Ryan Aitken is a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, ADCC veteran, EBI Absolute Champion, Combat Jiu-Jitsu Champion, and the PGF Season 7 champion. Ryan joins the podcast to discuss his start in Jiu-Jitsu, deciding to switch gyms to train with Sean Applegate at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Atlanta, important concepts that are forgotten in Jiu-Jitsu, strengthening and training the body for longevity, Ryan's unique way to improve hand-eye coordination, his experience competing in season 7 of the...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss a new rule for Jiu-Jitsu. We chat about why you should avoid being a sore loser. We chat about some of our tournament experiences, why you should avoid posting your frustrations about a tournament on social media, a useful way to get your frustrations out, who to stop being "fragile," how to be less emotionally charged after a loss, the dangers of expectations, how the ruleset of the Chewjitsu Open incentivizes submissions and attacking, the...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss some white belt BJJ tips that came from a Reddit BJJ forum. We break down 8 pieces of advice and discuss whether we agree or disagree with them. Here is the list: Never date a girl/guy from the gym, (it’s easier to get better when you enjoy the place where you train). Stop trying to win. It makes you get hurt. Just get sweaty. Relax…Jiu-Jitsu is like farting. If you have to force it then it’s probably sh*t. Baby every injury (also tap quick)....

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss 8 types of training partners to avoid rolling with. Here are the 8 types of people to avoid during rolling: “Let’s Go Light Guy” “The Stinky Gi Guy” “The Staph Spreader” “Mr. Sniffles” “White Belt Wolverine” “The Hot Box Bro” “The Locker Room Talker” “Mr./Mrs. Mundials” You can check out our new sponsor "Grapple Science" at https://grapplescience.com/ and use the code CHEWJITSU20 for 20% off of your purchase of supplements and gear. ...

On this episode of the podcast, we chat about another rule for Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of how unremarkable things lead to progress and improvement. We discuss the importance of unremarkable activities to build a solid foundation, how to find joy in the unremarkable things, the importance of perspective, the importance of basics, the value of having enthusiasm for what you do 28 clip, our thoughts on motivation, inspiration, and momentum, how all...

On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by BJJ Black Belts GW and John from “Grapple Science.”  GW and John are the co-founders of “Grapple Science,” a supplement company to help with performance for grapplers. GW and John discuss how they started in BJJ, how their BJJ games have evolved and changed since they have gotten older, the benefits of competition for older grapplers, why GW avoided training in the Gi when he first started BJJ to initially to now only training in the Gi,...

On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Team Lloyd Irvin Black Belt, 2024 ADCC veteran, Europeans Champion, and ADCC Trials Champion Elijah Dorsey. Elijah joins the podcast to discuss his start in grappling, his thoughts on training both Gi and No-Gi, an attribute that’s most beneficial for Gi and No-Gi, how Elijah transitioned from predominantly training Gi to competing at a high level in No-Gi, how Elijah trains his cardio for BJJ, thoughts on drilling and making drilling more...

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by BJJ black belt Shawn Hammonds. Shawn shares how he discovered BJJ, the early days of acquiring techniques and learning new techniques, the importance of position and proper posture, Shawn’s start in competition, how Shawn met Lloyd Irvin and the impact he made on Shawn’s career, how Chewy learned to drill and improve his techniques from Shawn, Shawn’s philosophy on teaching techniques, the attributes that make a good competitor, favorite...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ black belt, former MMA fighter, and Doctor of Physical Therapy Mike Piekarski. We discuss Mike’s start in martial arts and becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy, his treatment philosophies for warming up and preparing the body for training Jiu-Jitsu, how Mike started working with Jiu-Jitsu athletes, the biggest mistakes people make in rehab and recovery, body and joint maintenance, how "Functional Range Conditioning" is...

Brandon Mccaghren is a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, owner of 10th Planet Decatur, and a Jiu-Jitsu commentator. Brandon returns to the podcast to discuss the evolution of the "Professional Grappling League" (PGF) and what has changed from season 1 to season, how he got involved with the "Craig Jones Invitational" (CJI) as a commentator, how the CJI “Alley” and ruleset encouraged action and excitement, his philosophies on making a Jiu-Jitsu match exciting, how to reward offense in...

On this episode, we talk to the producers of the Craig Jones Invitational, Eddie Marquez and Todd Ferrante. Eddie is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and event producer and Todd is the senior producer of Karate Combat and has produced other events such as The X-Games. On this episode, Eddie and Todd discuss how they got involved working with Craig Jones and producing the CJI, how they made adjustments to the CJI on the fly, the challenges of producing a Jiu-Jitsu event, the difficulty of setting up...

Chewy and Eugene discuss dealing with “Seminar Snipers” and also some ideas on how to slow down a roll. Chewy discusses dealing with seminar participants that go really hard during the rolling rounds, how to slow down a roll at a seminar, setting an intention at a seminar, the biggest breakthrough in Chewy's BJJ, declining a roll with a training partner, how to roll with less intensity, and how physical trauma can impact how you roll in BJJ. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of developing the mindset to lose like a champion. Chewy shares his experience coaching at the ADCC, how elite level athletes develop a unique mindset when dealing with a loss, impressive ADCC and CJI performances, assessing Gordon Ryan’s perfomance, thoughts on competing with injuries, the importance of sponsors for the success of grappling events, thoughts on sustainability of fighter pay, thoughts on Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa's shoulder...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene recap their weekend in Las Vegas and discuss what it was like attending the 2024 ADCC Worlds and the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational. We discuss how using the “pit” at CJI effected the matches, our thoughts on the use of rounds, the 10-point must scoring system, open scoring, and judging criteria for the CJI. We also discuss the challenges of the ADCC ruleset, CJI trolls, rule changes that could make the matches more exciting in the ADCC, the biggest...

David Avellan is a BJJ black belt, ADCC 2009 Bronze Medalist, creator of “The Kimura Trap System,” and owner of the Freestyle Fighting Academy. On this episode, David shares his start in martial arts, transitioning to wrestling, lessons learned from wrestling, starting a gym with minimal training and no business experience, how he raised money for the gym by running tournaments, how working with Lloyd Irvin changed the trajectory of his business, the importance of culture for a successful...

TJ graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1999 with a degree in Behavioral Sciences. Over the next several years he attended NATO’s premier fighter pilot training course, EURO-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) and became an F-16 fighter pilot. He served overseas in Korea and deployed to Iraq as a combat flight lead, and was recognized as the Hill Air Force Base Flight Lead of the Year in 2005. Later he served as an instructor and evaluator pilot at ENJJPT, overseeing student training...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Jason "Blind Fury" Keaton. Jason is a BJJ black belt, musician, and owner of Blind Fury Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Jason discusses his start in martial arts, first starting his training in Wing Chun and then transitioning to BJJ in 1996, what it was like learning martial arts with visual impairment, how learning Wing Chun helped with learning BJJ, training as much as possible as a younger grappler, meeting Renato Tavares, the evolution...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss how setting expectations in Jiu-Jitsu can make you fragile as well as lead to frustration in training. We also discuss how to build a healthy ego in Jiu-Jitsu. We talk about getting caught by less experienced training partners, how we are constantly changing, the importance of having a plan, the book “The Worry Cure,” for dealing with rumination, what we get wrong about the ego, how to help students get out of a rut, focusing on the “small wins” in...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the best advice they would give or wish they got through each belt rank in Jiu-Jitsu. We also discuss the most powerful technique to employ in BJJ (learn to experiment, how to avoid stagnation in BJJ, and the benefit of teaching. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss two rules for Jiu-Jitsu. Rule #1 - Expect to get thrown off a horse into a pile of manure. Chewy shares a story of getting thrown off of a horse and how the expectation of this possibility helped with the discomfort and difficulty of the process of learning to ride. We discuss the realization that struggles and difficulties are a part of getting better at Jiu-Jitsu, expect that there will be difficulties with learning Jiu-Jitsu, why...

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by Michael Pixley. Michael is a Jiu-Jitsu purple belt training out of Pedigo Submission Fighting, he is the NAIA 2017 National Champion and Wrestler of The Year, 2019 NCAA Division 2 National Champion, 2x World and Pan Am Champion at Blue Belt, and the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials winner in the Michael shares some of his most intense weight-cut stories, starting out in Judo and then transitioning to wrestling, his toughest wrestling match and the...

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene do a live recording of the podcast and discuss the importance of building a solid system of escapes from side control.  We also discuss if escaping from side control is the most difficult position to escape from, the approach you should take when escaping side control and what people lack the most, if escaping is a skill learned in the instructional setting or from experience, the biggest misconception when escaping side control, one quality...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the importance of building a strong defensive side control to create a better offensive Jiu-Jitsu game. We discuss how initially we focus on bottom side control defense as newer grapplers, but eventually stop focusing on this part of our game. We also discuss why having poor defense can make your offense less effective, how a solid defense will improve your submission rate in competition, why confidence in your escapes works like a safety net, why...

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the impact the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) will have on the state of grappling and the upcoming ADCC world championships. We discuss our thoughts on Craig’s motives and strategy when promoting the CJI, the importance of using high quality production to attract spectators, the increased attention that Craig Jones and the CJI has brought to grappling, why the timing of the CJI is bad for the athletes, the pros and cons of splitting the elite...