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

It is important to look at yourself and reflect about what attributes you have that can help you get better at BJJ. We look at Physical, Mental, and Situational advantages (Gifts) you have and how to get the most out of them.

Gary as a big good looking gift. This image is a prank that Gary was unaware of.

Some of the physical gifts we talk about:

  • Speed
  • Strength
  • Flexibility
  • Coordination
  • Balance
  • Your height

Some of the mental gifts we talk about:

  • Patience as a student and instructor
  • Having a memory for technique
  • Being a people person
  • having a competitive spirit

Some of the situational gifts we talk about:

  • Having a great BJJ gym near you
  • Having a stable family life
  • Having a supportive spouse or partner
  • Being healthy
  • Being part of a great team
  • Having a great coach
  • Being financially stable

 

Pranks pulled on Gary this week: The golden girls song around 57min when he is talking about how great a training partner Byron is. Gary was unaware of the gift image with Gary's face.

Quote of the week: "Wouldn't it be great to be gifted? In fact.... It turns out that choices lead to habits. Habits become talents. Talents are labeled gifts. You're not born this way, you get this way." Seth Godin

Article of the week: Visiting another school…. Getting the most out of a drop in

We welcome new patreon supporters Mindy and Alexander

Mat Tales 18 Hitting the Road for BJJ

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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: Epi2018920Using20Your20Gifts20to20Get20Better20at20BJJ.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

The List of people that have tapped out Marcelo Garcia is short but it includes Dustin Denes AKA Clean. Enjoy this weeks interview because it is going to be like nothing you have heard before.

Dustin Denes "Clean" teaching a seminar at fox fitness.

We talk about:

  • Becoming a Brazilian National Champion in 2000
  • Tapping out Marcelo Garcia with a RNC
  • Being certain that you will be successful
  • Tapping into your full potential
  • Motivation vs discipline
  • How he developed discipline as a boy
  • How he got the name "Clean"
  • Chasing efforts
  • The definition of "Chop Certified" and "Jiu-Jitsu Chop"
  • Teaching productivity while doing a BJJ seminar
  • Why he learns everyone's name while teaching a seminar
  • Why he teaches a smaller number of techniques that you will be able to remember
  • Why you have a good side and a great side not a bad side
  • Tips on goal setting
  • How pain motivated him to win tournaments
  • Why it is important to make some sacrifices when preparing for a tournament

Links:

Quote of the week: "I only train on days ending in a Y." Neil Ohlenkamp

Article of the week: Hey, Jiu-Jitsu Competitors, Stop Apologizing For Your Losses

Gary's book this week is called "The Hair Lock"

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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: Epi2018820Dustin20Denes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we have an interview with Greg Thompson. Greg is the creator of SOCP (Special Operations Combatives Program) www.socp.info. On March 23, 2010, SOCP became the first officially designated combatives program for all U.S. Army Special Operations Forces. ERB Codes: (SOCP I: BRT), (SOCP II: FBR) SOCP is now the standard program for fighting in kit. Greg is also training Federal and State Law Enforcement, FBI, ATF, Border Patrol and Special Contract Units.  Continue reading about Greg Thompson here.

We talk about:

  • His start in martial arts and wrestling
  • What is was like training in the early days
  • Getting started in training people in special operations
  • Some of the tactical decisions a law enforcement officer must make
  • Why it is important to know the limits of what you are training
  • His conversations with a closed minded martial artist
  • Training safely for violent encounters
  • Controlling the distance
  • Knowing how to use the proper force multiplyer
  • Knife training and common mistakes with training with knifes
  • What someone doing BJJ can do to prepare for self defense
  • Grappling and training with a knife
  • Grappling with teams or more than one vs one
  • Police officers dealing with stress and the use of force
  • How to de escalate self defense situations
  • How to avoid legal trouble for defending yourself
  • The pros and cons of different self defense tools
  • How to protect yourself from a home invasion
  • How to avoid someone breaking into your house
  • How to deal with a home invasion situation
  • Creating safe habits
  • Using your BJJ skills if you get a job in the military or law enforcement

Links:

Quote of the week: "No intelligent man has ever lost a fight to someone who said 'I'm gonna kick your ass" Rory Miller

Article of the week: A Complete Victory by a 1% Margin

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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: Epi2018720Greg20Thompson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we have an interview with Atos rising star Conner DeAngelis.

We talk about:

  • Moving to Atos to train BJJ
  • His style of game
  • Getting double gold at worlds in blue belt nogi and winning Pan Ams
  • How bad coaching can effect sports performance
  • A lesson learned from a loss
  • Dealing with nerves before competing
  • Cooking advice for young athletes
  • His training schedule

Links:

Quote of the week: "Number one is just to gain a passion for running. To love the morning, to love the trail, to love the pace on the track. And if some kid gets really good at it, that’s cool too.” Pat Tyson

Article of the week: 7 Reasons Your Jiu-Jitsu Isn't Getting Better

Gary talks about his book he is going to release called "Cooking the cauliflower ear with Mike Tyson"

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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: Epi2018620Conner20DeAngelis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we have an interview with BJJ brown belt Sarah Draht. She has been training since 2005. She shares her wealth of experience in Muay Thai, BJJ and MMA.

We talk about:

  • Her start in martial arts
  • Some of the things that make her passionate about BJJ
  • Running a women's Muay Thai program
  • How a bad car accident almost killed her and kept her off the mat for four years
  • Recovering from her car accident
  • Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
  • How to avoid getting injured before a tournament
  • Advice for women transitioning from BJJ to MMA

Links:

Quote of the week: "'Find a job you like, and you add five days to every week." H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Article of the week: Live Sparring/Free Rolling: Get more out of it than just a good fight

Safe word of the week: Peanut butter

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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: Epi2018520Sarah20Draht.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we talk about an important and sometimes overlooked attribute to BJJ. The speed of the game may be something you use to your advantage or something that you are find yourself working to mitigate.

Gary has no idea that I put him in the movie poster from the movie speed. -Byron

We talk about:

  • Tips for the slower grappler
  • Some techniques that are better done slowly
  • Why your speed may leave you some day
  • When you should slow down or speed up
  • How to speed things up
  • How to slow things down
  • The speed of particular positions

Quote of the week: "Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."
not by Anita Goodman but the quote was said by Og Mandino

Article of the week: Positional Sparring: Getting the most out of it

Korbett’s Kids Epi 3-  Korbett Miller answers a question about kids and drilling. Check out Korbett’s website here for more info on developing a strong kids program at your academy.

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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: Epi2018420The20Speed20of20Your20Jiujtisu.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we have an interview with Gina Franssen. Gina is Minnesota’s first female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. You can find her at her female focused gym X2 Fitness. We cover a wide range of topics in this interview.

Gina Franssen (far right)

We talk about:

  • What BJJ was like for women fourteen years ago
  • How she was involved in a women's only BJJ school
  • Adding men to what was once a women's only BJJ school
  • What she looks for in quality male training partners
  • How she got started in martial arts
  • A tip to find a gym while traveling
  • Advice for women starting BJJ
  • Why it is important to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable

Links:

Quote of the week: People seldom refuse help, if one offers it in the right way. A. C. Benson

Article of the week: Drilling: How To Get the Most Out Of It

The Referee Corner Epi 4: Why does the referee alter the gi?

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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: Epi2018320Gina20Franssen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

Dominique Bell is a brown belt training and teaching at Atos Jiujitsu HQ - San Diego. Dominique has been on fire on the mats and is definitely a person you should be watching. In his spare time he is the person behind BjjComics.

We talk about:

  • Training BJJ full time
  • Training in the army combative program
  • Moving across the country to train at Atos
  • BjjComics.com
  • Similarities of BJJ and rock climbing
  • The differences in his gi and nogi game
  • His bottom game strategy for nogi
  • His first experiences doing jiu-jitsu
  • How he prepares mentally and physically 30 min before a mach
  • Why it is so important to have a game plan

Links:

Article of the week: Competing in mid-adulthood: How to train to win after age 35

Quote of the week:  "It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it." Voltaire

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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: Epi2018220Chokes20and20Jokes20with20Dominique20Bell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week we bring you an interview with Kim Pruyssers. Kim is a purple belt in BJJ, she recently placed silver at Pan Am. You can find Kim training at Pacific Top Team in Corona California.

We talk about:

  • Juggling a busy life and training BJJ
  • Her competition history
  • Training full time and raising four boys
  • Transitioning from only training with the gi and now doing no-gi
  • Some of her favorite attacks
  • Her first experiences with Jiu-Jitsu
  • Her women's only program and why it is successful
  • Lessons she has learned by coaching
  • Why some women's classes fail
  • Her strategy for competing in open weight
  • Advice for women starting BJJ in a class with all men
  • Training on a busy schedule
  • Advice for dealing with frustrations on the mat

Links:

Quote of the week: "If your arm breaks do not stop, if your windpipe is crushed keep going, your knee gets destroyed, why stop. Always, always keep going forward. Your body will heal itself so no reason to slow down."-Jeffery Gloover

Article of the week: 3 Tips To Improve Your Takedowns

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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: Epi2018120Kim20Pruyssers.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

Are you a little (or a lot) older than most of your training partners? Today Gary and Byron speak from their experience and offer advice to the aging grapplers out their doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

We talk about:

  • Age on the mat is relative
  • How to roll the odometer back on your mat age
  • Changing the way you view yourself
  • Dealing with your own ego as you age
  • Making changes to your game to fit to your body
  • Getting better with age
  • Finding joy in watching your team get better
  • Benefits of being a little older
  • Tips for starting BJJ as an older student
  • Setting a schedule that is healthy for training

Links:

Quote of the week: "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain

Article of the week: Training Partners Trump All

Byron pulls two pranks on Gary one that spans 5 episodes about Gary taking your back literally. The other is Byron saying song titles with the word time in them during the show.

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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: Epi2018020Aging20Grappler.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am CDT