The ROL Radio - Hosted by Thomas Rozdzynski

Send us Fan Mail Javier Vazquez believes his method of teaching jiu-jitsu is going to fundamentally change the way people learn the art going forward. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the different ways people teach and learn jiu-jitsu and how learning concepts rather than steps can make your partners feel you are always five steps ahead. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is a fifth-degree black belt and has fought in some of the top grappling and MMA organizations in the world But he isn’t resting on his past achievements and has set his sights on changing the world of jiu-jitsu. On this episode Javier Vazquez discusses his unique coaching and instructing style, how it helps students learn faster, what separates it from the more trad...

Send us Fan Mail Shintaro Higashi’s father grew up and trained Judo in Japan and was tuff on Shintaro but also showed him a softer side that he himself didn’t receive. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the impact a father has on his children and how fatherhood has changed over the generations. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jits...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is a double black belt. He is a six dan in judo and a black belt in BJJ. Shintaro Higashi has excelled in multiple martial arts and was raised under two vastly different training philosophies. His father was a native of Japan and Shintaro was raised in the United States. Shintaro discusses how that upbringing forged his current training philosophy, why Judo is so pop...

Send us Fan Mail Bjj Dirty Dozen member Rick Williams was so thirsty for knowledge when he began training that he trained with Royce Gracie in the morning and the Machado brothers in the evenings. While it isn’t as big a deal as it once was, cross-training is still something that is frowned upon. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how they feel about training at more than one academy and ho...

Send us Fan Mail The goal of having the entire Dirty Dozen gets one step closer with today’s guest. Rick Williams is here to discuss his early journey with Royce Gracie, his seat at the table during the development of the first UFC, grading student performance on a curve, and a ton more. Here is The RŌL Radio with a Machado Brothers black belt, Los Angeles Lakers Head of Team Security, and a membe...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Bongiorno ends every class by asking his students, “What did you learn and who did you help?”. This makes his students reflect on their class and look deep inside themselves.  So, next time you’re stepping off the mats, ask yourself those questions and use the answers to better yourself and your life. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 v...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest has been on the New Jersey martial arts scene for over 40 years. Starting off in the striking arts he earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan and was going to specialize in weapons training. However, after seeing the very first UFC he switched his focus to grappling. Steve Bongiorno joins us to discuss why people bond over jiu-jitsu, how he leads by example...

Send us Fan Mail With a martial art as deep and rich as jiu-jitsu, students often find themselves trying to learn a little bit of everything without becoming really good at anything. After a great conversation with Scott Burr, Thomas and Gary discuss the importance of having a narrow focus in order to improve incrementally, eventually becoming a well-rounded jiu-jitsu practitioner. www.rolacademy....

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest had trained under and with some of the most influential people in jiu-jitsu. He is also an author and editor who has worked on some of the best books about BJJ. Scott Burr is here to discuss his relationships and training experience with some of the legends of BJJ, the explosion of BJJ’s popularity, jiu-jitsu as a vehicle to better one’s life, and more. Here is The R...

Send us Fan Mail Why are we so violent? Malachy Friedman grew up as a violent young man and still loves violence but has learned to channel it. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how jiu-jitsu can be a positive outlet for our violent nature, helping us both physically and mentally. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey. ht...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is a third-degree BJJ black belt. He trained for a number of years at American Top Team and has coached and cornered fighters in the top promotions in MMA, as well as the IBJJF and ADCC. Malachy Friedman joins us to discuss his opinions on Gi vs. NoGi, why certain people feel the need to train in combat sports, how to continue being engaged in jiu-jitsu while injured...

Send us Fan Mail Call them reasons or excuses, people often use them to quit jiu-jitsu. After a great conversation with Edgar Figueroa, Thomas and Gary discuss how people leave jiu-jitsu because they don't make it a priority in their lives, and how easy it is not to prioritize the things in life that truly make them happy. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 10...

Send us Fan Mail There was a time not that long ago when a career in jiu-jitsu seemed like a fantasy for most people. This episode’s guest has recently moved from the world of stock trading to working at an academy full-time.  Edgar Figueroa joins us to discuss how he went from not even thinking a career in jiu-jitsu was a possibility to making a monumental shift in his life, making the most out o...

Send us Fan Mail Opportunities are all around us and we either take advantage of them or we don't. When jiu-jitsu legend Rigan Machado was thinking of leaving California and returning to Brazil, Bob Bass saw an opportunity for Rigan. He told Rigan he should stay and open a jiu-jitsu academy. Rigan made the most of that opportunity and changed the world of martial arts forever. On this Takeawa...

Send us Fan Mail The RŌL Radio’s quest to get all of the BJJ Dirty Dozen on the podcast continues with Rigan Machado’s first American black belt, Bob Bass. Bob first began his training with Rickson Gracie and then became hugely influential under Rigan Machado. On this episode, Bob describes the early days of training with the Gracies and Machados, his influence on Rigan when Rigan opened his first...

Send us Fan Mail Another jiu-jitsu cliche is Technique is King, but as we know, strength, size, and rules of engagement all play a vital role in jiu-jitsu. After a great conversation with John Frankl, Thomas and Gary discuss whether or not good technique is all that is needed for success on the mats. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is another true martial artist. With a background in several martial arts, it was his exposure to jiu-jitsu in 1989 that he knew he had found what he really wanted to do. It did take a few years before John Frankl started his formal training under Rickson Gracie and after moving from the West Coast to Boston John trained under Roberto Maia and received his black belt...

Send us Fan Mail Jiu Jitsu mats can be the great equalizer. But what does that mean?  After speaking with Charles Harriott, who travels the world teaching jiu-jitsu, Thomas and Gary discuss how the mats can bring people together who otherwise might never spend time together. www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey. http://www.thero...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is another jiu-jitsu globetrotter. He has turned his lifelong love of martial arts into his passion, traveling across the world teaching jiu-jitsu in so many countries he has lost count. Charles Harriott joins The RŌL Radio to discuss his teaching style, how he has figured out how to enjoy life on the road, how teaching everything teaches nothing, and how it is hard...

Send us Fan Mail Competing in jiu-jitsu as a Gracie nowadays can be a blessing and a curse. Expectations and pressure put upon a young Gracie family member can be overwhelming. Rayron Gracie has met those challenges head-on with nothing but gratitude for those who came before him. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the Gracie family’s current impact on jiu-jitsu and how we should all be gra...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest carries on the legacy of his family by being a highly successful jiu-jitsu competitor. But with that family legacy came a huge amount of pressure, responsibility, and expectations to succeed. Rayron Gracie joins us to share growing up in the world-famous Gracie family, how he dealt with the pressure and expectations put upon him, by not only others but himself, what...

Send us Fan Mail Gracie Barra Texas instructor Lucas Valente grew up immersed in jiu-jitsu and he is determined to continue the legacy that his family, Carlos Gracie Junior, and Vinicius Draculino passed to him. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the importance of legacy and if the culture and community it creates are more important than the brand they grow out of. www.rolacademy.tv 30% dis...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest grew up in Brazil surrounded by some of the most competitive people in jiu-jitsu and it was only natural that he pursue it in one fashion or another. What Lucas Valente chose to pursue was becoming a highly successful competitor and coach. First growing up in Brazil and then moving to the United States Lucas has become one of the most highly decorated competitors in...

Send us Fan Mail Jiu Jitsu has changed an enormous amount over the past few decades. With Self-defense vs Sport, different rulesets, and different rules of engagement, It seems that modern jiu-jitsu has morphed from its original purpose, Self-defense. After a great conversation with Chris Burns, Thomas and Gary discuss how all these aspects of modern jiu-jitsu still fall under the umbrella of jiu-...