This week on the podcast we talk about a way to evaluate your game. Your collection of techniques fall at different skill levels. We look at these five different levels and give advice or depending on what level your technique is. Don't think of it as all of your BJJ is at one level, think of it as parts of your game are at different levels.

The Depth of your Jiu-Jitsu Pool

• Level 1- You don't know how to swim = You don't train Jiu-JItsu
• Level 2- Standing in the pool = Becoming aware of the a technique
• Level 3- Swimming = The BJJ you know
• Level 4- Swimming in the deep end = Your best moves
• Level 5- Deep dive = A part of the game that you are one of the best

Quote of the week: "Age is no barrier. It's a limitation you put on your mind." Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Article of the week: How Much Do I Need To Cross Train To Get Better at BJJ?

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we have BJJ legend Braulio Estima as our guest on the podcast. We talk about training, competing, and the Grappler's Escape cruise you can catch him on April 29-May 6, 2018.

We talk about:

• How his game has developed over the years
• How to make an opponent uncomfortable
• Making your opponent fight out of their game plan
• Tips for training if you are the most skilled person in the room
• Why it is so important to share with your teammates
• How often to train, and doing mental training
• The Grappler's Escape cruise in April 2018

Links:

• Storm Kimonos
• Estima In Action
• Grappler's Escape
• Braulio on Instagram
• ACBJJ

Quote of the week: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

Article of the week: How to Play Up Sports On Your Resume

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

Craig Jones shocked his opponents and the world with his performance at ADCC this year and we are excited to have him this week on The BjjBrick Podcast.

We talk about:

• His start with BJJ
• Why some students like no-gi more
• How he developed his Z guard game
• His training for ADCC 2017
• Training for the rule set
• His matches with Leandro Lo, Murilo Santana, Keenan Cornelius, Xande Ribeiro and Chael Sonnen
• Making the change from a grappling hobby to a serious sport
• His plans in the future
• Training and traveling
• Training on a tight schedule

Links:

• MA1
• Fight Life
• Absolute MMA St Kilda
• Craig on Instagram
• Z-Guard Masterclass with Kit Dale and Craig Jones

Quote of the week: "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur Ward

Article of the week: The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we have an interview with Nick Unander. Nick is a friend and former of Joe. Nick has been training martial arts since 1986. You can find Nick teaching and training BJJ in the island paradise of Cyprus.

We talk about:

• His start in martial arts (Tae Kwon Do)
• His first experience with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Make Jiu-Jitsu a career
• Doing early MMA matches
• Opening a martial arts school
• Moving and opening new BJJ schools
• Training under Marcelo Alonso
• What new students should focus on learning
• What he looks for in a blue belt
• Blue belt blues (blue belts that quit training)
• His thoughts on compeititon
• His phrase Jiu-Jitsu will either take you, make you, or break you

Links:

• www.mabjj.com
• www.kwbjj.com
• Nick on Facebook
• Nick on Instagram

Quote of the week: "Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away." Arthur Helps

Article of the week: Overcoming Fear in BJJ

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

We talk about:This episode we talk about the different formats of competition.  We give thoughts and advice for submission only matches and matches in the points system. This is a fun episode with advice for the competitive athlete to the casual fan.

This episode we talk about

• The different goals for the competitors
• The changes from BJJ, No-gi, and Sub only
• Working the point system to a fault

• What the audience likes to see in a match
• Training for a submission only match
• Training for a points match
• The diffrent goals for the competitors

Links:

Quote of the week: "Calm seas and safe harbors never produce good sailors"

Article of the week: Concepts, Concepts, Concepts

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we have two interviews!!! The first interview is with multi time world champion Gezary Matuda.  The second interview is with Kathryn from Grappler's Escape. For BJJ fans all over the world Grappler's Escape is one of the best weeks of the year. Grappler's Escape is a cruise sailing out of Orlando April 29, 2018. This cruise will feature Gezary Mutuda, Braulio Estima, and Keenan Cornelius teaching BJJ. Listen to Kathryn's interview to find out how to save money on the cruise.

Gezary talks about:

• Moving to the US and training with ATT
• Why she started doing BJJ
• Competing with black belts as a brown belt
• Developing her armbar over the years
• Advice for competitors
• Women training with mostly men
• The grappler's escape cruise

Kathryn talks about:

• What to expect on the Grappler's Escape cruise
• Basic tips for being on a cruise
• Details on the ship
• How to avoid getting sea sick
• Bringing your family on the cruise even if they don't train BJJ
• They have 4,000 sq feet of space to use for BJJ
• All schools and belt levels are welcome
• How you can save money on a cruise
• No-gi and women's classes

Links:

• Gezary on instagram
• Grappler's Escape website

Quote of the week: "Never reach out your hand unless you're willing to extend an arm." Pope Paul VI

Article of the week: Key Jiu-JItsu Moves for BJJ Beginners

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we bring you an interview with Ricardo Almeida. Ricardo is a UFC veteran and 4th degree black belt under Renzo Gracie. He also currently coaches several UFC fighters including Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez.

We talk about:

• His MMA career
• Starting martial arts in karate and changing to jiu-jitsu
• Why he enjoys nogi more than training with the gi
• Why he does not have his MMA guys train in the gi at all
• Transitioning from grappling to MMA
• Common problems grapplers experience when doing MMA
• Running two martial arts schools one in Newton Pa, and the other in Robbinsville, NJ
• Some off the mat benefits for kids and adults from BJJ
• His future goals for competitive grappling
• Rivalries in MMA and BJJ
• What he was like as a 16 year old blue belt

Links:

• Ricardo Almeida's webstie

Quote of the week:  "The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea." Vladimir Nabokov

Article of the week: BJJ BENEFITS #2: HEALTH & WELLNESS

Gary shares a heart touching and motivativating story about living life to the fullest.

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we bring you an interview with Jeff Monson. Jeff has been a member of ATT since the start of it and had over 80 professional MMA fights. Along side of his MMA career Jeff was known for taking time to step on the mat for some amazing grappling matches.

We talk about:

• His early wrestling career
• How winning 1999 ADCC changed his career path
• Overcoming some setbacks with wrestling
• Cutting weight as a wrestler
• His thoughts about cutting weight as a high school wrestler
• He discussed some up's and down's in his mma career fighting in the ufc
• His plans for opening up some martial arts schools
• He describes his fight with Fedor Emelianenko in Russia
• Getting his leg broke in his fight with Fedor
• Visiting kids with cancer in Russian hospitals
• He describes his experience on dancing with the stars
• Doing nogi worlds
• His plans for retiring from competitive grappling
• What it was like in the early days of American Top Team
• His thoughts on PED in MMA and BJJ
• Keys to a long career in MMA

Links:

• Jeff Monson dancing with the stars
• Jeff Monson on Facebook
• Jeff Monson on Twittwer

Quote of the week: "We, as a wrestling community, better remember it is more than one individual that makes a winner." Dan Gable

Article of the week: Your Training Partners Are NOT Your Opponents

We are on the lookout for a coach and Bjj blog of the year. Send in your submissions to bjjbrick@gmail.com

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we help you determine what went wrong with your game that resulted in getting tapped out (or choked unconscious). How can you learn from getting tapped out? and how to break down the trouble spots in your game.

We talk about:

• Why it is important to learn from mistakes
• Having a good attitude about getting tapped out
• Learning defense of moves you get caught in too much
• How to determine if it is a mistake you are making or your getting tapped by something that someone is really good at
• How to identify major problems in your game
• Finding help for trouble spots in your game
• Learning from training vs competition
• Preventing a submission vs escaping a submission
• We share a few stories of being choked unconscious on the mat

Quote of the week:  "Train like you've never won, Fence like you've never lost"

Article of the week: Top 5 Jiu Jitsu Street Fight Moves

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

It is a honor to bring back BJJ black belt Andre "Tim" Monteiro. Andre is known for having a vast knowledge of the game, a killer half guard, and a overall nice guy.

We talk about:

• His team A-Force BJJ
• Traveling
• Mistakes people make when they learn a lot from youtube
• Tips on teaching a seminar
• Running a school and traveling
• Keeping an open mind to learning jiu-jitsu
• Leaving your BJJ school
• Off the mat training
• Changes in his game over the last few years
• Why he is getting more submissions in compeititon
• The goals he has set for himself and his business

Links:

• A-Force BJJ website
• Andre on Facebook
• Andre on Instagram

Quote of the week: “It's always better to attack than to defend," Coram had told her when they talked about fencing late at night. "Always. Ye don't win with defense--ye only hold the other feller off, or wear him down. Attack and have done with it!” ― Tamora Pierce, Alanna: The First Adventure

Article of the week: Saying “I do” to the Right BJJ School

[caption id="attachment_4888" align="alignright" width="225"] Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here![/caption]

The Life lesson this week was about making the most of a disappointing tournament.

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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