BJJ Mental Models

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 levels. Topics include: self-organized learning, teaching the "why" behind techniques, the importance of timing, creating objectives that guide student progress, and layered difficulties during live resistance training.

Follow Nick on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/darkbeardojo

Train with Nick at Dark Bear Jiu-Jitsu in Staten Island:
https://www.darkbeardojo.com/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Ecological Dynamics
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics/
  
  
• Concepts Over Techniques
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques/
  
  
• Self-Organization
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-organization/
  
  
• Economy of Motion
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion/
  
  
• Windows of Opportunity
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/windows-of-opportunity/
  
  
• Gamification
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/gamification/
  
  
• Probabilistic Thinking
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/probabilistic-thinking/
  
  
• Training Handicaps
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/training-handicaps/
  
  
  

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 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
https://bjj.plus/16

BJJMM Ep. 17: Guard Series: Engagement Phase
https://bjj.plus/17

BJJMM Ep. 18: Guard Series: Engagement Phase
https://bjj.plus/18


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 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 skills: half guard passing.

Follow Mo on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mo.jiujitsu

Train with Mo at Tabula Rasa BJJ in Colorado:
https://tabsbjj.com/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Predictable Responses
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/predictable-responses/
  
  
• Opening Salvos
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/opening-salvos/
  
  
• Waypoints
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/waypoints/
  
  
• Head Position
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/head-position/
  
  
• Committed Techniques
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/committed-techniques/
  
  
• Economy of Motion
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion/
  
  
• Path of Least Resistance
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/path-of-least-resistance/
  
  
• Controlling the Distance
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-the-distance/
  
  
• Technique Chaining
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/technique-chaining/
  
  
• Center of Gravity
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/center-of-gravity/
  
  
• Dictate the Pace
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/dictate-the-pace/
  
  
  

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 kaizen, a Japanese concept translating roughly to "continuous improvement."

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 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'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/

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.

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 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/