper...

This week we're joined again by Lachlan Giles!  Lachlan introduces the hybrid reverse classroom model that he uses for his online Jiu-Jitsu instructional platform, SUBMETA. Sign up for SUBMETA here: https://submeta.io/want Mental models discussed in this episode: Double Down on Strengths https://bjjmentalmodels.com/double-down-on-strengths/ Funneling https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling/ Tec...

This week we're joined again by Robert Degle!  Robert joins us for a thought piece where we question one of the biggest assumptions in Jiu-Jitsu: what does it mean for a technique to be "high percentage?"  And are we defining this correctly? Robert Degle's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/RobertDegleBJJ Mental models discussed in this episode: Do What Works https://bjjmentalmodels.c...

This week we're joined by Seph Smith!  Seph is a black belt under Ryan Hall and is the head instructor at Upstream BJJ.  Seph joins us to talk about the concepts behind one of his favorite submissions: the arm triangle. Seph's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sephwillkillyou/ Seph's email: sephsmithbjj@gmail.com Arm Triangle Details with Seph Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch...

This week we're joined by Dr. Matteo Capodaglio!  Matteo is the founder of Capo Nutrition, and is the "nutritionist to the stars" for BJJ athletes such as Mikey Musumeci and Margot Ciccarelli.  In this episode, Matteo provides a brief primer on nutrition for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as some mythbusting on common nutrition misconceptions. Matteo’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drca...

This week, we're joined by "The Raspberry Ape," Daniel Strauss!  Daniel is a black belt under Roger Gracie and is the host of The Raspberry Ape Podcast.  In this episode, Daniel breaks down the concepts behind one of his favorite submissions, and arguably one of the best overall submissions in all of Jiu-Jitsu: the guillotine choke. Daniel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com...