The BJJ Fanatics Podcast

Amal Easton joins the show to talk about being one of the first Americans to travel to Brazil to learn BJJ in the early 90's, meeting Renzo Gracie, BJJ for every day people and training for longevity. He also discusses some of BJJ's cultural nuances

Jackson Sousa shares his powerful life story, from beginning his life in the Favela (slums) in Rio to becoming a decorated champion. He also talks about Terere's influence on him and for the first time in an interview opens up about beating drug addiction

Master Luiz Palhares joins the show and talks about BJJ in Brazil in the 1970's and 80's, Training under Rolls and Rickson Gracie, Vale Tudo in the 90's and why he is a firm believer of training in the gi. He also talks about teaching Navy SEALS

Mike Palladino joins the show and discusses how Pro Wrestling led him to BJJ, learning from Vlad Koulikov and Formiga, online learning, why you shouldn't worry about rank, and competition mindset. He also talks about self defense and sport grappling.

Anthony Ferraro is a NJ State Greco Champion, An accomplished high school wrestler and a Judo brown belt. He has accomplished all this despite being blind. He is the focus of the film "A Shot in the Dark" and shares his inspirational story

After a brief hiatus, Kurt is back! We catch up with him and talk about his upcoming Asian tour, his new drum room, rock stars fighting with fans, options for going bald, Kurt's mustache and his naked arrest story. Kurt also gets triggered by toothpaste.

Robert Drysdale has been traveling all over Brazil and Japan gathering historical data for the documentary film "Closed Guard". Some of what he's found may make you question what you thought you knew about BJJ's history!

Fresh off winning the EBI Featherweight championship, Jonathan Calestine joins the show to recap the event and talk about his rise in the sport. He also talks about the struggles of being a full time grappler and managing injuries.

Matt Kaplan joins the show for a hilarious and entertaining episode! Topics include pro wrestling death matches, pro wrestling moves in MMA, leg locks, punk rock and rolling drunk. He also talks about training with Garry Tonon and Eddie Cummings.

David Aguzzi is back to talk about the growth of Grappling Industries, the BJJ ban in Montreal and training referees. He also gives a deep breakdown of what it costs to run a tournament and why entries cost what they do for competitors.

Justin "Master Chim" Garcia makes his second appearance on the show for a deep discussion of self defense, dealing with armed attackers from a grappling standpoint and building muscle memory. He also talks about the direction of competitive grappling.

Ben Kovacs is the founder of The Guardian Gym, a martial arts school that allows disadvantaged kids and adults train for free or for a rate that they can afford. He talks about how the project started and the impact it has had on the community.

Daniel Perez is the first American to get a Black Belt under Demian Maia. He talks about training with Demian, running his own school, finding the right training environment for you and the blue belt blues. He also talks about self defense in the street.

Sgt. 1st Class Matt Larsen is the man behind the US military's Modern Combatives Program. He explains why BJJ is the base style in the system, effects of adrenaline in a fight, self defense for civilians and how a bar fight opened his mind to new tactics

Vlad Koulikov returns to the show to talk about his recent promotion to BJJ Black Belt, winning the Combat Wrestling Worlds in Japan, training through injuries, conditioning and his views on the modern leg lock game from a Sambo perspective

Joao Assis joins the show to talk about how Jiu-Jitsu helped him on a better path in life, learning from Leo Vieira and Mario Sperry, being a purple belt for 6 years and moving to the US without knowing anyone and with limited English

Luiz Panza joins the show to talk about his recent trip to Brazil, his intro to martial arts, why his mother banned him from training as a young man, Chuck Norris jokes and his rap song he recently write for his friend Buchecha!

Spenser Mango is a decorated Greco Roman Wrestling champion and a 2x Team USA Olympian. He talks about finding his style, strength & conditioning, the benefits of being smaller and his Olympic experience. He also gives advice on diet and cutting weight.

"Pe De Pano" joins the show to talk about how BJJ saved him from his troubled youth, the Colby Covington incident, Brazil in the 90's vs today, the ingredients of a champion and facing weaknesses head on. He also gives technical insight on the armbar

UFC veteran and BJJ champion Eliot Marshall joins the show to talk about finding BJJ in 1997, cult mentalities that exist in BJJ, the UFC, his love for teaching and meditation. He also provides one of the funniest answers The Pummel has ever seen.