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, while Greg describes Noah's journey from his coach's perspective.

Follow Noah on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/noahshaffner/

Follow Greg on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gdsouders/

Train with Noah and Greg at Standard Jiu-Jitsu in Rockville, Maryland:
https://www.standardjiujitsu.com/


Resources discussed in this episode:

Ep. 203: Evidence-Based Coaching, feat. Greg Souders
https://bjj.plus/203

BJJMM Ep. 206: How We Learn to Move, feat. Dr. Rob Gray
https://bjj.plus/206



Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Ecological Dynamics
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics/
  
  
• External Cues
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/external-cues/
  
  
• Feedback Loop
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/feedback-loop/
  
  
• Concepts Over Techniques
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques/
  
  
• Deliberate Practice
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/deliberate-practice/
  
  
• Habits Over Results
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/habits-over-results/
  
  
• Gamification
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/gamification/
  
  
• Inversion
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inversion/
  
  
• Perception-Action Coupling
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/perception-action-coupling/
  
  
• Respect People, Not Positions
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/respect-people-not-positions/
  
  
  

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

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Need more BJJ Mental Models?

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https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

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 the martial arts. Investing in loss means reframing our thinking to view failure as an investment in our skill development, rather than as a loss.

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

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," that he built in his home. In this episode, Paul discusses how "rolling from home" has allowed him to take total ownership of who he trains with and who he learns from.

Visit Paul's website:
https://thebalancedgrappler.com/

Get Paul's book, Master Jiu-Jitsu, Master Life:
https://amzn.to/41SuqcD


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Self-Competition
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/
  
  
• Survivorship Bias
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/survivorship-bias/
  
  
• Prioritize Longevity
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/
  
  
• Extreme Ownership
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/extreme-ownership/
  
  
• Consistency
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/consistency/
  
  
  

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

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 learning opportunity with the curiosity and humility of a beginner. It's a mindset that helps us shelf the ego, focus on skill development, and better enjoy our training.

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

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: the different intensity zones (light, moderate, and hard), their respective roles in skill acquisition, training intensity during competition preparation, training strategies among partners of varying skill levels, the significance of developing a focused game plan, and tailored approaches for casual practitioners versus competitors.

Follow Mike on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drmikeisraetel

Subscribe to Mike's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@RenaissancePeriodization

Get Mike's app, RP Strength:
https://rpstrength.com/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Staying Loose
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/staying-loose/
  
  
• Form to Leave Form
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/form-to-leave-form/
  
  
• Ecological Dynamics
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics/
  
  
• Training Handicaps
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/training-handicaps/
  
  
• You Are What You Train
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/you-are-what-you-train/
  
  
• Compatible Intent
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/compatible-intent/
  
  
• Resulting Fallacy
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/resulting/
  
  
• Defend With Purpose
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defend-with-purpose/
  
  
• Asymmetric Warfare
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/asymmetric-warfare/
  
  
• Tokui Waza
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/tokui-waza/
  
  
  

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

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 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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

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: Life and Death in the Subarctic. Stephan shares his remarkable journey following a health crisis that led to kidney failure and transplant in 2015, his 1000-mile solo canoe trip through the Canadian North, and how these journeys translated to learnings applicable to Jiu-Jitsu.

Follow Stephan on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/stephan_kesting

Buy Stephan's new book, Perseverance:
https://essentialwilderness.com/book/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Survivorship Bias
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/survivorship-bias/
  
  
• Resulting Fallacy
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/resulting/
  
  
• Keep Your Identity Small
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-your-identity-small/
  
  
• 10-Minute Rule
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/10-minute-rule/
  
  
• Consistency
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/consistency/
  
  
• Stress and Recovery
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/stress-and-recovery/
  
  
• Prioritize Longevity
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/
  
  
• Return on Investment
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/return-on-investment/
  
  
• Ulysses Contracts
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ulysses-contracts/
  
  
  

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

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 that forces our brains to work.

For more information on effortful retrieval, check out:

BJJMM Ep. 287: Automatic Grappling, feat. Cal McDonald
https://bjj.plus/287

Effortful Retrieval — BJJ Mental Models database
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/effortful-retrieval/

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

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 training, addressing issues with aggressive partners, the mindset needed to ensure a positive experience, and Island Top Team's visiting student program.

Contact Rob regarding his visiting student program on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/islandtopteam

Learn from Rob online at BJJ Concepts:
https://bjjconcepts.net/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Compatible Intent
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/compatible-intent/
  
  
• Normalization
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/normalization/
  
  
• Psychological Safety
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety/
  
  
  

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

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 would train ABC ABC ABC.

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 – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.

Sign up here for a free trial:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/


Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/

Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/

Follow us on social:
https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/