BjjBrick Podcast- BJJ, no-gi and good times!

This week we bring you an interview with coach and competitor Tom DeBlass. Tom has been a black belt for 9 years, and competed of many stages. In fifteen years of competition he has given up less than 12 points, and he has never had his guard passed to side control. Tom is not just know for his competitive background and personality, he is also know for being a world class coach.

Tom DeBlass

We talk about:

  • His thoughts on training with a Gi
  • Why people train Jiu-Jitsu
  • The changes in the BJJ culture over time
  • Advice for someone that had a hard training day
  • Why most people quit BJJ
  • Why it is important to keep grappling fun
  • Teaching leg locks to white belts
  • Advice for people who can only train once a week
  • Competing with perfect jiu-jitsu
  • What he was like as a blue belt
  • Taking supplements

Links:

Quote of the week: "Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." Steve Jobs

Article of the week: Baby, Don’t Hurt Me by Marshal Carper

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Gary's audio book this week is "Hot Mats Cool Rash Guards- Gary's guide to summer grappling"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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Direct download: Epi2014720Tom20Deblass.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we talk to Shawn Kitzman. Shawn will help to keep you on the mat longer and moving better. He works with a large variety of athletes and he enjoys traning BJJ. We are happy to have him share some of his knowledge and help everyone deal with the problems that our bodies can give us.

Shawn Kitzman

We talk about:

  • The healing arts and martial arts
  • His start with BJJ
  • The importance of being physically active
  • Ken Blackburn
  • Motor control or muscle memory
  • Common jiu-jitsu injuries
  • Dealing with lower back pain
  • What pain is telling you
  • How past injuries can effect you now
  • How to tell if you are just sore or actually injured
  • Keeping a pain journal
  • Using a foam roller
  • DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
  • How to find a good PT in your area
  • Changes to make when you compete

Links:

Quote of the week: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

Article of the week: 5 MISTAKES YOU ARE DOING IN TRAINING

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The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Gary's audio book this week is called "Overalls and Underhooks- The Hillbillies Guide to Grappling"

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Direct download: Epi2014620Shawn20Kitzman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an exciting interview with Daniel Strauss also know as "The Raspberry Ape". Daniel is one of the top European grapplers, focusing mostly on no-gi. Daniel is a black belt training under Roger Gracie and Nick Brooks.No gi Daniel Strauss

We talk about:

  • What got him started in Jiu-Jitsu
  • What he does off the mat to get stronger
  • Bending horse shoes
  • Developing grip strength
  • Why he likes the butterfly guard for no-gi
  • The culture of BJJ and strong man
  • The Raspberry Ape Podcast
  • His views on getting a new belt in BJJ
  • How he gets mentally focused to compete
  • Advice for doing a tournament for the first time
  • Dealing with nerves and pressure
  • Dealing with bad days
  • Why being a blue belt is fun
  • Showing vs teaching a technique
  • Training with your mind off of the mat

Links:

Quote of the week: "Small changes can make a big difference"

Article of the week: Samurai Business Man Destroys Competition By Training Employees In BJJ

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Also we have episode 3 of mat tales called "bad camera work"

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Direct download: Epi2014520Daniel20Strauss.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an amazing story from Shannon Kitchen. Shannon is a blue belt training in Kentucky under Relson Gracie. Shannon has a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the bellybutton down, and he is legally blind. This interview will leave you motivated to keep training and enjoying the process. Shannon Kitchen BJJ 1

We talk about:

  • How he injured his spinal cord
  • Doing self defense from a wheelchair
  • Starting BJJ
  • His favorite techniques
  • How BJJ has helped his balance
  • What it was like to get his blue belt
  • Rolling for the first time
  • Grapplers heart
  • Rolling with glass still in his face under his skin

Links:

Quote of the week:  "A lot of my intensity in wrestling was due to my mental preparation before the matches. I got myself into a different world." Dan Gable

Article of the week: Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

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In this episode we also have episode 2 of mat tales "Brown Gi Pants"

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Direct download: Epi2014420Shannon20Kitchen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an interview with Alan Shebaro. Alan is a 3rd degree Black Belt under Carlos Machado. Not only does he have a Black Belt in BJJ he also has a long list of experience in the military.

Alan Shebaro second from the left.
Alan Shebaro second from the left.

We talk about:

  • What BJJ was like when he first started
  • Transitioning from a guard player to a top player
  • A few of the operations he was involved in over seas
  • The importance of teaching the "why" behind techniques
  • The idea of not being able to train outside your school
  • Why most people have a hard time coaching him
  • The status of BJJ in Dallas
  • We Defy Foundation
  • Mission 22
  • Working with Joey Bozik
  • The importance of working take downs
  • His views on guard pulling
  • Chris Haueter
  • Brian Marvin
  • How to be a certified We Defy Foundation affiliate

Links:

Quote of the week: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson Shared by Kristina Barlaan

Article of the week: Confessions of a hobbyist black belt

Gary and Byron also talk about putting a blue stripe on your BJJ belt as a sign to support law enforcement.

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The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2014320Alan20Shebaro.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring part 2 of our interview with BJJ black belt Kristina Barlaan. Kristina is a top level black belt competitor under Caio Terra. She recently took silver at worlds her first year in the black belt division.Kristina Barlann bjj

We talk about:

  • Her competition history at worlds
  • Competing in the adult division vs the masters division
  • Getting sliver her first time in the black belt division
  • The mental side of competing against people you have watched for years
  • Her strategy for doing the open weight division as a light feather weight
  • Her plans for the rest of 2016
  • Advice for people doing their first tournament
  • Accepting being nervous
  • Dealing with the difficult things that come with tough training

Links:

Quote of the week: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin

Article of the week: "How to train and adult at the same time"

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The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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Gary tells us about his upcoming audio book about BJJ and Tap dancing.

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2014220Kristina20Barlaan20Part202.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an interview from BJJ black belt Kristina Barlaan. Kristina is a top level black belt competitor under Caio Terra. She recently took silver at worlds her first year in the black belt division.

Kristina Barlaan Jiu-Jitsu

We talk about:

  • Her first experience doing BJJ
  • How BJJ effected her personal life
  • Her first impressions of Caio Terra
  • Starting BJJ at 21 years old
  • Why the gi made it easier for her to learn
  • The mental side of competing as a blue belt
  • Putting expectations on herself

Links:

Quote of the week: "Jiu-Jitsu is easy, it is the people that make it hard" presented by Ricardo Tubbs

Article of the week: Park and Roll

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The BjjBrick Wall of Support is being constructed and you can help

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This episode also contains Mat Tales Epi 1 "Locked Up"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2014120Kristina20Barlaan20Part201.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

The week we bring you an interview with BJJ black belt Ricardo Tubbs. Ricardo is a black belt under Master Ricardo Cavalcanti, he is also the owner of Da Firma Kimono Company.

Ricardo Tubbs DFKC BJJ

We talk about:

  • What makes Da Firma Kimono Company different
  • Why they have 49 different sizes of kimonos
  • Some challenges with starting a gi company
  • Tips for caring for your gi
  • Keeping the color in your gi
  • BJJ and the navy
  • BJJ in schools
  • Advice for a student doing a first tournament
  • The importance of basics
  • Advice for doing no-gi from a mostly bjj background

Links:

Quote of the week: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life" Muhammad Ali

Article of the week: Purple Belt a.k.a. "The Rolling Belt" 

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This episode also has a movie breakdown of Napoleon Dynamite on a bike ramp and Gary talks about his book "Rolling In The Living Room: The Futon submission"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2014020Ricardo20Tubbs.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an interview with Jimmy Fortunato. Jimmy started a tournament company called "The Good Fight" in 2008. Jimmy started training jiu-jitsu in 1997, and his experiences competing ultimately lead him to make some improvements to BJJ tournaments. A couple of years ago The Good Fight switched from a point based tournament to a submission only tournament.

The good fight BJJ 1

We talk about:

  • Why he started The Good Fight
  • A little bit of history behind The Good Fight
  • Making the change to sub only
  • The basic rules
  • The goals of the tournament
  • Jiu-Jitsu Theatre
  • Advice for kids doing a tournament
  • Advice for parents
  • Some of the most popular submission in competition

Links:

Quote of the week: This quote was presented by Ken Blackburn "Don't pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." Bruce Lee

Article of the week: 5 Reasons You Should Say “Hello” to the New Student in Your BJJ Class From Jerry Tsui 

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We are now looking to start a new segment called "Mat Tales" and we need your help. If you have a BJJ story good, bad, or just amazing. Please share it with us and we will try to get this new segment rolling.

Gary shares the concept of his audio book "5 Min Into My Cardo- My First Roll"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google play store for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2013920Jimmy20Fortunato.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an interview with Ken Blackburn. Ken is a coach and athlete. Ken is a life long martial artist and he holds an american Kettlebell record in the Chair Press. Ken has been doing BJJ for about 17 years, and he is happy to help introduce the BJJ community to the benefits of Kettlebell and other training methods. In 2008 Ken along with his partner Steve Cotter founded the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF).Ken Blackburn

We talk about:

  • His start with BJJ and Kettlebells
  • Kettlebell sport
  • Some benefits that Kettlebells bring to BJJ
  • Work capacity
  • Developing mental toughness
  • Grip endurance and strength
  • The Bulgarian Bag
  • Mace and clubs
  • Animal movements
  • Why you should warm-up and cool down
  • How to do a proper warm-up and cool down
  • How to keep motivated
  • Training movements vs training muscles
  • Mapping out your goals
  • The culture of the Kettlebell community
  • Common mistakes with strength and conditioning
  • A schedule for doing strength and conditioning

Links:

Quote of the week: Our quote this week is the Oath of Kings and Champions by Travis Stevens. It will motivate you.

Article of the week: 10 Habits of Successful BJJ Competitors

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Byron is working on a new audio book about kennel cough and BJJ

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google play store for Andriod

Direct download: Epi2013820Ken20Blackburn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT