This week we're joined again by Dr. Mike Piekarski!  Better known as "Doctor Kickass" on Instagram, Mike is a BJJ black belt under Henry Akins and is a Doctor of Physical Therapy.  In this episode, we discuss ways to safely apply the stack pass and reduce your risk of injury while defending it. Follow Mike on social: https://www.instagram.com/doctor_kickass https://www.facebook.com/mike.piekarski.50 Work with Mike: https://linktr.ee/doctor_kickass Mental models discussed in this...

This week we're joined by Giles Garcia!  Giles is the head coach at Ronin Grappling in Glasgow, Scotland.  In this episode, Giles explains why it's so important that coaches help their students simplify their thinking surrounding Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Giles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_guanche Train with Giles at Ronin Grappling: https://roningrappling.com/ Learn from Giles online at BJJ Codex: https://www.bjjcodex.com/ Resources discussed in this episode: White Belt Survival...

This week we're joined by Stuart Cooper!  Stuart is best known for his incredible Jiu-Jitsu documentaries, but he's also an outstanding black belt with a deadly guard passing game.  In this episode, Stuart joins us to discuss some of the best styles and strategies for passing the guard. Follow Stuart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartcooperfilms Subscribe to Stuart's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/stuartcooperfilms Support Stuart's work on...

We're giving you a bonus episode because yesterday's release was an April Fools' Day joke. 🤣 This episode is the second in a new BJJ Mental Models Premium series: Grappling With Confidence.  In this episode, we're joined by breakout star and 2023 ADCC European champion Jozef Chen!  Jozef discusses the importance of confidence for building resilience, the challenges faced by high-profile grapplers, and strategies for compartmentalization. Follow Jozef on...

This week we're joined again by Priit Mihkelson, formerly of Defensive BJJ!  In this episode, Priit shares some shocking news: he is abandoning his study of defensive Jiu-Jitsu.  We discuss Priit's new focus on 100% offensive BJJ, including topics such as: flash submissions, attacking from inside the guard, winning by injury stoppage, and biting mechanics. Follow Priit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priit_mihkelson Sign up for Defensive BJJ (soon to be rebranded Offensive...

This week we're joined by Mike Jaramillo!  Mike is John Danaher's first black belt and the advanced no gi instructor at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York.  In this episode, Mike discusses Jiu-Jitsu's power as a "happy pill" to enhance mental health, combat depression, and bring people together. Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikejaramillo_bjj Follow The Happy Pill Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappypillproject Support The Happy Pill...

This episode was originally for BJJ Mental Models Premium subscribers, but you're getting it for free!  The Highest Levels is a BJJMM Premium podcast on peak performance hosted by Emily Kwok and Joe Hannan.  In this episode, Emily is joined by arguably the greatest pound-for-pound grappler in the history of the sport, Marcelo Garcia.  I really don't have any words to describe this one - give it a listen. Follow Marcelo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelogarciajiujitsu/ Follow...

This week we're joined again by Emily Kwok!  Emily is a peak performance consultant and multi-time BJJ black belt world champion representing Marcelo Garcia.  In this episode, Emily introduces polarity mapping: a powerful tool for understanding nuance and breaking through either/or thinking.  We discuss polarities in Jiu-Jitsu, such as: tension/slack, fast/slow, retraction/extension, holding on/letting go, and concepts/techniques. Emily's website: https://www.emilykwok.com/ Emily's...

This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki!  Fresh off winning his first world championship at 2023 IBJJF No Gi Worlds in the masters 4 black belt middleweight division, Rob joins us to unveil a new submission he's been developing for the past year: the roadhouse choke.  It's a modified throat post choke that Rob recently used successfully in competition, and it's surprisingly legal under most rulesets. Watch Rob's demonstration of the roadhouse choke: https://youtu.be/5-WKLUfG2H4 Watch...

We make a LOT of educational Jiu-Jitsu content here at BJJ Mental Models!  Whether you're into our free resources or a BJJMM Premium subscriber, here's a playbook on how to best use ALL our content to become a better grappler. Watch this on YouTube to see the visuals: https://youtu.be/4vbreoHjVR8 Here's a link to the course mentioned in this episode: https://bit.ly/436VPrb Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium! If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium...

This week we're joined by David Porter!  David is a black belt under Pedro Sauer and manages XCAL Martial Arts in Ashburn, Virginia.  In this episode, David discusses the importance of choosing your coaching language carefully.  David shares best practices such as: focusing on evergreen mechanics, clarity in language, aligning with student goals, avoiding complacency, and naming conventions. Follow David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanky_mongoose Train with David at...

This week we're joined by black belt and Yoga for BJJ founder Sebastian Brosche!  Sebastian joins us to break down one of our favorite strategies: position as submission.  The meta is increasingly evolving to appreciate the importance of submission-level pressure.  In this episode, we explain why that is and how to do it. Follow Sebastian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforbjj Subscribe to Yoga for BJJ on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogaforbjj Join Yoga for...

This week, Brother Matt joins us again to break down common Jiu-Jitsu mistakes such as failing to regulate tension, failing to fight for the inside channel, failing to manage the distance, failing to set goals, believing your coach knows everything, and failing to clear your trademark with JT Torres. Follow Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onguardbjj Join the On Guard BJJ Online Academy: https://onguardbjj.com/p/online Resources mentioned in this episode: The Fastest Way: To...

This week we're joined again by Kristina Barlaan!  Kristina is a black belt under Caio Terra, and is a passionate advocate for mental health in the Jiu-Jitsu community.  In this episode, Kristina joins us to speak candidly about her personal experiences with high-functioning anxiety as a Jiu-Jitsu coach and athlete. Follow Kristina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbjiujitsu Email Kristina: [email protected] Connect with Erin Herle for mental performance...

This week we're joined again by Jeff Shaw!  Jeff is the head instructor at Bellingham BJJ and the co-creator of the "Creating Gym Culture" series on BJJ Mental Models Premium.  In this episode, Jeff joins us to break down the 3 Joint Rule: a critical mental model for understanding how to control your opponent's limbs. Follow Jeff and Bellingham BJJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmshaw https://www.instagram.com/bellinghambjj Train with Jeff at Bellingham...

This week we're joined again by Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth!  Josh joins us to break down a powerful and underloved position: the honey badger.  This is effectively when you "turtle" inside your opponent's guard and dig for a double under or stack pass.  It's an amazing tactic for opening and passing the guard, especially against larger opponents. Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apexconyers/ Argue with Josh on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/kintanon Train with Josh...

This week we're joined by Edwin "Junny" Ocasio!  Fresh off his first world championship win, Junny joins us to expand on a conversation he had with Emily Kwok on The Highest Levels (an ongoing BJJMM Premium podcast). In this episode, Junny explains how he thinks about optimization, when to dig deeper into optimizing an area of his game, and how to avoid over-optimizing. Follow Junny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junny_bjj Subscribe to Junny's YouTube...

This week we're joined again by Greg Souders!  In this episode, Greg joins us to bust some common Jiu-Jitsu myths, including: the "win or learn" debate, why teaching with "training wheels" doesn't work, the problem with instructionals, and whether belts matter. Follow Greg and Standard Jiu-Jitsu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gdsouders https://www.instagram.com/standardjiujitsu Resources discussed in this episode: BJJMM Ep. 203: Evidence-Based Coaching, feat. Greg...

This week we're joined by Alec Baulding!  Alec is a black belt under Romero Cavalcanti, an accomplished competitor, and a reputed YouTube content creator.  In this episode, Alec shares his thoughts on the journey from Jiu-Jitsu student to teacher. Subscribe to Alec's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlecBaulding Follow Alec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alecbaulding Get Alec's instructionals on his website and BJJ...

This week we're joined again by Erin Herle!  Erin is a black belt under Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" and is the founder of #SubmitTheStigma.  She's also a mental performance consultant with a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology, which is relevant to our topic of conversation today. In this episode, Erin talks about mental toughness.  She explains how mental toughness is an attribute you can train, how many people define it incorrectly, and what to expect when you work with a...

This week we're joined again by Priit Mihkelson!  In this episode, Priit reveals something surprising about the way he runs his gym: he teaches submissions first!  This is pretty funny and surprising coming from "the Defensive BJJ guy," but there's a good reason why he does things this way.  Listen to learn why. Follow Priit on social: https://www.facebook.com/priit.mihkelson https://www.instagram.com/priit_mihkelson Learn from Priit on Defensive BJJ: https://www.defensivebjj.com/ Mental...

This week we're joined by Heather Morgan!  Heather is a BJJ black belt under André Galvão and a prominent online instructor.  In this episode, Heather discusses how she attacks from her favorite guard pass: the knee slice. Follow Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_morganbjj/ Subscribe to Heather on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CaptMorgan0820 Check out Heather's knee slice course: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/kneecutcrashcourse Mental models discussed in this...

This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki!  In this episode, Rob talks about the concept of gamification, how it optimizes learning, and how both students and coaches can gamify Jiu-Jitsu. Keep an eye on Grapplearts for Rob's upcoming gamification instructional: https://grapplearts.com/ Learn from Rob at BJJ Concepts: https://bjjconcepts.net/ Follow Rob on Instagram: https://instagram.com/islandtopteam Train with Rob at Island Top Team: https://islandtopteam.com/ Resources mentioned...

This week we're joined by Victor Hugo!  Victor is a black belt under the Ribeiro brothers and a multi-time ultra heavyweight world champion.  He's also an accomplished businessperson, being both the head coach at Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu in Lake Travis and the founder of several online Jiu-Jitsu brands. In this episode, the big man shares some incredible insights on the intersections between the worlds of business and BJJ.  Victor explains how he balances all these projects, how his businesses...