Rolling over 40: The podcast for jujitsu practitioners who are proving that age is just a number

In this episode, I sit down with a longtime practitioner whose jiu-jitsu journey has taken him all over the country. After beginning his martial arts career in Montana more than 15 years ago, he stepped into the cage for several MMA fights before ultimately deciding to focus exclusively on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along the way, he took an unconventional path, spending a year living out of his van and...

In this episode, I sit down with 56-year-old blue belt Mark Alexander. Although Mark didn’t begin his journey until his early 50s, he has already made a serious impact on the competition scene. In a relatively short time, he’s gone on to win gold at multiple major competitions around the world, proving that it’s never too late to begin. Outside the gym, Mark is a father of six, with kids ranging i...

Welcome to Episode 24 of RO40 with Vince Pacleb. Vince is a 49-year-old brown belt who’s been in the martial arts world for over 20 years, works in the fitness industry, and runs his own (much more established) BJJ podcast called the Bizjitsu Podcast.  We got into: His journey through jiu-jitsu as an adult and what’s kept him training for decades The crossover between podcasting, business ownershi...

In this episode, I sit down Brown Belt Blas Carrasco. Blas has been immersed in martial arts, self-defense, and jiu-jitsu for nearly 30 years — and at almost 50 years old, he brings a level of perspective that only time on the mats can produce. We first met over a decade ago at a mutual friend’s wedding, but this conversation dives far deeper. He shares the story of buying a one-way ticket to Thai...

In this episode, I’m joined by my youngest guest yet — a 25-year-old jiu-jitsu practitioner whose journey began after a real-life confrontation inspired him to learn self-defense. What started as a way to feel safer quickly grew into a passion that led him all the way to the podium, earning gold at a recent JJWL competition. We dive into his biggest aha moments on the mats, his evolving takedown s...

In this episode, I sit down with Mr. Travis Sparks. Travis is a two-stripe purple belt who’s been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for eight years. Originally from Marble Falls, Texas, he grew up roughhousing with his brothers, playing football through high school and college, and spending weekends hunting and fishing. He first started bjj as a grad student at Texas Tech before continuing his journey...

In this episode, I sit down with a friend whose jiu-jitsu journey thus far is unforgettable. Originally from Andrews, Texas, a Texas Tech grad now living in Midland, he works as an engineer in the oil business — but decided to give BJJ a try a little over a year ago. After just four classes, disaster struck: he broke his leg in three places during training. What followed was over a year of recover...

In this episode of Rolling Over 40 , I’m joined by my friend and training partner, the newly minted blue belt, Mark Tran! 🎉 We dive into what it’s really like making the jump to blue belt—how the game changes, the mindset shifts, and the surprising challenges that come with wearing that new belt color on the mat. But Mark’s story doesn’t stop there. When he’s not rolling, he’s a globe-trotting so...

In this episode of Rolling Over 40 , I'm joined by my training partner, Jason Wei. Jason is a 3-stripe white belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with a diverse background in martial arts, including Wing Chun Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and Judo. We dive into Jason’s life journey as he moved between China, Canada, and the U.S., exploring how his experiences shaped his approach to martial arts. Judo plays a major r...

In this episode I am joined by another training partner of mine and fellow one-stripe white belt, Mr. Luis Cervantes, better known as Slim. Slim and I have been training together for over a year now and I have yet to make him tap, although he has made me tap many times! Slim has one of the most unique training styles in that although he has a home gym, he makes a habit of exploring gyms not just l...

In this episode I am joined by blue belt and former Jiu Jitsu practitioner Russell Melmed. Russell is a 4-stripe blue belt who no longer trains as a result of too many injuries which we get into in great detail in this episode.  For the first part of the episode Russell and I spend a good deal of time getting to know each other since he is the first guest I have had that I have never actually spok...

In this episode I am joined by another training partner of mine at One Jiu Jitsu in Tustin California, Martin Delgado. Martin is currently a brown belt who has been training off and on for almost twenty years. We discuss Martin’s unique journey to brown belt which is marked by several different gyms, a few long breaks, major life events, and finally culminating with 8 years of consistent training...

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Robert Kim, a black belt in jiu jitsu who is quite unique in that he not only has his own jiu jitsu academy, but he also owns his own dental practice! Dr. Rob is one of the busiest people I know. A husband and father of two, he describes himself as having ADD, yet begins each day with meditation and exercise. He then heads to his dental practice, where he overse...

In this episode I am thrilled to be joined by my cousin, Daniel Whelan. Daniel is a Sergeant in the New Hampshire Police Department, has a purple belt in jiu jitsu, and is a highly accomplished wrestler.  Dan takes us through his career as a wrestler which started in the 4th grade and continued on through college. From grueling weight-cuts to intense college matches under the lights, Dan shares st...

In this episode I sit down with a long time friend of mine, Mr. Al Reyes. I have known Al for almost 20 years although we have never trained together. Al is my first black belt guest and also my first guest over 60! Al trains at Cassio Werneck BJJ in Sacramento, CA, where he has been for 20 years.  In this episode we discuss Al’s jujitsu journey which actually started in the 90s and continues toda...

In this episode I am joined by my friend and training partner Hieu Vu. Hieu is currently a purple belt, trains at One Jujitsu in Tustin California like myself, and is a former marathon runner.  Hieu takes us through his decades-long journey of training jujitsu starting with the Nogi world in 2008, followed by a ten-plus year hiatus, and starting up again in 2022. In this period of time, Hieu got r...

In this episode, I’m joined by my training partner Fernando Morales — a three-stripe white belt who started his BJJ journey in late 2022, but whose love of combat sports goes all the way back to childhood boxing at just four years old. Fernando shares what it was like growing up in Santa Ana, how boxing shaped his youth, and the night a guillotine choke from a friend first planted the idea of tryi...

In this episode, I’m joined by former MMA fighter and current BJJ practitioner, Dale Corzine. Dale’s martial arts journey began with Tae Kwon Do and wrestling as a kid, before he dove headfirst into MMA as a teenager with dreams of going pro. By day he worked a demanding manual labor job, and by night he endured a brutal training schedule — all in pursuit of making his dream a reality. Dale takes...

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and training partner, Mr. Chris Camia — a three-stripe white belt who’s been training for nearly two years and is now mentally preparing for his first official competition. We talk about the work our gym has been doing on takedowns and back takes from standing, and Chris shares why the arm triangle has become one of his favorite submissions. We also dig int...

In this episode, I’m excited to welcome my first female guest — and longtime training partner — Shelisa Diaz. Like me, she’s a one-stripe white belt, and while she may not look it, she’s proudly training BJJ well into her 40s. We dive into everything from cauliflower ear (yes, she thinks she might be getting it!) to the realities of injuries and why learning to tap is especially important for prac...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and training partner, Cody Corzine, whose jiu-jitsu journey is as unique as it is inspiring. Cody’s path began as the “punching bag” for his older MMA-obsessed brother, continued with a stint in the no-gi world of 10th Planet, and eventually brought him to One Jiu Jitsu of Tustin — where he’s now one of the most dedicated students on the mats. Not only do...

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and training partner, Houman Shahi — someone whose jiu-jitsu journey is unlike anyone else’s I know. Houman first discovered BJJ nearly twenty years ago, and his path has unfolded in three distinct chapters: beginning in Iran, continuing through Europe, and culminating in Southern California, where he trained under his longtime instructor, Giva Santana. We...

In this episode, I welcome my friend Jeremy Lee — my first guest from a different academy, Steez Jiu Jitsu Club. Jeremy shares what makes Steez unique, from how their classes are structured and how belts are earned, to the unexpected quirks of training there (yes, including a foosball table in the gym!). We dive into the big differences between white, blue, and purple belts — not just in skill, bu...

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and training partner, Mike Tang — a three-stripe white belt who began training jiu-jitsu in March 2023. Before stepping onto the mats, Mike spent years practicing Tae Kwon Do as a kid and playing football in high school, but now he’s found a deeper connection through BJJ. We talk about how training nourishes the “mind, body, and soul,” the satisfaction of s...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and training partner, Khoi Ho — a 3-stripe blue belt who’s been on the mats since 2018. Khoi shares wild stories from his competition days, including the time he got thrown into a younger bracket at the last minute, the day he was promoted to blue belt right before stepping on the mats, and even the match where he popped his arm in an armbar but refused t...