The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

This week we have a interview with Rafael Lovato Jr black belt James Puopolo.  He has been doing BJJ full time since leaving his middle school math teaching job.  He can be found on the mats at Salem-Keizer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. You can find out more about James here on BJJ Heroes.

We talk about:

• Running his academy
• His ever changing style of BJJ
• Training with out the use of a timer
• Fitting your BJJ into many different rule sets
• The importance of finishing your opponent
• His training schedule
• Training other grappling arts
• Training with Luke Tirey
• His first training experience with RLJ
• Doing 14 competitions last year
• His future goals
• Keeping a training journal
• The process he goes through before a competition
• Basic meditation to get you in your zone
• Advice for a students first tournament

Links for James Puopolo's sponsors:

• Check out the gis at Origin
• Green Strength
• Elite Flexibility
• Iron Lion Soap

Keep up with James on his Facebook page

Quote of the week: Presented by PJ Waicus "The big, strong, tough guy goes to class, and he keeps getting tapped by the skinny, technical guy. It begins to change him. It makes him humble. That's what Jiu Jitsu does to you. It makes you humble." Relson Gracie

Article of the week: "What Can The Stock Market Teach You About Jiu-Jitsu?" From Jiu-Jitology

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

PJ Waicus joins us this week for an interview.  He has been training BJJ for about 5 years.  He trains at South Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy.  PJ has two children that have Angelman Syndrome.  This interview we talk a lot about BJJ, learn about Angelman Syndrome and we face off the mat challenges that life presents.

We talk about:

• Starting BJJ at the age of 39
• Size differences on the mat
• How Angelman Syndrome is passed on
• The effects of Angelman Syndrome
• The Angelman community
• Bipolar Disorder and BJJ
• Training with a busy schedule
• How BJJ is like a church to him
• Training BJJ for the long term
• Advice for parents that have kids with Angelman Syndrome

Links:

• Voices for Angels/ devoted to Angelman Syndrome awareness for our children
• South Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy
• Angelman.org
• Contact PJ on his Facebook page here

Quote of the week: Presented by: A double quote! Presented by Mark Mullen.

• "It is not who is good, it is who is left. It's hours on the mat, if you put in the time natural athlete or not, practice the art you will be a black belt. "Chris Haueter
• "I don’t have talent, I have tenacity. I have discipline, I have focus. And I know without any illusion, where I come from and where I can go back to"  Henry Rollins

Article of the week: "When Jiu Jitsu is Like Brushing Your Teeth"  From A Skirt on the Mat

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Mark Mullen is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a brown belt in judo from Canada, now based in Taipei, Taiwan.

Mark Started training in judo in 1995 and inspired by Royce Gracie winning the early UFC's he became obsessed to learn BJJ.

When Marcus Soares 7th degree coral belt of the Carlson Gracie Team moved to Vancouver in 1997 (the first black belt to teach in Canada) Mark became on of the earliest students.

Mark discovered an early aptitude and love for teaching BJJ when head instructor Soares would return to Brazil and Mark would teach the class.

Mark started Training with Gracie Barra black belt Josh Russel when Josh moved back to Canada after training and living in Rio De Janeiro for several years.

Mark was one of the original founders of Gracie Barra Calgary and graduated to purple, brown and finally black belt under Josh Russell 3rd degree.

In 2014 Mark accepted an offer to relocate to Taipei, Taiwan to be the BJJ coach for 2 MMA gyms (Marital Armor and Tough MMA in Taipei and Hsinchu) and runs the BJJ program for the schools as well as coaching the fighters.

Mark writes for popular online BJJ blogs Gracie Barra Blog and Grapplearts.com. Mark is also available for writing on other blogs.

We talk about:

• What got him started in BJJ
• Changes in BJJ over the years
• The 3 types of BJJ students (Competitors, BJJ lifestyle, Fitness)
• His travels to Taiwan
• Why most students come to his BJJ school
• The differences between teaching and performing BJJ
• Teaching class as a blue belt
• Traveling to Brazil
• BJJ master minds that change and advance the sport
• BJJ before and after youtube
• Making complex things simple
• Doing BJJ as a life style
• Mario Sperry - Day of the Zen Documentary
• Life as a Jiu-Jitsu Bum
• Diet advice
• The development of BJJ in Asia
• How overwhelming BJJ can be for beginners
• Advice for white belts
• The importance of movement drills

Links for Mark Mullen: Twitter, Facebook

Quote of the week: "it's not supposed to be easy" Samuel Spiegelman

Article of the week: "3 Important Questions to Help Recalibrate Your Training Focus" By Valerie Worthington

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Sam Spiegelman is a author and strength and conditioning coach.  Sam is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Mark Vives, he trains at New Breed Training Center.  He has written a bunch of great articles on Breaking Muscle.  Sam is also available for online consultations.

We talk about:

• What brought him to BJJ
• Strength and conditioning for BJJ
• Strength and conditioning for people who are new to the mats
• Training differently for your particular game or style.
• Off the mat training for BJJ
• Doing a self assessment of your strength
• The importance of having your body strength balanced to help you be efficient
• Why people gas out on the mats
• Increasing your cardio for BJJ
• Staying motivated with your off the mat training
• The importance of having a healthy diet
• Starting BJJ after having a sedentary lifestyle
• Advice for doing your first tournament
• Goals for students their first 6 months and year

Links for Sam Spiegelman:

• Applied Strength and Conditioning
• New Breed Training Center
• Facebook Twitter
• Breaking Muscle

Quote of the week: "Know your why? Chris Easter

Article of the week: 5 Competition Essentials

Support Amber as she chokes cancer out!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Chris Easter is a Black Belt and has been training BJJ since 1998.  Chris has a game that focuses on the basics.  Chris has moved many times due to being in the military, this has given him the opportunity to train with many amazing practitioners and share Jiu-Jitsu.  He is now training at Sergio Penha's. 

We talk about:

• Moving and finding a new gym
• Training in the military
• The importance of drilling
• Different types of drilling and what they will accomplish
• How his off the mat training has changed over the years
• Dealing with injuries
• His favorite techniques
• Training with Paul from Open Mat Radio
• Finding an instructor that is a good fit for you
• Coaching advice
• "Its all about angles"
• The amount of details for basic techniques
• What he focuses on before a match
• How BJJ helps you when you are going through problems
• First tournament advice

Chris Easter Facebook Page

Links:

• Help out our friend Amber by pitching in on the grapple-a-thon fund raiser
• Need help with your schools graphics, check out Taylor's work here.

Quote of the week: "If you try to avoid responsibility people will push it back on you, if you take accountability when things go wrong people will take it away from you" Jay Bell

Article of the week: "10 Benefits of Playing Sports"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

This week we have an interview packed full of great information from Coach Jay Bell. Jay went from white belt to brown belt under Royce Gracie, He later received his black belt from Marco Delima.  Jay is currently training under Rob Kahn & Marcio Stambowsky.  Jay is the owner and head BJJ instructor at Gracie Farmington Valley located in CT.

We talk about:

• His start in BJJ
• How he has grown his women's class
• How he likes to run his kids class
• Kids self defense (talk, tell, and tackle)
• Opening a BJJ gym and making it profitable
• The growth of BJJ
• Why it is important to not quit the first 6 months
• How his game has changed since getting his black belt
• Breaking down complex ideas into simple explanations
• His youtube channel
• Advice for a first BJJ tournament
• Advice for big students
• What he was like as a blue belt
• How to develop a game plan
• Goals for first year students

Jay's Links: Email: jay@graciefv.com, Youtube, facebook 

Quote of the week: Presented by Jared Dopp “There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.” Miyamoto Musashi

Article of the week: 6 Great Ways to Get Information About BJJ by Mark Mullen

Choke Cancer out fund raiser for Amber

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Jared "Megalo" Dopp is a Brown belt under Rafael Lovato Jr.  He is a Blue, Purple, and Brown Belt No-Gi World Champion. Blue, Purple, and Brown Belt Pan Champion. Blue Belt Gi World Champion, and two time Purple Belt World Gi Silver medalist.  In 2013 as a Purple belt he took 4th place at ADCC.

We talk about:

• His accomplishments with only 4 years of serious training
• His push the pace style
• How he is able to force his opponents to make mistakes
• How he views Gi and No-gi differently
• Ways to get around an opponent that is stalling
• Passing the guard to the right side
• He is in school for chemical engineering
• Balancing school and BJJ
• His training schedule
• Off the mat training including rugby
• His research in growing nano tubes
• His thoughts on competing in 2015 ADCC
• His hopes of doing submission only matchs
• Strategy for a submission only match
• Advice for a student doing a first tournament
• His advice for cutting weight to compete

Links for Jared: Do or Die, True Nutrition, Jared's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Other links:

• https://jiujitsuka.co/,   Coupon code "bjjbrick" 10% off
• http://www.thebjjbox.com/   Coupon code "BJJBRICK" 20%off
• Grapplethon for our friend Amber: Twitter, Facebook, email, Donate here

Quote of the week: "It never gets easy, but always gets better" presented by Vic Torres

Article of the week: "The 5 Ways Resilient People Get Over Failure"

Check out the audio book here!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

This episode we talk with Vic Torres of "Torres MMA and Fitness at The Jungle" in Wantagh, New York.  He is a purple belt under Matt Serra.  Vic uses Jiu-Jitsu and his diet to help control his symptoms from Multiple sclerosis (MS).  He was diagnosed with MS in 2010.

We talk about:

• How he discovered that he had MS
• What his symptoms are like
• How BJJ helps reduce his symptoms
• Doing MMA before he was diagnosed and after
• Advice for new students
• Training with someone that is not as good as you, about the same as you, and better than you
• Training with lower belts

Quote of the week: "Fighting is the best thing a man can do for his sole" Renzo Gracie

Article of the week: "Review- Banana" http://grapplergourmet.com/

Links:

• Serra BJJ
• http://provepeoplewrong.com/
• http://www.defensesoap.com/
• Contact Vic on: Facebook or Twitter

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Ricardo Castaneda is a purple belt that runs the website Jiu-Jitology.com.  He has a unique perspective about BJJ and training that we are sure you will find interesting and beneficial.  You can find Ricardo training at Gracie Barra South Austin.

We talk about:

• His start to BJJ
• How BJJ has helped him off of the mat
• How he uses his psychology background to benefit his BJJ
• Dealing with anxiety
• Mental health and BJJ the good and the bad
• The mindset of a new student
• Controlling your heart rate and breathing rate to learn better
• The John Wayne Sweep and how he learned it
• How to start basic meditation
• Training while injured

Ricardo's Links:

• Natural Stacks Use the discount code RICARDOP for 15% off
• Jiu-Jitology.com
• Jiu-Jitology Facebook Page

Quote of the week: “The difference between someone who is in shape, and someone who is not in shape, is the individual who is in shape works out even when they do not want to.” Unknown

Article of the week: "The exercise that predicts your DEATH: Struggling with 'sitting-rising test' means you're 5 times more likely to die early" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Byron's Grilled cheese cooking fail

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod

Master Danny Dring has 5 different black belts including a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He got his BJJ black belt in 2001.  You can find Danny training in Sherwood, Arkansas at Dring LDMA.

We talk about:

• The striking arts that he is involved in
• Training law enforcement
• A cool concept of hardware and software of your martial arts
• Early MMA
• How learning BJJ has changed over the years
• Why he like to play a top game
• Getting over having his hip resurfaced
• Training in Brazil
• BJJ and self-defense
• Advice for your first BJJ tournament
• What is was like for him as a blue belt

Links:

• livingdefense.com/
• Danny's Facebook page
• His book "Stay In the Fight"

Quote of the week:  "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself" presented by: Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes

Article of the week:"The Almost-Blue Belt Mistake – Don’t Be in a Hurry!"

Check out Byron's cooking for BJJ video!!

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast