The Chewjitsu Podcast

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Elijah "Jabroni Grappler" Carlton. Elijah discusses how he got his nickname "Jabroni Grappler," starting Jiu-Jitsu as a teenager, how opening a gym changed his trajectory in Jiu-Jitsu and forced him to keep learning, how Elijah implements new techniques into his Jiu-Jitsu game, when and why he decided...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt "Big" Dan Manasoiu. Dan joins the podcast to discuss his start in Jiu-Jitsu at age 14, his 6-hour commute from Pennsylvania to train at Renzo Gracie New York, what set Renzo Gracie New York apart from other gyms, getting humbled by smaller grapplers, his daily training schedule, the advantage of teaching Jiu-Jitsu...

John Combs is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and high level competitor. On this episode, John discusses his start in grappling as a wrestler and his transition to training BJJ full time, how a wrestling camp significantly improved his wrestling, his biggest struggles when transitioning from wrestling to Jiu-Jitsu, how John overcame a devastating knee infection, how to decrease Jiu-Jitsu injuries, how to i...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy discusses why he doesn't set expectations for outcomes and how he learned this lesson through competing and rolling. Chewy discusses how he was able to become distant from expectation and was able to put this idea into practice, using meditation to promote a mindset of no expectations while recognizing negative emotions, the importance of exposure, and focusin...

Jason Khalipa is a 2008 CrossFit World Champion, Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, and the owner of NCFIT. On this episode, Jason discusses how his daughter's illness led him to start training Jiu-Jitsu, what he looks for in a Jiu-Jitsu gym, his main motivation for training, the impact of learning a new skill, how he mixes Crossfit with Jiu-Jitsu training, what type of training is most beneficial for Jiu-Jit...

Chewy and Eugene discuss how clinging to the idea of only using "Old Man Jiu-Jitsu" as an older grappler can actually hinder your BJJ game. We chat about how our desire for simple answers to complex problems can impact progress, why you should avoid being restrictive with your Jiu-Jitsu, the importance of learning to adjust your guard passing based on your opponent's guard, Chewy's preferred way t...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss a common mistake in Jiu-Jitsu. This mistake is getting good at a position in Jiu-Jitsu, but only focusing on one or two techniques from that position, and when your opponent starts to counter those techniques, moving on to another position. We chat about why the better option is to find more techniques from the position you are working on to...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss how one idea or concept can radically improve your Jiu-Jitsu game. We discuss how this concept or idea can be learned from an instructional, a coach, or a training partner. How this idea can help you add new layers and techniques into your game, the best way to discover this concept, one of the most undervalued skills for Jiu-Jitsu, the impo...

On this episode of The Chewjitsu Podcast, Chewy and Eugene answer a question from a BJJ coach who feels that he is not improving his BJJ as a coach, and what he can do to get better. We discuss 5 key ideas: Do not take on the mindset of the student. How to structure your rolling to ensure you get something out of it.  Put yourself in bad positions.  Travel, invite people to your gym, and compete. ...

On this episode of the Chewjitsu Podcast, we are joined by Amanda "Tubby" Alequin.  Amanda is a Jiu-Jitsu back belt, high level competitor, and owner of "The People's Jiu-Jitsu" gym. Amanda discusses how she got the nickname "Tubby," what motivated her to lose weight, how to find your ideal weight, the importance of strength training, the specific weight training that Amanda utilizes, her favorite...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and owner of New Breed Training Center, Mark Vives. Mark discusses how he got his three children to train Jiu-Jitsu, the minimum amount your kids should train, why Mark pulled his son out of Jiu-Jitsu and switched him to wrestling, why you should limit the number of times you coach someone during a class, advice fo...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ legend and coach, Professor Ricardo Liborio.   Professor Liborio joins the podcast to discuss his start in Jiu-Jitsu, the training environment at Carlson Gracie's gym,  the importance of the Luta Livre and BJJ rivalry and the challenge event that elevated the level of BJJ popularity, why the Carlson Gracie gym was so special, when...

Chewy and Eugene discuss whether Gi Jiu-Jitsu is more technical than No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu and the dangers of "Jiu-Jitsu Dogma." We discuss what being "more technical" means, martial arts dogma, using leg locks for self-defense, thoughts on Bruce Lee's philosophies on martial arts, being an open book when learning techniques, the differences between Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, using martia...

On this episode of the Chewjitsu Podcast, Chewy discusses the difference between "Classical Martial Arts" and "Combat Sports" and how to use combat sports such as Jiu-Jitsu to overcome fear. We discuss why it's important to have a realistic view of your ego, the importance of being in-shape as a martial artist, Eugene and Chewy share their fears with training Jiu-Jitsu, the joy of doing difficult...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Inverted Gear Owner and BJJ Black Belt Nelson Puentes. Nelson joins the podcast to discuss what it was like immigrating to the US from Chile at 14 years old, joining his high school football team without knowing the rules of football, wrestling in high school and why he chose not to wrestle in college, discovering BJJ, signing up for a...

On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Origin and Jocko Fuel CEO and BJJ black belt, Pete Roberts. Pete discusses the process of growing a company, what happened to manufacturing in the U.S., what it's like meeting with big business executives and what Pete has learned from them, how the mission of Origin evolved over the years, the challenges that come with growing numerous companies, t...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss 5 ideas to improve your Jiu-Jitsu.   Here are the ideas:  1. Learning to embrace failure in training.  2. Learning to play from bottom (for wrestlers) or top/takedowns (guard players).  3. Learning to enjoy drilling techniques. ​  4. Not being worried about the outcome as much as the effort.  5. Learning how to train smart. Thanks to the podcast sponsors:...

On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by BJJ black belt, Blacksmith, and contestant from the Netflix survival show "Outlast," Justin Court.   Justin joins the podcast to discuss the concept of the Netflix show, "Outlast," what it was like surviving in Alaska for over a month on limited resources, the desire to go on a survival show, the parallels between Jiu-Jitsu and survival training, th...

On this episode Chewy and Eugene discuss 7 ideas on how you can find your own Jiu-Jitsu game. 1. Look at "like-bodied competitors" - who Chewy and Eugene recommend for short-limbed and long-limbed grapplers.  2. Look at similar-aged grapplers. 3. Find moves to match your attributes.  4. Use your intuition. 5. Don't give up on a technique that stops working. 6. Keep a "beginner's mind." 7. Experime...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss why the set up and the prep work is vital for success. We discuss the idea of becoming "overnight success," when Chewy starts to prep for a tournament, what people overvalue and undervalue for competition prep as well as for creative endeavors such as creating content, the worst reason to be a Jiu-Jitsu coach, learning lessons through failur...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss why personal development isn't just about growth, but why it's also a process of personal decay. We discuss why it's important to remove your "bad habits" for personal growth, how to deal with self-limiting beliefs, the value of consistency, becoming the winner, being intentional about your desires, one of the most beneficial habits Chewy de...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Chatri Sityodtong. Chatri is the founder, chairman, and CEO of ONE Fighting Championship, a Renzo Gracie brown belt, Kru in Muay Thai, and owner of Evolve MMA. Chatri discusses his start in Jiu-Jitsu in New York Under Renzo Gracie, how he manages training martial arts and running a large company, why martial arts deepens his faith in h...

Adam Hadairy is a former police officer, BJJ purple belt, co-founder of Effective Fitness, teaches defensive combatives for law enforcement , and runs the Instagram page @policeposts. On this episode, Adam joins the podcast to discuss how an altercation as a police officer led him to learning Jiu-Jitsu, the hands-on training he had in the police academy, his first Jiu-Jitsu experience, why he left...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss some ideas on how to fail properly in grappling. We chat about whether you should promote a student to the next belt rank if they demonstrate a "bad attitude," why you need to experience loss and failure, how to lose properly, how the fear of losing can keep you from trying new things, letting go of the attachment to winning, why you should avoid trying to...

Drew Weatherhead is a Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, host of "The Social Distortion Podcast," runs the popular Instagram meme page "Because Jitsu," and is the author of the book "Consciousness, Reality, and Purpose." On this episode, Drew discusses moving from Canada and living in an RV full time, the process of writing his book, his thoughts on consciousness and the purpose of life, nature vs. nurture, wh...