Epi 320 BJJ Travel Guide

This week we offer many tips and advice about training BJJ while you travel. We share many stories and experiences from our time on the road.

Byron got a chance to train BJJ in Iceland this summer at Mjölnir MMA. Pictures are with Omar and Axel.

We talk about:

– Our experiences when training when traveling

– When do you not train when traveling

– Positives and negative

– Tips for walking into a new gym, Find a gym, contact the gym, follow basic bjj social norms, know your why

-Rolling as a guest

Links:

Quote of the week: “Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed. There is so little competition.” Elbert Hubbard

Article of the week: https://beastmodesoccer.com/5-ways-to-become-a-better-soccer-player/

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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Day Two ADCC 2019 (our thoughts)

This is our second part of ADCC 2019 coverage. And you guessed it part two covers day two.

Meeting Marcelo Garcia at ADCC 2019

We talk about:

  • The women’s division
  • Who won gold in each weight class
  • The absolute division
  • The need to change the tables to something that helps with fighter safety
  • Some of our favorite parts of ADCC
  • Some grapplers that made standout performances
  • Interviews that will air in the future

Epi 319 Alia Garcia-Valadez

Alia is a 39 year old blue belt and an active competitor. She started doing kickboxing and eventually started doing BJJ. She is also a teammate of our very own Joe Thomas.

Alia getting Silver at master worlds (after the interview was recorded)

We talk about:

  • Her start to martial arts
  • Dealing with health issues that resulted in a stroke or TIA
  • Changing her training to protect against future medical issues
  • Making goals to get fit
  • Promoting women’s Jiu-Jitsu
  • Taking a role as a “Team Mom”
  • Networking at tournaments
  • Training with smaller teammates
  • Having fun while training
  • Advice for a first tournament
  • Changing her mindset for a tournament
  • Self talk before a tournament

Links:

Quote of the week:”Persistence overshadows even talent as the most valuable resource shaping the quality of life.” Tony Robbins

Article of the week: Is Jiu-Jitsu Training Violent?

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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

Epi 318 An Amazing Journey with Stephan Kesting

We talk about:

  • His start with martial arts
  • His first experiences with grappling
  • Starting Grapplearts.com
  • Getting a life saving kidney transplant from his brother
  • Doing his 1000 mile canoe expedition
  • Some of the tools he carried
  • Dealing with difficult weather
  • Jiu-jitsu training tips
  • Building a big gas tank for the mats
  • Being a problem solver
  • Dealing with the dangers of the water
  • Dealing with isolation
  • Staying safe when bears are near
  • The cost of a big trip like this
  • Pushing your limits

Links:

Quote of the week: The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. Walt Disney

Article of the week: Be A Better Coach by Not Instructing Your Students

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

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Epi 317 Living the Dream Nick Unander

This is our second interview with Black Belt Nick Unander. You will find Nick training and teaching in Paralimni Cyprus. Nick had a recent health scare and he updates us on his story and shares much wisdom about his continued BJJ journey.

We talk about:

  • Teaching BJJ in Cyprus
  • Having tourist train in his academy
  • Dealing with a recent health scare
  • The roles of a coach
  • Making adjustments to his workouts
  • Changing his diet to be more healthy
  • His plans for travel
  • What should new students be working on?
  • Training in a difficult environment
  • Training on a tight schedule
  • Advice for starting BJJ as an older student

Links:

Quote of the week: “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” ―W. Clement Stone

Question of the week: As a blue belt, I am going to try no-gi for the first time, any tips?

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for AndriodThis entry was posted in Uncategorized by byronjabara. Bookmark the permalink.

Epi 316 Top Level Competitor Dante Leon

This week we have an interview with Dante Leon. We cover everything from getting ready for ADCC to tips for the listeners.

We talk about:

  • Training both gi and no-gi
  • Training with specific rules in mind
  • Training for a particular person or training to take on a bracket
  • Kicking in the door of the black belt division
  • Staying healthy and lifting weights
  • Training around injuries
  • Training for professional vs recreational
  • Getting your mind and body ready for peak performance
  • The importance of his team
  • Training smart
  • Tips for lifting to get better at BJJ

Links:

Quote of the week: “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” -Napoleon Hill

Article of the week: The Gentle Art of Choking

Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for AndriodThis entry was posted in Uncategorized by byronjabara. Bookmark the permalink.

Be A Better Coach by Not Instructing Your Students

I’d like to take a minute to share with you an awesome training experience I recently had in the gym. The experience was very enlightening. I saw a fellow student, an accomplished brown belt, spend the entire time during the learning new technique portion of class assisting a brand-new student without ever once telling him he had done something wrong. Here’s the story….

            I showed up a little late which is common when I’m at work and the students were already drilling the first set of instructions the coach had given. I stood with the coach observing and B.S.ing with him until it came time for him to show the next set of details in the technique. After that I needed to pick a pair of students to work in with – I had noticed my friend Josh working with this brand new guy (a guy about 15 whose parents were on the sidelines) so I joined them thinking Josh could do the technique on me and that would give him a chance to explain all the details as he executed the move. Here’s how that went….

            It started with me on my back with my feet on Josh’s hips. Of course, in a real fight there would be grips to break and other things to deal with but for now we were just working the mechanics of the pass. The new guy had already repped this on Josh….so Josh stuffed one of my feet and then crouched over it effectively eliminating that foot from the equation. Josh said “just like you stuffed my foot and took a low stance, I’m going to do the same thing. I like to really crowd my opponent because it takes away any power or leverage he can generate” ….”then just like you put your right hand on my left hip…I’m going to do the same thing, I like to connect my knee and elbow because it prevents Joe from getting a knee shield and starting to develop a half guard”…..”then I grab his sleeve, the same way you did and pull up so he can’t get on a shoulder or worse for me on his elbow”…. “I sidestep a little and then with my right leg I pin his right leg to the deck just like you did, I like to be closer to his knee because….” The whole night was like this. At every step Josh was providing the new guy with some direction and guidance while at the same time telling how many things he was actually doing right.

            I’m not saying this is the only (or even the best) but in this instance I think there were two main positive outcomes. The first is that people are more likely to listen to your instruction when it is delivered with compliments in a positive manner. The second, and I think this is huge, is that I believe the kid left class very optimistic about his chances at succeeding in jiu jitsu. I can imagine him getting in his car and telling his parents “I think I could be pretty good at this”. Isn’t that the way we would like all new students to leave class?

Train hard. Train smart. Get better.

Joe