The ROL Radio - Hosted by Thomas Rozdzynski

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to RŌL Radio. On this episode we are lucky enough to have with us a true legend in the sport of Judo, Jimmy Pedro. Jimmy is a World Judo Champion and two time Olympic Bronze medalist. He was the coach of Olympic Silver medalist Travis Stevens and two time Olympic Gold medalist Kayla Harrison. On this episode Jimmy shares his journey of growing up in his father’s Dojo...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to transform from a sickly child to an elite child athlete? What does it take to overcome discrimination in a male dominated sport? What does it take to achieve unbelievably high goals? Perseverance. This incredible perseverance is what Thomas and Gary took away from their conversation with the amazing Sophia McDermott. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.inst...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of RŌL Radio we have a 4 time Pan American Champion and the very first Australian female BJJ  black belt, Sophia McDermott. Sophia shares how she has persevered over the challenges and discrimination she has faced throughout her life.  First as a sickly child, who with the help of her mother changed her medical treatment and unleashed a top level child athlete. The...

Send us Fan Mail Either because of your circumstances or your own mindset often times quitting is not an option.  After speaking with Jason Bender of Bender Martial Arts & Fitness, the main thing Thomas and Gary where struck by was Jason's attitude of not quitting. No matter what life threw at him Jason always believed if he never quit, life would work out and he would find success and ha...

Send us Fan Mail This week on RŌL Radio we have Jason Bender from the newly opened Bender Martial Arts and Fitness in Chicago. Many people would think now is not the right time to open a martial arts academy but after hearing Jason’s journey you will understand why he thinks the time is right for him. Jason grew up under rough conditions. Never having a stable home or family life and at times havi...

Send us Fan Mail Do you leave your ego at the door? Do you put your pride aside? Do you learn from your defeats? After speaking with Professor Roy Dean, Thomas and Gary realized the one running theme throughout episode #17 was Humility. Is humility a great trait both on and off the mats? https://www.instagram.com/roydean_/ https://www.roydean.tv/ http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.co...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of RŌL Radio we have a true martial artist in every sense of the word, Roy Dean. Professor Dean’s journey has taken him across the globe and after decades of training he has earned his black belt in Judo, Aikido, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, and eventually Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Along this journey he has gained a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective on the positive af...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had enough and just wanted to quit? On today's Takeaway Thomas and Gary talk about how Sensei Shinjiro Sasaki persevered over enormous obstacles. From his days of training for the Olympics in his homeland of Japan to moving to the United States with nothing in his pocket and not speaking a word of English, Sensei kept pushing forward and is now living the Americ...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to RŌL Radio. On this episode we are lucky to have with us 5th Dan Judo Sensei Shinjiro Sasaki.  Sensei Shinjiro’s journey is one filled with happy accidents, coincidences, and enormous obstacles. Listen as he tells his journey that started as a 6 year old boy wanting to train Karate, dedicating his whole life to training for the Olympics, and making the decision to s...

Send us Fan Mail Training at two different Jiu Jitsu Academies simultaneously can be difficult but it can be done. On this Takeaway Thomas and Gary discuss how Arman Fathi did just that through honesty and open communication, building a bridge between two of the biggest names in Jiu Jitsu along the way. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/ther...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wanted to train two completely different  styles of Jiu Jitsu at two very different academies? On this episode of ROL Radio we may have an answer for you. Newly promoted Black Belt under Idris Redzovic, Arman Fathi discusses his journey that has taken him from Chicago to Los Angeles, where he now trains simultaneously at two of the most respected Jiu Jitsu academies...

Send us Fan Mail Have you found your passion in life? Are you pursuing it as hard as you can be? After speaking with Mauricio "Tinguinha" Mariano the biggest takeaway Thomas and Gary had was how passionate Professor Mauricio is for life and especially Jiu Jitsu. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ https://www.instagram.c...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of RŌL Radio we have a true original and master of the Spider Guard Mauricio “Tinguinha” Mariano. Listen as he walks us through what it was like being part of the earliest Gracie Barra teams, fighting in the adult divisions when he was only 16, his decision on making BJJ his life’s work, and developing and expanding the technique that made him famous the Spider Gua...

Send us Fan Mail In life or even Jiu Jitsu do you think conceptually? Do you look at the big picture? After speaking with Eli Knight the major thing Thomas and Gary took away from the episode was how important it is to think about concepts. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ https://www.patreon.com/knightjiujitsu https://knightbj...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to RōL Radio. On this episode, we are fortunate enough to have the Senior Supervising Instructor at Three Rivers Martial Arts Academy and 2nd Degree Black Belt under Royce Gracie, Eli Knight. Eli had trained various martial arts in his early life but once he began training and understanding BJJ he realized that while all arts claim that you can do great things by stud...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to reach your goals? After speaking with Judo Jim McGovern about the goals he set for himself after some devastating injuries, Thomas and Gary discuss what they think it takes to reach your goals. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ https://www.usjf.com/ https://www.facebook.com/jim.mcgovern.771...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of RŌL Radio we have 4th Yodan and USA Judo Coach Jim McGovern. Whether in the US Army, spending over two decades on the Chicago police force, or now working as a safety consultant, the one constant for Jim was his love of martial arts, especially Judo.  Listen as Jim discusses his love of Judo, its rich history and why he believes it is such an important sport.  J...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to make it to the top? After speaking with Felicia Spencer, Thomas and Gary believe it is total commitment. But how can that translate to the average person's life? http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ https://instagram.com/feenom479 https://jungleorlando.com https://www.ufc.com/ Support the...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to ROL Radio. Today we have former Invicta Champion and current UCF Featherweight contender Felicia Spencer.  Felicia started her martial arts journey as a small child with her two older brothers. But it was Felicia who turned it into an amazing career.  To a normal fan Felicia’s career seems like a whirlwind journey but to Felicia every one of her massive steps upwar...

Send us Fan Mail After speaking with Fiona Watson, Thomas and Gary think her positive attitude is the biggest takeaway from episode 10. http://www.therolradio.com https://www.instagram.com/therolradio/ https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/ http://www.notoriousbjj.com https://www.instagram.com/teamfionabjj https://www.instagram.com/notoriousmixedmartialarts Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Rol Radio. Today we have 2nd degree black belt and owner of East Rutherford New Jersey’s Notorious Mixed Martial Arts, Fiona Watson.  Fiona has been training many forms of martial arts since the age of three. But it wasn’t until  her early teens when she discovered what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. That is when she started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. With an ext...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to ROL Radio. Today we have a newly promoted black belt under Jungle MMA’s Mike Lee and Thiago Domingues, Josh Shilney. Josh grew up on the southside of Chicago and had a lot of obstacles and challenges as a teenager. After being roughed up and robbed his stepfather took him to meet a local BJJ practitioner and Josh fell in love with the sport. Josh has had some fanta...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of ROL Radio. Today we have 2nd degree black belt under Carlson Gracie Jr., Rudy Jimenez. Rudy began his martial arts training in the early 1990’s. In 1996 he began training under the legendary Carlson Gracie Sr. and that is when he fell in love with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Rudy tells some funny and amazing stories of his early training and competing, and w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of ROL Radio. Today’s guest, along with numerous other achievements is an IBJJF Pans Champion, and an IBJJF World NoGI Champion, as well as a UAEJJF US National Pro and Grand Slam Champion. But he may be best known for helping to carry on his family’s love and knowledge of what they created, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. On this episode we have the son of Carley,...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to a new episode of ROL Radio. On this episode we have 2nd degree black belt under Claudio Franca, Nathan Mendelsohn. Nathan is a Copa Podio Champion, AJP Tour Tokyo Grand Slam Champion, and an IBJJF Europeans black belt bronze medalist.  Nathan has been living the jiu jitsu lifestyle everyone dreams of. Listen as he talks about traveling from Santa Cruz to Brazil to train...