BJJ Mental Models

By Steve Kwan

What's BJJ Mental Models about?

Explore the conceptual side of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Black belt Steve Kwan and a slate of expert guests discuss the mental models, or universal principles, behind the gentle art.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

BJJ Mental Models episodes:

05.06.2024
Ep. 283: The Art of the Gameplan, feat. Dominyka Obelenyte
This week we're joined again by Dominyka Obelenyte! Dom is a black belt under Marcelo Garcia, a 4x black belt and 10x overall world champion, and a longtime BJJ Mental Models collaborator and coach. In this episode, Dominyka breaks down...
04.30.2024
BONUS: Get our BJJ Intro to Mechanics course free!
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium! If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg...
04.29.2024
Ep. 282: Champions Stay Present, feat. Josh McKinney
This week we're joined again by Josh McKinney! Josh is a coach at HeadnodHQ in Illinois and a black belt under Kyle Watson. In this episode, Josh breaks down his "Champions Stay Present" coaching strategy: a mindfulness-based method to help...
04.22.2024
Ep. 281: Safe Stacking, feat. Mike "Dr. Kickass" Piekarski
This week we're joined again by Dr. Mike Piekarski! Better known as "Doctor Kickass" on Instagram, Mike is a BJJ black belt under Henry Akins and is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. In this episode, we discuss ways to safely...
04.15.2024
Ep. 280: Simplifying the Art, feat. Giles Garcia
This week we're joined by Giles Garcia! Giles is the head coach at Ronin Grappling in Glasgow, Scotland. In this episode, Giles explains why it's so important that coaches help their students simplify their thinking surrounding Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Giles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_guanche Train...
04.08.2024
Ep. 279: Passing Strategies, feat. Stuart Cooper
This week we're joined by Stuart Cooper! Stuart is best known for his incredible Jiu-Jitsu documentaries, but he's also an outstanding black belt with a deadly guard passing game. In this episode, Stuart joins us to discuss some of the...
04.02.2024
BONUS: Grappling With Confidence, feat. Jozef Chen
We're giving you a bonus episode because yesterday's release was an April Fools' Day joke.
04.01.2024
Ep. 278: Offensive BJJ, feat. Priit Mihkelson
This week we're joined again by Priit Mihkelson, formerly of Defensive BJJ! In this episode, Priit shares some shocking news: he is abandoning his study of defensive Jiu-Jitsu. We discuss Priit's new focus on 100% offensive BJJ, including topics such...
03.25.2024
Ep. 277: The Jiu-Jitsu "Happy Pill," feat. Mike Jaramillo
This week we're joined by Mike Jaramillo! Mike is John Danaher's first black belt and the advanced no gi instructor at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York. In this episode, Mike discusses Jiu-Jitsu's power as a "happy pill" to...
03.21.2024
BONUS: Marcelo Garcia on The Highest Levels
This episode was originally for BJJ Mental Models Premium subscribers, but you're getting it for free! The Highest Levels is a BJJMM Premium podcast on peak performance hosted by Emily Kwok and Joe Hannan. In this episode, Emily is joined...
03.18.2024
Ep. 276: Polarity Mapping, feat. Emily Kwok
This week we're joined again by Emily Kwok! Emily is a peak performance consultant and multi-time BJJ black belt world champion representing Marcelo Garcia. In this episode, Emily introduces polarity mapping: a powerful tool for understanding nuance and breaking through...
03.11.2024
Ep. 275: Submission Series: The Roadhouse Choke, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! Fresh off winning his first world championship at 2023 IBJJF No Gi Worlds in the masters 4 black belt middleweight division, Rob joins us to unveil a new submission he's been developing...
03.06.2024
Getting the most from BJJ Mental Models
We make a LOT of educational Jiu-Jitsu content here at BJJ Mental Models! Whether you're into our free resources or a BJJMM Premium subscriber, here's a playbook on how to best use ALL our content to become a better grappler. Watch...
03.04.2024
Ep. 274: How Coaches Communicate, feat. David Porter
This week we're joined by David Porter! David is a black belt under Pedro Sauer and manages XCAL Martial Arts in Ashburn, Virginia. In this episode, David discusses the importance of choosing your coaching language carefully. David shares best practices...
02.26.2024
Ep. 273: Position as Submission, feat. Sebastian Brosche
This week we're joined by black belt and Yoga for BJJ founder Sebastian Brosche! Sebastian joins us to break down one of our favorite strategies: position as submission. The meta is increasingly evolving to appreciate the importance of submission-level pressure. ...
02.19.2024
Ep. 272: Common Jiu-Jitsu Mistakes, feat. Matt Kwan
This week, Brother Matt joins us again to break down common Jiu-Jitsu mistakes such as failing to regulate tension, failing to fight for the inside channel, failing to manage the distance, failing to set goals, believing your coach knows everything,...
02.12.2024
Ep. 271: High-Functioning Anxiety in BJJ, feat. Kristina Barlaan
This week we're joined again by Kristina Barlaan! Kristina is a black belt under Caio Terra, and is a passionate advocate for mental health in the Jiu-Jitsu community. In this episode, Kristina joins us to speak candidly about her personal...
02.05.2024
Ep. 270: The 3 Joint Rule, feat. Jeff Shaw
This week we're joined again by Jeff Shaw! Jeff is the head instructor at Bellingham BJJ and the co-creator of the "Creating Gym Culture" series on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Jeff joins us to break down the...
01.29.2024
Ep. 269: Position Series: The Honey Badger, feat. Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth
This week we're joined again by Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth! Josh joins us to break down a powerful and underloved position: the honey badger. This is effectively when you "turtle" inside your opponent's guard and dig for a double under or...
01.22.2024
Ep. 268: When to Optimize, feat. Edwin "Junny" Ocasio
This week we're joined by Edwin "Junny" Ocasio! Fresh off his first world championship win, Junny joins us to expand on a conversation he had with Emily Kwok on The Highest Levels (an ongoing BJJMM Premium podcast). In this episode, Junny...
01.15.2024
Ep. 267: Jiu-Jitsu Mythbusting, feat. Greg Souders
This week we're joined again by Greg Souders! In this episode, Greg joins us to bust some common Jiu-Jitsu myths, including: the "win or learn" debate, why teaching with "training wheels" doesn't work, the problem with instructionals, and whether belts...
01.08.2024
Ep. 266: From Student to Teacher, feat. Alec Baulding
This week we're joined by Alec Baulding! Alec is a black belt under Romero Cavalcanti, an accomplished competitor, and a reputed YouTube content creator. In this episode, Alec shares his thoughts on the journey from Jiu-Jitsu student to teacher. Subscribe to...
01.01.2024
Ep. 265: Mental Toughness, feat. Erin Herle
This week we're joined again by Erin Herle! Erin is a black belt under Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" and is the founder of #SubmitTheStigma. She's also a mental performance consultant with a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology, which...
12.25.2023
Ep. 264: Teaching Submissions First, feat. Priit Mihkelson
This week we're joined again by Priit Mihkelson! In this episode, Priit reveals something surprising about the way he runs his gym: he teaches submissions first! This is pretty funny and surprising coming from "the Defensive BJJ guy," but there's...
12.18.2023
Ep. 263: The Knee Slice, feat. Heather Morgan
This week we're joined by Heather Morgan! Heather is a BJJ black belt under André Galvão and a prominent online instructor. In this episode, Heather discusses how she attacks from her favorite guard pass: the knee slice. Follow Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_morganbjj/ Subscribe...
12.11.2023
Ep. 262: Gamification, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! In this episode, Rob talks about the concept of gamification, how it optimizes learning, and how both students and coaches can gamify Jiu-Jitsu. Keep an eye on Grapplearts for Rob's upcoming gamification...
12.04.2023
Ep. 261: Business, Balance, and BJJ, feat. Victor Hugo
This week we're joined by Victor Hugo! Victor is a black belt under the Ribeiro brothers and a multi-time ultra heavyweight world champion. He's also an accomplished businessperson, being both the head coach at Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu in Lake Travis...
11.27.2023
Ep. 260: Ecological Dynamics for Pragmatists, feat. Scott Sievewright
This week we're joined by Scott Sievewright! Scott is the head coach at Primal MKE in Milwaukee and the host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast. In this episode, Scott shares his pragmatic take on ecological dynamics for beginners and...
11.20.2023
Ep. 259: Training with Giants, feat. Dorothy Dao
This week we're joined by Dorothy Dao! Dorothy is a competition black belt now training under the Mendes brothers out of AOJ in Costa Mesa, California. Previously Dorothy had trained mostly with larger partners, but at AOJ she's found an...
11.13.2023
Ep. 258: Self-Organization, feat. Lachlan Giles
This week we're joined again by Lachlan Giles! In this episode, Lachlan talks about the philosophy of self-organization, where students take ownership of their own learning journey. We also touch on use cases for Lachlan's amazing platform SUBMETA and his...
11.06.2023
Ep. 257: Mindset for Betas, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week we're joined again by Rob Biernacki! Rob is fresh off an amazing performance at ADCC Open Canada 2023, where he won gold in the Masters division and Island Top Team took the #1 overall adult team rating. What...
10.30.2023
Ep. 256: Rolling Back Takes, feat. Stephan Kesting
This week we're joined again by Stephan Kesting! In this episode, the legendary Grapplearts instructor breaks down key concepts from his latest instructional, Rolling Backtakes for Everyone. Follow Stephan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting/ Resources mentioned in this episode: The Dope Mount, The Easiest Way to...
10.23.2023
Ep. 255: Blending Judo/Wrestling/BJJ, feat. Chris Wojcik
This week we're joined by Chris Wojcik! Chris is a black belt under Jeff Serafin, an accomplished competitor, and the writer of the popular BJJ newsletter The Grappler's Diary. In this episode, Chris talks about the evolving standup game in competition...
10.16.2023
Ep. 254: Impostor Syndrome, feat. Drew "Darce_Knight" Foster
This week we're joined again by Drew Foster! Drew Foster is a black belt instructor at Elevate MMA in North Carolina, the host of The Neon Belly Podcast, and a frequent contributor on /r/bjj under the alias Darce_Knight. In this episode,...
10.09.2023
Ep. 253: Finding Your Why, feat. Joe Hannan
In this episode, we're joined by Joe Hannan! Joe is a BJJ black belt under Emily Kwok, the founder of BJJ Meditations, and the co-host of The Highest Levels on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Joe discusses the...
10.02.2023
Ep. 252: Ecological Drilling for Snobs, feat. Matt Kwan
In this episode, Brother Matt joins us to discuss his coaching experience with ecological dynamics and drilling. We also get into whether the discourse surrounding the ecological approach in Jiu-Jitsu is productive or toxic. Check out The Essential Jiu-Jitsu Podcast with...
09.25.2023
Ep. 251: The Ladder System for Guard Passing, feat. Kristian Woodmansee
This week we're joined by Kristian Woodmansee! Kristian is a black belt under André Galvão, the founder of Logic BJJ Online, and the head instructor at Logic Philly. In this episode, Kristian explains his ladder system for guard passing: a...
09.18.2023
Ep. 250: Work-Life Balance, feat. Riley Stearns
This week we're joined by Riley Stearns! Riley is a BJJ black belt under Shawn Williams, and a film director best known for The Art of Self-Defense, starring Jesse Eisenberg. In this episode, Riley shares his advice on achieving work-life...
09.11.2023
Ep. 249: Creating Luck, feat. Wesley "LambySeries" Seek
"I truly believe I can create luck." That's something you'll hear if you listen to interviews with Wesley Seek. Wesley, better known by his handle LambySeries - or Lamby for short - is a world-class competitive card gamer, previously achieving...
09.04.2023
Ep. 248: The Closed Loop Strategy, feat. Shawn Williams
This week we're joined by Shawn Williams! Shawn is a black belt under Renzo Gracie, and is both a renowned competitor and teacher. In this episode, Shawn Williams explains his "closed loop" strategy for Jiu-Jitsu, wherein you're always advancing without...
08.28.2023
Ep. 247: The Importance of Wrestling, feat. Anthony Birchak
This week we're joined by Anthony "El Toro" Birchak! Anthony is a UFC, Bellator, and Rizin MMA veteran, as well as a BJJ black belt under Casey Halstead. In this episode, Anthony draws on his wrestling background to explain the...
08.21.2023
Ep. 246: Keep it Playful, feat. Alexander Darwin
This week we're joined by Alexander Darwin! Alexander is a black belt at Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is best known as the author of the BJJ-inspired sci-fi/fantasy novel, The Combat Codes. In this episode, Alexander talks about the ethos of...
08.14.2023
Ep. 245: Overcoming Obstacles, feat. Shama Ko
This week we're joined by Shama Ko! Shama is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Penny Thomas and is best known for her role as Program Director at Girls in Gis. In this episode, Shama shares advice on the obstacles...
08.07.2023
Ep. 244: Lean Learning, feat. Shanti Abelha
This week we're joined by Shanti Abelha! Shanti is a multi-time black belt world champion, management consultant, and head coach at Hive BJJ in Copenhagen. In this episode, Shanti draws upon her business management experience to introduce lean methodologies and...
07.31.2023
Ep. 243: Overcoming Trauma Through Jiu-Jitsu, feat. David Figueroa-Martinez
This week we're joined by David Figueroa-Martinez! David is a black belt, instructor, and writer training out of Gracie La Mesa in California. In this episode, David discusses how Jiu-Jitsu, while not a replacement for therapy, can still be a...
07.24.2023
Ep. 242: Position Series: The Lockdown, feat. Brandon Mccaghren
This week we're joined again by Brandon Mccaghren! In this episode, Brandon breaks down the concepts behind an essential 10th Planet guard: the lockdown. Follow Brandon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonmc.ninja/ Subscribe to Brandon's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@brandonmcninja Get Brandon's lockdown instructional at BMAC academy: https://bmac.mykajabi.com/ Mental models discussed...
07.17.2023
Ep. 241: The Confident Mind, feat. Nate Zinsser
This week we're joined by Dr. Nate Zinsser! Nate shares the confidence-building guidance from his essential book, The Confident Mind. Get Nate's book, The Confident Mind: https://www.natezinsser.com/book Nate's website: https://www.natezinsser.com/ Mental models discussed in this episode:Growth Mindset https://bjjmentalmodels.com/growth-mindset/ Mental Gatekeeping https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mental-gatekeeping/ Self-Competition https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/ Habits Over Results https://bjjmentalmodels.com/habits-over-results/ Keep Your Identity Small https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-your-identity-small/ Resulting Fallacy https://bjjmentalmodels.com/resulting/ Flow https://bjjmentalmodels.com/flow/ Mindfulness https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mindfulness/ Law...
07.10.2023
Ep. 240: Position Series: Sideways Open Guard, feat. Priit Mihkelson
This week we're joined by Priit Mihkelson! In this episode, Priit explains recent developments in what he calls "sideways open guard:" a supine guard where your body is tilted to the side. It's an emerging position being used by competitors...
07.03.2023
Ep. 239: BJJ Careers for Regular People, feat. Greg Sirico
This week we're joined by Greg Sirico! Greg is a Marcelo Garcia black belt and is the head instructor at Odyssey BJJ in Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode, Greg explains how regular folks who aren't BJJ celebrities or world champions...
06.26.2023
Ep. 238: Performance Nutrition for Regular People, feat. Steph Gaudreau
This week we're joined by Steph Gaudreau! Steph is a popular strength coach, performance nutritionist, and Jiu-Jitsu athlete. In this episode, Steph shares her playbook on performance nutrition for "regular people:" those of us who train for fun and not...

What's BJJ Mental Models about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

BJJ Mental Models episodes:

Ep. 283: The Art of the Gameplan, feat. Dominyka Obelenyte

BONUS: Get our BJJ Intro to Mechanics course free!

Ep. 282: Champions Stay Present, feat. Josh McKinney

Ep. 281: Safe Stacking, feat. Mike "Dr. Kickass" Piekarski

Ep. 280: Simplifying the Art, feat. Giles Garcia

Ep. 279: Passing Strategies, feat. Stuart Cooper

BONUS: Grappling With Confidence, feat. Jozef Chen

Ep. 278: Offensive BJJ, feat. Priit Mihkelson

Ep. 277: The Jiu-Jitsu "Happy Pill," feat. Mike Jaramillo

BONUS: Marcelo Garcia on The Highest Levels

Ep. 276: Polarity Mapping, feat. Emily Kwok

Ep. 275: Submission Series: The Roadhouse Choke, feat. Rob Biernacki

Getting the most from BJJ Mental Models

Ep. 274: How Coaches Communicate, feat. David Porter

Ep. 273: Position as Submission, feat. Sebastian Brosche

Ep. 272: Common Jiu-Jitsu Mistakes, feat. Matt Kwan

Ep. 271: High-Functioning Anxiety in BJJ, feat. Kristina Barlaan

Ep. 270: The 3 Joint Rule, feat. Jeff Shaw

Ep. 269: Position Series: The Honey Badger, feat. Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth

Ep. 268: When to Optimize, feat. Edwin "Junny" Ocasio

Ep. 267: Jiu-Jitsu Mythbusting, feat. Greg Souders

Ep. 266: From Student to Teacher, feat. Alec Baulding

Ep. 265: Mental Toughness, feat. Erin Herle

Ep. 264: Teaching Submissions First, feat. Priit Mihkelson

Ep. 263: The Knee Slice, feat. Heather Morgan

Ep. 262: Gamification, feat. Rob Biernacki

Ep. 261: Business, Balance, and BJJ, feat. Victor Hugo

Ep. 260: Ecological Dynamics for Pragmatists, feat. Scott Sievewright

Ep. 259: Training with Giants, feat. Dorothy Dao

Ep. 258: Self-Organization, feat. Lachlan Giles

Ep. 257: Mindset for Betas, feat. Rob Biernacki

Ep. 256: Rolling Back Takes, feat. Stephan Kesting

Ep. 255: Blending Judo/Wrestling/BJJ, feat. Chris Wojcik

Ep. 254: Impostor Syndrome, feat. Drew "Darce_Knight" Foster

Ep. 253: Finding Your Why, feat. Joe Hannan

Ep. 252: Ecological Drilling for Snobs, feat. Matt Kwan

Ep. 251: The Ladder System for Guard Passing, feat. Kristian Woodmansee

Ep. 250: Work-Life Balance, feat. Riley Stearns

Ep. 249: Creating Luck, feat. Wesley "LambySeries" Seek

Ep. 248: The Closed Loop Strategy, feat. Shawn Williams

Ep. 247: The Importance of Wrestling, feat. Anthony Birchak

Ep. 246: Keep it Playful, feat. Alexander Darwin

Ep. 245: Overcoming Obstacles, feat. Shama Ko

Ep. 244: Lean Learning, feat. Shanti Abelha

Ep. 243: Overcoming Trauma Through Jiu-Jitsu, feat. David Figueroa-Martinez

Ep. 242: Position Series: The Lockdown, feat. Brandon Mccaghren

Ep. 241: The Confident Mind, feat. Nate Zinsser

Ep. 240: Position Series: Sideways Open Guard, feat. Priit Mihkelson

Ep. 239: BJJ Careers for Regular People, feat. Greg Sirico

Ep. 238: Performance Nutrition for Regular People, feat. Steph Gaudreau