In this week's mini-episode we explain the phases of passing: disentangle, control, pass.Resources mentioned in this episode:Mini Ep. 49: Phases of Guard

This week we're joined by Nick Volpe! Nick is the black belt head coach at Dark Bear Jiu-Jitsu in Staten Island, New York. In this episode, Nick explains how he makes Jiu-Jitsu coaching accessible to students and coaches of all experience level...

In this week's mini-episode we explain the phases of guard, as taught by Rob Biernacki: engagement, maintenance, and retention.Resources mentioned in this episode:BJJMM Ep. 16: Guard Series: Engagement Phase

This week we're joined by Mo Black! As of this writing, Mo is a reigning champion at Main Character Jiu-Jitsu and an instructor at Tabula Rasa BJJ in Colorado Springs. In this episode, Mo shares key concepts behind one of her favorite Jiu-Jitsu...

In this week's mini-episode we explain kaizen, a Japanese concept translating roughly to "continuous improvement."Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:htt...

In this bonus emergency episode, we're joined by legendary Jiu-Jitsu instructor Stephan Kesting to discuss the immediate dangers of the lapel guard position, why it is so harmful, and why the IBJJF must ban it immediately.Don'...

This week we're joined by Noah Shaffner and Greg Souders from Standard Jiu-Jitsu in Maryland! Noah shares his unique perspective as a competitor trained exclusively under the constraints-led approach (CLA) since he began grappling in 2021, whil...

In this week's mini-episode we explain investing in loss, a learning mindset often attributed to Tai Chi and other internal martial arts. In his excellent book The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin discusses the concept and its relevance to...

This week we're joined by Paul Kindzia, a BJJ black belt under Emily Kwok training out of Atlanta, Georgia. Most notably, he's a "homeschooled" black belt who carved out his own path in the art. Paul now trains out of a private gym, "The Bunker...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain beginner's mind! Known in Zen Buddhism as shoshin (初心), beginner's mind is a concept present in belief systems, philosophies, psychology, and martial arts. It teaches us to approach every ...

This week we're joined by Dr. Michael Israetel! Mike is a PhD in sport physiology and newly minted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Josh Vogel. In this episode, Mike teaches the intricacies of training intensity in Jiu-Jitsu. Topics include...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain spaced repetition! This concept helps us set a dynamic schedule for how frequently we should review old material to maximize our ability to recall information.Get our Intro to Mechanics aud...

In this episode, legendary Jiu-Jitsu instructor Stephan Kesting joins us to discuss the concept of perseverance. It's both a critical mental model for success in martial arts, and also the title of his new Amazon best-selling book, Perseverance...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain effortful retrieval!  It's a concept from cognitive psychology proposing we can improve our ability to recall information — a critical skill during live rolling — by creating a recall practice...

This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki!  Rob shares advice for getting the most out of BJJ gym drop-ins, seminars, and camps.  Topics include the importance of prior communication before attending, safety and etiquette during t...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain interleaving!  It's a concept proposing we learn faster by cycling through several topics rather than focusing on a single one at a time.  For example, instead of training AAA BBB CCC, we...

This week we're joined again by Mike Mahaffey!  Best known as the "Old Bastard BJJ" guy, Mike joins us to discuss economy of motion in Jiu-Jitsu.  We define economy of motion as: All else being equal, prefer the option that requires l...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain body tethering!  When you clamp onto your opponent as you would via closed guard or a triangle choke, make sure that YOU control THEIR body's alignment, not the other way around.  If they...

This week we're joined again by Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth from Apex MMA in Covington, Georgia!  In this episode, Josh discusses "social contracts" in Jiu-Jitsu and how to break them.  Social contracts are the unwritten rules we abide ...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain the concept of redundancies, or how to ensure you have backup options if your plan fails.  There are two ways to create redundancies in your technique: by using multiple points of control, and...

This week we're joined by a panel: Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth from Apex MMA and Jesse Walker from Rough Hands BJJ!  In this episode, Josh and Jesse recap lessons learned from our most recent BJJ Mental Models camp in Georgia, and share best...

In this week's mini-episode, we explain the concept of placeholders.  Think of positional advancement like climbing a ladder: one rung at a time, and never let go of both rungs at once!  Don't abandon a point of control until y...

This week we're joined by Marc Ste-Marie!  Marc is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and the father of IBJJF "Queen" Brianna Ste-Marie.  In this episode, Marc explains the concept of "technique zero," or how we can teach Jiu-Jitsu quic...

In this week's mini-episode we explain the concept of surface area, or how much of your body is connected to your opponent when you apply force.  You can create more pressure by applying maximal force through the smallest surface ar...

This week we're joined again by BJJ Mental Models sponsored athlete Chris Wojcik! In this episode, Chris breaks down the mechanics and meta relevance of his new signature move, the Woj Lock.Follow Chris on Instagram: