The Grapplezilla Podcast

Unlock the secrets behind Georgian wrestling’s legendary resilience and discipline as Shako Bentinidis, a three-time Olympian and renowned coach, shares his extraordinary journey— from competing against Olympic legends like Buvaisar Saitiev to transforming global wrestling programs, including India’s.  Discover how mental toughness, disciplined habits, and cultural roots shape champions, and learn...

Uncover the relentless mindset and technical mastery that shaped one of the world’s greatest wrestling coaches—whose principles extend far beyond the mat.  Kenny Johnson’s 42-year journey from high school wrestler to coaching UFC champions and revolutionizing martial arts training will challenge how you think about discipline, performance, and lifelong learning. Imagine a system so comprehensive t...

Most wrestlers never unlock the secret to dominating on the mat—and Jabari Irons is here to change that.  From competing at the world level to pioneering beach wrestling in the U.S., he reveals how embracing a Soviet systematic approach has unlocked explosive power and tactical mastery that elite athletes swear by.  Curious how high-level principles can translate to beach battles or youth training...

Unlock the secrets that turn martial arts into life-saving skills with Chad Lyman—law enforcement veteran and relentless self-defense expert.  Discover how real-world Jiu-Jitsu principles can be your ultimate tool in chaos, from controlling suspects calmly to utilizing walls and vertical surfaces in street confrontations. In this raw, no-nonsense conversation, Chad shares how his police career—spa...

Most grappling podcasts focus on just one style or forget the deep roots of combat sports. This episode flips the script, diving into the chaos, technical mastery, and brutal efficiency of Catch Wrestling, Sambo, Wrestling, BJJ and old-school Judo—all from a wrestler’s perspective who’s trained across continents for over 50 years. Adam Tibbitts, a true polymath in martial arts, shares insights fro...

Most wrestlers and coaches focus so much on technique that they overlook the ONE invisible trait that separates the good from the great: the mindset. Shannon Gillespie, a top-tier coach with Olympic tracking experience and over 29 national titles, unveils the secret that often goes unnoticed—until it's too late. In this eye-opening episode, Shannon shares how mental toughness, motivation, and...

Most wrestlers and grapplers focus heavily on techniques but often overlook the critical foundation of pressure and control that separates good from great.  Valentin Kalika, one of the world's top wrestling coaches, shares his revolutionary philosophy that turns traditional training on its head—showing how pressure, stance, and the art of control are the real keys to domination.  In this episode,...

Most fighters stick to one martial art, but Taylor Weber combines Sambo, Judo, BJJ, and MMA into a relentless, fight-effective system that’s breaking barriers. His unique approach, blending seamless transitions, unorthodox grips, and explosive takedowns, demonstrates how versatility can dominate the cage—especially at lighter weights where he aims to shine in MMA with his eye on competing Ryzen an...

In this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, I sit down with my coach and BJJ black belt Gabriel Kitober to dissect the shifting landscape of ground fighting. From his early days training in Brazil to the coaching Olympic Judo athletes, Gabriel shares his unique perspective on how the art of BJJ has transformed. We dive deep into:Gabriel's Brazilian Roots: How BJJ has changed since Gabriel’s t...

The Art of Weaponizing Violence for the Everyday Man. In this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we sit down with Greg LeBoeuf, a 30-year professional combat instructor who has trained military, law enforcement, and serious civilian men in real-world violence preparedness. Greg is the creator of the Weaponized 16, a private training program designed to help responsible men develop the clarity, j...

🎙️ Wrestling the Soul of China: Shuai Jiao, Bokh, and the Philosophy of Grappling. In this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we sit down with Emanuele Papa, a dedicated Shuai Jiao practitioner living and training in the heart of China. Emanuele isn't your average grappler. With an Anthropology degree and a Master’s in Philosophy, he offers a profound, high-level perspective on why we fight...

🎙️ Welcome to The Grapplezilla Podcast! In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to Les Allen who is an absolute legend and pioneer in the world of Pancrase and MMA. Get ready for a great insight into how it was in the early days of MMA and how it was to be part of Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den, training in Japan, Training in Brazil and the UK’s MMA scene. Whether you're a seasoned Grappler...

🎙️ Welcome to The Grapplezilla Podcast! In this episode, we're diving into North American Style Catch Wrestling with Val Childs! Get ready for a great insight into this style of Catch Wrestling as we explore the Val's viewpoint nd experience in the world of Catch Wrestling! Whether you're a seasoned Grappler or just starting your journey, this one's packed with insights, stories, a...

🤼‍♂️ THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF ELITE WRESTLING 🧠 Ever wonder why Olympic champions seem to react before their opponents even move? Or why your shots stop working in the third period even though your legs feel fine? This video reveals 10 scientific principles that elite wrestlers understand—but only 0.01% of competitors actually know. These aren't just techniques. These are the invisible systems...

The Karelin Lift…one of the most iconic Heavyweight Greco Roman Wrestling Techniques of all time and synonymous with the Great Aleksandr Karelin. Here’s the inside story of why and how Karelin added and perfected the Karelin Lift to dominate the Greco Roman Wrestling World and trust me…you’ll enjoy this one! If you enjoyed this Aleksandr Karelin video, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s...

The Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis fight at UFC 319 was one of the biggest MMA Fights of the year. The fight was a very one sided fight but had many many lessons to learn for both Khamzat and Dricus as well as the MMA community and in this video, I discuss what I think the main mistakes Dricus made are as well as I touch on something that Khamzat could add into his grappling game. So sit bac...

On this episode of the Grapplezilla podcast, I had the pleasure of having Enrique Matute as a guest. Enrique is a great Sambo and Judo practitioner as well as has one of the most solid grappling backgrounds a martial artist can have. Enrique Matute has been consistently training in martial arts since 13 years old. His first two martial arts were Judo and Freestyle wrestling. After a few years of s...

On this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, I had the pleasure of having Liav Ben Shalom as a guest on this episode.. Liav is an excellent coach with kids and his methodologies produce results when coaching kids. He has over 15 years experience in guiding and coaching children, youth and adults as well as Liav has been practicing martial arts since 2004. Liav holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-...

🎙️ Grapplezilla Podcast Ep.33 | Tariel Abbasov: Combat Sambo World Champion and MMA Fighter 🥋💪Join us for an explosive episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast as we sit down with Tariel Abbasov, a powerhouse in MMA and Combat Sambo World Champion! 🥊 Tariel shares his journey from the mats to the cage, diving into his training, mindset, and thoughts on combat sports. From Sambo's technical mastery t...

Are you having a hard time at BJJ class? Feeling like quitting going to Jiu-Jitsu? Here we discuss some strategies for common reasons people want to stop practicing Jiu-Jitsu and many of these can really help you deal with tough times in BJJ.Have a listen and hopefully this video motivates you to keep on training and get through the tough times you are going through in Jiu-Jitsu. If you enjoyed th...

There is one common theme around all grappling arts which is to achieve a good grip as getting a good grip can open up an opponent to a huge amount of techniques and without a good grip there are only a small number of techniques possible and generally they are low percentage in success. Arguably the most effective grip and position to work off is the underhook, both in wrestling and in ground gra...

Everton “Alemao” De Goes Vieira is a Top Level Wrestling Coach who specializes in teaching Wrestling for MMA and BJJ. Coach Alemao has had many fighters compete in top tier MMA organizations such as the UFC, Jungle Fight and LFA as well as he has an amazing and intelligent approach in how he teaches MMA fighters how to Wrestle. So sit back, relax and enjoy this awesome Grapplezilla podcast episode...

MMA is an extremely dynamic sport which has been heavily influenced by Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That doesn't mean that if you practice the art of BJJ that you’ll be successful in the MMA cage as most BJJ practitioners are not learning the art with MMA as their main focus, in fact most Jiujiteiros practice for self defence and sport BJJ purposes. A totally different approach is needed to succeed in the...

On the episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, I had the pleasure of having Tyson LaRone as a guest. Tyson, is a BJJ Blackbelt and a tier 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach who runs Ironside Martial Arts in St. Albert, Canada. An absolute encyclopedia of information, Tyson shares his martial arts background, his views on Jiu-Jitsu, Self Defense and Strength and Conditioning for Grapplers. You do NOT w...

Andreas Achniotis Perales is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo Blackbelt who is the owner of Palestra Jiu Jitsu in Nicosia, Cyprus.  I had the pleasure of having Andreas on our latest episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast and it’s a great episode that is eye opening into the world of BJJ in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. On top of running a world class BJJ school, Andreas is the founder of the “BJ...