Breaking The Guard Podcast

It seems that my social feed has been getting more posts and articles about the Ecological Approach to training BJJ as opposed to the traditional model of instruction. The ecological approach focuses on setting up games or tasks, and setting constraints and conditions for the players to engage in, instead of teaching individual techniques. I do my best to describe it and give my take on this appro...

The UFC 311 main card was a great night of fights, with a mix of submissions, knock outs, and tough fights. I review each of the fights, highlighting the co-main event, Merab vs Umar, as it was the fight of the night and lived up to the hype. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted frequently, covering techniq...

The water was very cold for a guy from Miami, at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. My breathing was deep and slow, which was all that I could hear. After swimming around for a few minutes, I felt the ocean floor once again. I could feel the current moving around me and making it very hard to navigate underwater. I had no idea how much air I had left in my tank, and I was completely alone. I was also complete...

I usher in the new year by recounting some old competition stories I had from a few decades ago, revolving around the BJJ Legend Saulo Ribeiro. I share the adversities, the thoughts going through my head, and the lessons learned from my matches against him and others. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted fr...

My social feed has had quite a few posts from MMA journalists about fighters "not training seriously" because they are 30-40lbs over their weight class - something that anyone who is in the field knows is a standard weight cut now. I talk about what the current weight cutting situation is, the consequences, and a system I believe could fix it all. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's...

Every coach has a sob story about how that athlete that betrayed them, used them, or got away. I will go into a few personal anecdotes and explain why it happens, and how to avoid it and help create better relationships with our team. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted frequently, covering techniques, new...

The final UFC Card of the year started slow but ended with a lot of blood and violence, ending with Colby Covington in one of his worst performances to date, while Joaquin Buckley shined like a diamond. I talk about the importance of striking while the iron is hot in regards to timing your career, then move into the role of closed guard in modern MMA and BJJ. Finally, I remark on the resurgence of...

There were a lot of events this past week, but I managed to tune in to 3 of them, UFC 310, FPI 9, and WNO 25. I give my reviews, making a few critiques on the athletes and events. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted frequently, covering techniques, news, fitness, breakdowns, and much more. You can join as...

Have you ever audited your daily activities and really looked carefully at what you are doing and judged whether these habits were moving you in the right direction? If not, perhaps this will convince you if the merit of taking a closer look at your activities and figuring out what is helping and what is hurting. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting n...

Following the news that Mikey Musumeci was the first signed exclusive UFC grappler, the UFC announces plans to have a reality TV grappling show, and a new grappling league. What does this mean for the future of grappling? I also discuss why I have adopted a 9 day training week instead of the traditional 7 days. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new...

We had a 42 Stipe Miocic and a 59 year old Mike Tyson headlining two big fight cards this weekend in MMA (UFC 309: Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic) and boxing (Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul), with another 41 year old fighter, Jim Miller, also in the the UFC card. Are older fighters still pursuing their passion, or a paycheck? Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting...

I highlight my trip to Japan and the things that stood out to me from the land of the rising sun. I then review the PGF 7 Worlds Finals, and chime in on Jon Jones comment on Tom Aspinall having done nothing. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted frequently, covering techniques, news, fitness, breakdowns, and...

If you have ever suffering from delayed starts, putting off errands, or stuck in the planning phase, I'm going to give you the kick in the butt you need to get off your ass and get moving. I share a story that took me from planner to executioner - not the killing king though. 😂 Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses bein...

We all have done it. We had a challenge, a task, or just something we are supposed to get done, and we don't do it. We procrastinate, we postpone, we delay, and hope that somehow this thing that NEEDS to be done will magically resolve itself, or that we will one day wake up wanting to do it. However, that rarely, if ever, happens. We need to muster up some courage, and grab the bull by the horns....

With the conclusion of Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira, the looming bout between Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic, and Tom Aspinall waiting to unify the heavyweight belt, we have a lot of big, bad man. Who is going to stand on the top of the mountain when it's all said and done? I also do a review of the grappling world's baddest men, which include Gordon Ryan, Kaynan Duarte, and Nick Rodriguez. Visit...

I have said it before and I'll say it again - all the strength, technique, stamina, or toughness mean nothing without good tactics. The classic example of bringing a knife to a gun fight comes to mind, but you might mistake that as a lesson in having more lethal weaponry. But if your brought a sniper rifle to a close range combat situation versus a knifed attacker, you would also be in a bad spot...

I sat down and watched the UFC 307 Main card from start to finish last night, and I gave my review of the card. If you watched my preview of the card, I was mostly right on my picks, although I wish I was got more wrong than I did right. I layer in some critiques of fight strategy across the card, as I felt some fighters choose poor strategies for victory. I also think the Utah crowd was very disg...

UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris was outrageous. Some wilds fights, finishes, post fight antics, interviews, and fines. I talk about the main and co-main events, my opinion on the athletic commission fining an athlete $250,000 for bad sportsmanship, and why failing a weight cut is inexcusable. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new c...

Kron Gracie recently was quoted for an off hand comment attacking no gi grapplers, lamenting the rising growth of no gi grappling. I comment on this age old battle of gi vs no gi. I also talk about the role belt ranking systems play in martial arts, in light of an old training partner, Evandro Nunes, taking a strong stance against the ranking system. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avella...

I know prices have been going up for everything these days, but as an MMA fan, supporting the sport has never been so costly. The past Noche UFC had a reported average ticket price of over $1000, with the PPV being $89.95. I talk about my take on these rising prices as both a fan and as a martial arts school owner, and if the fighters are seeing any of this money trickle down into their pockets. V...

I don't think there is a question in that BJJ is surpassing MMA...as far as the growth of the techniques. MMA seems to have stagnated from my point of view, where fights now look the same as fights 10 years ago. Meanwhile, grappling is continuously evolving and developing new positions, techniques, and strategies. I share why I think that is, and what can be done to improve the state of MMA. Visit...

I return from Miami, Florida after a week of teaching and reconnecting with family only to find myself underprepared for what's next. This is a position just about everyone has encountered, but we all handle it with different approaches and results. I will share how I'm going to handle not being fully trained and ready for my next challenge. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new w...

Some of you wrote me to tell me you enjoyed my stories I told in the Chewjitsu Podcast Interview I had a few weeks ago, so I decided to share one that is very important to me - my crisis with faith. I'm not talking spiritually here, rather, personally - as I had a moment of weakness that cost my the chance at a world title. I share the lessons I learned and how being delusional can be a good thing...

After a very long weekend of world class grappling up close and personal, I give a bit more in-depth breakdown of the events, the Craig Jones Invitational and Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Championships, from a match stand point and spectator point of view, and pick a winner. It won't be what you think. Visit our sponsors: DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles...

I witnessed a brave person perform a dangerous activity with almost no signs of trepidation, and it got me thinking about what it really means to brave. A lot of people think bravery comes from people who are fearless, but it's quite the opposite. I share some personal stories where I got nervous in competition to drive my point home, and why having fear is a good thing. Visit our sponsors: DavidM...