BJJ Mental Models

In this week's mini-episode we discuss the 3 joint rule!  It's an essential mental model for understanding how you control your opponent's arms and legs, especially when advancing position or attempting a submission.

More resources on the 3 joint rule:

BJJ Mental Models Ep. 270: The 3 Joint Rule, feat. Jeff Shaw
https://bjj.plus/270

The 3 Joint Rule — BJJMM Database
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/3-joint-rule

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 taking on a topic by listener demand: how to help BJJ business owners succeed financially!  In this episode, we're joined by David Bayarena, a BJJ black belt, certified financial planner, and founder of Kaizen Wealth Planning and RONIN Financial Planning.  David highlights topics relevant to all BJJ business owners, such as insurance, tax mitigation, succession plans, and retirement plans.  Drawing parallels between financial and martial strategies, David emphasizes the need for diversification, paying oneself first, embracing total financial responsibility, and fostering a proactive approach to financial health in the martial arts realm.

Get David's help with your BJJ business:
https://www.roninwealth.com/

Get David's help in other sectors:
https://www.kwealthplan.com/

Connect with David on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ronin_wealth


Resources discussed in this episode:

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz
https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Layers of Strategy
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-strategy/
  
  
• Defense Paradox
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox/
  
  
• Red Queen Effect
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/red-queen-effect/
  
  
  

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 discuss hybrid choke mechanics!  We've already covered the primary types of chokes in Jiu-Jitsu.  Now let's talk about what happens when we combine these types of chokes, whether hybrid chokes are "better," and how hybrid chokes muddle complicated topics like rulesets and consent.

Listen to our prior mini-episodes on choke mechanics:

Mini Ep. 16: Blood Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15622350-mini-ep-16-blood-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 17: Air Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15660734-mini-ep-17-air-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 18: Compression Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15699720-mini-ep-18-compression-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 18: Crank Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15738946-mini-ep-19-crank-mechanics

Read up on the different types of chokes:
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/choking-mechanics/

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 Tum Energia!  Thomas Voorn, better known by his nickname Tum Energia, is a BJJ black belt and the founder of Energia Martial Arts.  In this episode, we discuss the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu digital content toward short-form content like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Stories.  We discuss the implications to BJJ content creators, how practitioners can learn from content of different types, and the ethics of short-form content on our attention spans.

Follow Tum on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tumenergia

Subscribe to Tum on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@energiamartialarts

Buy Tum's instructionals on BJJ Fanatics:
https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_tum-energia-voorn

Watch Tum's courses on The BJJ Project:
https://www.thebjjproject.com/


Resources discussed in this episode:

Ep. 205: Psychological Safety, feat. Tum Emergia
https://bjj.plus/205

SUBMETA:
https://submeta.io/

The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin:
https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learning

Farnam Street, by Shane Parrish:
https://fs.blog/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Learning Modalities
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/learning-modalities/
  
  
• Funneling
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling/
  
  
• Hick's Law
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/hicks-law/
  
  
  

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 discuss crank mechanics!  Cranks are submissions that attack the cervical spine (the neck).  We discuss the ethics of cranks, how to engage with them safely, and their relevance to rulesets.

Listen to our prior mini-episodes on choke mechanics:

Mini Ep. 16: Blood Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15622350-mini-ep-16-blood-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 17: Air Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15660734-mini-ep-17-air-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 18: Compression Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/episodes/15699720-mini-ep-18-compression-choke-mechanics

Read up on the different types of chokes:
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/choking-mechanics/

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 Josh Vogel!  Alongside his wife Angie, Josh is a co-founder and head instructor at The Jiu Jitsu Company in Old City, Philadelphia.  In this episode, Josh emphasizes the importance of structured class curriculums and a project-based focus, where students develop their skills through specific, measurable 90-day projects targeting various techniques.

Follow Josh on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joshrvogel
https://www.instagram.com/thejiujitsucompany

Train with Josh at The Jiu-Jitsu Company in Old City PA:
https://www.jiujitsuphilly.com/

Buy 90 Day Project Based Jiu Jitsu by Josh Vogel on BJJ Fanatics:
https://bjjfanatics.com/products/90-day-project-based-jiu-jitsu-by-josh-vogel


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Mnemonics
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mnemonics/
  
  
• Technique Chaining
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/technique-chaining/
  
  
• Funneling
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling/
  
  
• Diminishing Returns
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/diminishing-returns/
  
  
• Keep it Playful
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful/
  
  
• Self-Competition
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/
  
  
• Planning Paradox
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/planning-paradox/
  
  
• The Map Is Not the Territory
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/the-map-is-not-the-territory/
  
  
• Predictable Responses
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/predictable-responses/
  
  
• Deliberate Practice
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/deliberate-practice/
  
  
  

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 discuss compression choke mechanics!  Compression chokes involve squeezing your opponent's chest so tightly that their lungs can't expand to take in air.  They're a bit silly and not high-percentage, but they're still worth knowing about so you don't wind up on the wrong end of someone else's compression choke highlight reel.

Listen to our prior mini-episodes on choke mechanics:

Mini Ep. 16: Blood Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15622350-mini-ep-16-blood-choke-mechanics

Mini Ep. 17: Air Choke Mechanics
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15660734-mini-ep-17-air-choke-mechanics

Read up on the different types of chokes:
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/choking-mechanics/

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/

For our 300th episode, there's only one guest that'll do: James "300" Foster!  James is a 3x black belt masters world champion, 4th degree black belt under Giva Santana, and the head coach at Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  In this episode, James shares how teachers who are also active competitors can balance those two priorities, and even synergize them.

Follow James on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/james300foster

Subscribe to James' YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@James300Foster

Listen to James' podcast, Nerdy Mewzings:
https://www.nerdymewzings.com/podcast

Train with James at Foster BJJ:
http://fosterbjj.com/


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Training Handicaps
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/training-handicaps/
  
  
• You Are What You Train
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/you-are-what-you-train/
  
  
• Plus, Minus, Equals
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/plus-minus-equals/
  
  
• Law of Contrast
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/law-of-contrast/
  
  
  

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 discuss air choke mechanics!  Air chokes involve cutting off your opponent's ability to breathe by either compressing their trachea ("windpipe") or covering their mouth.  Air chokes often don't act as quickly as blood chokes, but there are ways to speed them up by triggering the gag reflex.  We also talk about why air chokes are legitimate techniques and should not be thought of as "dirty."

Listen to our prior mini-episode on blood choke mechanics:
https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15622350-mini-ep-16-blood-choke-mechanics

Read up on the different types of chokes:
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/choking-mechanics/

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 Adam Medlock!  Adam is a Braulio Estima black belt and a lead educator from the UK.  In this episode, Adam discusses the challenges of student assessment, or how Jiu-Jitsu coaches can measure student progress and the effectiveness of the curriculum.  Key points include the introduction of the TLA cycle (Teaching, Learning, and Assessment) and the concept of cumulative disfluency, alongside a critique of one-size-fits-all curricula and seminar-style teaching.


Resources discussed in this episode:

Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom, by Paul Black et al.
https://bit.ly/4dUdqqG

Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment, by Dylan Wiliam & Paul Black
https://kappanonline.org/inside-the-black-box-raising-standards-through-classroom-assessment/

Kolb's Cycle of Reflective Practice — University of Hull
https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/reflectivewriting/kolb

Teach Like a Champion, by Doug Lemov
https://teachlikeachampion.org/books/

The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin
https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learning


Mental models discussed in this episode:

• Cognitive Load
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load/
  
  
• Goodhart's Law
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/goodharts-law/
  
  
• Feedback Loop
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/feedback-loop/
  
  
• Teach to Learn
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/teach-to-learn/
  
  
• Psychological Safety
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety/
  
  
• Making Smaller Circles
  https://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles/
  
  
  

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/