Interviews

Jiu-jitsu is something we all love. But, will you love it after 25 years of training? Jared Weiner does! Listen in as Josh hangs out with the head of the TAC Team affiliation. Jared never fails to have some great stories to tell and this episode is no different.

Prof. Leka Vieira talks about the early days!

Chewy discusses his expectations for each belt in BJJ and we answer a bunch of questions on the Youtube Live Q&A including book recommendations, how to train if you don't have the money, favorite grapplers and MMA fighters, video games, dream BJJ matchups including Roger Gracie vs. Gordon Ryan, and much more. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

In today's episode the Headnod Squad reunites for the first time since the quarantine. This episode is one giant tangent. Listen to it.

Robert Drysdale makes his 3rd appearance on the show! He talks about the importance of human contact, the struggles of running a gym, confidence waves during the BJJ journey and chronic blaming. He also updates us on his upcoming documentary Closed Guard!

In today's Question and Answer Josh goes on 30 tangents and doesn't directly answer a single question asked.

Dr Leif H. Smith is the author of 'Sports Psychology for Dummies' and in this episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast he shares his very best tips for developing mental toughness, managing fear, not choking at critical moments, and how to perform optimally in training, competition and life. I think you'll really like this one! Check out 'Sports Psychology for Dummies' anywhere books or ebooks are sold, follow Dr Leif H Smith on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrLeifSmith or check out his website at https://www.personalbestconsulting.com/ If you're enjoying these podcasts then please give it a rating or a review in the podcast platform you use most often. That really helps! And check out the new and improved Grapplearts BJJ Master App - it now has a podcast player and all the blog material right in the app itself. Cheers, Stephan

Martin Jancsics is one of the world's leading authorities on Stone lifting. In this episode, we talk all about historic stone lifting; its history, the culture, the stories, the myths and the stones themselves. We also discuss how Martin got into stone lifting and how he got so good at it.

Professor arlans Siqueira- sua opniao de prevencao contra o Corona virus

Tom DeBlass is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, multiple time ADCC American Trials Champion, and former MMA fighter. On this episode, we discussed the impact of the Corona Virus on the jiu-jitsu community, Tom's start in BJJ and transitioning to MMA, competing in the ADCC, retiring from competition, coaching Gary Tonon, the mystique of John Danaher, his social media presence, and much more. Follow Tom on Instagram @tomdeblass and check out his gym, Ocean County Jiu-Jitsu. Link to extra content www.chewjitsu.net/corona Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

Adam Wardzinski joins the show to talk about the BJJ scene in Poland, the path to becoming a professional grappler, rolling vs drilling and why it's important to roll with lower belts. He also gives a deep breakdown of the Butterfly Guard!

Steve Campbell is Manchesters first BJJ black belt and owner of Stealth BJJ. In this episode, we talk about Steves BJJ journey which included living in Brazil for 8 years and all the stories that come along with that.

In today's episode Josh interviews fellow black belt and doctoral candidate Jeff Shulze. Imagery acronym: PETTLEP – physical, environmental, task, timing, learning, emotion, perspective Books: Kabat-Zinn, J., & Hanh, T. N. (2009). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Delta. Mumford, G. (2015). The mindful athlete: Secrets to pure performance. Parallax Press. Guided meditation: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations How to find a sport psychologist https://appliedsportpsych.org/certification/cmpc-directory/ https://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/psychology/center-clinics/sports-psych.php

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by 2 x ADCC and Pan Am Champion "JT" Torres. JT joins the podcast to discuss his start in BJJ, his first competition, the importance of mental toughness, giving up everything to train with some of the greatest coaches in BJJ, how he developed his pressure style, opening his gym, finally winning the ADCC, and proving the doubters wrong. Follow JT Torres on Instagram @jtorresbjj and check out his gym at www.essentialbjj.com Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

This week, Rob is back to help Steve and Matt discuss the tactics used by cult-like organizations. We discuss why these are dangerous, common objections from cult members, and tactics to combat cult-like behaviour in your organization. For more on the BITE influence continuum: [https://freedomofmind.com/influence-continuum/](https://freedomofmind.com/influence-continuum/) Why cult tactics are dangerous: - The rabbit hole effect: Although belief in cults and conspiracy theories may start small, they lead to escalating and more radical beliefs.- Cognitive dissonance: The mind becomes uncomfortable when your actions don't align with your preconceived beliefs. Once someone starts involvement with a cult, cognitive dissonance can lead people to "rewrite" their beliefs to be deeper entrenched in the cult. Common objections from cult members: - “These rituals are for team building.”- “I get value out of the cult.”- “It’s harmless to play along with these rituals.”- “Cult is too strong a term for our organization.”- “Our cult is one of the good ones.” Tactics for combating cults: - Use of humor, especially with the leader- The leader isn't afraid to look bad or lose- Willingness to challenge the leader- Exposure to other groups- Communal sharing of knowledge **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

Moments ago I recorded a podcast with Raf from The Verbal Tap Podcast about what grapplers and martial artists should do during the coronavirus and COVID 19 outbreak and I'm sharing that with you now. Based on training in martial arts for 40 years, being a first responder, and also having a master's degree in biology my recommendation is that YOU DON'T TRAIN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS at least. After that we'll have much better idea of what to do next. Read my detailed article here for more info: https://www.grapplearts.com/covid-19-bjj/ Flatten the curve folks, Stephan

Kent Peters joins the show to talk about overcoming plateaus, being self-taught in BJJ, forcing yourself into miserable spots and the value of keeping a training journal. He also talks about attacking from non-dominant positions and Jiu-Jitsu for women

This week, Steve and Matt are once again joined by Rob Biernacki to discuss a topic very near and dear to us: cults and the tactics they use. Cults have a long and storied history within the martial arts. This episode gives you the tools you need to identify when you're being exploited by a cult-like organization. Who is vulnerable to recruitment: - People seeking security- People seeking belonging- People seeking specialness/unearned superiority. Tactics used by cult-like organizations to manipulate their members: - An initial act of dominion- Reverence to a mysterious mystical figure- Secret knowledge- Separating you from the rest of your support network and society- Hierarchy where questioning authority is prohibited and punished- Escalating requirements of personal contribution- Ostracizing former members- Aggressively protecting the cult’s reputation. **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

Frank Trigg is an MMA pioneer, former UFC Welterweight title challenger, UFC Hall of Famer, MMA referee, and actor/stuntman. Frank discusses his start in sports and wrestling, competing in MMA, transitioning to acting and becoming a stunt man, refereeing, sailing, and he shares some stories from his MMA days. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

Jeffery Donovan joins the show to talk about fusing Judo and BJJ, starting training after 30 and learning to love competition. He also talks about mental strength and battling cancer while maintaining his journey in Jiu-Jitsu.

In today's episode I talk to Scott Loughney about an incredible 640 km ultrarunning challenge in the highest mountain range of the world. Scott together with Ryan Wagner and Upendra Sunuwar successfully linked Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, with Everest Base Camp, a round trip distance of 640km. We really get down into the weeds with this one about the nuances of training for and then completing such a challenge. I hope you like it! 01:57 The Mount Everest Mailrun Challenge 07:54 Suffering and Type 1, 2 and 3 adventure 12:10 Hallucinations while pushing the limits of endurance 19:43 In-depth foot care and blister management for ultrarunning, 30:37 Risk evaluation and mitigation during the Everest Mailrun Challenge 39:19 Training to handle risks for the project 46:39 Oxygen levels and deprivation while running in the Himalayas 49:35 10 principles for achieving big projects 1:03:40 How to organise the rest of your life around training 1:07:40 How to prevent your body from breaking down and getting injuries 1:10:56 More information and future projects Check out the Grapplearts Signature Gi at https://www.grapplearts.com/gi Thanks Stephan

In today's episode Josh interviews 2nd degree black belt Nick Sanders. Nick talks about his unique journey that includes joining the army, becoming  a US marshall, and then a physical therapist by day and Jiu-jitsu coach by night.

Chewy shares how he gets the most out of himself and his students by creating buy-in, positive self-talk, how he uses enthusiasm to achieve goals, and discusses how he is able to use mental imagery when completing difficult tasks. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

Oliver Taza trains at Tristar in Montreal with Firas Zahabi and at Renzo Gracie's in New York City with John Danaher. With his impeccable technique and aggressive grappling style he has amassed an impressive array of wins at Polaris, Metamoris, the ADCC Trials, the No Gi Worlds, and many more competitions. In this episode we go deep into the training and technical development required to hang with the Danaher Death Squad monsters and win at the elite level. I think you'll really like it! Also check out the new instructional I did with Oliver Taza called No Gi Leglocks at https://www.grapplearts.com/taza. I guarantee that it'll immediately take your leglock game up to the next level and allow you to tap out your training partners more often! Cheers, Stephan