The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Ostap Manastryski is a brown belt under Elliott Bayev, he trains and teaches at OpenMat Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Toronto Canada.  Ostap breaks down BJJ videos on his YouTube channel, this is a great resource for anyone wanting to better understand BJJ.

We talk about

• Ostap's YouTube Channel
• Some of his notable tournament victories
• Traveling and training BJJ for an extended amount of time
• Teaching BJJ full time
• Common mistakes in lower level BJJ
• How he breaks down tournament footage
• Advice for students that are going to do their first tournament
• His first tournament experience
• Competing a lot in a short amount of time
• Preparing mentally for a tournament
• The book With Winning in Mind, and how it has helped him
• Coaching at a tournament and how to not be a "remote control coach"
• Tips for coaching
• Different Mantras that he uses during a match
• Advice for blue belts overcoming difficulties
• Researching different BJJ schools
• Having the proper motivation for training
• What a full day of training is like for Ostap
• Training yoga to help deal with injuries
• His long term goals
• The new double guard pull rule
• How to get Ostap to break down your videos

Quote of the week: "Don't be a Jack of all trades be a master of one"  This quote was presented by Jonathan Thomas.  This saying is a big pet peeve of his and he explains why.  Check out Jonathan's interview here.

Links
Ostap's YouTube Channel
OpenMat Mixed Martial Arts Academy
Book With Winning In Mind
Ostap's Facebook page
More info about Ostap
Ostap's Email ostapbjj@gmail.com

Article of the week- "3 Ways to Deal With Injuries in BJJ" Grapplearts.com

Check out these videos

BJJ Video Anaylsis - Otavio Sousa omoplata attack vs Lucas Lepri
Ostap Analysis - Ostap vs Joao Miyao, Worlds 2012

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

This week we are joined by Jonathan Thomas.  Jonathan was recently awarded his black belt from Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti. You will find Jonathan training, teaching, and positional sparring at The Alliance headquarters in Atlanta.

This interview we talk about:

• Jonathan's goal in his first tournament
• Why developing a good guard is so important for beginners
• Jonathan's basic definition of recomposing
• Why recomposing is so important to BJJ
• What attracted him to Jiu-Jitsu
• How Jiu-Jitsu is like a large series of mini games
• How he was able to train less than most of his competition and still win
• Having a logical process to how you train
• Why mindless drilling does not do much for your development
• How Jonathan likes to positional spar and break down positions
• The current rules and how they could change
• Why passing the guard can be more difficult than using a specific guard
• How the sport would change if the guard puller got a -1 point
• His goals in competing
• His mindset during competition
• Doing Tabata for cardio training
• Managing stress levels to clam down and not get tired
• Developing long term development by focusing on positions

  

  2011 Mundials Jonathan Thomas

Quote of the week- "Fail, fail again, fail better" Samuel Beckett.  This quote was presented by New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code Daniel Coyle.  Check out our interview with Daniel Coyle here

Sponsor- Fujisports.com Save 10% off your purchase at Fujisports.com with the coupon code “BJJBrick”

Links

Article of the week- "5 Things to Focus on When Teaching BJJ to Children" from blog.gameness.com

Alliance

Jonathan's facebook page

Find more info about Jonathan Thomas here

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Daniel Coyle is a New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code and The Little Book of Talent.  He is one of the leading authorities on developing talent.  He may not be a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but his ideas about how to practice can help you understand how you learn.  The methods he has found could help catapult your game to the next level and beyond.

We start off with these basic definitions:

Talent Hotbed- A place that has an unusual amount of extraordinary performers.  These places can be studied and we can learn about their different training techniques.

Muscle Memory- This is a not a real thing, all your muscle is controlled from your brain.  Muscle has no memory.

Myelin- When you build new skills they are insulated by a myelin sheath.  This sheath gets thicker as you practice and push yourself.  The thicker it becomes the faster and easier your connections become.

Deep Practice- This is the sweet spot when you are putting a lot of myelin between your connections.  People who continually put their selves in a deep practice learn quickly.  An example of this would be sparring with someone who is a little better than you.

We talk about:

• The class structure of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• The difficulty of learning in a group setting
• The learning environment that is created by leaving your ego at the door
• Having the high intensity of a BJJ workout with a safe environment is a great place to grow
• The best way to give feedback is to ask questions
• Why it is important to design a training environment that forces people to ask questions
• The large benefits to all of the students of having colored belts help teach techniques
• Why you should be careful about the 10,000 hours rule
• Quality of training is far more important than quantity
• Why in some of the talent hotbeds they don’t spend all day practicing
• The Bruce Lee quote “I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times.”
• How YouTube has effected learning BJJ for good and bad
• The better you get the more important the fundamentals become
• Building fundamentals is like building a tree in your brain.  Make the trunk of the tree strong, so you can add things on to the tree.  With a strong trunk you can add things quickly and easily.
• The survival zone, and why no learning happens in this zone
• Some advice for a student who is competing for the first time
• What is going on the mind of a top competitor?  Turns out that it is not much
• The science of group success is a project he is currently working on keep your eyes open for this my friends

Quote of the week- “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.  This quote was presented by Ryan Hall.  If you missed Ryan’s interview with us it can be found here. Episode 30.  In an amazing coincidence this quote is in the first few pages of Daniel Coyle’s book The Little Book of Talent.

Article of the week- “Starting BJJ: What to Expect on your First Class”.  From Grapplearts.com

Sponsor- Fujisports.com If you are looking for a great first gi you cannot go wrong with the AllAround Gi.  It is a high quality gi and has a very good price.  Save 10% off your purchase at Fujisports.com with the coupon code “BJJBrick”

Links

Daniel Coyle’s website

The Talent Code

The Little Book of Talent

In Episode 30 of the BjjBrick podcast we talk with Ryan Hall.  Ryan is widely considered one of the best lightweight submission grapplers in the world.  Ryan owns 50/50 Jiu-Jitsu in Falls Church, Virginia.  He is a Black Belt under Felipe Costa and a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter representing Tristar Gym.  Check out a more detailed bio of Ryan Hall here.

In this interview we talk about:

• Ryan coined the term “50/50” for the widely used position
• His new gym that he opened and why he moved
• How his style of Jiu-jitsu will translate to MMA
• His goals for his MMA career
• Some of his negative experiences with competing in Jiu-Jitsu
• Getting back into competitive Jiu-Jitsu
• The different focuses and challenges of training MMA and BJJ at the same time
• Making the transition from submission grappling to MMA
• His next MMA fight on May 31st
• Using actual MMA fights for live training and ring experience
• Some common mistakes that BJJ athletes make when doing MMA
• Performing to the best of your ability and nothing less, and being happy with that
• Ryan shares some of his thoughts on Metamoris 3 Eddie Bravo vs Royler Gracie
• His instructional DVDs- The Triangle, Passing the Guard, Arm Triangles, Back Attacks, Inverted Guard, The 50/50, and Deep Half.
• What he is focusing on to get a competitive edge in MMA
• Ryan shares the experience of his first grappling competition
• Advice for the first time competitor
• Why Ryan was attracted to the martial arts
• Ryan’s self-defense story that took place Jersey Shore with Seph Smith, Dave Jacobs, and Jen Flannery
• Using Jiu-jitsu in a street fight, and common misconceptions
• “Regular people fight as well as they play hockey” a quote from Ryan Hall.  Fighting is a skill, if you don’t know how to do it you will not do it well.
• Ryan gives advice for new blue belts that may be struggling
• What could be next for his DVD’s

Quote of the week: This quote was presented and broken down by Stephen Whittier, “Just when you think you have all the answers, I will change all the questions”. I was unable to find who said this originally.  If you missed it be sure to check out our full interview with Stephen Whittier here.

Sponsor- Fujisports.com Check out the light weight gi.  It is great for competition weigh-ins and staying cool in the summer heat.  Save 10% off your purchase at Fujisports.com with this coupon code “BJJBrick”.

Links:

Article of the week: “Losing is Good for You” NYTimes.com

Ryans DVDs www.groundfighter.com

Watch Ryan’s next fight here gofightlive

Watch Ryan’s restaurant fight here

Ryan’s website

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Stephen Whittier is a black belt under Roberto Maia.  He has an academy in Wareham Massachusetts Called SBG East Coast.  Stephen has become a huge resource for the over 40 grappler.  He has lots of great advice not just for the over 40 grappler, but anyone who steps on the mat.

In this interview with Stephen Whittier we talk about:

• Why having a specific style can hold you back
• Why the fundamentals are so important in Jiu-Jitsu
• Getting on the mat as a 40 plus grappler
• Dealing with instructors that may not know how to coach the older grappler
• The differences between teaching and coaching
• The Aliveness component of jiu-jitsu
• Starting BJJ as someone in their 50s or 60s
• The social differences between the younger BJJ students and the older students
• Finding the right gym for you
• Why people quit jiu-jitsu after training the first time
• Why people are drawn to try jiu-jitsu
• Competing for the first time
• Why stripping your attributes (speed, strength, flexibility….) out of your training can help you get better in the long run
• How BJJ has changed over the years
• How fundamentals are different than basics
• Focusing on these three things- Posture, Pressure, and Possibilities
• Tips for getting over common frustrations
• We wrap up by talking about some of his products that he has to help the over 40 grappler

Quote of the week “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”  Mark Twain

Links

Article of the week- “3 Simple Things Great Teachers do” TheTalentCode.com by Daniel Coyle

Free email series: 40plusbjjlive.com

40 Plus Membership Site and Online Academy: 40plusperformanceacademy.com

Stephen’s Youtube page

40 Plus BJJ Facebook page

Stephen’s email Info@40plusbjj.com

This week we talk to Dwane Clifford about training BJJ and how supplements can be a tool to help you reach your goals.

Dwane is a friend that we met on the mats. He has a passion for supplements and helping people reach their goals. Dwane has a philosophy of discovering the customers goals and then helping them find the right supplement or training to help.

We talk about:

Supplements that help with flexibility
Supplements that aid with stamina
Why Jiu-Jitsu players should steer clear of products with a lot of caffeine
Taking care of your joints
How supplements can help lubricate your joints
What fish oil does and does not do for you
Some tips for cutting weight, and how using supplements is really a last resort
Tips on cutting weight without using supplements
Gaining size and strength
How to tell if you are in a bad supplement store
Common myths in the supplement industry
Some of the bad things that happens in the supplement industry
Advice if you are new to taking supplements
Our Sponsor- Fujisports.com Coupon code “BJJBrick” for 10% off your order. Check out the Fuji All Around BJJ Gi. Gary and Byron both have this gi. It is affordable, comfortable, it is great for training and competing. This gi will last you for many years. Great value with this gi, and save 10% today!!

Quote of the week: Allen Hopkins (last weeks interview) gives us his favorite quote. He got this from Master Pedro Sauer. Allen asked him “what is the most important thing in Jiu-Jitsu?” Master Pedro Sauer responded with “to always be a gentleman”. At first this quote did not mean much to Allen, as he learned more about Jiu-Jitsu and life he realized this was truly a great quote and a great way to live your life.
Links:
Article of the week- “Surviving (Socially) the Beginner Phase of BJJ” by Valerie Worthington
TheSupplementU
The Supplement U facebook page
Call Dwane at (785)833-2188 Mention this podcast to Dwane and he will give you a discount and free shipping.

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

Allen Hopkins is a 3rd degree black belt under Master Pedro Sauer. His school is in Hattiesburg Mississippi. He attended his first seminar July 13, 1991 it was thought by Grand Master Rorion Gracie. After that seminar Allen Hopkins was hooked on Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

We talk about:
Training Gracie Jiu-Jitsu before the first UFC
His training in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu
Attending early Gracie Jiu-Jitsu seminars
How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu got it's start in the United States
The Growth of Jiu-Jitsu
What is was like to attend the first UFC
Some differences between Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
His match back in the day with Eddie Bravo

Sponsor: Fujisports.com Coupon code “BJJBrick” for 10% off!

Quote of the week: “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything if it were a nail.” Abraham Maslow

Links

Article of the week: “Safe Training Rules for Women” Fifty/50 BJJ Cailn
Allen Hopkins website

Team Hopkins Association

Pedro Sauer's website

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, and Stitcher radio

In this weeks episode we talk to Tom Machowicz (Mac) from Fuji Sports. We cover everything from getting your first gi to helping a seasoned veteran figure out what gi is best for competition.

This Gi Guide covers:
Why do you need a gi?
Advantages to training in a gi
How judo gis are different from BJJ gis
Basic types of gis
Tips for getting a gi for kids, women and men
How the location the gi is made can effect the quality
Different types of weaves
How to get a gi that fits you
The advantages of Rip-stop
Different types of collars
How to take care of your gi
Shrinking your gi to get the best fit
Common mistakes with gi care
How to get your gi dry quickly
Putting a patch on a gi
Custom gis for your team
What makes a competition gi?

Quote of the week: We got this quote from an email from our friend Santiago. “My teacher is my opponent, my ego is my enemy” Renzo Gracie

Article of the week
30 Signs You're A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Addict- Matadornetwork.com

Our Sponsor- FujiSports.com use coupon code "BJJBrick" for a 10% discount!

Links
The Neppon Edition Gi 
Fuji All Around BJJ Gi (both Byron and Gary have this gi)
Size chart
Call our friend Tom at (212)769-1823 if you have any Gi related questions

This week we have an interview with Amber Oxford. Amber is a Blue belt that trains at Wichita Jiu-Jitsu Club. Amber is holding a free event called Girls in Gis on April 12 at the Wichita Jiu-Jitsu Club. When she is not on the mats Amber is a full time nurse and she recently bought a salon it is called Tranquility Salon. Amber also finds time in her busy schedule to compete on a regular basis.
Girls in gis started as an open mat for women, it has gotten much bigger. Girls in Gis is a nonprofit organization that helps promote BJJ to women.

Amber talks about:
Getting more women on your BJJ team
The Girls in Gis organization
Her experiences competing
The benefits of women doing BJJ
How to get a Girls in Gis event to your area
And much more

Support us by checking out our sponsor Fujisports.com Coupon code "BJJBrick" for 10% off your purchase. Check out the women's Gi selection!

Quote of the week: This quote was brought to us by Coach John Connors “Commitment requires an endless series of small painful actions” Phil Stutz

Article of the week: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – A Female Perspective
Links
Girls in Gis
Amber's Salon Tranquility Salon
Fujisports.com
Wichita Jiu-Jitsu Club
Ambers event on April 12th

This week we talk about the four basic types of matches you could find yourself in BJJ. We gave each match a symbol, to make it simple.

1) The straight line or arrow (------, ------>). This is a one-sided match that progresses smoothly. This match goes from start to finish with one of the competitors dominating the other. A tip for a tournament is to watch the rest of your bracket as they compete. You might see someones game plan and be able to avoid the dominant parts of their game.

2) The Figure 8. This is a chaotic match. This type of match is typically at the lower levels, because the higher level competitors are more controlling and better at using any dominant position. If you find yourself in a match like this, you can win this match, but you are going to need to fight for it. Try to use the transition to your advantage. Decide your strong part of your game and find a way to get your opponent to that place. If you find yourself behind in a match, you might look for ways to make it more like a figure 8 match.

3) The Circle O. This match is like a loop (like the movie ground hog day). The competitors find themselves doing the same things over and over again. If you are winning keep this going. If you are on the wrong end of this match find ways to break the loop, you need to change some things that your doing.

4) The Dot . This match is when nothing is happening. Be ready for your competitor to try to score at the end of the match. Try to find a way to get the match going.

We also give some training tips, because you will encounter these types of matches in training.

Quote of the week- This quote was brought to us by Coach John Connors from Episode 23 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” Albert Einstein

Article of the week: I'm not ready for a BJJ competition, From Chewjitsu.net