Combat Thoughts Podcast

This week we speak to Dani Vlad, Romanian Wrestling champion, coach at Elements BJJ, and a fantastic ambassador for the sport. We discuss wrestling in Soviet times, how wrestling got him through childhood and gave him discipline, and how he came to be coaching in the UK. Dani really opens up about the profound impact that wrestling has had on his life in this episode, so we hope you enjoy!

This week we explore the globetrotting side of BJJ with Oli from Elements BJJ. Oli gives us some background and a look into the influences on his life, before jumping into the matsurfing trip he took from Hong Kong, up the eastern coast of China, and through Asia to reach the Middle East. Check out his journey training BJJ along the silk road, along with a couple of the wilder stories about this travels - hope you enjoy!

This week we speak to John Hathaway, British UFC fighter, Catch Wrestling world champion, and co-owner of Umbra Performance. We discuss the state of British grappling, the reason for his time away from MMA, a bit about his origin story and his plans for the future. Hope you enjoy!Check out all of our links and material here: https://linktr.ee/combat_thoughts 

This week we get Ed 'Party Bear' Ingamells on. We initially met at the Catch Wrestling World Championships, and we got Ed on to discuss transitioning to Catch Wrestling as a BJJ player. We get into some interesting topics around learning modalities and the sorts of aptitudes that suit grappling, discuss the work of Pritt Mihkelson, Lachlan Giles, and Andy from School of Grappling, as well how Ed is going to filter out his students to create a super squad, and why kimuras don't work. Hope you enjoy! 

edit: so clearly missed the mark on this one for a lot of people. I'm not discussing people who live or work in a dangerous environment, or people's initial reason to train. and I'm not saying that being able to defend yourself is a useless thing. this is in reference to people's ongoing primary training motivation, who are not constantly in danger (which I think applied to most bjj practicioners, but I may be wrong) - otherwise they wouldn't be a warrior in a garden at all There's a famous proverb that has become something of a joke in BJJ circles: 'It's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war'. It's a joke not because of the message that it carries, but rather because it is overused and over-quoted by white belts the world over. Along with saying that the ground is their ocean, and that a back belt is a white belt that never quit, they make up a collection of sayings that nobody needs to hear but that so many will. But my real problem with the saying is not its overuse. It's that it conveys a terrible reason to learn BJJ. 

This week we interview JP from elements BJJ. JP got into BJJ at about 39 years old with very little in the way of an athletic upbringing. At 48 he had achieved his black belt, which is a tremendous achievement, especially for someone with a full life to manage outside of BJJ. We discuss JPs journey, how he got into the sport, what inspired him to start, and why he loves it so much. Hope you enjoy!

This week we dive into the weird world of NFTs and MMA. There's been a recent explosion in crypto that has been felt in the unregulated world of MMA, and we take a look at why that is, how fighters are jumping on it, and what we might expect to see in the future. Come and hear what fans of the UFC have in common with 1600's Dutch tulip merchants. 

This was originally published as a written piece. This looks at a history of leg locks in BJJ, starting from its origins in Judo and the teachings of Maeda, through to the culture war that followed and the eventual revolution and explosion of the techniques in high-level competition. Take a look at the history and politics of BJJ, and how the past hundred years have laid the foundation for the modern competition scene. 

We have affectionately named this the Gulag episode. This week, we discuss the link between politics and martial arts, looking at the ways in which world leaders have used martial arts to convey messages, to speak to their supporters, and to build upon their popular base. We also have a look at who doesn't associate with martial arts, and why some societies are more open to combat sports than others. Hope you enjoy!

We expand our grappling styles this week, looking at the 2000-year-old art of Sumo. Talking to British Sumo champion, Mandeep Singh Kundi a.k.a Deep, we talk about his reasons for practising the art, his journey through sumo, and some of the more philosophical points of grappling. Sumo is grossly misunderstood (especially in the UK) and I would recommend anyone interested in grappling to give it a listen. Hope you enjoy! For Deep's own content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvKQFXH-nzVlM1v4nU-j7xQhttps://www.instagram.com/deep.sumo/

We speak with Alex Salisbury, British BJJ Black belt, owner and head coach of Novo BJJ, and wrestling advocate. We discuss his experiences of early days, small town grappling, and the drama and difficulties that come along with it. We talk about setting up his own gym, how he sees his relationships with students and coaches, and the contrast of gi and no-gi. More than anything, we look at the culture of BJJ. Hope you enjoy!

We speak with Barry Cooper, British professional wrestler from Brighton, with more than a few stories. Before I go on, Barry has upcoming shows on the 12th and 26th of March and 2nd of April, so get in touch with him on Instagram at @barry.cooper.566. We speak with Barry about the strange world of British pro wrestling, his experiences from the 60s to the present day, and recall some legends of the past. Hope you enjoy!

And for the first podcast of 2022, we bring you Muay Thai in the Olympics. We discuss the effects it might have on the sport, with comparisons to Judo, Wrestling and others, how it might affect public perception and participation, and who we might see on the podiums - hope you enjoy

With our biggest guest to date, we bring to you an interview with none other than Daniel Strauss, aka The Raspberry Ape. Dan is a Jiu-Jitero and was the first Brit to qualify for ADCC back in 2011, is a commentator on Polaris and Cage Warriors, is a podcaster, stone lifter, and a general ambassador for the sport. We discuss a wide range of topics, looking into why he thinks competition is such a core part of the sport, discussing his journey through strength training and dealing with injuries, and look into how grappling and stone lifting give us a real link to our cultural heritage. Don't miss out. 

MMA is a sport, but not a specific rules-set. As a relatively young sport there have been several iterations of the rules in recent years, and even now there are noticeable differences between organisations in the West such as the UFC and Bellator, and organisations in the East such as Rizin and ONE. We look at the differences between the rule-sets, how they affect the ways we train the sport and how they affect the ways in which we watch, consume, and understand it as spectators. 

Priit Michelson is best known as the founder of 'Defensive BJJ', along with his Estonian-blunt lessons at BJJ Globetrotters camps. One of the greatest minds in the sport at the moment, we speak to him about his system of BJJ, some of his personal history and philosophy, and dig into some issues of how Jiu Jitsu has been taught for many years.

Mike Currier is a lifelong athlete, gym owner, and regular instructor at the BJJ Globetrotters camps. He has featured on SUG, F2W and EBI so he's really reached the highest points in the sport and despite his age shows no sign of slowing down. We discuss with him how his unique history has shaped his views on BJJ, how he feels that teaching should happen and academies should be run, and the importance of failure in our development

Ian O'Neil is a content producer for Severe MMA and a real fountain of knowledge in the martial arts world, with a competitive amateur career in his own right. We discuss with him MMA media and the role it plays, his experiences in the early days  of Irish MMA, and how mixed martial arts have really helped him on a personal level.

This week we return to Exile gym, this time with Gareth Blair, one of the founding members. We discuss the early, experimental days of British Muay Thai, the influence of Bruce Lee on Gareth's development, and his personal approach to coaching. 

In this week's episode, we discuss the potential issues of being given the 'power' of a black belt. Reaching the highest rank for many people is an incredibly important milestone in many people's martial arts journies, but what if that privilege is not handled with care? Join us in this discussion!

In this week's episode, we talk to Guy Ramsay - founder of The Griphouse Gym in Glasgow, Scotland. Guy has been involved in the sport of Muay Thai for a long time and entered the MMA space right at its humble beginnings in the UK. We talk about his journey as a martial artist, the traditions at the Griphouse, medieval MMA and many more. We hope you enjoy! 

Back on track with our usual program schedule, we bring you another long-form podcast with the great and powerful Harry Powell. We are looking at greatness, what it costs, the likelihood of you reaching it, and its consequences. This is one of those particularly interesting episodes that can be extended well beyond the realm of combat sports, so do please check it out. 

Melissa Mullins joins us after recently making her pro mma debut.We talk to her about her journey into mma from dancing, some of the injuries she has faced so far and she shares her experience from the European championships.

Ian 'Mongoose Jones is far more than just a grappler. This man is a Jiu Jitero, a catch wrestler, has experience in MMA and Muay Thai, and plans to make a journey into Lethwei.  We discuss his introduction to combat sports, his journey as a martial artist, and talk about the unique perspective that his varied experience has provided him. 

James 'The Lionheart' Dixon is a professional MMA fighter, coach, and BJJ black belt. He has an undefeated amateur MMA record and 3 British Titles. He is one of the MMA coaches at Lion's Gym in Coventry and regularly trains with the likes of Jimmy Wallhead and Andre Winner. During the episode we talk about this journey as a fighter, becoming a coach, loving violence and many more! Hope you enjoy and make sure to check out James on his instagram page @james.the.lion.heart.dixon. 

With another MMA origins episode, we talk to Mark Wade, a South England MMA fighter coming from a grappling background. We talk about his history in martial arts, his development, and focus on his transition to professional fighting - something I think everyone could learn from, so check this one out. 

Our latest guest is Rees Kenny, MMA fighter from Southern England. He's an ex-teammate of Robbie's, and we discuss with him his history in martial arts, the finer points of boxing versus MMA, and his thoughts on the future of the sport.  

MMA retirement is a meme in it's own right. With fighters unable or unwilling to retire, people (rightly) take any announcement of the end of a career with a pinch of salt. But why is it so hard? We get into the details of the financial, social, and career difficulties of MMA retirement

Jon "Thor" Blank is just about the biggest star to grace our podcast. He's an ADCC veteran, 10th planet gym owner, and a Combat Jiu-Jitsu champion, and has also had the smartest and best-planned transition to pro I've ever heard of. I think a lot of people could take inspiration from his plan, not just in terms of grind and determination, but also in terms of intelligence and foreplanning, Take a listen to one of the top BJJ athletes in the world and his journey to the top. 

Dominic Dillon is a professional grappler training out of Elements BJJ, Brighton. He's a Polaris veteran, a catch wrestling champ, and has tried just about every martial art under the sun. Check out his ecclectic fighting history, his story of getting smashed by an Olympian wrestler, and how he became the most dangerous man of Norwich

In this episode, we give our opinions on gym commercialisation. We talk about what makes a gym 'commercial', the advantages and disadvantages of such gyms, and some potential things we think gyms can do to escape the trap of a McDojo. We hope you enjoy! 

After a phenomenal performance at the Cage Warriors 121, Jack Grant advances to the next stage of the welterweight tournament and is lined up to face Ian Garry for the belt. We speak to Jack about his martial arts history, training as an elite athlete, and the gruelling camp that awaits him before the title shot.

In this episode, we interview Kane Charig, commonwealth medalist, British wrestler, and all-around training madman. We talk about the sacrifices he made in the pursuit of victory, his journey through competing in Judo and wrestling, his motivations, attitude to training, and his thoughts on how British wrestling can grow.Check out the links to streaming platforms and social media below:https://linktr.ee/combat_thoughts

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Art of Eight Limbs. We discuss parts of its history, how techniques are scored, the prevailing influence of betting on the sport and more. Although we are by no means experts on the topic, Muay Thai has had a profound effect on some of our martial arts journies so we felt we had to have an episode dedicated purely to it. 

In this episode we talk to Shannon from BJJ SafeGuard. SafeGuard's mission is to create safe jiu jitsu training environments by providing resources to the community to prevent and respond to sexual abuse. This was a really interesting conversation, and we feel, a much needed one in the BJJ community. We hope you enjoy, and don't forget to share the podcast with your friends!

In this episode, we discuss how the breadth of MMA affects learning and also how it can affect how fighters approach the sport. It seems that many fighters like to specialise, and few opt for general MMA ability, during this discussion we will attempt to understand why. Check out the streaming platform links and also social media:https://linktr.ee/combat_thoughts

In this episode, we discuss the main characteristics of coaches in the sport of MMA/ combat sports in general. We also touch on how that is related to the fighter and what aspects of a fighter can be important for a good relationship between them. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode, we talk to the awesome Harry Powell from All About Balance Podcast. Harry like ourselves decided to start a podcast before COVID hit us, where he talks to people from all walks of life with the mission being honest long-form conversations. He is a BJJ practitioner and works for Pantheon Grappling promotions. Make sure to check out his podcast here: https://www.allaboutbalancepodcast.com/

In this week's episode, we welcome purple belt Laura Kent hailing from 10th Planet Ju-jitsu Pallen Town. We had a fantastic conversation talking about all things ju-jitsu including; competition anxiety, making sacrifices to train, what makes 10th Planet different, and many more! Enjoy!

In this episode we welcome Matthew Hillier as our podcast guest to talk in detail about weight cutting as well as use of PEDs. Matthew is a trained dietitian, MMA fighter and has done work on anti-doping. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you did please give a like and subscribe to the podcast!

Who is the Greatest of all time in MMA? Khabib? Conor? Anderson Silva? Does it really matter? These are the questions you will get answers to in this episode!

On this episode of Combat Thoughts we chat to Abbie O'Toole, commonly known in the UK BJJ community as the armbar queen! She is a purple belt currently training out of RGA HQ in London and is an active competitor in both Gi and No-Gi competitions. We talk to her about her martial arts journey, competing, and attending a BJJ Globetrotters camp in Iceland! Make sure you stay until the end! Check us out on social media, and podcast streaming platform by following the link below:https://linktr.ee/combat_thoughtsThanks!

In this episode, we talk about the age-old battle between Gi and No-Gi. Proponents of one camp will claim superiority over the other, and we are here to dive deep into what makes each one unique, what the similarities are, and whether or not they should be treated as separate entities. Hope you enjoy it!

In this episode, we discuss whether or not we owe the gyms we train/trained at anything other than membership fees. There have been many cases in the Ju-Jitsu world as well as MMA where there have been disputes between former gym members and gyms. Some of these disputes aren't just related to money and so we are taking a deeper look at what potential problems arise between a member and their gym, and giving our opinions on the topic.

This is quite a special episode in which we interview a good friend of Robbie, Kamran Miah. He tells an interesting story of his journey with boxing and working for the finance giant J.P. Morgan. We think this may be one of the best podcast episodes to date so make sure you stick until the end to hear this story! Follow us on social media, and subscribe to the podcast by following the link below: https://linktr.ee/combat_thoughts

How can we categorise MMA fighters? What about fans of MMA? Building on ideas from John Danaher and Din Thomas we discuss the different archetypes of fans and fighters in the world of MMA.

In this episode, we touch upon the dichotomy between winning by any means necessary but not wanting to permanently damage someone. From Jon Jones to Jorge Masvidal, different fighters have voiced different sides to the story and we try to make more sense of this somewhat strange part of MMA.

In this episode we talk about what it is that makes a martial art, a martial art. The differences between a sport and a martial art seem to be somewhat blurred, which is why we decided to take a deeper dive on the topic and give our takes on what we think the difference between the two is. Hope you enjoy!