In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing the anatomic hierarchy! The anatomic hierarchy is a simple but powerful mental model that organizes our body into six major tools, from strongest to weakest: our torso, our two legs, our two arms, and our head. The anatomic hierarchy teaches us that when attacking, we should use as many of our weapons as possible, especially the stronger ones. And we'll also have better success if we're attacking a weaker part of our opponent's b...

This week we're joined by Kiaya Jackson! Kiaya is the founder of SoPro Collective and a Jiu-Jitsu competitor representing Brandon Mccaghren from 10th Planet Decatur. In this episode, Kiaya explains her unconventional journey into a Jiu-Jitsu career, and shares her playbook for making a living in the sport beyond the usual athlete and coach career paths.Follow Kiaya on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kiaya.jSoPro Training — Kiaya's coaching brand:https://www.soprotraining.com/S...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing posts, the last of the six core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu! Posts occur when you use an extremity of your body to connect with and base off a platform like the floor. Posts are important for maintaining your own base and creating opportunities to attack your opponent. This is the sixth in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts.Further study:M...

This week we're joined by Charles Harriott! Charles is a BJJ black belt, professional seminar instructor, and content creator. In this episode, Charles introduces a mental model he calls "the 3-fold view of Jiu-Jitsu." We discuss the three lenses through which Charles views Jiu-Jitsu and how these different perspectives work together to help him better understand the art. Follow Charles on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/charlesharriottSubscribe to Charles on YouTube:htt...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing hooks, the main mechanic behind techniques like butterfly guard. Hooks are a tracking mechanic used to follow your opponent and create opportunities to off-balance them. This is the fifth in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts.Further study:Mini Ep. 6: Frameshttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15242269-mini-ep-6-framesMini Ep. 7: Leve...

This week we're joined by Jesse Walker! Jesse is a black belt under Chris Haueter and is the head coach at Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky. In this episode, Jesse introduces the paradox of control: a concept teaching us that in order to attack in Jiu-Jitsu, you must sometimes sacrifice control for movement. Follow Jesse and Rough Hands BJJ on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/roughhandsbjjTrain with Jesse at Rough Hands BJJ:https://rough-hands.net/Mental models discussed...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing clamps, the mechanic where you use your limbs to create a closed circuit around your opponent's body. Think closed guard or seatbelt. This is the fourth in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts.Further study:Mini Ep. 6: Frameshttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15242269-mini-ep-6-framesMini Ep. 7: Levershttps://podcast.bjjmentalmod...

This week we're joined by Ben Van Doren! Ben is a Lucas Lepri black belt and the head instructor at Deep Blue Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Caledonia, Michigan. In this episode, Ben draws on his experience as a manager and BJJ gym owner to discuss difficult coaching conversations. This conversation is a great playbook for Jiu-Jisu leaders of all sorts, and how they can productively navigate the difficult conversations that arise on the job with both your students and coaches. Follo...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing wedges, and we don't mean pizza! We break down the two types of wedges in Jiu-Jitsu: blocking wedges (used for immobilizing your opponent) and prying wedges (used for breaking open your opponent's defenses). This is the third in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts.Further study:Mini Ep. 6: Frameshttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/152...

This week we're joined by Jeff Serafin! Jeff is the head instructor at Serafin BJJ, a partner at Gym 1801, and a black belt under Jack McVicker and Megaton Dias. In this episode, Jeff advocates for fostering a healthy gym culture and reducing dogma in Jiu-Jitsu. Topics include: identifying and avoiding toxic gym cultures, ego management in training, and strategies for pairing students to ensure safety and learning. Follow Jeff on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/serafinbj...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing levers! Levers are force multipliers and the source of leverage in Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode, we talk about the levers of the human body, turning frames into levers, and when levers are less important. This is the second in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts.Further study:Mini Ep. 6: Frameshttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/1...

This week we're joined again by Lyzz "Daemonette" Mitrovic! Lyzz is a multi-time black belt masters world champion and a longtime member of the BJJ Mental Models Premium community. Lyzz will be competing at ADCC this year after earning her entry via victory at ADCC West Coast Trials. In this episode, Lyzz shares what high-level competition camps look like, how to best utilize your competition team, and what to do when your preparation doesn't go according to plan.Follow Lyzz...

In this week's mini-episode, we're discussing frames! You probably know what a frame is, but I'm guessing you haven't walked through the concept as in-depth as we'll do here today! Let's talk about how we define a "frame," when we want to use frames, what makes frames useful, and when frames become a liability. This is the first in a six-part series of mini-episodes we're doing on the core mechanics of Jiu-Jitsu: frames, levers, wedges, clamps, hooks, and posts. Further stud...

This week we're joined again by Chris Wojcik! Chris is a black belt under Jeff Serafin and the author of The Grappler's Diary. In this episode, Chris discusses open guard leg entanglement strategies under different rulesets. Follow Chris on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chrismwojcikhttps://www.instagram.com/thegrapplersdiary Subscribe to The Grappler's Diary:https://thegrapplersdiary.com/Resources discussed in this episode:Everything is Turtle, by Steve Kwan (requires BJJMM ...

In this week's mini-episode, we're introducing the alignment scorecard! It's a quick way to use Rob Biernacki's alignment framework to "score" your grappling and make smarter grappling decisions faster. This episode builds on the last four mini-episodes about base, posture, structure, and alignment.Further study:BJJMM Mini Ep. 1: Basehttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15022850-mini-ep-1-baseBJJMM Mini Ep. 2: Posturehttps://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15078064-mini-e...

This week we're joined again by Cal McDonald! Cal is a BJJ black belt under Rob Biernacki from Island Top Team and is the author of the new "BJJ Foundations" instructional alongside Stephan Kesting from Grapplearts. In this episode, Cal discusses "automatic grappling," or the science of how we can improve our reaction time and make better decisions by thinking less when we train.Email Cal:[email protected] Cal's instructional, BJJ Foundations:https://www.grapplearts.com/...

In this week's mini-episode, we're introducing the concept of alignment! Alignment is Rob Biernacki's simplified concept for understanding Jiu-Jitsu and making smarter grappling decisions faster. This episode builds on the last three mini-episodes about base, posture, and structure.Further study:BJJMM Ep. 1: Alignmenthttps://bjj.plus/1BJJMM Ep. 50: Alignment 2.0, feat. Rob Biernackihttps://bjj.plus/50Jiu-Jitsu for Imbeciles, feat. Rob Biernacki (exclusively on BJJMM Premium)https:...

This week we're joined by Lucas Wilhan! Lucas is a black belt under Bruno Fernandes and is the head instructor at Lapel Arts in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In this episode, Lucas joins us to break down concepts behind the ankle lock, and to discuss modern innovations and variants around this submission.Follow Lucas, Pauline, and Lapel Arts on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lucaswilhanhttps://www.instagram.com/paulibakhttps://www.instagram.com/lapelartsCheck out Lucas' instructiona...

In this week's mini-episode, we're introducing the concept of structure! Structure means the ability to effectively utilize your limbs. This episode builds on the last two mini-episodes about base and posture.Further study:BJJMM Ep. 1: Alignmenthttps://bjj.plus/1BJJMM Ep. 50: Alignment 2.0, feat. Rob Biernackihttps://bjj.plus/50Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintroDon't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you...

This week we're joined by Dr. Jooyoung Lee! Jooyoung is a BJJ black belt, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto, and an accredited expert in the sociological study of violence. In this episode, Jooyoung discusses the science behind "pulling the trigger" when grappling, how to be more aggressive in the moment, and how to avoid becoming flustered in the face of your opponent's aggression.Follow Jooyoung on social media:https://www.instagram.com/joojitsuleehttps://www...

In this week's mini-episode, we're introducing the concept of posture! Let's talk about what posture means in the context of Jiu-Jitsu, why it's so important, and how managing posture improves both your defense and offense. This episode builds on last week's mini-episode about base.Further study:BJJMM Ep. 1: Alignmenthttps://bjj.plus/1BJJMM Ep. 50: Alignment 2.0, feat. Rob Biernackihttps://bjj.plus/50Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmode...

This week we're joined by Beatrice Jin! Beatrice is a coach at Kogaion Academy in Virginia, an outstanding brown belt professional competitor, and the operator of America's longest-running women's open mat. In this episode, Beatrice explains how unaggressive grapplers can shed that passive mindset, "stop being nice," and weaponize the strategic meanness needed to excel at high-level Jiu-Jitsu.Follow Beatrice on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/berimbozoFollow Kogaion Academy on...

We're launching a brand new mini-podcast! Once a week, we'll publish a brief explanation of a key mental model for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This week we're talking about base, one of the core elements from Rob Biernacki's theory of alignment.Further study:BJJMM Ep. 1: Alignmenthttps://bjj.plus/1BJJMM Ep. 50: Alignment 2.0, feat. Rob Biernackihttps://bjj.plus/50Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro Don't forget to check out BJ...

This week we're joined again by Dominyka Obelenyte! Dom is a black belt under Marcelo Garcia, a 4x black belt and 10x overall world champion, and a longtime BJJ Mental Models collaborator and coach. In this episode, Dominyka breaks down mental models for Jiu-Jitsu gameplanning alongside her new Digitsu instructional, The Art of the Gameplan.Get Dom's gameplanning instructional on Digitsu:https://digitsu.com/programs/art-of-the-gameplan-dominyka-obelenyteFollow Dom on Instagram:htt...