Podcasts · Sports · Health & Fitness

BJJ Mental Models

Steve Kwan

300 episodes

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 page 1 of 6

  1. Ep. 414: The One-Hour Problem, feat. Kyvann Gonzalez

    · 56 min · Episode 414

    This week, we're joined by Kyvann Gonzalez! Kyvann is the head coach and co-owner of Bodega Jiu Jitsu in Maplewood, NJ, where he builds his classes around games and live training using the constraints-led approach. In…

  2. Mini Ep. 129: Handicapping

    · 6:11

    In this mini-episode, we explain handicapping: how we can physically and strategically reduce our performance to get the most out of each training round. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  3. Ep. 413: Technique Sequencing, feat. Marc Ste-Marie

    · 59 min · Episode 413

    This week, we're joined by Marc Ste-Marie! Marc is a second-degree black belt with Brazilian Top Team who has been grappling since the late 80s, coaches kids and adult classes, and is the father of Brianna Ste-Marie.…

  4. Mini Ep. 128: Survivorship Bias

    · 6:12

    In this mini-episode, we explain survivorship bias: a logical error where we overstudy those who were successful, but understudy those who failed. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  5. Ep. 412: Hand Fighting, feat. Brandon Reed

    · 56 min · Episode 412

    This week, we're joined by Brandon Reed! Brandon is a three-time NAIA national champion wrestler from Louisville, Kentucky, who now trains jiu-jitsu full-time in Guelph, Ontario. In this episode, Brandon explains hand…

  6. Mini Ep. 127: Confirmation Bias

    · 7:44

    In this mini-episode, we explain confirmation bias: the human tendency to favor information that supports our existing beliefs, and discard information that doesn't. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally…

  7. Ep. 411: The Fragmentation of Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Jeff Serafin

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 411

    This week, we're joined by Jeff Serafin! Jeff runs Serafin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu out of Gym 1801 in Evanston, Illinois, and has been training jiu-jitsu for almost 30 years. In this episode, Jeff talks about the…

  8. Mini Ep. 126: Visualization

    · 5:48

    In this mini-episode, we explain visualization: the science behind it, its limitations, the difference between general and technique visualization, and how it applies to jiu-jitsu. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio…

  9. Ep. 410: Instructing Versus Coaching, feat. Hillary VanOrnum

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 410

    This week, we're joined by Hillary VanOrnum! Hillary is a third-degree black belt who runs Unicorn Jiu Jitsu in Portland, Oregon with her husband, and she just won her first Masters World Championship at black belt. In…

  10. Mini Ep. 125: Perception-Action Coupling

    · 7:48

    In this mini-episode, we explain perception-action coupling: a sports science concept explaining how practice should give athletes the same cues they'd face in a real match. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course,…

  11. Ep. 409: Super Mario Theory, feat. Nelson Puentes

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 409

    This week, we're joined by Nelson Puentes! Nelson co-founded Inverted Gear and runs Inverted Gear Academy in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In this episode, Nelson explains his Super Mario theory of jiu-jitsu: a good game…

  12. Mini Ep. 124: Deliberate Practice

    · 5:44

    In this mini-episode, we explain deliberate practice: a training method intended to improve performance by addressing your weaknesses and breaking through plateaus. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally…

  13. Ep. 408: Intention-Led Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Rob Cole

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 408

    This week, we're joined by Rob Cole! Rob has been training martial arts for over 35 years, 25 of them focused on grappling, and he coaches at Ascension Athletics in Connecticut, where he runs his practice through the…

  14. Mini Ep. 123: Differential Learning

    · 6:02

    In this mini-episode, we explain differential learning: a training approach used in sports proposing that motor skills are learned by varying how the movement is executed rather than trying to get it identical every…

  15. Ep. 407: Day Zero Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Jesse Walker & Shelby York

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 407

    This week, we're joined by Jesse Walker and Shelby York! Jesse and Shelby own Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky, a gym of about 200 students with an unusually high number of women and older grapplers (the average…

  16. Mini Ep. 122: Gamification

    · 8:09

    In this mini-episode, we explain gamification: the practice of adding game-like elements to something in order to motivate a certain type of behavior. It's a concept from software design with elements of applied…

  17. Ep. 406: The Problem of Leadership, feat. Barbara Ruiken & Giles Garcia

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 406

    This week, we're joined by Barbara Ruiken and Giles Garcia! Barbara is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and the new head coach at Bergen Grappling in Norway, and she wrote her political science master's thesis on power…

  18. Mini Ep. 121: Constraints-Led Approach

    · 6:28

    In this mini-episode, we explain constraints-led approach (CLA) in simple terms, and how it impacts your jiu-jitsu training. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  19. Ep. 405: Solving Procrastination, feat. Itamar Shatz

    · 52 min · Episode 405

    This week, we're joined by Itamar Shatz! Itamar is a jiu-jitsu black belt and a Cambridge University researcher whose new book, Solving Procrastination, is published by Penguin Random House. In this episode, Itamar…

  20. Mini Ep. 120: Ecological Dynamics

    · 12 min

    In this mini-episode, we explain ecological dynamics in simple terms, why it's misunderstood, and how it impacts your jiu-jitsu training. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  21. Ep. 404: Cross-Grip Passing, feat. Rosie Miller & Jeff Shaw

    · 52 min · Episode 404

    Jeff Shaw is guest hosting this week, and he's joined by Rosie Miller! Rosie is a jiu-jitsu educator known for explaining complicated positions in plain language. In this episode, Rosie walks through how the cross-grip…

  22. Mini Ep. 119: Trading Up

    · 5:46

    In this mini-episode, we discuss trading up: the strategic importance of getting more than you give in any jiu-jitsu exchange. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  23. Ep. 403: Learning from Kids Class, feat. Brennan Strimple

    · 47 min · Episode 403

    This week, we're joined again by Brennan Strimple! Brennan and his wife founded Rochester Jiu Jitsu in 2014, and almost all of their kids classes are taught by black belts. In this episode, Brennan explains why kids…

  24. Mini Ep. 118: Labeling

    · 9:17

    In this mini-episode, we discuss labeling: the practice of attaching a name, category, or descriptor to something in order to make it easier to identify and understand. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally…

  25. Ep. 402: Dichotomies of Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Charles Harriott

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 402

    This week, we're joined by Charles Harriott! Charles has been doing martial arts since he was four years old, and after years of traveling the world teaching seminars for BJJ Globetrotters and BJJ Fanatics, he recently…

  26. Mini Ep. 117: Mnemonics

    · 4:50

    In this mini-episode, we discuss mnemonics: memory shortcuts that help you remember what you learned in jiu-jitsu class. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  27. Ep. 401: Escaping Positions, feat. Rosie Miller

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 401

    This week, we're joined by returning guest Rosie Miller! Rosie is a black belt out of San Diego who built a following teaching jiu-jitsu beginners the things she wishes she'd known at white belt. In this episode, Rosie…

  28. Mini Ep. 116: Mental Gatekeeping

    · 3:57

    In this mini-episode, we discuss mental gatekeeping: the practice of guarding your mind against negative thinking and low-quality information. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  29. Ep. 400: Always Timeless, feat. Rafael Lovato Jr.

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 400

    This week, for our 400th episode, we're joined by Rafael Lovato Jr.! Rafael is a multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion, a former Bellator middleweight MMA champion, and the creator of the Timeless Jiu-Jitsu…

  30. Mini Ep. 115: Incremental Learning

    · 4:44

    In this mini-episode, we discuss incremental learning: the practice of breaking down a new concept to learn it piece by piece. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  31. Ep. 399: Breaking Through Plateaus, feat. Giles Garcia

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 399

    This week, we're joined by Giles Garcia! Giles is a black belt competitor and the head coach and owner of Ronin Grappling in Glasgow, Scotland. In this episode, Giles explains how to break through training plateaus:…

  32. Mini Ep. 114: Goodhart's Law

    · 5:28

    In this mini-episode, we discuss Goodhart's Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to become a good measure. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro…

  33. Ep. 398: Old Bastard Sweeps, feat. Mike Mahaffey

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 398

    This week, we're joined by Mike Mahaffey! Mike is a second-degree black belt under Chris Haueter, best known for his Old Bastard Jiu-Jitsu style: a conservative approach built for older and less athletic grapplers. In…

  34. Mini Ep. 113: Availability Heuristic

    · 5:17

    In this mini-episode, we discuss the availability heuristic: a mental bias toward information that is easy to recall. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro…

  35. Ep. 397: Risk Management in BJJ, feat. Jake Luigi

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 397

    This week, we're joined again by Jake Luigi! Jake is a jiu-jitsu analyst who made his name studying professional match footage, and he runs OutlierDB, an analytics database for grappling. In this episode, Jake lays out…

  36. Mini Ep. 112: Coiling

    · 6:50

    In this mini-episode, we discuss coiling, or retracting your limbs and neck. It denies access to our body's vulnerable levers and positions us to explosively generate force. Staying coiled is a smart "default" position…

  37. Ep. 396: Relative Strength, feat. Will Weisser

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 396

    This week, we're joined by Will Weisser! Will is a jiu-jitsu black belt, co-founder of the competition-tracking site JiuJitsu.net, and author of the new book Scientific Jiu-Jitsu: A Unified Theory of Grappling. In this…

  38. Mini Ep. 111: Porcupine Strategy

    · 5:40

    In this mini-episode, we discuss porcupine strategy: the art of making your defense so painful that your aggressors think twice. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:…

  39. Ep. 395: Take the Slack Out, feat. Jesse Walker

    · 52 min · Episode 395

    This week, we're joined by Jesse Walker! Jesse is the head coach and co-founder of Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky, and a frequent BJJ Mental Models collaborator. In this episode, Jesse makes the case for…

  40. Mini Ep. 110: Mind the Gap

    · 7:47

    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:…

  41. Ep. 394: Position Series: No-Gi Lasso, feat. Rob Biernacki

    · 55 min · Episode 394

    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…

  42. Mini Ep. 109: Overwhelming Force

    · 11 min

    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…

  43. Ep. 393: Submission Series: The Woj Lock 2.0, feat Chris Wojcik

    · 55 min · Episode 393

    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,…

  44. Mini Ep. 108: Inertia

    · 5:34

    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:…

  45. Ep. 392: The 90% That Matters, feat. Beatrice Jin

    · 50 min · Episode 392

    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,…

  46. Mini Ep. 107: Emotional Contagion

    · 8:24

    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,…

  47. Ep. 391: Am I Getting Better? feat. Josh McKinney

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 391

    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…

  48. Mini Ep. 106: Cognitive Load

    · 7:13

    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,…

  49. Ep. 390: Making Jiu-Jitsu Accessible, feat. Ryan Rich & Max Corteggiano

    · 58 min · Episode 390

    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…

  50. Mini Ep. 105: Double Trouble

    · 10 min

    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…

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