Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu

Send us Fan Mail A Kickstarter launch days before the world shut down sounds like a disaster, but it also reveals what a brand is really made of. We’re joined by Maria Schweitzer, the founder and owner of Rubber Bones Rash Guard, to tell the full story of building a standout BJJ apparel company with a comic-inspired style, obsessive quality control, and a surprisingly grounded approach to marketin...

Send us Fan Mail If jiu jitsu has started to feel heavy, this one is for you. We’re chasing a sport we chose, we pay for, and we love, yet a lot of us walk into the academy carrying an invisible pressure to prove we belong. That pressure shows up as tension in every roll, frustration when things don’t work, and a running “scoreboard” in our heads that tracks taps, guard passes, and who we think we...

Send us Fan Mail Pressure does not always look like flames and sirens. Sometimes it looks like a tight collar grip, a failing escape, and the moment you realize your first plan is gone. For our 50th episode, we sit down with Justin Meyer and Vinny Mercadonte, two firefighters and training partners, to talk about why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu makes sense for people who already live in demanding environme...

Send us Fan Mail Anxiety doesn’t always look like worry. Sometimes it looks like waking up in the middle of the night with your heart racing, convinced something is wrong, then trying to hold it together for your kids and your job the next morning. That’s where Sadie Durio story hits hardest and why we wanted her on Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu. Sadie (aka “Slim Sadie” on Instagram) is a first grade teac...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu, I sit down with Dr. Colin Smith to discuss the balance between building a dependable jiu jitsu game and avoiding the trap of becoming too comfortable. Developing a clear style is important. Every grappler needs positions, reactions, and attacks they can trust. But over time, comfort can quietly become a limitation. If you always return to...

Send us Fan Mail Some days on the mats, a simple correction lands like a punch to the ego. You’re tired, your timing is off, you keep getting stuck, and suddenly the exact feedback you need is the hardest thing to hear. I’m talking about that specific BJJ problem almost everyone feels but few people say out loud: staying coachable when you’re frustrated.  In this episode I walk through why Brazili...

Send us Fan Mail You know the feeling: a technique looks simple, you drill it clean, you can almost see yourself hitting it and then the round starts and it is gone. Not sloppy. Not close. Just inaccessible. I dig into why that happens in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and why it usually is not a sign you are “bad at BJJ,” but a sign your skill has not converted from understanding to access under pressure. W...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of jiu-jitsu athletes get told the same thing: if training feels harsh, scary, and out of control, that must mean the room is “serious.” I don’t buy that. A hard academy can be intense, honest, and exhausting while still being a safe place to train. The difference is whether the room has boundaries, emotional maturity, and leadership that values training partners more than T...

Send us Fan Mail Jiu-jitsu has a funny way of starting as something simple and turning into something that changes how you see yourself. I sit down with purple belt competitor Ainslie Armstrong to unpack what that “transformational power of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” actually looks like in real life, not just in highlight reels. We talk about beginning BJJ for self-defense, getting hooked on competition...

Send us Fan Mail Looking for a Jiu-Jitsu home that pushes hard without breaking people? We unpack the unspoken rules that separate healthy academies from chaotic ones, tracing the invisible standards you feel the moment you step on the mat: safety with intensity, mutual respect across every belt and body type, and an ego climate that puts growth ahead of image. If you’ve ever wondered why some gym...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when the one thing that keeps your head clear and your heart steady gets taken away overnight? Liana De La Cruz mom, former custody deputy, blue belt competitor, and ethical dog care owner opens up about tearing her meniscus, facing surgery, and refusing to drift from the mats that changed her life.  We get practical about injury without platitudes. Liana shares how...

Send us Fan Mail Ever ride the high of a great roll one day and feel crushed the next? We dig into why that swing happens so often in jiu-jitsu and how to escape it by separating confidence from validation. Early on, BJJ showers you with loud signals quick improvements, surprise taps, nods from coaches but those signals can fade as the room gets tougher and expectations rise. If your identity is t...

Send us Fan Mail Fear fades faster on a mat built with intention. I sat down with Emily and Rebecca, two purple belts behind Iron Wolf’s women-only BJJ program, to explore how a safe, thoughtful training space helps women start strong, stick with it, and grow into confident grapplers. From that first nervous class to rolling in co-ed sessions or stepping onto a competition mat, they share the syst...

Send us Fan Mail A single tap used to derail my whole day. Not anymore and that change didn’t arrive with a new belt or a medal. It showed up quietly, in calmer breaths under pressure and cleaner exits from bad positions, and in a journal that traded “I got smashed” for “late underhook, fix hip angle.” We unpack that shift and why it’s not about caring less; it’s about building durable confidence...

Send us Fan Mail Sitting down with Master Fabio Gurgel, we go straight to the roots and then build forward: why the art’s foundations haven’t changed, how techniques evolve without abandoning first principles, and what it really takes to keep people training for decades. Master Gurgel shares a candid origin story from Rio karate detour, street confidence, and the first class that changed everythin...

Send us Fan Mail Holli LaMarque of Fortitude Defense shares a clear path for people who don’t see themselves as fighters to become hard targets: stand tall, make eye contact, use your voice, and have a plan if kindness fails. We unpack her Embolden–Equip–Empower framework and why each stage matters. Embolden builds courage and presence so you stop advertising vulnerability. Equip layers in high-pe...

Send us Fan Mail A late night drive after class can turn into a spiral: replayed rounds, imagined judgments, and the quiet pressure to be great at jiu-jitsu. We decided to confront that pressure head on and rebuild a healthier way to train one that trades validation for longevity and brings back the simple joy of learning. With a renewed plan for 2026 and a mix of solo reflections and real convers...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of schools say, “iron sharpens iron.” Few build an entire culture around it. We sat down with Professor Caleb Holland, owner and head coach of Iron Wolf Academy in Braselton, GA, to unpack how a humble school without a sign on the door grew to a packed mat by focusing on faith-driven values, clear standards, and relentless community. Caleb shares the origin of the Iron Wolf...

Send us Fan Mail Coffee in hand, gi on the chair, and a question that won’t let go: why do we keep showing up to jiu-jitsu long after the first aches fade? I’m back after travel, training in Manila and Vegas, and a much needed reset to unpack the hidden reasons BJJ becomes more than a hobby and why it quietly reshapes who we are. We start with the gateway motives fitness, self-defense, a friend wh...

Send us Fan Mail Ever walked out of BJJ class feeling like you've just learned the perfect technique, only to completely forget it by the next day? You're not alone. This episode dives into the game-changing practice of strategic note-taking for jiu-jitsu practitioners at every level. The martial journey becomes exponentially more rewarding when you pair physical training with deliberate...

Send us Fan Mail What does it truly mean to be a woman in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Multiple-time IBJJF champion and brown belt Jacqueline "Bad Jackie" Young returns to Caffeinated Jiu-Jitsu to explore this question with raw honesty and hard-won wisdom. From the mat to the competition arena, Jackie shares how being consistently underestimated has become a source of empowerment rather than fru...

Send us Fan Mail Considering stepping onto the jiu-jitsu mats for the first time but feeling hesitant? This episode is your complete roadmap to beginning your BJJ journey with confidence and clarity. After returning from a brief hiatus, I'm diving into everything the curious newcomer needs to know about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – from what it actually is (think chess meets wrestling) to who it&apo...

Send us Fan Mail The journey into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often begins with unexpected catalysts. For Amanda Cowie, it was her three energetic boys that first brought her to the edge of the mats. After watching from the sidelines for two years, this talent acquisition professional finally stepped onto the mats herself, discovering a world that would transform both her physical capabilities and mental...

Send us Fan Mail The difference between being welcomed on the mats and finding yourself on someone's " no-roll list " often comes down to understanding the unwritten rules of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu etiquette. This episode tackles the essential guidelines that make someone a respected training partner, regardless of belt color. Drawing from personal experience—including a humbling story...

Send us Fan Mail What does a quarter-century of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience teach you about martial arts, personal growth, and life itself? Fourth-degree black belt DJ Farmer unwraps this question with remarkable clarity, walking us through his 27-year journey from martial arts-obsessed teenager to becoming a first-generation black belt under the legendary Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti....