This week we are giving advice to white belts. It is a great conversation to help anyone enjoy the white belt journey.

We talk about:

• Getting a white belt can be difficult
• Gaining confidence with BJJ
• Focusing on fundamentals
• Going to open mat at a different school
• The desire to get your blue belt
• Staying healthy
• Training as an older white belt
• Embracing the challenge of BJJ
• The best thing about jiu-jitsu
• Mistakes in learning BJJ
• Having the right attitude

Quote of the week: "Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to maintain balance, you must keep moving." Albert Einstein

Article of the week: Never Miss an Opportunity to Learn

[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 Bjj Black Belt Marcelo Cohen.

We talk about:

• The history of The Armory and the changes it has made
• Running a BJJ gym
• Teaching BJJ and MMA in the same gym
• Learning from a loss with Ciao Terra
• Building confidence with a kids program
• How jiu-jitsu can become toxic
• Training gi and no-gi
• Tips for dealing with bigger people on the mat

Links:

• Furia 
• Marcelo Cohen Roosterweight Kimura System DVD
• Download the Roosterweight Kimura System
• Marcelo Cohen on Instagram

Quote of the week: "Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." Russell Baker "Ah, BJJ, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." BjjBrick

Article of the week: NO, YOU DIDN’T START JIU JITSU TOO LATE

[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 on the podcast we have listener favorite John Will. John shares his many years of experience and talks about many topics from class structure to embracing the difficulty of BJJ.

We talk about:

• Appreciating the little things on the mat
• Designing the class structure
• Different things for a class to focus on
• The importance of defense in BJJ
• Making a safety net for your BJJ
• The culture of BJJ compared to MMA
• Being a good teammate
• What holds back schools from growing
• Getting your family on the mat
• Leveraging things you learn on the mat to help you off the mat
• A learning technique called fast forwarding
• Different teaching styles
• Backpacking

Links:

• How to start a movement video
• John Will’s Website
• John’s Rogue Black Belt Books
• John’s Facebook Page
• Epi 107 with John Will
• Epi 127 another John Will interview!
• Epi 172 Six Amazing Black Belts Answer Questions About Blue Belts

Quote of the week: "It never gets easier, you just get better"

Article of the week: 12 Tips to Better Hygiene when Training BJJ

We also have a new Mat Tales #26 Neck Mole

[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 Robert Drysdale. Not only is Robert one of the best grapplers in the world, he is also working on a documentary about the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This interview covers everything from the documentary to doing BJJ for the right reasons.

We talk about:

• Training BJJ for 20 years
• Running his own school
• Training at Valor Martial Arts in Wichita
• His documentary Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil
• The role of fake fight in the history of BJJ
• How the rules in Brazil changed the game
• How the infrastructure on Brazil changed Jiu-Jitsu
• The goals of the Closed Guard documentary
• The meaning of the name of "Closed Guard"
• The funding for the movie
• Training advice for competition
• Why ACB is so exciting to watch
• Do BJJ for the right reasons

Links:

• Closed Guard on Facebook
• Closed Guard on Instagram

Quote of the week: "Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games." Babe Ruth

Article of the week: You Be The Hammer, I am the Nail

[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 episode of BJJ Brick Extra we have BTT Black belt Fernando Halfeld. Professor Halfeld is from Brazil and has been training jiu jitsu 17 years. While he has won multiple medals at IBJJF tournaments, his major victories have been 3rd place at Worlds, 1st place in the South American Championship, and 2nd and 3rd place at the Brazilian Nationals. Fernandos students are following in his footsteps. Most notably his student Ruben Gonzalez won the IBJJF worlds, master purple belt 2017. The accomplishment he is most proud of, however, is the establishment and growth of his school Brazilian Top Team, Lake Jackson.

We talk about:

• Fernando starting BJJ as the only kid in a class of adults
• Moving to the United States from Brazil
• Learning to understand English
• Teaching BJJ to kids
• Bullying in schools
• The goals of a kids class
• Teaching self defense classes
• Advice on starting BJJ if you are a little older than most on the mat
• Getting ready for a tournament
• Brazilian Top Team
• Running a BJJ school

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/bttlakejackson/

https://www.schoolofjiujitsu.com/

Tip of the month: How to stay active while away from the mats for an extended period.

Question of the month: How many gis should I own?

[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