The ROL Radio - Hosted by Thomas Rozdzynski

Send us Fan Mail Would you take everything you have and dump it into making your dreams come true? Today’s guest was still a Brown Belt when he decided to do just that and open his own Jiu Jitsu academy. He took his savings, bought a gym out of state, didn’t pursue a comfortable living in the field in which he earned his college degree, and did it all during the height of the pandemic. On this epi...

Send us Fan Mail Matheus Lutes' singular focus from the time he was a Purple Belt was to open his own Jiu Jitsu academy. He had no Plan B and knew every decision he made would have an effect on reaching his goal. On this Takeaway Thomas and Gary discuss the pros and cons of having a Plan B and if having one is a distraction and a possible excuse for failure. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount wit...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Matheus Lutes joins us to discuss his road from one of the Jiu Jitsu world’s top competitors to a new academy owner. Matheus knew from the time he was a purple belt that he would be an academy owner and he never had a Plan B. Today he describes how everything he did while training and competing was to help him achieve his goal of owning a world-class gym and how h...

Send us Fan Mail Ricardo Almeida is one of the most influential people in BJJ and MMA. After a great conversation with Ricardo, Thomas and Gary discuss the influence Jiu Jitsu, Jiu Jitsu academies, and their culture can have on people and communities. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for your Jiu Jitsu journey. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.in...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s guest has done it all in the world of Jiu Jitsu and MMA. He is a former Pan American Champion, 2x Abu Dhabi Silver Medalist, veteran of Pride FC and the UFC, owner instructor at RABJJ, and coach of multiple BJJ world champions and former UFC champion, Frankie Edgar. Ricardo Almeida joins The RŌL Radio to discuss the evolution of Jiu Jitsu, growing up around Renzo Graci...

Send us Fan Mail Newly promoted Black Belt Marcus Johnson said his life has had many chapters. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how life takes us through chapters, how we categorize our life's events, and how we can learn from our past to positively affect our future. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for your Jiu Jitsu journey. http://www...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s guest is a newly promoted black belt under  Essential Jiu Jitsu’s legendary JT Torres, Marcus Johnson. Marcus sits down with us to discuss his 13-year journey from a high school wrestler with a 0 and 30 record to becoming the high-level Black Belt he is today. He details how his early struggles framed his mindset, how external factors affected his training, what it tak...

Send us Fan Mail What is your definition of a good work ethic? After speaking with UFC vet and SBG Athens owner/instructor Rory Singer, Thomas and Gary discuss what they believe it means to have a good work ethic and the effect it can have on those around you. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for your Jiu Jitsu journey. http://www.therolradio.com https...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest had a front-row seat and an insider’s point of view during one of the biggest moments in MMA, The Ultimate Fighter season one.  Rory Singer was in Forest Griffin’s corner during the fight that many still consider the greatest fight in MMA history, the TUF Season 1 finale. But Rory was an impressive fighter in his own right, having been a cast member of The Ultimate F...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to survive in the business of Jiu Jitsu? Fabio Clemente opened one of the very first academies in New York and over 25 years later his Studio X BJJ is still going strong. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss what is necessary to succeed long-term in the world of Jiu Jitsu. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for you...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest has been a major influence in Jiu Jitsu in the United States starting back in the mid-1990s. Not only did he open one of the first academies on the east coast but he has trained under, and with some of the biggest names in the sport. The Machado brothers,  Marcello Garcia, Team Alliance, and Checkmat just to name a few. Professor Fabio Clemente joins us to share his...

Send us Fan Mail Struggles are a huge part of life and Jiu Jitsu. How you deal with struggles has a major impact on your life. After speaking with Fabio Caloi, Thomas and Gary discuss how struggles can make you a stronger person both on and off the mats. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for your Jiu Jitsu journey. http://www.therolradio.com https://www...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we have another amazing competitor and Alliance Black Belt under Fabio Gurgel, Fabio Caloi. Fabio joins us from a beautiful Brazilian backdrop to discuss his training regimen, what it means to train smart, not hard, what it takes to be a world champion, his amazing recovery from hip surgery back to major competitions, and why you can not compare yourself to others...

Send us Fan Mail What is an instructor's intent? Does it benefit his students or is the instructor's intent self-serving? Or both? After speaking with Robert Ingram of McDojoLife, Thomas and Gary discuss what it means to be a leader and instructor, and what to look out for when it comes to people's real intentions. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we have Rob Ingram. Rob has spent 25 years in the world of martial arts but he is most notable for creating the Youtube and Instagram platform McDojoLife.  As Rob states, his goal with McDojoLife is to keep the martial arts legit by exposing the fakes, frauds, and phonies in the martial arts community while promoting the martial artists who are making a positive i...

Send us Fan Mail How do you manage your time and what does time management mean when it comes to Jiu Jits? After speaking with Carlos Maia, Thomas and Gary discuss the importance of time management in life and how it relates to the mats. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ https://graciebarragraz.com/en/about-carlos-maia/ https://...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we have Carlos Gracie Junior Black Belt, Carlos Maia. Professor Carlos has been at the forefront of spreading Jiu Jitsu in central Europe and today he shares with us what it was like opening an academy in Slovenia without even speaking the language, his teaching philosophy, the changes he has seen in Jiu Jitsu since the 1990s, the car accident that almost ended hi...

Send us Fan Mail Do you Rubber Duck? After a great conversation with Kristina Barlaan, Thomas and Gary discuss Rubber Ducking. Rubber Ducking is the act of saying your problem out loud to an inanimate object, breaking down the issues in the simplest terms, and figuring out the answers all by yourself. Find out the benefits of Rubber Ducking on this Takeaway from Kristina Barlaan. www.rolacademy.tv...

Send us Fan Mail Kristina Barlaan didn’t start her martial arts journey until the age of 20. First in Muay Thai, then after a year, she moved to the mats becoming a phenomenal competitor, winning major tournaments from Blue Belt all the way to Black in both gi and nogi. On this episode, Kristina discusses a wide variety of topics from, how she had to trick her mom into letting her try marial arts,...

Send us Fan Mail Do you deal in absolutes? Does saying  things like never or always limit what you can learn and keep you stagnate? After speaking with Thomas Lisboa who tells his students to never say always, Thomas and Gary discuss the limitations people can put on themselves by not keeping an open mind. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 600 videos for your Jiu...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode Thomas Lisboa discusses being a new father, the early reputation of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, how Jiu Jitsu can make a person a fighter on and off the mats, how the technical aspect of Jiu Jitsu is what makes it so much fun, and what it was like coming up and receiving his Black Belt from the legend, Master Fabio The General Gurgel. Here is the RŌL Radio with former Wor...

Send us Fan Mail You love Jiu Jitsu so don't go home! Felicia Oh would sit in the parking lot of her academy after work for over an hour before classes started. Why? Well, sometimes when we go home, we get comfortable and start making excuses to not go to class. Felicia's advice, don't go home. After a great conversation with Felicia, Thomas and Gary discuss the benefits of time man...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest Felicia Oh has the distinction of being one of the first women outside of Brazil to receive a black belt, which she received from the legend, Jean Jacques Machado. Felicia is also a Worlds Masters Champion, Pan American Gi and Nogi Champion, and US Open Champion. Listen as Felicia Oh opens up about her unusual introduction to Jiu Jitsu, overcoming major setbacks, ill...

Send us Fan Mail They say curiosity killed the cat, but why? Isn't being curious and asking questions a good thing? After speaking with Kenny Florian, Thomas and Gary discuss how being curious can be either a bit dangerous or beneficial, depending on your approach. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we are excited to have with us someone who is and has been one of the biggest names in martial arts and MMA since the early 2000s. Whether on the mats, in the octagon, or behind a microphone today’s guest has done it all with a warrior's spirit, professionalism, and a passion second to none, Kenny Florian. Kenny discusses his rise to the UFC, the struggles he...