Grappling Dads Jiu Jitsu/BJJ lifestyle

No lie, this show was a bit chaotic. Let's just start there. We were 100% all over the place. But, we do eventually discuss why fighters may want to train in a gi instead of exclusively nogi. Heck, GSP trained in a gi! And we can all agree he was pretty good. We also discuss burger bets and what those are, why sports are useless to Paul, and there was even some good listener stories about using BJJ to subdue a drunk neighbor. Hey, told you we were everywhere. Don't forget to look at our Patreon and subscribe if you'd like. The shirts are in the wild now! And of course we love our one and only sponsor, Top Mount Apparel. Be sure to use GD10 at checkout at topmountapparel.com as they launch new gear on their website.

Kip and guest host Dana discuss being a woman in BJJ, including why she started in the sport, what she struggled with during her white belt days, getting her blue belt, and why she keeps coming despite being a blue belt. Doesn't she know you quit after getting the blue belt? Thanks to our sponsor, Top Mount Apparel, and all of our patreons for your continue support.

Producer Austin takes over! He talks with the man who got him started in Jiu-Jitsu, Kurt Sutherland. Kurt shares how he got started in mixed martial arts, fighting in the octagon twice, and some of his recent struggles with injuries. He was also the knockout of the week on Bleacher Report... He talks about that too. He's also... A GRAPPLING DAD! So we have representation on the show. Kurt shares how he's getting his children into BJJ and how his wife feels about the sport. Be sure to check out our one and only sponsor, Top Mount Apparel. We love them and you will too. Also, thank you to all our Patreon support. We couldn't do this without you.

The GD's are back in town! The Dad's discuss the idea that there are no true belt ranking systems that are universal across the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. A blue belt at your school may be equivalent to a purple belt at another school. Black Lion recently had a bunch of white belts test for blue belt, and it may be shocking to some that they're not all the same level! Same for Kroyler's two new black belts (congratulations by the way). It's just like anything else in life: some people are better at things than others. Paul discusses his gauntlet and if it is indeed a stupid practice. Kip explains why he may never get to purple belt. And we love our sponsor, Top Mount Apparel and you will too. Patreon members... Your shirts are on the way! GASP.

Paul and Producer Austin discuss how best to roll with full-time BJJ athletes and the average joe who simply wants to learn and get better. They both present positives and negatives, but it can be tough to recognize what to do in the heat of battle so to speak. The sport is changing on a daily basis due to money, sponsors, and social media and this isn't chess: people get hurt. They also dive into some questions from BJJ Everything regarding marijuana, foods to cut weight, and should you roll with a bum ankle. Yes, the answer is always yes. TopMountApparel.com is our one and only sponsor, we love them and you will too. Also shout out to our Patreons who have given us more than we deserve. No seriously, not sure why you keep supporting us. It's been weeks since we promised you shit.

Paul and Producer Austin discuss some of the most annoying traits you can have on the mats. Don't be these people! Not coming to class smelling the best, or forgetting to wash your gi. Don't be the one making sexual innuendos... WE GET IT. Don't bring politics inside the gym, whether it be democrats and republicans or gym debates. Leave it at the door! And they dive into a few other questions from BJJ Everything. Thanks to our patreons and our sponsor, Top Mount Apparel. We wouldn't be able to do this without you. Visit our social media if you're interested in becomine a patron, and head to TopMountApparel.com to check out their gear and equipment. Use GD10 at checkout there to save yourself a few bucks. Don't quit!

Ways of developing a better mindset. It's easy to get down on yourself in Jiu-Jitsu, hell, even just life in general. But there are indeed some strategies to improve your outlook on the mat. Paul and Producer Austin break that down, relating it back to the Olympics with Simone Biles pulling out for own mental and physical well-being. Plus, speed walking is an absolute joke. Just. Sayin. Thanks to our new patreon subscribers, we wouldn't be able to keep doing this without you. Shirts will head yourway soon! Also, check out TopMountApparel.com and follow their socials for any upcoming events you may be able to spot them at. Tell em the Grappling Dads sent ya!

A lovely article from BJJEE detailed how you can train twice a week and still improve at BJJ. True? We think so. We take a look at what the benefits are of training less and what the detriment is. Obviously, you won't progress as much as Johnny who goes 5 times a week. Also we break down some random Olympics events, and two crazy moments on the mats... one is labeled "not a slam" but arguably is, and another is a guy who refused to tap and got a broken wing because of it. Check out our one and only sponsor, TopMountApparel.com and use GD10 at checkout to save yourself a few bucks!

Paul and Producer Austin discuss the idea that your "average" blue belt can be just as big, if not a bigger mentor than a brown or black belt. Paul shares the story of some of the blue belts that helped him find his way through the white belt days. For Producer Austin, it was Paul and Kip! The proof is in the pudding that blue belts can be the closest resource towards improving your Jiu-Jitsu without hindering your progress. They also discuss some BJJ Everything questions including what to do about acne developing after training, and how long a gym owner or instructor should wait to promote a newbie who received his belt from another gym. Check out our sponsor Top Mount Apparel at one of their events they're sponsoring the next few weeks, and use GD10 at checkout when ordering to save yourself a few bucks.

A Redditor went OFF on a rant as a four-week white belt, saying he's fed up and simply ready to quit Jiu-Jitsu. Hey man, fair enough. We've all been there. However, when is it legitimately time to give up BJJ? You're simply not feeling it. You need a mental break. You're tired of being a beat-up white belt. Injuries galore. There is plenty of reason to give up, and we're not your actual Dad telling you what to do, we're simply Grappling Dads. But, we have some opinions because we've all been there. We also break down some butt scooting, a guy who simply won't tap, and favorite submissions. Check out our sponsor, TopMountApparel.com, and use GD10 at checkout to save yourself a few bucks.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu within itself is a tough sport. Someone is laying on you. Someone is going to sweat on you, likely in your mouth. Someone may hurt you, either unintentionally or intentionally. Someone may fart on you. It happens. All that to say: this is not necessarily an easy martial art to just come in off the street and be comfortable with. If you've got anxiety with any aspect of joining a BJJ gym, it can be tough. If you're injured, perhaps even tougher. If you're a woman, that can create anxiety within itself. The GD's talk about all the anxiety filled moments and situations they've been in and seen and how best to adjust in the moment and long-term solutions to feel comfortable in your gym. At the end of the day, the goal for most of us is the same. Don't quit! Be sure to check out our sponsor, Top Mount Apparel, and all the upcoming tournaments they'll be at. TopMountApparel.com and GD10 at checkout will save yourself some bucks.

Kip and Paul both have said they will not compete in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, so they discuss the idea of reaching black belt without ever competing. There's a famous coach you may have heard of who has never competed, yet has produced some of the best grapplers in history: John Danaher. Do you NEED to compete to reach blackbelt? Are you already competing when you practice? Does competition help simulate the adrenaline dump when self-defense comes into play. There's a lot to unpack here. Plus a slew of questions from BJJ Everything and Reddit that help us discuss cups and what brands you should consider (or not wearing one at all) and pet names related to BJJ moves. That's right, name your cat Kimura. We dare you. Be sure to check out gear at TopMountApparel.com and use GD10 at checkout to save yourself a few dollars.

BJJEE released an article about things that need to change in BJJ. In fact, it was 5 things! so we went point by point and discussed them. Should we as a community get rid of the gauntlet? Can we stop refusing to wash our belts? What about world champs who aren't black belts. A lot of stuff to dissect. Plus we're getting some new shirts for our patrons! So be sure to sign up if you're willing and we'll get you hooked up with a new tee to really showcase your blind loyalty to our idiotic show. Also, be sure to check out Top Mount Apparel who released a ton of new products! Use GD10 at checkout and you'll save... well 10%. Hence the 10.

The Dads discuss what you should expect as a white belt! An instagram follower reached out about the topic after starting BJJ in November of last year. They see improvements, but also feel like they're taking steps back in their progression. So we dive into some best practices while on the mats and what you should do in situations as a white belt, how upper belts should react, and when you should expect to "get it" as a white belt. We also discuss Jamahal Hill's fight at UFC 263 and the positivity that came from the loss. And what about gyms that take blue belts if they're tapped by white belts? It's a story out there at one particular gym. Not our style, but we're just idiots sponsored by Top Mount Apparel. Speaking of, get your GD gear at TopMountApparel.com! Oh and Happy Father's Day to all the GD's out there!

Our good friends at BJJEE put out a wonderful article about blue belts and purple belts and what the big difference is. Obviously, rolling ability and knowledge should be advantageous toward the purple belts. No kidding right? But there are some other aspects to look for when comparing a blue belt and purple belt. Purple belts should be able to chain several moves together. Is the purple belt noticing mistakes far sooner and able to make an opponent pay for them? Do they skip warm-ups? There are some key indicators! The GD's discuss that, some BJJ Everything questions including scratch marks and if they're from cheating or training, what to do if your knee pops, and with Jamahal Hill fighting this weekend, they discuss some UFC 263! As always, support our one and only sponsor Top Mount Apparel!

We are back and better than ever! Brought to you by TopMount Apparel, the GD's discuss ways you can train more without getting injured. That includes managing your schedule and sticking to it, mixing up your intensity, stretching and foam rolling, and strength training! There. Are. Levels. To. This. There are many factors that can determine your schedule for you. Kids. Significant other. Job. Family. Friends. Money. Plus, it all depends on your goals. Be sure to check out TopMount Apparel at the American Grappling Federation in Nashville, Tennessee on June 5th. Head to TopMountApparel.com and use GD10 at checkout to save yourself a few bucks. Like, share, and subscribe to our social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

The boys are back after the Mother's Day hiatus and we're talking about a little bit of everything. BJJ Everything that is. A show filled with discussing questions from the infamous Facebook group about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. "I don't feel like I deserve my belt." "Should I roll with such and such injury?" "If you don't wash your gi, do you believe in Santa Claus?" We discuss all the questions you need to be answered. Brought to you by Top Mount Apparel, head to their website, topmountapparel.com, and use GD10 at checkout to save yourself a few bucks. Help us by subscribing to our YouTube channel! Once we hit 1,000 subs, Paul does NoGi and we're giving away some awesome TopMount gear, AND a tumbler. All you have to do is subscribe! Who would have thought.

The 200th Episode! Who would have thought? The GD's talk about a mixed bag of topics, including how they got into Jiu-Jitsu, why they started podcasting about it, their goal with this podcast (now 200 episodes deep), and how they plan to give back to the BJJ community. Truly, this episode went off the rails immediately, but hey, would you tune in an listen if it was structured, well thought out and completely coherent? Absolutely not. We can't thank you enough for tuning into episode, let alone 200. Here's to 200 more. Thank you for listening, thank you for being a Patron, and thank you... you GD idiot.

Kip and Paul in the same room on the same episode! What month are we in again? The GD's are back and better than ever! They discuss BJJ and how it can be used to combat bullying. Sometimes, it's just the other person knowing you do martial arts that can lead them to backing down. Other times, it may have to get physical. The fact remains, this can be a good way for kids to battle bully's one way or another. We had a few viewer emails we neglected for months, so we got to those, and answered some BJJ Everything questions. Oh, and we're doing something awesome for our Patreons. We couldn't do this without you. Well... we could but it wouldn't be as cool, that's for sure.

Paul and Producer Austin discuss an article that elaborates why blue belts may get an inflated ego, and how best to avoid developing that mentality. Once you start developing a game and you can handle white belts, you start thinking you may be better than you truly are. Maybe you've won some tournament matches. Maybe, you're just a jerk! On the flip side, what happens when you don't think highly enough of yourself and your ability that you question if you deserve your belt? You went through the test, or your coach determined you were worthy, why don't you have enough self belief? Jiu-Jitsu is complicated to say the least right? We also answer some quick BJJ Everything questions, including how to get blood out of your gi! WHAT OTHER PODCAST DELIVERS THIS INFORMATION?!

Paul and Producer Austin discuss a BJJEE article about specializing in Jiu-Jitsu. While there were some good points, there was a lot wrong with the statements being made. For instance, specialize in Jiu-Jitsu but don't forget about other aspects of your Jiu-Jitsu. Face palm. They also broke down the Dustin Poirier vs. Brian Shaw video where they grappled briefly. Spoiler alert: size and strength matter! Shocker! They also discuss competition and the idea of participation medals, are BJJ dummies worth it, and talking during a roll.

Kip is out on vacation... and Paul is back. If there weren't a ton of episodes with them both on camera, we'd swear you never see them in the same place at the same time. Maybe one of them is Batman? We had Ben, a purple belt at Black Lion, fill in this week to talk about his experience in Jiu-Jitsu, how the gym has changed since he started, and why he keeps coming after years and years of wear and tear on his body. A couple of people on BJJ Everything mentioned how much they're struggling to keep going to the mats, whether it's COVID, mental stress, life struggles, or it just plain hurts some days. Paul and Ben share their thoughts on the topic, answer some of your questions, and talk about Ben's match vs. a teenager... who ended up winning worlds shortly after.

"Little Robert" joins the show to talk about his experience in Tae Kwan Do and how it translates into BJJ. Robert, a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and current BJJ blue belt, has been training in martial arts for nearly all his life. In fact, it runs in his family... his father and grandfather both train still. Robert shares his insight in training several facets of martial arts, his experience competing in both BJJ and Tae Kwan Do, and being one of the smaller practitioners in the gym and the challenges with that. And of course, we cover Reddit and BJJ Everything and the random questions that come from those platforms.

Kip invited his wife, Jenn, on the podcast to talk about being a woman in the BJJ community. Yes, it was a terrible idea. However, that aside, they covered some quality topics like rolling with men, how to protect yourself on the mats as a woman, how to keep all your body parts in place (yes, they discussed boobs), and some advice for women who are looking to train. While it can be intimidating, there are many benefits to joining a gym. We also got some insight into Kip and Jenn's first date... somehow, Jenn stuck with him and married him! They discussed having three kids, all who are involved in Jiu-Jitsu. Add in some BJJ everything and Reddit questions, and you have show!

Correspondent Larry joins Kip to discuss a BJJEE article regarding competition, and why some practitioners do better than others. There are a lot of different factors including your gym, your drive and motivation, how you roll, your partners, who you're competing against, the rules... you get the point. There is a lot! Larry shares his experience in competition, including going to suplex city against a man reminiscent of the Mountain from Game of Thrones, and Kip explains why he has no desire to EVER compete. Kip and Larry also run down some BJJ Everything and Reddit questions, share struggles with mental health, and owning some big ass TVs to play some video games on. You know, Dad life 101.

Kip and Producer Austin, filling in for Paul, discuss an article detailing the five bad habits you should avoid while training in Jiu-Jitsu. These are simple, yet notorious things that every practitioner is guilty of doing. Training on only one side? Yeah, us too, don't worry. Kip even added a sixth bad habit! Looking at you white belts... They also run through some questions from BJJ Everything, the gift that keeps giving from Facebook. What to tell a 15-year-old beginning in Jiu-Jitsu, how to keep those stank feet from turning off your teammates, and what to do if you're stuck and don't have any higher belts who train in close proximity. Plus, listener Roy with a surprise for Producer Austin, and Kip begins something with Ketones. Whatever those are.

The boys talk about an article that debates gi vs. no-gi in terms of self-defense, and what type of training is more practical in real-life situations. They tie it into statistics out of Marietta, Georgia that show police officers who had trained in Jiu-Jitsu were less likely to injure themselves, and citizens when making an arrest. Plus our favorite group on the internet, BJJ Everything, had some great questions about training after a vasectomy, waiting to roll when you've gotten a tattoo and BJJ as an Olympic sport.

The boys talk about if martial arts can slow the aging process. They discussed why some martial arts may be better suited to this, as well as if you’re in the right BJJ culture to foster the anti aging benefits Jiu Jitsu may offer. We mostly agreed that while there are tons of benefits to BJJ, the anti aging one comes down to the kind of training and environment your particular gym has to offer. If every roll is to the death (so to speak) and people have zero regard for your health, then no, it has the opposite of those benefits. If it’s a cool gym then it’s probably one of the best mind and body sports to accomplish just those types of benefits. We also answered a few BJJ everything questions. Namely the advice we would give to a brand new white belt.

The boys talk about a video titled “Jiu Jitsu wasn’t created for small people”.... or some such thing. At first glance it was clickbait and we didn’t want to read it. But alas, we needed fodder for the show so we did just that. Turns out it was mostly clickbait, but the article did have a couple of valid points. Namely, Jiu Jitsu was invented so you could beat people who don’t know Jiu Jitsu, and if you’re small and learn BJJ with big people it’s gonna suck at first. We dig into all this and give our opinions,whether true or not, as well as tackle some more interwebs questions about BJJ.

The boys talk about the unfortunate foible of bragging about tapping people in the gym. This is the epitome of NOT leaving your ego at the door! Let’s just start out by saying that if you’re a white belt and you tap out a purple belt....you really didn’t. We understand that it seems like maybe you got the best of someone and that may feel good. That was just someone being nice to you. Take that for what it is and move on. What you don’t want is a bunch of upper belts absolutely destroying white belts because they don’t want to be turned into an unfortunate meme because someone posted about the tap on social media. We also answered some other questions from Facebook that newbies have been asking. We’re trying out a new format where Paulie doesn’t destroy the English language for an hour straight. Let us know if you enjoy it better.

The boys talk about (argue about) the need for strength training for BJJ. Basically, this show was simply done to make Kip mad because he lost a bet and hates the idea of clangin and bangin. Long and short of it is Paul thinks working out is good in the fact that it helps you build resistance to injury and bad if you’re a beginner and think you need it to be good in Jiu Jitsu. Kip just hates everything to do with weights and strength.

The boys (Paulie and Austin this time) go over some questions from the BJJ community from the Facebook page BJJ Everything. This page turned out to be a treasure trove of fun and interesting questions from mostly newer Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. The questions varied from awkward situations about the stinky person to awkward situations when someone lost their cool in class and got kicked out for a time. And it wouldn’t be complete without the “how do I handle these injuries” questions. This is Paulie’s specialty of course. It was a bit of a different show without Kip on due to the sickness but it went well enough we thought. Let us know what you think on all the socials.

The boys talk about how and why....and when you should roll passively or aggressively in your BJJ classes. Paulie asked Kroyler if maybe he was being too lackadaisical in all his rolls and to maybe turn the answer into a pro tip. After a good mocking, he got just that... Kroyler goes through why rolling like it’s the world's finals match every time is a recipe for disaster, as well as why you’re not doing yourself many more favors by flow rolling every time. There are pros and cons to both styles of rolling and he goes over what they are. Some are more obvious than others. He breaks down the percentage of hard vs soft rolling by your desired goals and how many times per week you typically train and why. We all have a comfort zone in how we roll. Most of us need to get out of that zone one way or another so we can make faster and sometimes safer improvements in our own Jiu-Jitsu game.

The boys talk about things you can and should do to make others want to train. We’d go so far as to say it’s your responsibility to be the person who makes new people want to keep coming back even though they think this sport may not be for them. By that we mean they’re bad at it....as we all were. Even if you happen to be the proverbial “wallflower”, you can still be the person who makes someone else feel like they’re actually cared about in the gym. We all know what it feels like to walk in on the first day and how sometimes terrifying that can be depending on your own history and personality. So, the least we can do is make those first few classes more enjoyable and easygoing for them. We realize that it’s easy just to fall into a certain “click” after awhile. That becomes a comfort zone for a lot of people. We’re trying to say that you should go outside of your newfound comfort zone and make sure someone else sticks around long enough to find theirs. And so the cycle should continue. If nothing else, just make sure you’re not the reason someone decides to quit.

The boys talk about a litany of thing that you should know before you start your first BJJ class. Paul Elliot from simplebjj.com wrote up a great article that should be required reading for anyone who decides to make Jiu Jitsu their new hobby. A couple weeks ago we talked about the proper use of mat enforcers. The main premise ended up being, don’t beat someone up who simply doesn’t know any better...no matter how good it feels to do so. The proper way to give your academy a proper culture where it doesn’t end up in a winner take all aspect of training is to set the new people up with the ideals and goals that are good for both them as well as everyone else in the gym.

The boys talk about why you may not in fact be the incredible ground shark you make yourself out to be on all of your Instagram posts. We’re really glad that BJJ has given you a newfound skill and the confidence to go with it. We acknowledge the fact that you can now make new people coming in the gym feel as silly and inept at fighting as you first did when you signed up. This is a great and fun aspect of the gentle art. But...sometimes that feeling can go to your head. We’ve all seen people who claim to be an incredible fighter because they’re a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu when most people quit after their first class. But let’s not get carried away here. A blue belt is in fact, still a beginner belt for a reason. All we’re saying is, congratulations on your accomplishments, but don’t get all egotistical about them.

The boys talk about how, when, and why we should use enforcers in the gym. At first glance it would seem simple. You see someone going too hard and you implement pain upon them as a lesson. In reality, it is much more nuanced than that. You may well be just encouraging a culture of jerks because now they just think rolling hard is the way things are done. This is due to a lack of communication and it’s counterproductive to say the least. The other thing we unintentionally do is come in as a “white knight” and basically tell someone that they can’t handle themselves. This is super condescending. So, while it does feel good to exact justice on someone you feel is being overly aggressive to your teammates, it may not actually be a good idea....at least all the time anyhow.

The boys talk about how and when it may be appropriate to use some power in Jiu Jitsu. Paul Elliot answered a listener question about whether or not it’s ever appropriate to use strength while rolling. Paul goes on to ask very poignant questions about what his Jiu Jitsu might look like without using any strength and the answer is something we can all relate to....at least in the early days of our journey. Basically it looks like garbage.... So we use athleticism to make up for lack of knowledge. And this feels good because it feels like we’re really fighting and accomplishing something. The downside is it’s not really Jiu Jitsu. There are times where you can and should use strength in service to your Jiu Jitsu....but only if it’s actually Jiu Jitsu you’re using.

The boys talk about why it’s going to be ok even though you feel like Jiu Jitsu might not be for you after your first few classes. BJJ is as overwhelming a sport/art as they get. Pair that with the fact that probably everyone in your new gym can maul you easily and it’s easy to find reasons to quit. We’re here to tell you that it will in fact get better....much better. You just need to take a breath, slow down and figure things out one technique at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be making the new person feel just like you did in your first few months of practice. If you gain awareness that rolling needn't be to the death every time you’re going to get better much faster, even if that’s due to the fact that you’re not out because you’re injured again. Point is, keep your chin up despite being overwhelmed and just keep looking ahead. It really does get to be more fun the longer you do this. Lower your expectations and find the joy in it and you’ll be one of the very few who actually stick it out long enough to get good.

The boys talk about the age old question in Jiu Jitsu: should you compete at least one time in Jiu Jitsu to test your skills? Paul Elliot from simplebjj.com answers this question quite eloquently in the flickchat app. We, of course, ruined what he was so precisely trying to say. While there may be many very good reasons why it would be very beneficial to you, it’s also not a necessity to get really good at BJJ. In fact, there are just as many reasons why you probably shouldn’t compete. After all, in the gym, typically at least, people aren’t really trying to hurt you. After we brutalized Paul’s article, we asked one more age old question.... would you or wouldn’t you jump into a pond after an alligator that just snatched up your puppy to pry it from that dinosaurs mouth???

The boys talk about things you can implement to get faster gains in your Jiu Jitsu. They read an article from pitchhero.com about how to get better at any sport and it mostly applied to BJJ, albeit it got a bit redundant. Depending on just how locked down you are during Covid, and whether or not you have someone to train with at home you can start these today. If you only follow one piece of advice I’d recommend getting private lessons. Doing that with a really good coach, no matter what your current skill level is can do more for your game than anything else. Every other thing on the list is helpful and can only add to making sure you’re getting the most out of your training. Being intensional about what your goals are will help you achieve them faster if you do more of the right things to keep yourself on track. We also had a good laugh at the expense of listener Roy for knocking out a fellow competitor during his last match....

The boys talk about why it’s important to roll with less experienced Jiu Jitsu practitioners to help with both your own goals as well as theirs. Joe Rogan famously stated that if you want to get better at Jiu Jitsu you have to choke the f*ck outta blue belts. Basically you need to be able to try the moves your trying to get proficient at on people who know how to grapple, but can’t yet stop everything you’re trying to do. If all we do is roll with people at our level or higher it’s going to be a hard road to get better yourself. Many people mistakenly think if they keep getting destroyed by upper belts this will force them to get better. This is not true. We also hear all the time that it’s boring to roll with people you can easily beat. There’s many problems with this statement including the fact that you used to be that bad as well until enough people helped you. Be courteous enough to do the same. Plus, if you focus on learning rather than winning, a lot clan be gleaned by rolling with the less skilled. This is especially true when you work on one particular thing or handicap yourself during the rolls. So, pick a partner and start working.

The boys talk about perfect Jiu-Jitsu and if it’s really even possible (or worth it) to strive for. When you are learning a new technique you want to do it as perfectly as possible so you don’t train in bad habits. When you roll, however, a bunch of things happen and that perfection can be seen as just thrown out the window. So, what kind of perfect should we strive for in both drilling and live rolling? When is it “good enough”? Should we let perfect become the enemy of good and stop trying? Do we need to roll a certain way for at least our attempt to be perfect or can we just see where things go and catch what we can? Here’s an excerpt from the show: In the real world, we have to sometimes give up a bit of control in order to advance our goals. For example, we can immobilize someone fairly completely, but if we want to attack, we often have to release some control in order to move at all. This is where the tactical elements of timing and speed and other things come into play. Now the heuristic that takes into consideration the perfect goals and the real-world implementation can be laid out. If I am making progress towards my goal, and my goal is achievable on the trajectory I'm on, then I continue. If the trajectory is making progress but is likely to lose control before I can achieve my objective, then I have to make on the fly decisions regarding returning to pure control vs transitioning to another chained technique so that I avoid hitting a brick wall. Once I have successfully navigated the above and achieved a desirable goal, then the scenario needs a post-mortem to decide if I am sufficiently approaching perfect jiu-jitsu. Was my energy expenditure as little as possible? Was my timing correct? Were my technique inflection points anticipated and accurately hit and flowed through? Was I accounting for different opponent types (skill, size, strength, speed, etc?) Paul Elliot has a ton of great tips throughout this episode. It’s was a great answer to a great listener question.

The boys talk about some of the reasons why we find Jiu Jitsu so absolutely addicting. Paulie found an article from Psychology Today about BJJ and the reason we become so addicted. It started out promising; but as usual delved into WTF territory. Aside from the obvious fun and challenging part of it, there appears to be a soup of fun chemicals that go off in our brain when we roll around on the ground with people. Go figure. We sort of try and steer the conversation to why you should stick to Jiu Jitsu long enough to get all the benefits mentioned in the article. Long story short. Jiu-jitsu has more benefits than just self defense and fitness. It’s also really good for your overall mental health. So if you haven’t joined yet, here are even more reasons to do so. And if you’re thinking about quitting, here are even more reasons why you shouldn’t.

The boys talk about an email they received about someone having a real hard time rolling against a guy who is very strong but doesn’t have any technique. This type of person generally just holds you down and smashes you with no inclination or ability to get you to tap. Many people that are newer find this extremely frustrating. We get it. We’ve all been there. But we give some feedback on why this is actually a good thing and why you should appreciate it....so long as you’re not being injured by them. Paul Elliot from simplebjj.com wrote about how you can take the passive route to fixing this issue by rolling with said person in front of your coach and asking for feedback. You will both get something out of it. They will because the coaches will tell them what they should be doing and you will because they’ll let you know how to deal with this issue when it arises again.

The boys talk about how development of an ego in Jiu Jitsu can happen despite the “leave your ego at the door” mantra we all hear about. Oftentimes, we come in with an ego that gets crushed relatively quickly. Then, over the course of years of training and improvement, that ego comes right back in the form of hubris about our level of BJJ because we can now be the proverbial hammer rather than the nail. Kroyler goes over why this mindset can develop as well as why it’s not in fact the case that you’re really good enough to have such an ego. It mostly comes down to the big fish in a small pond syndrome. Better yet, he goes on to talk about what we can do to keep that mentality at bay. Because in reality, it’s not just bad for the individual, it’s bad for the entire school.

The boys read an article title “improve your Jiu Jitsu by rolling with handicaps”. Clearly this headline needed some clarification so we happily obliged by decimating the entire article on the show. The article had a couple of good points, but by the time we got to them we were already mad, so they were rendered moot. Instead, we came up with our own points and suggestions. So basically the article was useless. After we gave our ideas on why you should roll with one (or two) arms tied behind your back, we got a bit more serious over why we want everyone to start, and stick with Jiu Jitsu. Rener and Ryron Gracie did a breakdown over an attack on a subway and it’s things like that that make us realize the importance of getting at least a decent amount of knowledge of BJJ and self defense.

The boys talk about struggles with kids in Jiu Jitsu. This stems from a listener question about what her kid is going through in their particular school. This was followed by a debate between Paulie and another listener. Paulie took the questions to Kroyler who gave his two cents in a pro tip. Fist off, if you’re in a toxic gym that’s a big problem and you should remove yourself immediately. Kroyler gives some ideas of what this may look like. If the gym isn’t toxic, but you still worry about training methodology, he gives some tips and pointers on how to either deal with it productivity, understand it better, or simply not be the toxic person yourself. Sometimes a good gym has many good qualities, but they just grow too fast to have enough coaches to help out. In this case a little patience is needed. Other times we as parents sometimes tend to be overprotective and need to just let Jiu Jitsu do its thing in helping shape your kids for the harder things in life. Coddling won’t help them. Safety is of course always first, and having productive conversations with the coach is always a good idea, but just know that Jiu Jitsu is really hard and kids aren’t always going to have a good time with it. They need to struggle to get better.

The boys talk about things you should do before deciding to give up BJJ for good. A couple years ago Jiu Jitsu Times wrote an article about trying these things first before quitting altogether. Surprisingly, we didn’t hate it. Most of us at some point for some reason or another, have thought about quitting. We’ve been struggling with those ideas recently as well. That’s why we thought doing a show on this might be pertinent. The fact is, there are many reasons to quite jiujitsu. Between time, money, injuries, and boredom, you can always find a reason to hit the door running. But....when you stop to consider it, there are more reasons to stay. So before you make the decision to stop your membership, go through the list of things in the article first. You’ll be happy you did.

The boys talk about some people’s ideas or ideals over who should and shouldn’t get a black belt. Paul Elliot from simplebjj.com was kind enough to answer a listener question about people (coaches) having different standards and expectations of people in the gym. Basically, why should so and so get a stripe or a belt and not me (or someone more “seemingly” deserving)? Well, it’s been a bit of a “purist” view that a black belt (or insert color of belt here____), need to look like and be an incredible badass. While in reality, BJJ is made for smaller weaker people. So it stands to reason that not everyone who can get to whatever belt level need to look and perform like a Greek god. True, sometimes people have very unique gifts coming into this sport and can earn a black belt in a relatively short time, most people have a lot going on in life both mentally and physically were it’s just gonna be a much longer process. And that’s perfectly fine. So long as you keep going and learning, just because you’re not an absolute athlete doesn’t mean you’re not cut out to be a black belt one day.

The boys talk about the reasons you should sign your kids up for Jiu Jitsu even if they’re not being bullied. An article from Jiu Jitsu Times talked about all the benefits BJJ has on kids even when their not being bullied and for once we agreed with most of their points. It’s been awhile since we did a podcast based on kids even tho the show is literally about being a dad in this sport....but all the points apply to adults as well, so everyone is covered. We may have talked about how the show “Cobra Kai” relates to it as well....