Gracie Jiu Jitsu Rocks! Podcast

EP 130   Clark Gracie is the grandson of Grand Master Carlos Gracie and oldest son of GM Carley Gracie. He is a BJJ world champion and a world renowned instructor.  In this episode we discuss how  he’s coping with the current covid 19 situation and his thoughts on moving forward, his philosophy on training, sport vs competition focus, building “insurance,” academy culture, creativity in Jiu Jitsu, what makes him so successful in competition, balancing the pressure with becoming the best you can be, most common mistakes in competition prep, importance of mindset, putting yourself in bad positions intentionally, his new BJJ Fanatics video program- Automatic Omoplata System, growing up as a Gracie, his grandfather GM Carlos Gracie and his father GM Carley Gracie and the impact they had on him, where the term Gracie Jiu Jitsu came from, the evolution of BJJ, Gracies that don’t do Jiu Jitsu, his girlfriend and son, what he’s most proud of and most grateful for, and more…..

Mike The Cop is a police officer, Jiu Jitsu practitioner, and public figure/entertainer who makes videos to entertain people and build good relations between law enforcement and the community. He’s also the author of You Can’t Make This Stuff Up. In this interview we discuss the recent incident where an officer was kicked onto train tracks, what led him into law enforcement and what’s best thing about being LEO, the biggest challenges of being LEO, the importance of social media on perceptions about law enforcement officers, why he started Jiu Jitsu and the  biggest lesson learned through it, how much training officers get and why don’t they train more on their own, his thoughts on bad cops, his videos, mass shootings, what the movies and TV get wrong and right about police work, citizens’ arrests, his podcast Tales of Valor, and what the Sheepdog Nation is and more….

Scotty Nelson BJJ pioneer. He formed  OTM, one of the first successful JJ websites and technique platforms back in 1997, and has traveled the world contributing to BJJ in a multitude of ways. He’s a blackbelt under Jeff Glover and has had a huge impact on various aspects of BJJ and MMA. In this interview we discuss. In this interview we discuss his cancer hospital chipsa-what it is and how he got involved in it, complementary therapies and treatments,  Gerson diet, stem cells, The power of integrative medical care, Mind Body Medicine, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and the impact it’s had on his life, his relationship with Henry Akins, living in Brazil in the early days of BJJ/MMA, his GI company/brand-Lucky GI and the innovations he made in that industry, something that had a huge impact on his life, the need to change with the times, what he’s most proud of and what he wants to be remembered for, and there’s also a cameo from one and only Jeff Glover...

Matt Thornton is the founder, CEO and Head coach of Straight Blast GYM (SBG) International. He has trained countless martial artists and coaches, and has worked with some of the best MMA fighters, grapplers and combat athletes in the world.  In this interview we discuss several subjects including his start in martial arts, serving in the Army, his size (6’8” and if it ever affected/dictated  his martial arts style), his challenge match with Fabio Santos, meeting Rickson Gracie the first time, the biggest thing about martial arts (and Jiu Jitsu) that people just don’t get, Randy Couture’s impact on SBG, training under Chris Haugter, Aliveness, having solid fundamentals, the importance of connection, the value and weakness of traditional martial arts, Henry Akins’ recent move to SBG, and Henry’s impact on his training, his unique approach to teaching seminars, the most interesting book he’s read in the past year, being a father as a younger man and being a father as an older man, and more! After the interview s

Professor Ricardo Almeida is a Renzo Gracie black belt, a retired UFC and Pride FIghter, and founder of Ricardo Almeida BJJ Academy. In this episode he discusses the power of Jiu Jitsu in people's lives and who Jiu Jitsu  is for, overcoming fear through Jiu Jitsu , how to get through this current self isolation situation, growing up with his brothers Flavio and Andre, the early days in Brazil and competition between schools, matches that stand out, Carlis Gracie JR s impact on him, fighting MMA in Pride and UFC, best American Jiu Jitsu guys right now and best Jiu Jitsu guys in MMA, being a MMA judge and challenges for judges, being a father and how Jiu Jitsu helps  kids with autism and kids in general, his relationship with Renzo Gracie and the impact it’s had on his Jiu Jitsu and life, training as you get older, and more. 

 Ricky Lundell is FILA world champion, a 2 time Pankration world champion, and a Jiu Jitsu world champion. He’s a former D-1 Wrestler and the youngest person to receive a black belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu in the US. He is a world renowned wrestling, BJJ, and MMA coach, and 4th degree BJJ Black Belt under Master Pedro Sauer. Ricky is a prominent coach, trainer, and motivational speaker, and is also founder of One Percent Better Every Day ™ . In this episode Ricky discusses starting BJJ as a child including time he “fought” Pedro Sauer’s daughter Taissa), early days with Pedro, how he became the youngest black belt in the US, early MMA (NHB), things that he did to become world champion  (importance of visualization and drilling), early Grapplers Quest days, FILA and Pankration world championships, how ended up on the Iowa State wrestling team and his relationships with Cael and Cody Sanderson, the University of Grappling, working with UFC fighters and champions, taking a personal diagnostic daily, The 1% Better Ev

Michael Heinz is a Jiu Jitsu instructor, yoga & meditation expert, and owner of SBG Texas. In this episode he discusses his jiu jitsu and life journey, living and teaching overseas & how living abroad can help you grow and broaden your perspective, training in Korea under John Frankl, the UFC’s influence on him, his thoughts on competition, training with Henry Akins, his friendship with Rob Wolf, how he was led to move to Texas to open SBG Texas, his hobbies off the mat, and more…

In this episode Marty has a discussion with Professors Keith Owen, Greg Nelson, and Mark Cukro about starting the year off strong and staying strong throughout the year.  They discuss  How not to fizzle out half way through the year; Goals versus Resolutions; The importance of goals and the biggest mistakes in doing goals; Accountability; Leading by example and bringing out the best in others; Helping each other raise our levels; Getting out of our comfort zones; Celebrating our success; When to share your goals and when not to, and much more!

End of the year episode featuring clips from Roger Gracie (what made him so successful and mastering the cross collar choke), Sophia McDermott (being part of the Jiu Jitsu community and advice for people new to BJJ), Physical Culture and BJJ (with Roy Dean, Henry Akins, John Frankl, and Robb Wolf (how BJJ can cause physical  imbalances)), Robert Drysdale (accountability and ego), and Tom DeBlass.

Professor Scott Smith, 3rd degree Pedro Sauer Black Belt and owner of Gracie Jiu Jitsu of Kentucky, is an accomplished martial artist and sought after instructor. In this episode he discusses his thoughts on competition and self defense, the recent Pedro Sauer camp, the major influence people like Jim Kelly and Henry Akins, have had on his Jiu Jitsu, how he initially didn’t like Jiu Jitsu, testing (or not testing) for rank, how he started his school with $385 and grew it to a thriving academy with hundreds of students, his philosophy in working with kids, his family’s role in hs academy, his relationship with Master Sauer and the impact he’s had on his life, and more….

Dr. Gaetano (Guy) Scuderi, is an orthopaedic and spine surgeon and 4th degree black belt under the Velente brothers. He has been a practitioner of martial arts since his youth, with experience in Aikido, Kickboxing, Boxing, Shoot Fighting, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Judo, Japanese Jūjutsu, and Brazilian Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He has been a part of the Valente Brothers family for nearly 20 years and He owns Jupiter Self Defense in Jupiter Fl.  In this interview he discusses his martial arts journey, important aspects of self defense, the accident that severely impacted his life, the exciting discovery he made that may change the way the world treats pain conditions, his relationship with the Valente brothers and the impact they’ve had on him, the most common injuries in BJJ and tips to avoid them, what to do if you do get injured, they people who’ve influenced his life the most, and more…...

Robert Drysdale is a world renowned Jiu Jitsu & MMA competitor. He is the co-founder of Zenith BJJ and founder of Drysdale BJJ.  He’s an IBJJF black belt world champion and a ADCC world champion. He had an 8-0 MMA record. In this interview he talks about the “golden era” of BJJ, the early days in Brazil, what made him (and all successful people)  so successful, what part accountability and ego play in success, accepting when your attributes are declining and how hard that can be, how being a father has changed him, Jiu Jitsu for real combat/self defense, competition, Gi and No Gi…..(Functional Jiu Jitsu),  why wrestling can be a better foundation for MMA than Jiu Jitsu, why MMA is the most efficient form of self defense ever created, details of the north south choke, his mom’s impact on his life, biggest influences on his BJJ, his new podcast with David Avelon (known for the Kimura Trap system), his upcoming documentary Closed Guard The Movie, commentating at the A upcoming ADCC, and more….. Don’t miss it

North Carolina had some great representation at the 2019 Masters World Championships! In this episode we talk to the people that medaled at this year’s event including Geeta Bhat (the Jiu Jitsu Cowgirl), Daniel Branch, Chris Lewter, Lourdes  Cantu (Lola Funki Munkii), Logan Gulick, Trevor Burns, Kim Rice and Dave Owens.

Nick “Chewy” Albin is a BJJ black belt and world class competitor and instructor. He’s the owner and head instructor of Derby City MMA in louisville KY, and creator of the brand “ChewJitsu” which includes the extremely popular  website ChewJitsu.net, Youtube channel and podcast. In this interview he discusses his recent Double Gold lwin, his philosophy on Competition, the importance of controlling your mental state, breathing, the importance of ego, his martial arts journey, his podcast, how he got his nickname, his school- Derby City MMA, biggest impacts on your life, what people would be surprised to know about him, and more!

Helio Soncea is a the co-founder of Gracie Barra, an accomplished competitor and world champion, and a world renowned instructor and coach. In this episode he discusses how Gracie Barra was started, training with Renzo Gracie and the Machados, why Renzo is his “guardian angel, his relationship with Carolos Gracie Jr, advice on staying on the mat long term, facing his idol, Royler Gracie, on the mat, fighting against Megaton Diaz in ADCC, teaching Roger Gracie, Igor Gracie, & Rolles Gracie, working with MMA fighters such as Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher, Vanderla Silva, etc and why teaching MMA fighters is not his favorite thing, how Jiu Jitsu teaches you about life, his proudest moments in JJ, His one hobbie that he likes even more than Jiu Jitsu, how important his faith is, his gratitude for the USA, and the people who’ve influenced his life the most….

Eli Knight of Knight Jiu Jitsu is a 2nd degree Royce Gracie Black Belt and professor, and Senior Supervising Instructor of Three Rivers Martial Arts Academy in Paducah, KY. In this interview Eli discusses training at the Gracie academy back in the day, early UFCs, first thing he remembers about Royce, Gracie’s teaching abilities and what it takes to be a great teacher/instructor, the long road to black belt, training for sport, self defense, and MMA, how BJJ become a therapeutic outlet for him, different approaches to teaching, his thoughts/insights on various positions such as knee on belly, kimura, chokes, etc, Jiu Jitsu as a methodology and philosophy, staying open minded in JJ, his daughter and girlfriend, the impact that Jason Hawkins, Jerrod Jessup, and Royce Gracie have had on his life, and more…..

Robin is one of Relson Gracie’s 10 first black belts. He’s the owner & head instructor of Relson Gracie Columbus. Robin  has completed in some of the world’s largest competitions, winning the Gracie Nationals and Arnold Gracie World championships multiple times, and is known for his exceptional coaching abilities. His mission is to empower as many people as possible through the power of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. In this interview he discusses the early days of Ji Jitsu, what inspired him to get into BJJ, people who have had the biggest impact in his Jiu Jitsu (and life), thoughts on achieving black belt and what it means to be a black belt, being a dad to his 8 kids, coming full circle in his self defense philosophy, the importance of setting healthy boundaries, confidence gained through Jiu Jitsu and how it affects all areas of one’s life, the major impact his wife’s support has had on his life, whether we should push our kids into Jiu Jitsu or not, why it’s easier for kids to learn Jiu Jitsu, working with the C

In this interesting and lively discussion, professors Keith Owen, Greg Nelson, and Mark Cukro discuss what it takes to stay on the mat long term-well into your years. Keith Owen (The Rhino) is a Pedro Sauer Black Belt and founder of team Rhino. Greg Nelson is Pedro Sauer's first black belt and a world renowned MMA coach (including coach to 3 UFC champions). Mark Cukro is also a Pedro Sauer Black Belt and owner/head instructor of Integrated Martial Arts.

World renowned Jiu Jitsu and MMA competitor and coach, Tom DeBlass, discusses many topics, including what fatherhood means to him, his dad’s struggles with addictions and the impact on him, living your own life, training for fun and flexing to the person you're rolling with, heated/intense  training sessions, unrealistic online videos, intermittent fasting, fitness, his faith, tragedy of people doing bad things in the name of religion, chasing competition glory, serving others, peace of mind, dealing with ADHD growing up, being a man, walking away from conversations when needed, and more...

Joel Garcia is a BJJ black belt & owner of Embrace Martial arts, in WS, where he teaches BJJ and Muay Thai, and is an official representative of American Killer Bees association.  He is an incredibly knowledgeable BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA coach & instructor, and a truly exceptional ambassador for the martial arts. In this interview he discusses his academy and how he ended up in NC; God First slogan; Judo in Brazil; The birth of the Killers Bees; surviving cancer; his nickname “The Joker”; dealing with betrayal; differences between US and Brazil; working with UFC fighters; realizing your strengths but improving your weaknesses; making JJ your own; looking at the whole picture when achieving rank; student and instructor behavior on and off the mat; making a deep impact; working with current UFC fighters Allen Crowder and Hannah Cifers; Sean Spangler’s impact on him, and more