Fight Philosophy Podcast

Edification is the instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually. It’s time for many of us to have 'the talk' with our Black friends and family members. Chad and Jamal speak from the heart on what it means to be Black men in America, screaming at brick walls about injustice and inequality only to be met with dubiousness and incredulity. They share deeply personal stories and experiences to illustrate their collective reality. It is our solemn duty to listen, not only to their stories but to their advice as well. One cannot truly grow or improve until they acknowledge their faults. This is true for all things in life. This is why we practice martial arts. So listen; don’t react, don’t think, just listen. Then have 'the talk' with your Black friends, then have it again, and again, and again. Then have 'the talk' with your friends, your teammates, your neighbors, your colleagues, your family. This is no longer up for debate. The hype and outrage will fade eventually, that much is inevitable, it’s up to all of us to keep our foot on the gas. Black Lives Matter.

Practicing what we preach, we recorded this episode remotely using all the technology at our fingertips. We discuss what it means to not be able to train during this crisis, what we miss, what we've been doing instead training at the gym, and we provide some tangible things for y'all to do until this madness blows over. Huge shoutout to our sponsors for bringing this episode to y'all. PLEASE go check them out online and give them your business. We wouldn't be able to do this without you and without them. This episode is a lot of fun! Look for all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. PLEASE review/share, like, pass the word. Every little bit helps. Thanks for stopping by.

For our 27th episode, we welcome our friend, training partner, and sports pain Jedi, Dr. Carlos Berio, The BJJ Physio, to the show. After a brief recap of Cagezilla 60 we hop right into what it means to be a Physical Therapist who also trains (Carlos is a BJJ Purple Belt) and how Carlos has adapted his own practice to meet the needs of who he calls, "competitive movers." Carlos also announces a new web-based tool specifically designed for BJJ players which will launch this summer. At the end of the day, Carlos and his team love to help people feel better. This episode is a lot of fun! Look for this episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, stitcher, SoundCloud and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. PLEASE review/share, like, pass the word. Every little bit helps. Thanks for stopping by.

This episode goes many different places but centers around the theme of the ego, selfishness, teamwork, and being a good teammate. John Kermon was the PERFECT guest to have on for this discussion. Lots of gems in this one, give it a listen! Thanks for coming on the show, Kerm! Look for this episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, stitcher, SoundCloud and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. PLEASE review/share, like, pass the word. Every little bit helps. Thanks for stopping by.

This episode is truly inspirational and indicative of what martial arts means for so many people. Sarah has a wonderful way of explaining how she overcame a rare illness as a child, how she found Kaizen MMA and why she’s stuck with martial arts and her gym for so long. She radiates positivity and we could all learn a thing or two from her points of view. Look for this episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, stitcher, SoundCloud and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. PLEASE review/share, like, pass the word. Every little bit helps. Thanks for stopping by.

Tara “The Tiny Terror” Graff, local DMV professional MMA fighter, mother, optometry practice general manager, and all around badass just got signed to Bellator! Only to have her opponent, Valerie Loureda, drop out for ‘health’ reasons. We talk about Tara’s athletic journey, her time as an independent fighter, balancing her three full time jobs, and what led her to where she is now. As usual, this episode takes a few turns from kids, to fighting, to Nelly. Yeah, we talked about Nelly… Loved having Tara on and can’t wait to talk with her again after she wins her Bellator debut! Look for this episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, stitcher, SoundCloud and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. PLEASE review/share, like, pass the word. Every little bit helps. Thanks for stopping by. . . . . . #wrestling #training #muaythai #bellatormma #nakmuay #combatsports #fight #america #sparring #mma #bjj #boxing #mcgregor #martialarts #russia #FPDMV #fightermom #royalmartialarts #kickboxing #oss #bellator #ufc #khabib #brasil #jiujitsu #fighter #combate #brazil #jonjones #judo

In this episode we welcome back youtube’s favorite Jiu Jitsu troubadour and second degree black belt Eli Knight to discuss the age old paradigm of “you either win or you learn.” Interestingly enough, our cohosts' and our guest’s positions change on this as the episode progresses. And, as per the usual, the conversation goes down some rabbit holes. So, what do YOU think? Is losing learning? Why or why not? Huge shoutout to Eli for coming back on, our sponsors and special shoutout to North-South Jiu Jitsu for providing our listeners with a unique promotional offer.

***EPISODE ALERT!!!*** We welcome the great and insightful Joel Regignano to give commentary on the Thai Championship Boxing (TCB) 21 card which took place on 16 July, 2019 at the Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn Virginia. Joel and Jamal dish select and discuss the: Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Technical Fight of the Night, and the Iron (wo)man Award. They also discuss: the tough love of the corner, the improvement they’ve seen in some of the local fighters, the evolution of TCB and the DMV Muay Thai scene, and Ring Guys. Loved having Joel in the studio for this one, thanks man! Definitely have you back on soon. Shout out to all the gyms, fans, and supporters who came out for an electric night of fights! Don't agree with our picks? Let us know why!

In this episode we welcome Isaac and Jammin from DC’s own High Style Jiu Jitsu. A unique organization with a unique model and the absolute best intentions. Truly a gem of the DMV Jiu Jitsu scene! Look for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Google Play, and Stitcher! Thanks for coming out fellas!

For this addition to our cross-training series we had the pleasure of speaking with Angelica "Angie" Christopher about her life in athletics. Angie is a competitive CrossFit and olympic lifting athlete and coaches both disciplines at Capital MMA. We discuss her thoughts on grit, nutrition, coaching, gym culture, music, not liking steak (for shame!), being stronger and faster than most men, the ego, and all sorts of other things. The attempts to convert her to a combat athlete will continue but for now we're going to enjoy watching her crush olympic lifting competitions.

Leo Cerqueira is a modern day Jiu-Jitsu renaissance man, troubadour, and philosopher all combined in one humble, yet extremely tough package. Leo has a unique and allegorical way of explaining things that captures the attention of almost anyone he speaks with, especially when it comes to Jiu-Jitsu. He has a unique perspective on life and this episode is full of insight and inspiration. We can't wait to have him back and hear about his latest travels! Thanks very much for coming out Leo, let's do this again soon.

Chad and Jamal offer their thoughts and share stories on cross training. Sometimes it's appropriate and even encouraged, sometimes it isn't. Where is the line drawn? Has the Creonte gone the way of the dodo? BONUS! We discover the roots of Chad's bubble guts in the episode so you don't wanna miss that! Do you agree with us? Let us know!

Chad and Jamal break down their thoughts on Cagezilla 58, what it means to be a worthy amateur MMA fighter, the possibilities of grappling matches, and lots and lots of shit talking back and forth. Shoutout to Cagezilla, the fighters, the coaches and corners, fans, friends, family, and anyone else that had anything to do with Cagezilla 58. Although it was a short card, it was a fun card. Don't forget to spread the word! Like, share, subscribe, comment, etc. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!! Don't be scared!

We welcome the great and insightful Roland Barringer back to give commentary on the Thai Championship Boxing (TCB) 29 card which took place on 20 July, 2019 at the Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn Virginia. Roland and Jamal dish out the awards for: Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Technical Fight of the Night, and the Iron Man Award. They also discuss: the glory and agony of the knockout, the inherent difficultly of judging combat sports, and the evolution of TCB and the DMV Muay Thai scene. Loved having Roland back in the studio for this one, thanks man! Shout out to all the gyms, fans, and supporters who came out for an electric night of fights? Don't agree with our picks? Let us know why!

Deandre is a top-ranked jiu-jitsu black belt and prolific competitor. Chad and Jamal discuss with Deandre his: approach to training, the importance of family (shout out to Mamma Corbe!), humility, persistence, the importance of the fundamentals, the joy of competition, and of course steak recipes. Deandre also just recently became a U.S. Citizen. A truly humble, funny, and inspirational competitor, this was a fun episode. Let's do it again, soon.

Jamal and Chad break down their picks for Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, and Fight of the Night. They also discuss combat sports fans' etiquette. We also go over the importance of supporting your local MMA scene and announce a future guest for the show. What a great night of fights at the MGM National Harbor. The DMV's fight scene is no joke! Do you agree with our picks? If not, let us know why!

This is probably the most dynamic episode we've ever recorded. It's because Kirstin is a dynamic woman. As one of the first pro female MMA fighters in the DMV she shares her story and perspectives on: what it means to be a female fighter in a male dominated sport, nutrition, weight cuts, growing up on a farm and competing in rodeos, being a mother, her many animals, and so much more. Although not an active fighter anymore, she's still very involved with the community as a (very effective and successful) fight nutritionist, on top of juggling everything else in her life. When you listen to this episode you'll quickly understand why she is so admired by those around her.

If you train Jiu Jitsu, unless you've been under a rock for the past couple of years, you already know who Eli Knight is. His youtube channel just passed 100k followers due to his unique ability to relay complex topics in an easily digestible manner; the true mark of an expert. When combined with his humility and unquenchable thirst for knowledge his popularity is self evident. Eli discusses his decades-long martial arts journey, his thoughts on current events, and how we should all approach the future. Thanks Eli, we can't wait to have you back on the show.

Connor "Cree" Mosby is a local DMV fighting phenom. To be honest, we almost had too much fun recording this episode... almost. Hands down this is our funniest episode to date but it stays real all the same. This young man is going places, in the fight game and in the life game. Hope y'all enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making it!

This episode we welcome the incomparable Royce Gracie. The man's reputation and pedigree speak for themselves. Royce discusses what it was like to grow up in a house of fighters, his perspectives on his own family, his pursuits outside of Jiu Jitsu and MMA, why he chooses to wear a blue belt now, and many, MANY other insights. Oh yeah, he shares his acai bowl recipe too. What an honor and privilege to have him on this podcast. Thanks very much to Royce for coming on and sharing some of his thoughts with us!

In this episode we welcome none other than Mike "the Bully" Pagano. Don't get his name twisted, he's anything but a bully. Mike is a professional MMA fighter, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie, a coach, a veteran, a father, and an all around great human being. We talk about all kinds of stuff from training, to coaching, to his military career, to gym loyalty/etiquette, you name it. Everyone will walk away with something from this episode. Thanks for coming out, Mike. Can't wait to have you on again.

Hope you're comfortable, because this episode is going to take you on a ride. So much wisdom packed into one show. Fighting is about so much more than two people beating the shit out each other... We're all over the map on this one: "The Rocket Man" origin story, Madden, why McDonald's stiffs you with one BBQ sauce packet, the mechanics of boxing and muay thai, what makes a good coach, Roland's legendary cageside pep talks, Jiu Jitsu philosophy and the 753 code, human motivation and grit, and many-many more topics. This was a lot of fun and we can't wait to have Roland back on the show. Enjoy! #FPDMV

This episode features local DMV MMA phenom Shawn “The Midnight Express” Brooks, fresh off his recent knockout victory at Cagezilla 54. This is the second installment of our “Fighter’s Spirit” series and Shawn is a perfect example of the sort of fighter we want to interview for this podcast. In this episode we discuss Shawn’s upbringing in the foster care system, his service in the Marine Corps, his introduction to MMA, his losses, his victories, his professional aspirations, and his approach to training and preparation. Shawn has the perfect balance of aggression, humility, confidence, gratitude, and self-awareness. He is an explosive and entertaining fighter and YOU should go check him and all the other local MMA fighters out at Cagezilla 57 in Ashburn Virginia on June 15, 2019. Shawn will be fighting for the welterweight championship and we KNOW it’s gunna be one hell of a fight. #DMVversusEVERYBODY

Jeremy Lafreniere is a Jiu Jitsu black belt under Royce Gracie he is also: an elementary school STEAM teacher, husband, father, business owner, martial artist, and a coach. The man wears many hats but he has spent a lifetime in service to those around him. We discuss: his approach to that philosophy of service, progress in training, competitions and fights, loyalty, integrity, a bit of history, and of course steak recipes. Enjoy! . . . . #fpdmv #podcast #bjj #muaythai #mma #mmafighter #jiujitsu #kickboxing #philosophy #mmapodcast #capitalmma

In this second installment our Fighters' Spirit series we welcome the current Lionfight North American Lightweight Muay Thai Champion Amine “The Lion” Ballafrikh to the podcast. Amine tells us how he made it to the US with less than $100 to his name, his fighting career in Morocco, and his thoughts on hard work and perseverance that lead to his current success. He tells some funny stories and others that may or may not bring tears to your eyes. Amine is the living embodiment of the Fighters’ Spirit and the American Dream. This episode is a must-listen, regardless if you’re a fighter or not, you WILL be humbled and inspired. Thank you Amine for your time and the inspiration! We are proud of you CHAMP. Please don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, share, and like this podcast. Every little bit helps.

In this bonus episode Chad and Jamal provide their thoughts on the most exiting local DC MMA fight promotion in recent history. They discuss the importance of local and regional MMA promotions and what it means to the sport. Also, they share their picks for: the most exciting fight of the night, the “iron man” award, and the knock out of the night. And, as usual, they talk a lot of shit back and forth. Expect to see more of these! Please rate, review, share, like, and subscribe to this podcast and give our awesome sponsors some love. Every little bit helps, thanks.

In this episode we welcome Heather Walker-Leahy, an undefeated professional mixed martial arts fighter, to the show as our guest host in the first of many installments of our "Fighter's Spirit" series. Heather provides many eloquent insights about what it means to be an athlete, what sacrifices one has to make to be successful, and her approach to fighting in the cage. As per, this episode takes a lot of turns: fighting, basketball, relationships, resilience, steak recipes, choices of booze, you name it. Please leave us comments, like, share, and subscribe to this podcast. Special thanks to our sponsors and HUGE thanks to Heather for taking the time to speak with us! Can't wait to see her fight again.

Fight Philosophy Podcast #3 “What Makes a Good Coach?” FIRST EPISODE RECORDED IN OUR NEW STUDIO! In this episode Chad and Jamal welcome long time Muay Thai boxing coach Scott “Brain” Brehaz to discuss the finer points of effective and noneffective coaching. Aside from being an admired and respected Muay Thai fighter and coach, Scott is also a Psychologist and lends some of that expertise to the conversation as well. As per, this episode takes some turns and there’s plenty of shit talkin’ between our hosts. Huge thanks to Scott Brain for coming on the show! #FPDMV

In this second episode Chad Malone and Jamal Lumpkins discuss knowing your limits, finding balance, where to seek advice, and how to train more efficiently along with a lot of other shit talkin' back and forth. This episode takes a LOT of turns. Thanks for giving us a listen! #FPDMV

NOT SAFE FOR KIDS OR WORK! In this, our first of many episodes, hosts Chad Malone and Jamal Lumpkins discuss their views on political convictions as they relate, and don't relate, to the practices of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Mixed Martial arts. At the end of the day, what you say and do off the mats may have consequences on the mats, where skill is all that matters. Chad and Jamal also provide some local fight and event announcements. Please contact us via social media or email for topic suggestions, guest requests or sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for listening!