BJJ Mental Models
Your guide to a conceptual and intelligent Jiu-Jitsu approach. BJJ black belt Steve Kwan and a slate of expert guests explain the concepts, strategies, and tactics behind the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Episodes
524 episodes
Mini Ep. 110: Mind the Gap
In this mini-episode, we discuss "mind the gap:" a no-gi gripping concept that prevents your opponent from pulling or circling their hand free.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
Ep. 394: Position Series: No-Gi Lasso, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! Rob is the head instructor of Island Top Team and the mind behind BJJ Concepts. In this episode, Rob breaks down how he built a working no-gi version of the lasso, a position long considered gi-onl...
Mini Ep. 109: Overwhelming Force
In this mini-episode, we discuss overwhelming force: the idea that we maximize our power by using the most of our body's weapons against the least of our opponent's.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:...
Ep. 393: Submission Series: The Woj Lock 2.0, feat Chris Wojcik
This week, we're joined again by Chris Wojcik! In this episode, Chris rebuilds his approach to the Woj Lock around a few guiding concepts instead of a catalog of techniques. Topics include: the three points of control, proximal vs. distal contr...
Mini Ep. 108: Inertia
In this mini-episode, we discuss inertia: a concept from physics explaining that objects are resistant to changes in velocity.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
Ep. 392: The 90% That Matters, feat. Beatrice Jin
This week, we're joined by Beatrice Jin! Beatrice is a black belt competing in the IBJJF top 10 at lightweight and middleweight, and she's known across jiu-jitsu social media for her whiteboard reels. In this episode, Beatrice breaks down the 9...
Mini Ep. 107: Emotional Contagion
In this mini-episode, we discuss emotional contagion: a psychological and physiological concept that shows us how much our emotions and behavior impact others around us.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, ...
Ep. 391: Am I Getting Better? feat. Josh McKinney
This week, we're joined by Josh McKinney! Josh is a black belt, head coach at HeadNod Jiu-Jitsu in Southern Illinois, and the host of the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu podcast. In this episode, Josh shares a framework for self-coaching beyond getting bel...
Mini Ep. 106: Cognitive Load
In this mini-episode, we discuss cognitive load: our brain's working memory (like computer RAM), and how to manage it so we can learn jiu-jitsu more effectively. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
Ep. 390: Making Jiu-Jitsu Accessible, feat. Ryan Rich & Max Corteggiano
This week, we're joined by returning champion Ryan Rich and first-timer Max Corteggiano! Ryan is a third-degree black belt who owns Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu in California and was one of the early adopters of the constraints-led approach, and Max i...
Mini Ep. 105: Double Trouble
In this mini-episode, we discuss double trouble, a concept popularized by John Danaher. Double trouble teaches us that to fully control a near-side limb, we must also control a far-side limb.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio cours...
Ep. 389: The Double Tap, feat. Drew Foster
This week, we're joined by Drew Foster! Drew is a black belt and coach at Elevate MMA in Durham, North Carolina, chief of staff at PGF, and host of State of the Meta on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Drew breaks down the "double ta...
Mini Ep. 104: Head Position
In this mini-episode, we discuss head position, or how to tell if your head and neck are at risk in jiu-jitsu. We use a 3-point framework to determine if our head is safe:Avoid constriction (be safe from squeezing),
Ep. 388: Injury and the Stockdale Paradox, feat. Alex Sterner
This week, we're joined by Alex Sterner! Alex is a black belt and the owner of Electrum Performance in San Diego, where he coaches strength and conditioning for jiu-jitsu and combat sports athletes. In this episode, Alex breaks down the psychol...
Mini Ep. 103: Cracking the Whip
In this mini-episode, we discuss "cracking the whip:" an external cue for better understanding the relationship between tension and slack in jiu-jitsu.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
Ep. 387: Trips & Foot Sweeps, feat. Isa Friedlander & Chris Round
This week, we've got a panel! Chris Round is the head judo instructor at High Noon in Alexandria, Virginia, and a judo and BJJ black belt who coaches athletes on the IJF tour. Isa Friedlander is a former Team USA judoka, a brown belt at Unity, ...
Mini Ep. 102: Constant and Variable Tension
In this mini-episode, we explain constant and variable tension, and the pros and cons of each in jiu-jitsu.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https...
Ep. 386: Don't Make Them Feel Stupid, feat. Heather Morgan
This week, we're joined by Heather Morgan! Heather is a jiu-jitsu black belt, competitor-turned-coach, and content creator based in San Diego who teaches in person at the Collective in Ocean Beach and online to students worldwide. In this episo...
Mini Ep. 101: Open Knowledge
In this mini-episode, we explain the concept of open knowledge and when information should be kept secret, charged for, or shared freely. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
Ep. 385: Jiu-Jitsu "Third Places," feat. Justin Relph
This week, we're joined by Justin Relph! Justin is a self-described die-hard hobbyist, event marketer, and the black belt coach behind Jiu Jitsu Invermere, a not-for-profit gym in the mountains of British Columbia. In this episode, Justin share...
Mini Ep. 100: The Golden Rule
In our 100th mini-episode, we explain the golden rule, also known as the ethic of reciprocity or the "do unto others" principle. In our opinion, despite not being explicitly about grappling, the golden rule is the most important mental m...
Ep. 384: Secret Gracie History, feat. Jeff Shaw
This week, we're joined by Jeff Shaw! Jeff is a black belt, head coach at Bellingham BJJ, and a history professor with peer-reviewed publications on jiu-jitsu history. In this episode, Jeff shares his findings on one of the most obscure and und...
Ep. 383: The Way of Excellence in BJJ, feat. Brad Stulberg
This week, we're joined by Brad Stulberg! Brad is the author of multiple bestsellers including The Way of Excellence and Peak Performance. In this episode, Brad shares his findings from a decade of researching excellence: what...
Mini Ep. 99: Elbow-Knee Connection
In this week's mini-episode, we explain the elbow-knee connection: a defensive (and also offensive) concept where we shrink the gap between our elbow and knee. Closing this space makes guard passing and retention easier by denying our op...
Ep. 382: Simple Beats Fancy, feat. Tum Energia
This week, we're joined again by Tum Energia! In this episode, we explain the real challenge facing grapplers today: not finding good technique, but filtering through way too much of it. Tum breaks down how concepts and mechanical cues beat mem...