Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Tag Archives: bjj interview
Epi 331 The Mighty Dames Torrie O’neil
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we have an interview with Torrie O’neil founder of The Mighty Dames. The Mighty Dames is a community of women grapplers classified as heavy weight (over 160lbs)

We talk about:
- Her start with BJJ
- Her style of jiu-jitsu
- Starting The Mighty Dames
- Having a game that matches your body type
- Her struggles with starting BJJ
- Helping new students with support
- Helping girls get good fitting gis
- Training gi and no-gi
- What to expect at a tournament
- How to treat training partners
Links:
- BjjBrick Shop
- Your First Year of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Six BJJ Training Games to Play While Rolling
- Your support is appreciated on Patreon
Quote of the week: “You can’t change the people around you but, you can change the people around you.”
Article of the week: Jiu-jitsu and Vedanta: Four Yogic Paths to Mastery
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
Epi 319 Alia Garcia-Valadez
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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.

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?
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
Epi 309 No-Gi Star Ashley Williams
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we bring you an interview with one of Europe’s top competitors Ashley Williams.

We talk about:
- His move to the Submission Only format
- Fighting in Polaris and the 3 round system
- Training for specific events
- Dealing with a combination of injuries
- Using a counter attack strategy
- His experiences in EBI
- Being in exciting matches
- Dealing with losses
- The change of the leg lock game
- Tips for people to do better in competition
- Different levels for each belt
Links:
Quote of the week: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Michelangelo
Article of the week: Make your BJJ training effortless

Find out how to support the BjjBrick Podcast here!
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
Epi 302 Marisa Messer-Belenchia
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we have an interview with brown belt Marisa Messer-Belenchia.

We talk about:
- Trying to do wrestling as a kid
- An odd start to BJJ
- How her game is changing
- Training both gi and nogi
- Dealing with injuries and sickness
- Coping with the loss of loved ones
- How she benefits from teaching BJJ
- Winning worlds and pans as a purple belt
- Traveling and doing BJJ
- Teaching grit with BJJ
Links:
Quote of the week: “deal with the faults of others as gently as your own” Chinese proverb
Article of the week: How to support your child’s mental health
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
Epi 284 Eliot Kelly Coaching and Competing
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we have an interview with Eliot Kelly. Eliot is a top ranked grappler and excellent coach. This interview covers a wide range of topics from his accelerated development on the mat to helping students at El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Self Defense.
We talk about:
- His start in BJJ
- How taking a train to BJJ helped him get better
- Coaching BJJ and preparing himself to compete
- How to learn from a loss
- How coaching makes him be a better competitor
- How competing makes him a better coach
- Dealing with injuries
- Getting hurt and coming back to the competition world
- Balancing BJJ and a home life with family
- Dealing with trends
- Matching your BJJ to your personality
- Focusing your training
- Evaluating your performance
Links:
- The book Mind Gym
- Eliot Kelly on Youtube
- Armor Kimonos
- EliotKelly.com
- One Body Pain & Performance Solutions
- Eliot on Facebook
- Eliot on Instagram
Quote of the week: “Without hustle, your talent will only get dyou so far” – Gary Vaynerchuk
Article of the week:
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
Epi 267 Joel Bouhey Talks Falcon Guard and Reverse Triangle
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we have an interview with Luis Heredia Black Belt Joel Bouhey. You will find Joel training and teaching his innovative style in Maui.
We talk about:
- Training BJJ in Oregan and Hawaii
- Making the transition to full time training
- Changing your focus while training
- Training BJJ for MMA
- BJJ for self defense
- The development of new techniques
- What is the falcon guard
- The reverse triangle
- Tips for training BJJ while traveling
- Tips for competing while traveling
Links:
- The Falcon Guard by Joel Bouhey on Bjjfanatics
- Reverse triangle the world by Joel Bouhey on Bjjfanatics
- Joel Bouhey on Insta
- Joel Bouhey on YouTube
Quote of the week: “Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” Paul Tournier
Article of the week: How to Measure Success in a Jiu-Jitsu Competition
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
Epi 260 The Rooster Weight Kimura Machine Marcelo Cohen
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we have an interview with 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:
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
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
Epi 246 Jake Fox, Tim Sledd & Roli Delgado BjjBrick Extra
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This episode we have interviews with Jake Fox, Tim Sledd, and Roli Delgado. This is a great preview of the first BjjBrick Event. The event will be June 22, 23, 24 in Wichita Kansas at Fox Fitness. We hope to see you there!
Jake talks about
- His start to BJJ and MMA
- Running Fox Fitness BJJ in Wichita
- He refers to John Castillo, His interview is here
- What to expect at the BjjBrick Summer Camp in Wichita
Tim talks about
- The concept of Small Axe
- How he teaches a kids seminar
- Why he teaches a particular way
Roli talks about
- Teaching leg locks
- Running his school in Little Rock
- The leg lock Osage Crunch
Contact FoxFitnessBJJ@gmail.com if you have question about the BjjBrick Summer Camp. Here is the event page of Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/1832580536773035/
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
Epi 129 Black Belt Dan Covel Gives Us Great Advice
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod
This week we bring you an interview with Dan Covel. Dan is a BJJ black belt training under Marcelo Garcia. You can find him on the mats in Hoboken, New Jersey and in Manhattan, New York.
We talk about:
- Starting martial arts with Judo
- Doing MMA at age 17
- Using the closed guard
- What makes the closed guard such a strong position
- How to pass the closed guard
- Getting the most out of kids BJJ
- Why he stores his tournament medals in a drawer
- The benefits of competing
- The use of BJJ in a street fight
- What he does to get ready to compete
- Good goals for new students
Links:
- Dan’s Black Magic Closed Guard DVD use coupon code “bjjbrick” for 15% off this dvd at budo videos!
- Dan’s Facebook page
- Dan on Twitter
- Dan’s school in Mahattann
- Dan’s school in Hoboken
Quote of the week: “Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details.” Heraclitus
Article of the week: Character building from Goulburn Martial Arts Academy Helping kids deal with bullies.
This week we learn how to say “good bye” in Portuguese with part two of our language learning segment.
Gary’s future book is called “defensive driving, offensive driving, and driving over the neighbor’s fensive”
Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast