BJJ Mental Models
Your guide to a conceptual and intelligent Jiu-Jitsu approach. BJJ black belt Steve Kwan and a slate of expert guests explain the concepts, strategies, and tactics behind the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Ep. 401: Escaping Positions, feat. Rosie Miller
This week, we're joined by returning guest Rosie Miller! Rosie is a black belt out of San Diego who built a following teaching jiu-jitsu beginners the things she wishes she'd known at white belt. In this episode, Rosie explains why survival has to come before escape, and how to spot the tipping point where a bad position turns into real danger. She also gets into why she steers beginners away from closed guard, and how small, constant movement keeps the person on top working until an escape opens. Topics include: positional escapes, tipping points, surviving bottom side control, escaping...
Mini Ep. 116: Mental Gatekeeping
In this mini-episode, we discuss mental gatekeeping: the practice of guarding your mind against negative thinking and low-quality information.
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Ep. 400: Always Timeless, feat. Rafael Lovato Jr.
This week, for our 400th episode, we're joined by Rafael Lovato Jr.! Rafael is a multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion, a former Bellator middleweight MMA champion, and the creator of the Timeless Jiu-Jitsu philosophy. In this episode, Rafael makes the case that consistency beats intensity, and shows how a game built on timeless fundamentals lets you dominate opponents no matter your age. Topics include: consistency over intensity, competing in your 40s, playing the long game, mastering the fundamentals, and the case for the mount.
Follow Rafael on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/lovatojrbjj
Get Rafael's new...
Mini Ep. 115: Incremental Learning
In this mini-episode, we discuss incremental learning: the practice of breaking down a new concept to learn it piece by piece.
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Ep. 399: Breaking Through Plateaus, feat. Giles Garcia
This week, we're joined by Giles Garcia! Giles is a black belt competitor and the head coach and owner of Ronin Grappling in Glasgow, Scotland. In this episode, Giles explains how to break through training plateaus: how to spot one, how to name the specific problem hiding underneath it, and how to build a plan to solve it. Topics include: overtraining, the elevator theory, naming your plateau, and treating training partners as collaborators.
Train with Giles at Ronin Grappling in Glasgow:
https://roningrappling.com
Watch Giles's videos at BJJ Codex:
https://www.bjjcodex...
Mini Ep. 114: Goodhart's Law
In this mini-episode, we discuss Goodhart's Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to become a good measure.
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Ep. 398: Old Bastard Sweeps, feat. Mike Mahaffey
This week, we're joined by Mike Mahaffey! Mike is a second-degree black belt under Chris Haueter, best known for his Old Bastard Jiu-Jitsu style: a conservative approach built for older and less athletic grapplers. In this episode, Mike explains how to sweep from the bottom by disrupting your opponent's base instead of relying on speed or strength. Topics include: maintaining your base from the bottom, making them carry your weight, fulcrum sweeps, and the scissor and tripod sweeps.
Follow Mike Mahaffey:
https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj
https://threads.com/@oldbastardbjj
Train with Mike Mahaffey...
Mini Ep. 113: Availability Heuristic
In this mini-episode, we discuss the availability heuristic: a mental bias toward information that is easy to recall.
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Ep. 397: Risk Management in BJJ, feat. Jake Luigi
This week, we're joined again by Jake Luigi! Jake is a jiu-jitsu analyst who made his name studying professional match footage, and he runs OutlierDB, an analytics database for grappling. In this episode, Jake lays out a three-part framework for managing risk: name the worst-case scenario, watch for the key indicators that it's coming, and only attack hard once those indicators are in your favor. Topics include: risk-reward analysis, points of control, grip fighting, terminal positions, and Goodhart's Law.
Subscribe to Less Impressed More Involved on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@LIMIBJJ
Check out...
Mini Ep. 112: Coiling
In this mini-episode, we discuss coiling, or retracting your limbs and neck. It denies access to our body's vulnerable levers and positions us to explosively generate force.
Staying coiled is a smart "default" position if you're not sure what to do. But there are times when you need to uncoil, and that is when:
#1: there's a productive reason to do so, and
#2: you can do so safely and without giving up a lever.
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⬆️ LE...
Ep. 396: Relative Strength, feat. Will Weisser
This week, we're joined by Will Weisser! Will is a jiu-jitsu black belt, co-founder of the competition-tracking site JiuJitsu.net, and author of the new book Scientific Jiu-Jitsu: A Unified Theory of Grappling. In this episode, Will lays out that unified theory: the idea that every jiu-jitsu technique exists to raise your own strength or reduce your opponent's. Topics include: relative strength, frames and misdirection, body alignment, and why being strong works.
Get Will's book, Scientific Jiu-Jitsu: A Unified Theory of Grappling:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594390355
Check out JiuJitsu.net:
https://jiujitsu...
Mini Ep. 111: Porcupine Strategy
In this mini-episode, we discuss porcupine strategy: the art of making your defense so painful that your aggressors think twice.
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Ep. 395: Take the Slack Out, feat. Jesse Walker
This week, we're joined by Jesse Walker! Jesse is the head coach and co-founder of Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky, and a frequent BJJ Mental Models collaborator. In this episode, Jesse makes the case for loading a joint with tension before you ever start the breaking mechanics, so the finish takes a fraction of the effort. Topics include: adding traction before the break, the order of operations of a joint lock, backing up to retighten a loose position, fixing the much-maligned Americana, and leglock safety through control.
Train with Jesse at Rough Hands BJJ:
https...
Mini Ep. 110: Mind the Gap
In this mini-episode, we discuss "mind the gap:" a no-gi gripping concept that prevents your opponent from pulling or circling their hand free.
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Ep. 394: Position Series: No-Gi Lasso, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! Rob is the head instructor of Island Top Team and the mind behind BJJ Concepts. In this episode, Rob breaks down how he built a working no-gi version of the lasso, a position long considered gi-only. Topics include: minding the gap in no-gi grips, the inverted grip, the omoplata as a control system, wedging, and hybrid lasso guards.
Rob on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/islandtopteam
Learn from Rob at BJJ Concepts:
https://bjjconcepts.net
Get Rob's No-Gi Lasso instructional:
https://bjjconcepts.net...
Mini Ep. 109: Overwhelming Force
In this mini-episode, we discuss overwhelming force: the idea that we maximize our power by using the most of our body's weapons against the least of our opponent's.
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Ep. 393: Submission Series: The Woj Lock 2.0, feat Chris Wojcik
This week, we're joined again by Chris Wojcik! In this episode, Chris rebuilds his approach to the Woj Lock around a few guiding concepts instead of a catalog of techniques. Topics include: the three points of control, proximal vs. distal control, redefining what counts as fundamental, and training leg locks through games instead of memorization.
Get Woj Lock 2.0 from BJJ Fanatics:
https://bjjfanatics.com/products/woj-lock-2-0-completing-the-leg-lock-game-by-chris-wojcik
Subscribe to the Grappler's Diary:
https://thegrapplersdiary.substack.com
Get the Grappler's Diary book:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRS9K6...
Mini Ep. 108: Inertia
In this mini-episode, we discuss inertia: a concept from physics explaining that objects are resistant to changes in velocity.
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Ep. 392: The 90% That Matters, feat. Beatrice Jin
This week, we're joined by Beatrice Jin! Beatrice is a black belt competing in the IBJJF top 10 at lightweight and middleweight, and she's known across jiu-jitsu social media for her whiteboard reels. In this episode, Beatrice breaks down the 90% of jiu-jitsu that has nothing to do with sparring, and why the work around the mat is what actually builds a career. Topics include: what podium finishes actually feel like, building a women's open mat from three people to thirty, finding the niche only you can fill, and using social media to build trust before asking for the sale.
<...
Mini Ep. 107: Emotional Contagion
In this mini-episode, we discuss emotional contagion: a psychological and physiological concept that shows us how much our emotions and behavior impact others around us.
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Ep. 391: Am I Getting Better? feat. Josh McKinney
This week, we're joined by Josh McKinney! Josh is a black belt, head coach at HeadNod Jiu-Jitsu in Southern Illinois, and the host of the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu podcast. In this episode, Josh shares a framework for self-coaching beyond getting belt promotions, and explains why submission count and belt color are the wrong yardsticks for measuring whether you're getting better. Topics include: false metrics, the over-reliance on your A-game, learning to read old-school black belts, the Henry Akins "how many steps" test, and managing effort as a progress metric.
Follow Josh on Instagram:
https://instagram...
Mini Ep. 106: Cognitive Load
In this mini-episode, we discuss cognitive load: our brain's working memory (like computer RAM), and how to manage it so we can learn jiu-jitsu more effectively.
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Ep. 390: Making Jiu-Jitsu Accessible, feat. Ryan Rich & Max Corteggiano
This week, we're joined by returning champion Ryan Rich and first-timer Max Corteggiano! Ryan is a third-degree black belt who owns Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu in California and was one of the early adopters of the constraints-led approach, and Max is a first-degree black belt from France who runs BJJ Flowcharts. In this episode, Ryan and Max break down what they've learned from building BJJ Games together, a project focused on making CLA simple and accessible for coaches and students. Topics include: simplifying the constraints-led approach, the blended ABC and eco method, designing games around invariants, attention spans in coaching...
Mini Ep. 105: Double Trouble
In this mini-episode, we discuss double trouble, a concept popularized by John Danaher. Double trouble teaches us that to fully control a near-side limb, we must also control a far-side limb.
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Ep. 389: The Double Tap, feat. Drew Foster
This week, we're joined by Drew Foster! Drew is a black belt and coach at Elevate MMA in Durham, North Carolina, chief of staff at PGF, and host of State of the Meta on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Drew breaks down the "double tap:" attacking a submission, releasing it, then re-attacking right when their defenses drop. Topics include: the double tap, pattern interrupts, the porcupine strategy, and the constraints-led approach.
Follow Drew on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/drewdarce
Train with Drew at Elevate MMA in Durham, NC:
https://elevatemmaacademy.com<...
Mini Ep. 104: Head Position
In this mini-episode, we discuss head position, or how to tell if your head and neck are at risk in jiu-jitsu. We use a 3-point framework to determine if our head is safe:
Avoid constriction (be safe from squeezing),Avoid impact (be safe from blunt force trauma), andAvoid broken posture (be safe from neck misalignment).
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Ep. 388: Injury and the Stockdale Paradox, feat. Alex Sterner
This week, we're joined by Alex Sterner! Alex is a black belt and the owner of Electrum Performance in San Diego, where he coaches strength and conditioning for jiu-jitsu and combat sports athletes. In this episode, Alex breaks down the psychology of injury rehab and the Stockdale Paradox: the marriage of optimism about recovery with brutal acceptance of where you actually are right now. Topics include: pain as a feature, the staircase model of rehab, healing it like you hurt it, short term versus long term risk, and a sample weight room program for jiu-jitsu.
Follow Alex...
Mini Ep. 103: Cracking the Whip
In this mini-episode, we discuss "cracking the whip:" an external cue for better understanding the relationship between tension and slack in jiu-jitsu.
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Ep. 387: Trips & Foot Sweeps, feat. Isa Friedlander & Chris Round
This week, we've got a panel! Chris Round is the head judo instructor at High Noon in Alexandria, Virginia, and a judo and BJJ black belt who coaches athletes on the IJF tour. Isa Friedlander is a former Team USA judoka, a brown belt at Unity, and coaches judo at The Dojo in Bushwick and at Unity in Manhattan. In this episode, Chris and Isa break down foot sweeps and trips for grapplers, tied to their new instructional with MASTERs. Topics include: timing vs. structural setups, shape making, the role of the uke, variable drilling, and play.
...
Mini Ep. 102: Constant and Variable Tension
In this mini-episode, we explain constant and variable tension, and the pros and cons of each in jiu-jitsu.
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Ep. 386: Don't Make Them Feel Stupid, feat. Heather Morgan
This week, we're joined by Heather Morgan! Heather is a jiu-jitsu black belt, competitor-turned-coach, and content creator based in San Diego who teaches in person at the Collective in Ocean Beach and online to students worldwide. In this episode, Heather shares how she coaches students to find their own game rather than copying hers, and why making people feel capable is the real job of a teacher. Topics include: developing individual jiu-jitsu style, psychological safety in the training room, the gap between being good at jiu-jitsu and being a good coach, gamification and constraint-led training, and coaching hobbyist students.<...
Mini Ep. 101: Open Knowledge
In this mini-episode, we explain the concept of open knowledge and when information should be kept secret, charged for, or shared freely.
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Ep. 385: Jiu-Jitsu "Third Places," feat. Justin Relph
This week, we're joined by Justin Relph! Justin is a self-described die-hard hobbyist, event marketer, and the black belt coach behind Jiu Jitsu Invermere, a not-for-profit gym in the mountains of British Columbia. In this episode, Justin shares his experience building community through jiu-jitsu in a small resort town, and we revisit the concept of third places: the social spaces beyond home and work that so many of us are missing. Topics include: the decline of third places in modern life, how to build gym culture around community rather than competition, bringing jiu-jitsu to where people are, and the...
Mini Ep. 100: The Golden Rule
In our 100th mini-episode, we explain the golden rule, also known as the ethic of reciprocity or the "do unto others" principle. In our opinion, despite not being explicitly about grappling, the golden rule is the most important mental model for jiu-jitsu.
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Ep. 384: Secret Gracie History, feat. Jeff Shaw
This week, we're joined by Jeff Shaw! Jeff is a black belt, head coach at Bellingham BJJ, and a history professor with peer-reviewed publications on jiu-jitsu history. In this episode, Jeff shares his findings on one of the most obscure and underappreciated figures in jiu-jitsu history: Rorden Gracie.
Follow Jeff on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jeffshawbjj
Train with Jeff at Bellingham BJJ in Washington:
https://bellinghambjj.com
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The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, onli...
Ep. 383: The Way of Excellence in BJJ, feat. Brad Stulberg
This week, we're joined by Brad Stulberg! Brad is the author of multiple bestsellers including The Way of Excellence and Peak Performance. In this episode, Brad shares his findings from a decade of researching excellence: what it actually is, why we chase it, and what separates real pursuit from the performative version flooding our feeds. Topics include: the three Cs of excellence (caring, curiosity, consistency), self-handicapping, reframing nerves as excitement, why plateaus are a feature (not a bug), and how to make intelligent trade-offs so you stop spreading yourself too thin. If you've ever beaten yourself up for not...
Mini Ep. 99: Elbow-Knee Connection
In this week's mini-episode, we explain the elbow-knee connection: a defensive (and also offensive) concept where we shrink the gap between our elbow and knee. Closing this space makes guard passing and retention easier by denying our opponent access to our hips, arms, and legs.
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
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The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
...
Ep. 382: Simple Beats Fancy, feat. Tum Energia
This week, we're joined again by Tum Energia! In this episode, we explain the real challenge facing grapplers today: not finding good technique, but filtering through way too much of it. Tum breaks down how concepts and mechanical cues beat memorizing techniques, and why simple games like "dirty feet" build better jiu-jitsu than drilling the latest viral submission.
Follow Tum on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/tumenergia
Subscribe to Energia Martial Arts on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@EnergiaMartialArts
Train with Tum at Energia Martial Arts in Nijmegen, Netherlands:
https://energia-martialarts.com<...
Mini Ep. 98: Shuhari
In this week's mini-episode, we explain shuhari: a Japanese concept from the traditional martial arts explaining the three stages of mastery.
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Ep. 381: What's My Game Again? feat. Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth
This week, we're joined again by fan favorite Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth! Josh explains one of the most overlooked concepts in jiu-jitsu: having a "game." Drawing inspiration from the Mendes brothers, Josh explains why a repeatable, deliberate path from standing to finish beats reactive rolling every time. Topics include: decision-making loops, why "taking what they give you" is a trap, and how to actually build a game plan that works under pressure.
Follow Josh on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/apexconyers
Train with Josh at Apex MMA Conyers in Covington, Georgia:
https://www.apexconyers.com<...
