Mat Rats Podcast: Choked Out Chats

On this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast, we sit down with longtime martial artist and BJJ black belt DJ Wegesin. From wrestling since childhood to stepping into MMA competition after the age of 42, DJ shares what keeps him training, competing, and evolving decades into the martial arts journey. We dive into: • Starting MMA later in life • Fear, pressure & mindset • Wrestling into BJJ • Strikin...

Most people talk about competing…Very few actually sign up. In the Season 2 premier episode of the Mat Rats Podcast, we sit down with our teammate Victor Williams — a white belt who stepped onto the competition mat for the first time at Tap Out Cancer… and walked away a champion. But this isn’t just about winning. We break down:The fear of signing up for your first tournamentWhat it actually feels...

In the Season 1 Finale of the Mat Rats Podcast, we sit downwith Black Belt Professor Jason Scohier to talk about the real journey throughBrazilian Jiu Jitsu — from white belt struggles to black belt leadership. We also break down Jae’s recent NFC Super Fight, including: • Fight week mindset • Super fight pressure vs tournament brackets • Technical growth and lessons learned • How to process compet...

In Episode 9 of the Mat Rats Podcast, we break down: 🔥 Jae’s upcoming NFC Super Fight 🥋 Our favorite BJJ guards and positions 🧠 Guards we need to improve 🚀 Team USA’s gold medal hockey win We talk super fight pressure, competition mindset, guard strategy in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and championship mentality. Whether you train gi, no-gi, compete in tournaments, or just love combat sports culture —...

Do you have to compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to be considered “serious”? In Episode 9 of the Mat Rats Podcast, we break down one of the most debated topics in BJJ culture — whether everyone should compete. We discuss: ​The pressure to compete in Jiu Jitsu gyms ​The benefits of competition ​The risks of competing ​Hobbyist vs competitor mindset ​Injury concerns and family balance ​Is avoiding comp...

Have you ever felt burned out from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast, we talk about what happens when BJJ stops being fun — and how to get your motivation back. From the blue belt blues to training plateaus, competition pressure, ego struggles, and burnout, every grappler goes through seasons where Jiu Jitsu feels more like a job than a passion. We break down: Why burnou...

In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast, we keep it looseand talk about the random side of Jiu Jitsu — the things that happen on and offthe mats that no one plans for but everyone experiences. We cover: 🥋 Weird and unspoken gym moments 🧠 How BJJ follows you outside the gym 🔥 Techniques you always end up using 💭 Rapid-fire BJJ hot takes 🏆 Jae’s mindset heading into his upcomingcompetition 🔁 T...

This episode isn’t about submissions or strength — it’sabout what Jiu Jitsu does for your head. In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast , we talkopenly about mental health, anxiety, stress, and why #BJJ becomes therapy for somany of us. We break down how rolling resets us mentally, why training forcespresence, and what changes when we don’t train for a while. We cover: 🧠Mental health and anxiety...

In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast , we’re coming to you straight from Monday Night Brewing after competing at BrewJitsu — a unique Jiu Jitsu tournament hosted inside a brewery. We break down: 🥋 Jae and Rob’s matches 🧠 Pre-fight mindset and game plans 🔥 What worked, what didn’t, and lessons learned 👀 Todd’s perspective watching and cornering 🍻 The vibe, atmosphere, and why BrewJitsu is d...

In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast, we put thespotlight on Jae as he steps into a new role — coaching fundamentals class onMonday and Friday mornings. We talk about: 🥋 Why he started teaching 🧠 Favorite positions and concepts to teachbeginners 🔥 How teaching exposed holes and leveled uphis own game 👊 The biggest challenges of coaching whitebelts 📈 Developing a coaching style and philosop...

If you train Jiu Jitsu long enough, injuries aren’t a possibility — they’re a guarantee. In this episode of the Mat Rats Podcast , we get real about the injuries we’ve had, how they happened, how we handled them (both the right way and the wrong way), and what we learned coming back to the mats. We cover:🥋 Our worst BJJ injuries🧠 The mental battle of being sidelined💥 Mistakes that made injuries...

In this episode of Mat Rats Podcast , we sit down with a gym teammate to talk about Jiu Jitsu from the ultra-heavyweight point of view. We cover how he got started, what it’s like being the biggest guy on the mats, training privates with Big Dan, fitness and recovery, gym culture, bad training partner habits, and gi vs no-gi preferences. Whether you’re a big guy, roll with big guys, or just want a...

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Mat Rats Podcast — where we kick things off by talking about our spazzy white belt moments , the mistakes that almost made us quit Jiu Jitsu, and the lessons we wish someone had told us on day one. In this episode, we cover: 🥋 Our most embarrassing white belt stories 🧠 Advice every white belt needs to hear (and actually remember) 🔥 What to focus on early in your BJJ...