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This week we are happy to bring you an interview with Robson Moura.  In the Black belt Super Featherweight division Robson won gold in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and then again in 2007.  He credits much of his competition success in going for a fast submission.

Some Highlights from the interview:

We also talk about:

• How BJJ helps him off of the mat
• Starting BJJ as a kid in the adult class
• Why he likes to have a fun environment in his school
• How the mind of the Jiu-Jitsu competitor has changed over time
• What he is looking for in a super fight
• The possibility of doing Metamoris
• Advice for first time competitors
• Why most people are joining  BJJ schools today
• Why survival is a good goal for a 1st year student

links for Robson Moura

• His Facebook page
• His website

Quote of the week: "every champion was once a contender that refused to give up" Presented by Isaac Doederlein

Article of the week: "Jiu Jitsu And The Mature Athlete" jjgf.com

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

In 1995 Henry Akins started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the Rickson Gracie Academy. He received his black belt from Rickson in 2004.  He now has his own school called Dynamix MMA located in west LA.

Some of the Highlights:

"Making sure that the Jiu-Jitsu you learn is effective whether you have a gi on or not, and if you need to use it on the streets to protect yourself or someone that you care about."

"My focus has always been how to use Jiu-Jitsu as a martial art, as a way to instill confidence in a person... and if there is ever a confrontation they feel prepared to deal with it."

"It's not about speed, a lot of people think you need to be fast.... it is about timing"

"The focus for a competitor is the complete opposite from the focus of a teacher.  If you are competing the focus is on yourself.... as a teacher your focus is on others."

We also talk about:

• Training with Rickson Gracie
• Having a style that doesn't rely on grips
• BJJ and confidence
• The main reasons why students join Dynamix MMA
• The importance of getting good at the basics
• How BJJ has changed and remained the same since he started
• Teaching versus competing
• What he does to help his teachers learn how to teach
• How BJJ can affect the larger community
• Training BJJ specifically for self defense
• What happens to students that use strength or speed
• Different types of pressure you can put on your opponent
• How the BJJ community is one big group regardless of where you train

Links:

• Dynamix MMA in West LA Train with Henry Akins, Antoni Hardonk, and Vladimir Matyushenko.
• On The Mat- OTM is a very positive force in the BJJ community
• Henry Akins Facebook page

Quote of the week: "Learn how to learn" Billy Robinson. This quote was presented by Roli Delgado.  Roli suggests- Learn how your body works and apply that to what you are trying to do.

Article of the week: "Stepping off the Mats: Top Ten" by jiujitsutimes.com

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

This week we have an interview with Rolando Delgado often called Roli.  Roli is a 2nd degree black belt that trains in Little Rock Arkansas at West Side MMA. Roli has fought in the UFC and Bellator, but he is most widely known in the BJJ community for his ability to teach and preform leg locks.

Some highlights from this interview:

"The most dangerous moves in Jiu-Jitsu are take-downs and kimuras"

"Reaping the knee is a risk that is way overstated and blown out of proportion"

"With the Gi on I am okay with no heal hooks.... we need a sport that we can all do and grow old with."

We also talk about:

• His start to the martial arts
• What he does off of the mat (hunting deer and owning a pawn shop)
• His recent trip to Brazil
• How he started focusing on leg locks
• His app "Legal Leg Locks for BJJ"
• Why some people don't like leg locks
• Using legs locks to be used for a Bjj Brick
• The rules for BJJ and leg locks
• Why mid level blue belt is a good time to start working on leg locks
• Finding confidence in your game from hard work
• Advice for students that are competing for the first time
• Why you should be trying to funnel your match into your strong areas
• The concept of defend than attack
• His match with Jason Bircher in Respect 1 on Feb 28

Connect with Roli:

• Facebook
• His website

Quote of the week: "Therefore, those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him." Sun Tzu

Article of the week: "Drill To Kill: Science Backs Up Effectiveness of Drilling for Jiu-Jitsu" 

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Christian Graugart is know as the BJJ Globetrotter because of his amazing trip around the world training in 24 countries and 56 gyms.  Christian has learned may lessons from training and traveling, we are lucky to learn from him.  Christian has also started an amazing community called BJJ Globetrotters.

Good times on the mat with Christian Graugart

A quote from the interview:

“A key component to life is to be open to all social connections, and treat everyone you meet as a potential next best friend.”

We talk about:

• Why he started traveling to learn BJJ
• How he likes to teach classes
• Some of the similarities all over the world in Jiu-Jitsu
• The BJJ Globetrotters community
• The BJJ camps he is doing in 2015
• The values of BJJ Globetrotters
• How his gym treats travelers
• His ideas about how to treat people on and off the mat

Links

• Check out BjjGlobetrotter.com
• Join the BJJ Globetrotters community
• BJJ Globetrotter book by Christian Graugart
• The BJJ Globetrotters on Facebook

Quote of the week: “Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.” Napoleon Hill- Presented by: Rafael Lovato Jr.

Article of the week: “Staying Motivated for BJJ” By White Belt Survival Strategy.Everyone needs a little help staying motivated with training, this article should help.

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Rafael Lovato Jr. is the most decorated BJJ competitor from the United States.  He is known for an aggressive style and being fun to watch.  In 2007 he was the first Non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) in the Black Belt division. Again in 2007 Lovato became the 2nd American to win the World Championship (Worlds) as a black belt.  Lovato has a lot going on and we cover a big range of topics in this interview including his injury, BJJ goals for the year, his Save Jiu-Jitsu Podcast, MMA career, and much more.

Some Highlights from the interview:

"My goal, is to jump right back into the Worlds. If I can be healthy and strong enough to train hard in March, that will give me two months to get ready, as long as I don't miss the Worlds I am happy."

"If you are so afraid of losing that you play not to lose instead of to really win.... then you are not going to learn very much walking off the mat.... you will not be able to go back home and find what you need to work on."

About his Save Jiu-Jitsu Podcast, "Really my goal with it was to inspire people".

When asked about what rules should be changed  Rafael says "The number one thing that I would do is get rid of advantages.... they really don't make sense".

"The most evolution that you see in jiu-jitsu is from the guard, there is always new guard games, there is always new grips, angles, and ways to sweep....but there is not new submissions.... most of the evolution is from the guard and it is mostly sweeps."

"I remember when I felt like I knew the rules in and out....Nowadays there are many of the refs that struggle with knowing."

About what he would like to do this year. "Some pretty big things, Worlds, ADCC, another MMA fight.... If I could get on a Metamoris show I would love to be there."

We talk about:

• What he has been doing with his extra time, because of his injury is keeping him off the mats
• The Save Jiu-Jitsu Podcast
• How he is healing after his surgery
• Changing the rules of BJJ
• How having advantages makes the game less exciting
• Some ideas of how we can deal with tied matches
• Rule changes in other sports
• Advice for students who are competing
• How he explains advantages to his students before a competition
• Training advice for different competitions
• Training with Saulo and Xande
• Doing Metamoris in the future
• His goals with MMA
• ADCC 2015
• His plans to write a book

Keeping up with Rafael Lovato Jr:

• His Facebook fan-page
• Save Jiu-Jitsu Podcast
• Lovato BJJ vidoes
• Twitter
• Website
• His school's website

Quote of the week: "Through the sports, our mission is promote a better quality of life and add social value, education, morals, and create a better citizen not only on the mats but in life. Propagate values in our community is valuable for the future" Andre Monteiro Check out Andre's new Gym A-Force.

Article of the week: "What Is The Etiquette For Rolling With Black Belts?" JiuJitology.com

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast!

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Submission Series 902 takes places January 23, 2015 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada.  These are 15 min, submission only fights. In this episode, you will discover what these six athletes are doing to prepare for this submission only event.  Check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with all the action.

Cat Clark- We start off this interviews by talking with Cat Clark.  Cat is the guy who is putting Submission Series 902 together. (Starts at 21m32s)

We talk about:

• How to watch the event
• What the name "Submission Series 902" is about
• Why he is doing this event
• The rules the athletes must follow
• His vision for the sport in the long term

Kyle Sandford Vs. Jonathan Satava

Kyle Sandford- Kyle has been training BJJ since 1996. He received a black belt from Renzo Gracie in July 2014. He is representing Titans BJJ and Renzo Gracie. He has a Nogi match with Jonathan Satava. (Starts at 32m45s)

Jonathan Satava- Jonathan is a brown belt under Marcelo Garcia.  He is 25 years old, and he trains and teaches at The Marcelo Garcia Academy. His game is very similar to Marcelo's. (Starts at 52m2s)

Joel Jacquard Vs. Michael Tremblay

Joel Jacquard- Joel has been Training BJJ for about 8 years. He is a purple belt under Kevin Taylor.  He has trained in a variety of martial arts, but he is now focused on BJJ and this submission only fight.  He is very motivated to compete with Michael Tremblay. (Starts at 1h7m8s)

Michael Tremblay- Michael is 22 years old and a brown belt from Carleton Place Ontario. He trains with his family at Alpha Mixed Martial Arts.  His time is spent between being a full-time student of philosophy and a competitor. (Starts at 1h28m28s)

Scott Nauss Vs. Kevin Thibault (Kevin replaces Dana Dickenson)

Scott Nauss- Scott is a brown belt from Truro, Nova Scotia. He trains at Marmac Athletics, and Titans BJJ.  Scott has a lot of competition experience and he is excited to do a longer submission only match. (Starts at 1h45m18s)

Kevin Thibault- (Kevin replaces Dana Dickenson)- Kevin Trains under Shane Rice at Clinch Martial Arts Academy.  Kevin usually plays a heavy top game. (Starts at 1h58m59s)

Check out the Gis the fighters are talking about at BC Kimonos

Quote of the week: "Train with everyone" Dave Camarillo. Loyalty is important for your team and academy,  but you can still train at other gyms and be loyal at the same time.

Article of the week: "5 Tips to Fast Track Your Jiu-Jitsu Evolution Starting Today" by Graciemag

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

This week Gary and Byron will be discussing several myths about BJJ.  Do you agree with our discussion of these myths?  We have personal experiences with most of these myths and we share them.

Myth 1 Upper belts don't get tapped out by lower belts

Myth 2 You can earn your belt in a certain amount of time

Myth 3 Size and strength are not very important

Myth 4 Black belts know all the answers

Myth 5 Watching the pros is a great way to get better

Myth 6 More training is always better for you

Myth 7 Because you train BJJ you will be ready for a street fight

Myth 8 If someone is better than you at BJJ they will always be better than you at BJJ

Myth 9 Your excuse for not doing BJJ is valid

Myth 10 A black belt is the best teacher

Myth 11 Going home beat up everyday is okay

Myth 12 Bonus Myth- BJJ works on zombies

Quote of the week: "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly" Gilbert K. Chesterton-  In this quote Gary shares an example about his poor golfing skills.  If you want to be good at BJJ you need to accept the fact that you will be doing it badly for a while and improvement will come with practice.

Article of the week:"The Quick and Easy Way to Dye Your BJJ Gi" by Attacktheback.com Tons of cool pictures about how to dye your gi.  Check out the stitching!

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

John Kavanagh received his BJJ black belt in March 2007 from Matt Thornton.  He now runs the Straight Blast Gym(SBG) in Ireland. SBG Ireland is home to fighters Gunnar Nelson, Conor McGregor, Aisling Daly, and many more.

Highlights from the interview:

"I think when people are enjoying themselves, they are going to stick with something longer rather than just embracing the grind."

"I understand what people mean when they say someone is talented, but it is a lazy word.  It is kind of like describing a chemical reaction as being magic."

"If I see someone who is not enjoying it (training) I don't want them part of the team, because it can be detrimental to the mindset of everybody else. So I will advise them to take some time off and do a different sport or activity for awhile and try to come back with a fresh mindset."

Do your MMA athletes train in a gi?  " Yes, they do..... physically the main benefit is that it tightens up the escape game, you can't escape an armbar by just by ripping your arm out... On the flip side training nogi tightens up your attacking side of the game."

"Training with a gi also is a huge benefit to keeping your mind awake and alert."

"You are all going to finish fighting (MMA) at some stage, why not have earned your black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during that period.  Maybe you could open your own school. You want to be 50 or 60 (years old) and still on the mat, you are not going to be doing MMA at that stage but you and me could be two old farts in the corner of the room rolling around in a gi"

About taking some time off- "I would go as far as to say that I have never seen somebody come back that was not actually better than when they went away..... A guy takes 4-6 weeks off because of an injury or something and he always comes back better.....I have a theory. Time away from physically doing it (training) allows techniques to sink a little bit deeper in.  When you are training all the time whatever you have done latest is in your head, but when you take a couple of weeks off, what you have been doing over the last couple of months can sink in deeper into your consciousness... going between time on and time off the mat is very important... people come back sharper"

About new students- "I found the most efficient way of weeding out the weak, I made strong people stronger.... That's the exact opposite of what I am supposed to have been doing as a martial arts coach.... I was bullied as a kid, I went to martial arts to help protect myself.  The approach I was taking was not going to be of much use to somebody that was not already athletic. We changed around everything that we are doing"

"I really think sport should be a positive experience. Even if you lose it should be positive because of when you went through in order to be able to compete."

In this episode we talk about:

• The SBG upcoming fights in the UFC
• Why he does not like the idea of a training camp
• The two things you need to get good at MMA (enjoy it, and patience)
• How he changes a class to keep it fun
• His views of calling fighters talented
• The mindset of training
• Training MMA and still using the gi
• Taking time off from training
• His program for dealing with new students
• His four tier program for beginners
• Teaching new people how to train safely
• Advice for a new student
• His goal he has for his new students
• He wants BJJ to be a lifestyle for you
• How amateur MMA in Ireland has several steps, and why it is a good system
• Advice for MMA athletes
• Why you shouldn't focus on what your opponent does

Quote of the week: "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." Henry Ford

Article of the week: Background checks required by IBJJF

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Thanks for listening, we will catch you next week!

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Yanal Shahzadeh

Yanal Shahzadeh is a brown belt from Jordan under 4th degree black belt Samy Aljamal.  Yanal is one of the top competitors in his region, and he is always looking for a good match.  He competes at 94 kg, and open weight.

This interview we talk about:

• Getting over an injury to his elbow
• How Jiu-Jitsu has changed in Jordan over the years
• Winning 4 gold medals at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Cup
• His favorite technique the arm crank
• His submission only super fight in February
• He tells a story of a time his competition asked him to not submit him
• He describes the brown belt like a white belt for the legs, because leg locks are now allowed
• He explains some of his most favorite training methods
• How he likes to coach during a match
• What it was like for him to travel by himself and compete without a coach
• Why he feels like he discovered Jiu-Jitsu as a blue belt
• Why he recommends a top control drill for new students
• How the scissor sweep can help you understand other parts of Jiu-Jitsu

You can find Yanal here on his Facebook page

The website for his BJJ school

Check out this article about Yanal Shazadeh to find out more about him

Quote of the week:  “If you are looking for a big opportunity accept a big challenge” This weeks quote was presented by Gustavo Dantas

Article of the week: “3 Things You Will Learn About Yourself Through Jiu Jitsu” From Jiujitsutimes.com

This episode was sponsored by:

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

Listeners doing good work!!

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Have you ever failed to deliver your best when it counts?  This week our friend and BJJ black belt Gustavo Dantas will help you do your best on and off the mat.  Gustavo has been training BJJ for 25 years, he is a 4th degree black belt.  He has a passion for teaching BJJ and helping coach people to reach their goals.  His coaching website is TheBjjMentalCoach.com.

In this interview we talk about:

• Doing BJJ as a kid in Rio
• Listening to audio books
• Why he recommends the book Psycho-Cybernetics
• The BJJ Mental Coach blog
• How he was able to overcome a bad start to competing
• Overcoming mental blocks in competing
• Moving to the United States from Brazil
• Dealing with competition anxiety
• A recent interview he did with Budo Videos
• Dealing with a high pressure situation
• How he runs competition students different from the students that don't compete
• Learning from failure
• The three types of training partners that you need to be training with
• How BJJ can benefit someone off the mat
• Fixing mistakes after a tournament
• Living up to your full potential
• Dealing with fear
• Focusing on only the things that you can control
• His four Dvd set Inner Discovery for outer success

Contact Info for Gustavo Dantas- Email: info@thebjjmentalcoach.com, His Facebook Page, The Bjj Mental Coach website

Gustavo's Sponsors Shoyoroll, Aggro Brand

Quote of the week:  "Everybody want to be a champion but not many are willing to do what it takes to become one" Presented by Joe Solecki

Article of the week:"5 Tips for BJJ Over 35"

Want a better Guillotine Choke? Check out this seminar by our friend Roy Marsh!

This episode also has the first of our series of "The Most Interesting Grappler"