The last episode of 2016 for The BjjBrick Podcast. We take this time to reflect on the news and developments of the last year, and look forward to the next year. We recommend that you do the same.

We talk about:

• Successful changes in our diets
• Gary quitting drinking Mt. Dew
• Playing a game that requires a heavy gripping
• Leg locks and Heel hooks
• Submission only tournaments and matches in 2016
• Ryan Hall in the UFC
• Mathematical breakdown of the matches at worlds in 2016
• Highlighting chokes from the back, armbars, closed guard sweeps
• Taking the back from passing the guard
• Evaluations of our BJJ games over the year
• Why Byron quit doing triangle chokes in February
• Why Gary has backed off of his wrestling this year
• Leg drags and leg locks
• The future of The BjjBrick Podcast
• Why Byron would want a BJJ match with Timothy Ferriss

Links:

• 2016 IBJJF Worlds: Crunching Numbers 2.0
• The Lug Nut submission Gary talks about

Quote of the week: "Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed." Cavett Robert

Article of the week: BJJ Grips: Reevaluating Your Goals

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This week we have an interview with 58 year old brown belt and competitor Glenn Jarrell. We have been wanting to get Glenn on the podcast for quite sometime, you will soon find out why as Glenn shares some of his story.

We talk about:

• Why he started BJJ at 47 year old
• Using his high school wrestling to start BJJ
• Training BJJ at 58 years old
• Having a supportive family
• Why he stuck with BJJ after trying many other exercises
• Why he started competing
• Competing against younger competitors
• Competing at big tournaments
• Winning purple belt Masters 6 at worlds
• His training schedule
• What he does differently to prepare for a tournament
• Changes that he has made to his diet
• Dealing with back pain
• Working for the Kansas athletic commission at MMA events
• Advice for someone starting BJJ in their late 40's

Links: Glenn trans at Fox Fitness in Wichita

Quote of the week: "A good hockey player plays here the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." Wayne Gretzky

Article of the week: 3 Fixes for sore fingers in bjj

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Gary's audio book is about hockey fighting.

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This week we are excited to bring you an interview with Paul Schreiner. Paul is black belt under Claudio Franca, you will find him training at the Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York. Paul recently came out with a DVD called Precise Pressure Passing.

We talk about:

• What got him started in BJJ
• Overcoming injuries
• Watching BJ Penn back in the day
• Training with Marcelo Garcia
• Being able to adapt parts of your game based on what you see in your opponent
• Why it is important for you to have confidence in your technique
• His goals with his new DVD
• Precision, Pressure, and Antipation with passing the guard
• Why it is important to be able to hold someone down for the BJJ person
• Why he likes to force his opponent to half guard and then pass
• Using half guard as an offensive tool
• The importance of putting yourself around great people

Links:

• The Precise Pressure Passing DVD
• Paul Schreiner website

Quote of the week: “When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ....” Henry Ford

Article of the week: Yes, You CAN Keep Training When You’re Injured… If You Do It Right

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Mat Tales 12 "Kids Drop In"

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This week we interview four people who won IBJJF worlds as a white belt. This is a great way to find out how some people are finding competition success early on in their BJJ career.

Janine Mutton (20m 40s)- Middle From Action & Reaction Mixed Martial Arts Toronto. Janine started BJJ with no background in martial arts. She quickly found a passion for being on the mat and training hard.

Janine talks about:

• Starting BJJ
• Setting the goal of winning worlds
• Competitions before the worlds
• Making an eight week plan
• Training 3 or 4 times a week to avoid over training
• Positive self talk
• Pressure passing with her body type
• The take down game
• Her favorite submissions
• Her training schedule
• Her background in body building and soccer
• Doing squats and deadlifts
• Advice for white belts

Maui Lacaze (39m 56s)- Light Feather From GF Team. You will find Maui training at Millenium. Maui was able to submit all his opponents at worlds.

Maui talks about:

• Winning every match at worlds by submission
• What BJJ is like in French Polynesia
• Starting BJJ with his cousin
• His game plan
• His training schedule
• Surfing
• His plans for competing in the future
• Getting his blue belt

Gabriela Lembcke (45m 40s)- Rooster From Alliance. You can find Gaby training at Snow MMA. She credits some of her early success to wrestling and having a great BJJ team. You can watch a video of Gaby's match in the finals here.

• What got her started in BJJ
• Training at Snow MMA with Samuel Snow
• Having confidence in her BJJ
• Her favorite submissions
• Her off the mat training
• Her diet and having a nutritionist
• Her background in wrestling in highschool
• Advice for white belts that want to compete

George Mandujano (57m 15s)- Ultra Heavy From Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu. George trains at Ralph's House Fight Gym. 

• What got him started in BJJ
• Staying calm
• Not working too hard for a submission
• How he starts his matches
• Playing a top game
• His wrestling background
• How playing football helped make him tough
• His strategy while on the mat
• His plans for the future
• A recent match that resulted in a knee injury
• His training schedule
• Training with other gyms
• Training with smaller teammates
• Not being affraid to ask questions

Quote of the week: "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. This will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -Ernest Hemingway

Article of the week: Why Everyone Should Lift Heavy

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Mat Tales 11 Not a Hero

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We are excited to talk about this great training method for everyone from white belt to black. This can be a way to quickly help you develop and find the best techniques for your game.

W e talk about:

• The advantages of working on two techniques at the same time for each position
• The mount from top and bottom
• Side control both top and bottom
• A tip for escaping side control
• Attacks and escapes from the back
• Why rescricting your options can make you better
• How long you should work on the same techniques
• Developing your game over the long term
• Tips on developing a guard
• Tips on learning guard passes

Quote of the week: "No pain no gain" presented by Rodrigo Pinheiro

Article of the week: How to Train When You Have No Time

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Mat Tales Episode 10 "K-Fed of MMA"

Gary is also able to demostrate his rap skills at the end of the show.

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This week we have an interview with Rodrigo Pinheiro. Pinheiro is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu he has been training BJJ for 27 years and MMA for about 10 years. He is currently running martial arts school in San Antonio, Texas. 

We talk about:

• His start with martial arts
• Training with Pete Spratt
• Adding striking to his training
• Fighting in Bellator
• Expanding his school
• The importance of having respect in his school
• The goals he has for his team
• Some of the changes to BJJ over the years
• The benefit of self confidence when someone competes in BJJ
• Doing in house tournaments
• Why many students quit BJJ

Links:

• rodrigopinheirobjj.com
• Kingz
• Rodrigo on FB

Quote of the week: "There's two types of people in this world: Those who are humble and those who are about to be" presented by Alex Ecklin

Article of the week: Half guard history and it’s most used variations

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We have an interesting interview this week with Alex Ecklin. Alex is a high level black competitive black belt and he has recently opened his own BJJ school with a unique concept.

We talk about:

• Starting Jiu-Jitsu at 17 years old
• Overcoming early obstacles in BJJ
• Not using athleticism to do well in BJJ
• The donation based payment system that Masterskya uses
• Yoga to the people format
• The advantages of having a donation based school
• The rules he has for the school
• How he came up with his low suggested donations
• Some goals for his school
• BJJ being a new martial art and having room to grow
• How to calm your nerves when competing by preparing
• How a tournament and the training process helps you grow
• Mistakes made with injuries when he was younger
• Training with a busy schedule
• How to effectively use online resources

Links:

• Masterskya
• VHTS
• VITOR SHAOLIN'S BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU ACADEMY
• Yoga to the People

Quote of the week: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals." Henry Ford

Article of the week:The Top 3 Reasons to Sign Your Kids Up for BJJ

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This episode features Mat Tales Episode 8 "Tube Sock"

Byron also pulled off a prank on Gary involving a confusing quote of the week

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We hare happy to bring you an interview this week with brown belt Hope Uzcategui. Hope is a two time IBJJF World Champion (2011 white belt, 2014 purple belt). She is also a manager and instructor at Alliance Fitness Center in Wilmington, North Carolina.

We talk about:

• Winning IBJJF worlds as a white belt and purple belt
• Her start in BJJ wanting to do MMA
• Meal prepping for a healthy diet
• The benefits of swimming for BJJ
• Advice for goal setting
• Her game plan for winning worlds as a white belt
• How and why her game has changed over the years
• How to find the best moves for you to work on
• Her training schedule
• Learning as an instructor
• Obstacles for many women starting BJJ
• Advice for cutting weight
• She also shares some stories about cutting weight
• Differences with teaching kids and adults

Links:

• Max Muscle Wilmington
• Alliance North Carolina

Article of the week: Leverage

Quote of the week: Trying to model expert behavior without walking in the experts footsteps almost certainly guarantees a poor result" John Will

Details for the coach of the year contest

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Gary's audio book this week is called "Leverage, How I have Leveraged My Awkwardness to My Advantage"

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This week we are breaking down the topic of, when is something wrong to do? When is it okay? When is it in a grey area?

We talk about:

• We break down the grey areas based on who you are and who you are training with
• We set some Goals about safety, learning BJJ, and enjoyment
• The rear naked tooth smash or cross face
• Knee on belly
• Twisting or grabbing fingers
• Smashing someone with pressure
• Cross face
• Using your head to push on someone
• Twisting someones head
• Smothering someone with a hand over the mouth and nose, or other torso
• Pulling on forehead or nose to get a choke from the back
• Talking your way out of a submission
• The too tired tap or quitting in a bad spot
• The not clean grappler
• Rolling with ringworm
• Rolling with the flu
• When to let go of the submission
• Getting mad when you get tapped
• Talking while rolling

Links

• The Triple Lindy

Quote of the week: "To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe" Marilyn vos Savant

Article of the week: 9 Things I Learned in my First Year of Jiu Jitsu

Mat Tales 7 The Triple Lindy

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This week we bring you an interview with BJJ black belt & referee David Karchmer. Over the last eight years David has officiated more than 3,000 gi and no-gi matches. It is great to share with you this conversation with such an experienced Referee.

We talk about:

• What got him started as a referee in 2008
• How some of the rules have changed over the years
• Video instant replay in BJJ
• Using digital score boards in BJJ
• The idea of using a body cam on a referee
• Evaluating footage from a spectator
• Trends in BJJ techniques
• Being a referee with different rules
• Improving as a referee
• Having unified rules for BJJ or submission wrestling
• What referee is in charge of the match
• Is competitive BJJ being true to the roots of the martial art
• The idea of a hidden score card
• What motivated him to become a referee
• What happens when a referee raises the wrong hand
• Deciding who wins a tied match
• How the knowledge and experience of the referee can effect the match
• How someone can learn to become a referee
• Why the best referee teams work an hour then take an hour break
• His thoughts on AJ Agazarm vs Vagner Rocha
• Outlawing jumping closed guard
• Keenan Cornelius vs Tarsis Humphreys

Links:

• The Grappling Referee
• The Grappling Referee on Facebook
• The Grappling Referee on Youtube
• 5 Super League Pro Invitational

Quote of the week: "It annoys me when people who don't know what they're talking about boo the referee." Jonah Lomu

Article of the week: Stop Warming Up, Start Learning Up

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Gary talks about his audio book "Red Card and Red Crotch- How I Got Kicked Out of Professional Sports"

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This week we are joined by the Jiu-Jitsu Medic Peter Daniel. Peter is third year medical student at University of Singapore. When he is not studying for school he is a blue belt training at Impact MMA.

We talk about:

• Causes of cauliflower ear
• Going to the doctor for cauliflower ear
• Signs of cauliflower ear
• The treatment process for cauliflower ear
• Who is likely to get cauliflower ear
• Draining your ear at home
• What happens to your brain when you are choked out
• Cerebral Hypoxia
• Getting dizzy during a choke
• Skin infections
• Identifying bacterial, fungal, and viral infections
• Common infections in BJJ
• Ring worm
• Staph infections
• A story about an knee injury
• Training and having a busy schedule

Links:

• Jiu-Jitsu Medic website
• Impact MMA in Singapore

Quote of the week: "I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you." Joyce Meyer

Article of the week: Journal Your Training and Journey

Details for our coach of the year contest

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Gary's audio book this week is called "Tapping out jock itch, how my life long battle has played out."

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This week we are excited to bring you an interview with Andy Pi. Andy is a pioneer in bringing jiu-jitsu to China. He also won the first televised MMA fight in China. There is a lot of ground covered in this interview as we talk about jiu-jtisu in China.

We talk about:

• His start in Jiu-Jitsu in 1994
• His MMA that was the first fight on broadcast TV in China
• Early Jiu-Jitsu in USA and China
• Jiu-jitsu in Beijing
• A critical look at Jiu-Jitsu in China
• MMA compared to self-defense
• ADCC in China
• People doing Jiu-Jitsu for fun
• Kids doing Jiu-Jitsu
• Why instructors are a big factor in determining if students stick with grappling
• New students avoiding injuries
• The idea of "go hard or go home"
• A lesson on checking your ego

Links:

• artofwarfc.com

Quote of the week: "Friendship.. is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." Muhammad Ali

Article of the week: On the Meaning of a Belt

Gary tells us about his book he is working on called "The Jiu-Jitsu Guide to Halloween"

We are also looking for submissions for coach of the year. Send your essay about what makes your coach great to BjjBrick@gmail.com

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This week we bring you a special interview with one of our most popular past guests Matt Thornton. This interview has a central focus on self-defense and real world violence. Not only is Matt a BJJ black belt and a world class coach, he also has extensive knowledge about what BJJ can do for you in a life and death struggle.

We talk about:

• A brief bio of Matt Thornton
• The goals of his book that he is working on
• Why violence is natural
• Why it is so important to have resisting opponents
• Law enforcement and self-defense training
• What all SBG coaches have in common (a search for the truth)
• Statistics on violence
• Why some young men are attracted to violence
• Bullying in school
• Teach kids how to talk to strangers and how to be assertive
• Things criminals look for in a victim
• Keeping self-defense a topic in training BJJ
• Police doing BJJ
• Adding a striking martial art (without getting damage to your brain)
• His thoughts on Krav Maga
• MMA and self-defense
• Dealing with multiple attackers

Links:

• Are American police too violent?
• MattThornton.org
• Straightblastgym
• SBGi Portland FB page

Quote of the week: "A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn for a wise answer." Bruce lee

Article of the week: How I progressed at BJJ going to class 6 or 7 times a month

We also have Mat Tales Epi 6- Oscar the Cat, and we are looking for essay submissions for coach of the year.

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This week we are talking about scrambling. We want to give some tips and help bring order to this potentially chaotic situation.

We talk about:

• Defining a scramble
• Finding order in a scramble
• Who benefits in a scramble
• Common positions to create a scramble
• Ways to end the scramble
• Tips to win a scramble

Links:

• Midwest Charity Fundraiser for A. Shebaro's Father
• Crowdrise page for charity event

Quote of the week: "Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos." Stephen Soundheim

Article of the week: Something You Need to Know About the BJJ Gauntlet

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Gary's audio book this week is "The Scramble, What Fighters Eat For Breakfast"

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This week we bring you an interview with rising no-gi star Nicky Ryan. You will find 15 year old Ryan training with John Danaher, Eddie Cummings, Garry Tonon, and his brother Gordon Ryan.

We talk about:

• What got him started
• Home schooling this year 
• Having John Danaher as a home school teacher
• The home school laws for New Jersey
• His daily routine
• The game he plays the most and how it is changing
• Working on his top game
• Competing with adults 
• Quickly developing skill
• Training leg locks safely
• Passing the guard and attacking the legs
• Training wrestling for take downs
• Losing weight
• The benefits of submission grappling for kids
• Having a complete game
• Competing for money

Links:

• Nicky on Instagram
• Brunswick BJJ
• Canadian Kumite with Nicky's super fight

Quote of the week: "Fall down 7 times get up 8" Japanese Proverb Presented by Dainis Nguyen

Article of the week: The Ultimate Micro Game

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This week we bring you an interview with double Black Belt Dainis Nguyen. Dainis started judo as a kid and eventually moved to BJJ. He is an active competitor in BJJ both gi and no-gi, with many exciting matches under his belt.

We talk about:

• Starting martial arts with judo
• Blending judo and BJJ
• His new gym Team DNA BJJ
• The social atmosphere in his gym
• The process of opening a BJJ gym
• His competition goals
• Nutrition advice
• Developing healthy eating habits
• Why it is important to be persistent in BJJ
• The 3 different type of training partners you need (+=-)
• First tournament advice

Links:

• Team DNA BJJ
• Hyperfly
• Defense soap
• Toronto BJJ
• Team DNA on Facebook
• Afrobraz on Facebook

Quote of the week: "There is little success where there is little laughter" Andrew Carnegie

Article of the week: 10 Ways to Improve Your BJJ While Off the Mats

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This week Byron is working on an audio book called "How I Submit People On The Mat With Laughter"

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This week we bring you an interview with BJJ Black Belt Steven Patterson. Steven is training under Comprido, and he is a 14X Chicago Open Champion and he took 2nd at no-gi Worlds. We have a great conversation about training, competing, and teaching.

We talk about:

• What got him started in BJJ
• His first tournament
• His odd experience training BJJ with his first instructor
• Being asked to try Ayahuasca
• Evaluating an opponents stance
• What to do if you have a tournament you are not happy with
• His match in fight to win on Sept 24 vs Chris Hartwig
• His experience as being a IBJJF referee
• University of Ground Fighting
• Starting his gym as a brown belt
• His gym in New Lenox, Illinois
• Developing a kids program
• How teaching kids changed the way he teaches adults
• Why people start BJJ
• How BJJ is like skateboarding

Links:

• University of Ground Fighting
• University of Ground Fighting on Facebook
• Fight to Win

Quote of the week: "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." Lao Tzu

Article of the week: Sharpening the Ax

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Gary's audio book this week is called "story time with Gary, time to sleep"

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This week we have a important topic about bringing a friend to BJJ class. When you bring a friend you want them to have a good exposure to the martial art. This episode we have lots of tips about bringing a friend to their first BJJ class.

We talk about:

• The benefits of bringing your friend to class
• The goal of safety and fun for your friend
• Taking away the initial stress of going to their first class
• Why you should be at the class for their first day
• Tricks for remembering names
• How to get them to have fun on the mat
• Telling them about the format of the class
• What to do after the class is over
• Why people may want to try a class
• The follow up phone call the next day

Quote of the week: "Death is certain life is not" presented by Brent Lillard

Article of the week: How Do You Measure Progress?

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Gary's audio book this week is called "measuring up your submissions, Subs for people who are over 7 ft tall"

Brent Lillard is a brown belt that confounded a business called Govsmart in 2010, selling IT products to the government. Govsmart is a 69 million dollar business and was listed as number 20 on the Forbes list of America's Most Promising Companies. Brent credits much of culture of his business and the team to the fact that many of them train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

We talk about:

• How Govsmart was started
• Some of his perfected methods and techniques of taring
• Keeping it playful vs keeping it real
• Why the basic techniques are so important
• How BJJ became a part of Govsmart culture
• The incentive program for employees to do BJJ
• How he brings a new employee to try the mats
• A comparison between the culture of BJJ and the corporate world
• The story of an employee that lost 160lbs
• Other team building activities for work
• Dealing with an employee with a bad attitude
• How BJJ has effected turnover of employees
• Selling the idea of doing BJJ to employees
• Training with a busy work schedule
• Training safely
• Personality traits that do well in BJJ

Links:

• GovSmart
• GovSmart on Forbes
• Article on Jiu-Jitsu Times about Brent

Quote of the week: "Correction does much, but encouragement does more."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Article of the week: 5 lessons to learn as a white belt that will be worth for your entire Jiu-Jitsu journey

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We also have Episode 4 of Mat Tales "January"

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This week we bring you an interview with Jonathan Uzcategui. Jonathan is a great coach and competitor. We are excited to bring you an interview with him covering a wide range of topics.

We talk about:

• His personal history in BJJ
• Training with Rubens "Charles" Cobrinha as his first instructor
• His wife Hope Uzcategui 2X IBJJF world champion
• His style of training
• Why he likes to partner up training partners for the best training
• Training new students
• Organizing a weekly schedule
• Using video to evaluate his students and give them advice
• Working escapes when you are tired
• Treating visitors correctly
• Crawl, walk, run

Links:

• Jonathan's history
• Uzcategui on facebook

Quote of the week: "Trust in god" and believe in your self, have faith in your self, and work really really hard" Tom Deblass

Article of the week: Five things every new/visiting student should receive on their first visit to your gym

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Gary's book this week is called "Foot in Mouth, the Unknown Move Called the Dentist"

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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.

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:

• Tom DeBlass on Facebook
• Meal Plans To Go
• Q5 The DeBlass Stack
• Ocean County BJJ

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

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

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.

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:

• Synergy Movement Therapy on Facebook

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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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

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

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.

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:

• The Raspberry Ape Podcast
• Daniel on Facebook

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"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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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. 

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:

• Video of Shannon on the mats
• Shannon on FB
• Grapplers heart
• BJJ New Gear
• Smashing Barriers Grappling Project
• Shannon on instagram
• Shannon on twitter

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"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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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.

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:

• Tier 1 Training Facility
• We Defy Foundation
• Mission 22
• Go fund me for Super B
• Info for the kids tournament for Super B

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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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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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.

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:

• Kristina's Fb page
• Kristina's Instagram
• Ctrl Industries
• Digitsu
• Savage Three Cryotherapy

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

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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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.

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:

• Kristina's Fb page

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

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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.

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:

• Da Firma BJJ
• Vector Jiu-Jitsu
• Spartyka Fight League

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

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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.

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:

• The Good Fight
• Jiu-Jitsu Theatre

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 

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

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

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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).

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:

• IKFF
• Suples.com
• John Brookfield Battling Ropes Creator
• Conor McGregor Lizard Crawl

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

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This week we bring you part 2 of our interview with Travis Stevens. Travis competed on the USA Olympic Judo team in 2008 and 2012. Travis also has a black belt in BJJ.

We talk about:

• The lack of money in USA Judo
• What it will take to grow Judo in the United States
• The possibility of BJJ being in the Olympics
• Matches ending in a gentleman's agreement
• Going from white belt to purple belt and skipping blue belt
• How he learned techniques as a white belt
• Why he recommends that new students do not watch YouTube

Links:

• New York Athletic Club
• Fuji sports
• Mizuno
• A review of the Sekai Gi
• Stevensbjj.com
• Travis Stevens on Facebook

Quote of the week: "Even though you're growing up, you should never stop having fun." Nina Dobrev

Article of the week: "Tap or Nap! BJJ Chokes From a Doctor's Perspective" Doctor Warren Wang

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we bring you an interview with Travis Stevens. Travis competed on the USA Olympic Judo team in 2008 and 2012. Travis also has a black belt in BJJ. Travis shares some of his story and gives advice during this interview.

We talk about:

• Doing sports as a kid
• Getting a serious injury as a kid
• What got him into BJJ
• Drilling for Judo
• Some reasons why BJJ and Judo do not mix well
• We look at the rules of BJJ and no-gi
• Grip fighting in BJJ and Judo
• What it is like being an Olympic athlete
• The Judo culture vs the BJJ culture

Links:

• New York Athletic Club
• Fuji sports
• Mizuno
• A review of the Sekai Gi
• Stevensbjj.com
• Travis Stevens on Facebook

Quote of the week: "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." Dennis P. Kimbro

Article of the week: "Your Promoiton Is Not Your Report Card" from Show The Art

This week Claudio teaches us how to tell time and the days of the week Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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This week we bring an interview with brown belt Jess Fraser. Jess is the founder behind Australian Girls in Gi (AGIG), AGIG is over 1,000 members strong. Jess is also an active competitor meddling twice at ADCC and bringing home a silver from Worlds. Check out this link for a more detailed bio of Jess.

We talk about:

• The start of Australian Girls in Gi
• The goals of AGIG
• A summary of her competition history
• The different focus points for competing and running an organization
• Advice to new grapplers
• Some of the key benefits of BJJ
• How to beat someone that is better than you
• Goals as a brown belt
• Common questions that most people ask her

Links:

• Australian Girls in Gi
• Info about Jess
• AGIG on Facebook

Quote of the week: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein

Article of the week: "Principle: ‘Forcing’ Positions aka Directing"

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out.

This week Claudio teaches us how to say "Ambulance, Police, Doctor, Taxi, Hotel, Restaurant, Restroom,  in Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast on Patreon find out how here

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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This week we bring you an interview with life long martial artist and BJJ black belt Tim Cartmell. Along with his BJJ black belt Tim is an eighth degree black belt in Kung-Fu San Soo.

We talk about:

• Started studding Chinese martial arts in 1972
• Moving to China in the 70's
• What it was like doing martial arts in China
• What martial arts are like in China now
• Working as a stunt man in movies
• How to gain sensitivity to BJJ
• Tips for people starting BJJ
• His goals as an instructor
• how he likes to run a class
• Adding self defense to your BJJ
• Learning some striking
• The idea of being able to access your jiu-jitsu
• Recommendations for learning striking
• Tips for someone doing their first tournament
• Having a limited schedule and still getting good at BJJ

Links:

• Ace Jiu-Jitsu

Quote of the week: “…look he carry all of my weight. That’s another theory of jiu-jitsu. When I rest I should put him to work so I don’t get tired and he get tired. He spend energy.” Demian Maia

Article of the week: The dangers of “I’ll Do Jiu Jitsu When…”

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out.

This week Claudio teaches us how to say "do you speek english?" in Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

Gary's audio book this week is called "The Spam Sweep"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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This week we bring you an interview with Joe D'arce. Joe shares his name with the famous BJJ and MMA choke the "Darce Choke". This interview covers a wide range of topics including how the choke got it's name, and advice for newer grapplers.

We talk about:

• His start in martial arts
• How the Darce choke got it's name
• Tips on how to teach the Darce choke
• Tips on finishing the Darce choke
• The history of the Darce choke
• Running his school
• First tournament advice
• How to deal with frustrations on the mat
• How important it is to have a good mindset

Links:

• http://darcebjj.com/
• Darce FB page

Quote of the week: "I get up before the sun comes up and get shit done" Adam Wheeler

Article of the week: "Foot Beats Face: Mat Awareness and Safety in BJJ" Valerie Worthington on Breakingmuscle.com

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out.

This week Claudio teaches us how to say "Yes, No, Good, and Bad" in Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out.

• Byron's Review of the Fuji Sekai gi

Byron is working on a new audio book called "Why Do I Wear My Gi When I Mow My Lawn?"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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Adam Wheeler is a BJJ black belt that also has a bronze medal from wrestling in the 2008 Olympics. We are thrilled to cover a huge range of topics with such a motivating person.

We talk about:

• Wrestling as a kid
• Having the lable of a chubby kid
• Wrestling both Greco-Roman and Freestyle
• How important his wrestling coach was to him as a kid
• Transitioning from wrestling to BJJ
• Winning gold in no-gi black belt open division masters 1 in 2014
• Learning from competing
• Competing as an underdog
• Getting coaching advice from Rulon Gardner
• He shares some stories from the Olympics
• What he does off of the mat
• What he wants his kids to get out of sports
• What he tells his kids after a competition
• Getting his black belt quickly
• Adamwheelerfitness.com

Links:

• PrimeBjj in Colorado Springs
• Adam Wheeler Fitness Website
• Isopure
• twitter.com/bigwheels96kg
• instagram.com/bigwheels96kg

Quote of the week: "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." Confusiuos

Article of the week:  50 Killer Tips For BJJ White Belts

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out. 

Here is a link to Byron's full review of this gi, and here is a link to our gi guide.

This week Claudio teaches us how to say "You're Welcome" in Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

Gary's audio book this week is called "The Tortoise and the Hare the Untold BJJ story"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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This week we have an interview with Marshal Carper. Marshal is a busy guy writing the books "The Cauliflower Chronicles", "Marcelo Garcia Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques", and the game "Dojo Storm".  These things are just a short sample of the work that he has done and will continue to do.

We talk about:

• Training with injuries
• His books
• The app Dojo Storm
• Preventing injuries
• Training with BJ Penn
• Training with big name people in BJJ
• Making adjustments to your game
• Dealing with fake black belts
• 3D Jiu-Jitsu
• Teaching classes
• Getting tapped by lower belts
• The 10,000 hour rule
• Advice for new students that want to compete

Links:

• "The Cauliflower Chronicles"
• "Marcelo Garcia Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques"
• "Dojo Storm" Android "Dojo Storm" Apple
• Steel City Martial Arts

• Artechoke Media

• Artechoke Media on Facebook

Fuji Sekai Gi- Byron has this gi and he is loving it, check it out.

• Byron's Review of the Fuji Sekai gi

Quote of the week: Presented by Dan Covel "Success isn't owned it's leased. And rent is due every day." J.J. Watt

Article of the week: berwickleader.com.au Medals piling up for US bound 'Killer B' Cuskelly.

This week Claudio teaches us how to say "Please" and "Thank You" in Portuguese Click this link to find the entire set of words from Claudio

If you are interested in supporting The BjjBrick Podcast find out how here

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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This week we bring you an interview with Dan Covel. Dan is a BJJ black belt training under Marcelo Garcia. He also teaches at Marcelo Garcia Academy and in Hoboken New Jersey.

We talk about:

• Starting martial arts with Judo
• Doing MMA at age 17
• Using the closed guard
• What makes the closed guard such a strong position
• How to pass the closed guard
• Getting the most out of kids BJJ
• Why he stores his tournament medals in a drawer
• The benefits of competing
• The use of BJJ in a street fight
• What he does to get ready to compete
• Good goals for new students

Links:

• Dan's Black Magic Closed Guard DVD use coupon code "bjjbrick" for 15% off this dvd on budo videos!
• Dan's Facebook page
• Dan on Twitter

Quote of the week: "Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details." Heraclitus

Article of the week: Character building from Goulburn Martial Arts Academy Helping kids deal with bullies.

This week we learn how to say "good bye" in Portuguese with part two of our language learning segment.

Gary's future book is called "defensive driving, offensive driving, and driving over the neighbor's fensive"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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Bruce Hoyer has a unique way of running a BJJ class using Evernote.  He shares his innovative method and much more during this interview. Bruce is a black belt under Rodrigo Comprido Medeiros.

We talk about:

• The benefits of coaching
• Some of his competition history
• Individualized lesson plans
• What he does when a guest comes in to train
• Advantages to the student and teacher with this class format
• He gives an example of the first few classes
• How he does belt test and stripes
• How he has made changes to this program
• Getting people to show up for their first day of BJJ
• Why he does not coach during rolling
• Being a self reliant learner

Links:

• Next Edge Academy
• Reddit link about his class structure
• Fuji mats
• Adadas combat

Quote of the week:"Today is tomorrow's yesterday so make it count" Presented by  Shawn Williams

Article of the week: “We Don’t Have Time For Jiu Jitsu” Big Jiu-Jitsu

We start a new segment this week Learning Basic Portuguese with Claudio Pt 1. We learn a couple of simple greetings. Here is a link for find the 9 parts on youtube.

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

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

John Will is a listener favorite, and we are thrilled to have him back on the show. John is one of the famous “Dirty Dozen” meaning that he is one of the first 12 non-Brazilians to reach the rank of black belt in BJJ. John was at the an early adopter to BJJ and he brought it home to Australia.

We talk about:

• His start with BJJ
• Promoting around 90 black belts
• What he looks for in a black belt
• What it takes to be a good coach
• Using imagery while teaching
• Modeling after world champions
• Writing on his blog
• How positions and techniques change over time
• Providing students what they want vs. what they need
• Comparing BJJ to a tree
• Developing a culture of helping everyone on the mat
• A game called sharks and tuna that his kids play
• Other games that are played in the kids class
• Off the mat goals he has for his students
• John's thoughts on setting and reaching goals
• Escaping side control ideas
• How learning escapes can build confidence
• Different types of drilling
• He explains the Red Cat Head logo
• Being open to reinventing who you are
• Stories from his backpacking adventures
• Being dehydrated while backpacking

Links:

• John's first interview with The BjjBrick Podcast
• John's Blog
• Red Cat Academy

Quote of the week: "When you lose, say little. When you win, say less." Matt Hughes

Article of the week:Jimmy Starts Jiu-Jitsu, A Before And After Story

Gary is working on his BJJ pop up book called "Go Gary Go, See Gary Roll, See Gary Tap"

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

Shawn Willimas is the 5th American to reach the rank of black belt in BJJ. He has been training jiu-jitsu for 20 years. We cover a huge range of interesting topics in this episode.

We talk about:

• His start with BJJ
• Being a commentator for live BJJ events
• The importance of enjoying BJJ
• Wrestling in BJJ
• Tips for learning wrestling
• Why some high level competitors do not tap
• Rousimar Palhares injuring people
• His thoughts of Garry Tonon (a friend of Shawn's) vs Rousimar Palhares
• Injuries that he has experienced
• How to coach a match, and why to give technical instruction
• Coaching during Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm fight
• Staying consistent with your BJJ

Links:

• shawnwilliamsbjj.com

Quote of the week: "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington

Article of the week: What Motivates Me For 6am BJJ Class by Erik Beyer

Gary also talks about the book he is working on called "Cafeteria Food Fights- Picking The Right Kind of Fruit For The Fruit Salad" If you don't know who Gallagher is you are missing out my friend, check him in action 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 week we bring you Roy Dean. Roy is a great example of a martial artist he is a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ, and he also has several other black belts. Roy has recently completed his book Becoming the Black Belt: One Man's Path in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

We talk about:

• His start in BJJ
• First experiences with no-gi
• How he has used his skills in audio and video to promote BJJ
• He shares the story of getting his blue belt that is in his book
• Why he did not use stripes at his school other than white belt
• How he developed a smooth style of BJJ
• How the training environment has changed in BJJ
• Learning BJJ online vs on the mat
• His travel plans and becoming a student again
• Advice for running a school
• First tournament advice
• The good and bad of competing
• Advice for the new black belt
• More info about his book Becoming The Black Belt

Links:

• Becoming the Black Belt: One Man's Path in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• roydeanacademy.com
• Roydean.tv
• Origin Gis

Quote of the week: "The secret of getting ahead is getting started" Mark Twain

Article of the week: "Getting Stuck In The Middle With BJJ"

Gary's book he is working on "Email Scams and Slams, how to do a digital armbar"

Catch us next week for otherer episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

This week we have an interview with Jen Hall. Jen is a BJJ black belt under her husband Ryan Hall.  She also teaches and runs the school 50/50 BJJ.  Jen has competed a lot and also done a lot of coaching.  We are thrilled to have her share her knowledge with us.

We talk about:

• What got her started in BJJ
• Running the 50/50 school
• The good and bad of running a gym
• Different teaching styles
• Teaching ideas she got from being a swim coach
• Not hitting a plateau
• The differences between their fundamentals 1 and fundamentals 2 classes
• Why she likes to have a class for beginners
• The current point system in BJJ
• Reaping the knee
• The differences between a teacher and a coach
• How she gets ready for a competition
• Dealing with her 8 surgeries
• The paper "Read this today win tomorrow"
• Women's classes
• What is up with Ryan Hall since the UFC
• They have one person come in to their gym because of TUF

Links:

• 50/50 BJJ
• Inverted Gear
• Jen on Twitter
• Jen on Instagram

Quote of the week: "If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril." Sun Tzu

Article of the week: Am I Doing Enough? justagirlbjj.com

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

Gary is working on his audio book called "I am so confused, I guess I will go choke somebody"

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

Valerie Worthington is a BJJ black belt and writer for Breaking Muscle, and we are excited to share what Valerie has to say in this interview.

We talk about:

• Her start in BJJ
• The book she is working on
• Traveling vs staying home
• What to expect when you start BJJ
• What to expect when you compete for the first time
• Her first experiences competing
• Training advice for competition
• Her style of BJJ
• Making changes to your game
• Dealing with frustrations on the mat
• How she trains with people that she does not know
• Her process for writing an article
• Advice for instructors

Links:

• Groundswell grappling concepts
• Inverted gear
• Q5 supplements
• Valerie Worthington's Facebook page
• Valerie Worthington's profile on Breaking Muscle

Quote of the week: "Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan." John F. Kennedy

Article of the week: Don’t Build Your BJJ Game on White Belt- grapplearts.com

We also give an award for review of the year for 2015, and Gary talks about his future audio book called "Double Monkey Punch- Fighting Twins"

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 are excited to bring you an interview with Rolles Gracie. Rolles has competed in all the major grappling events and he has fought in the UFC. Rolles has a win over Bob Sapp.

We talk about:

• His mma fight with Bob Sapp
• His off the mat hobbies (snowboarding and sky diving)
• He trains at Renzo's
• Doing Jiu-Jitsu as a kid
• Developing a style
• How learning BJJ is like going in a circle
• Doing self defense and jiu-jitsu
• Some of the changes in jiu-jitsu over the years
• Moving from Brazil to New York
• Advice for a competition
• Dealing with injuries
• How people with busy schedules can still get better at BJJ
• Why you should spend at least an hour a day doing something you enjoy

Links:

• Rolles Gracie Twitter
• rollsgracie.com
• Rolles Gracie on Facebook
• BJJ vs Cancer event

Quote of the week: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." --Albert Einstein

Article of the week: Tattoos and BJJ- How long before I can roll from Attacktheback.com

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 bring you an interview with BJJ brown belt Alexander Darwin, author of the Sci-Fi novel The Combat Codes.

We talk about:

• Alexander's BJJ history
• Some of his favorite BJJ techniques
• The world that The Combat Codes takes place
• Comparing the school of combat to Ender's Game and Harry Potter
• The old school vs new school theme in the book
• Why it is important to schedule your training
• How BJJ has helped him as a writer

Links:

• The Combat Codes Facebook page
• combatcodes.com
• The Combat Codes on Twitter

Quote of the week: This weeks quote was presented by Justin Rader "You told me never to change sword hands. Yes. When you know how to use it, you won't be taking my orders." The Movie Troy

Article of the week: Ask DeBlass: The Ten Lessons for Academy Owners and Students

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 bring you one of the top no-gi grapplers in the world. Justin Rader is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Rafael Lovato Jr.  You can find Justin training and coaching at Lovato’s School of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here is a more detailed profile on Justin.

We talk about:

• His competition style
• What he did as a child and how that has effected him today
• The calf slicer
• His role as a coach
• The current set of rules in Jiu-Jitsu and how he would change it
• What would happen if you got a -1 for pulling guard
• Why he dislikes advantages
• How a change of rules would change the art
• His ideas of what submissions should be illegal
• His history of not tapping to submissions
• Wrestling as a kid
• Some differences in training BJJ and wrestling
• The benefits of doing a competition
• How he runs the kids class
• The lack of take downs in adult BJJ
• The importance of a good stance
• Why you need good endurance to have an effective stance
• Advice for people who can only train 1 or 2 times a week
• His take on the new star wars movie :)

Links:

• OKBJJ
• On the Mat
• lucky gi
• Green strength training
• Mike Calimbas Photography
• Justin's Facebook page
• Justin's Instagram

Quote of the week: “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” Robert Frost, 1963

Article of the week: 7 powerful ways to fail better

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

Here we go again my friends! Part two with Tim Sledd about the taboo topics of BJJ. I can't think of anyone else that I would like to hear from about these controversial topics than Tim. Tim spent countless hours as a hard work successful lawyer, he left this career path to pursue BJJ. Tim's opinions of these taboo topics are well thought out and he defends them well.

We talk about

• Parents and kids
• Parents helping coach the kids during class
• Dealing with kids that act up in class
• Kids doing MMA
• What a kid should do if they want to do MMA
• Parents that want to push their kids into MMA
• Fake BJJ black belts
• Red flags of a fake black belt
• How to deal with a fake black belt
• When to start doing leg locks
• Heelhooks for gi and no-gi
• A break down for the different types of leg locks
• Dealing with mat bullies
• Asking someone to leave your BJJ school
• Why he communicates with kids teachers at school
• People who commit crimes against society
• Drugs and BJJ
• Foul language on the mat

Links:

• Taboo Topics part 1
• Small Axe BJJ Oceanside

Quote of the week: "You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." Jim Rohn

Article of the week: More People Die From The Spoon Than The Knife

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

Here we go my friends! An episode with Tim Sledd about the taboo topics of BJJ. I can't think of anyone else that I would like to hear from about these controversial topics than Tim. Tim spent countless hours as a hard working successful lawyer, he left this career path to pursue BJJ. Tim's opinions of these taboo topics are well thought out and he defends them well.

We talk about:

• Washing your belt
• The history of belts in martial arts
• How dirty your belt might be
• Belt whipping and gauntlets
• Hazing students and the law
• Throwing students for a belt promotion
• How to avoid hazing
• What is a creonte
• Why you might leave your BJJ school
• Cross training with different schools
• Signing a contract to train BJJ
• Dating within the gym
• Using the phrase "go to war" for BJJ or MMA

Links:

• Epi 89 Tim Sledd Part 1
• Epi 90 Tim Sledd Part 2
• 44 states have anti hazing laws here is the list
• Small Axe BJJ Oceanside

Quote of the week: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi

Article of the week: Stop Doing Drills; Start Using Challenges Daniel Coyle

Catch us next week for part 2!

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

This week we are excited to bring you an interview with Guybson Sa. Guybson has recently tapped out Jeff Monson and Hector Lombard both with a RNC. He is a competitor in both MMA and BJJ, while running his school in Columbia, South Carolina. Guybson focuses his game on the basics, and has had great success.

We talk about:

• His MMA carrear
• Focusing on the basics
• His outlook for 2016
• Kids doing BJJ
• Off the mat training
• Training with teammates that are not as skilled
• What he does 10 min before a match
• Advice for white belts and blue belts

Links:

• spartanacademymma.com
• Guybson Sa on Facebook

Quote of the week: "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop" Confucius

Article of the week: How to Stay Consistent in Your Jiu Jitsu Journey BjjBrick.com

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 bring you a interview with Abraham Marte. Abraham is a black belt in the ultra heavyweight division from the Dominican Republic that has managed to medal at worlds at every belt level.  He is now on a mission to help the kids in his community and become the best in the world.

We talk about:

• His competition history
• Competing only a few times a year
• His strength training
• Training with smaller and less skilled partners
• Changing your environment to make your training better
• BJJ4Change
• Fighting for a Dream
• Helping kids with BJJ
• How BJJ has changed over the years
• Jiu-Jitsu tour

Links:

• Abraham Marte's Facebook Page
• BJJ 4 Change
• Fighting for a Dream

Quote of the week: "There is a difference between a fighter and a martial artist. A fighter is training for a purpose: He has a fight. I'm a martial artist. I don't train for a fight. I train for myself. I'm training all the time. My goal is perfection. But I will never reach perfection." Georges St-Pierre

Article of the week: Tips for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Beginners from Startjiujitsu.com

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast