Today we’re sitting down with TJ Brownfield — a lifelong martial artist, a traveling coach, and the man responsible for growing the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu footprint here on the Oregon coast.

Originally from Colorado, TJ spent time moving around with his wife while she served in the military. After retiring from the tech industry, he dove fully into the world of Jiu-Jitsu.. a journey he actually started later in life at age 38.

TJ has been training Jiu-Jitsu for nearly 13 years, with a background that includes Muay Thai, toughman competitions, early competition experience, time training under Matt Arroyo at Gracie Tampa South, and helping build the team under Kevin Gallagher at Gracie Trinity in Florida.

After an ACL tear pushed him from competing into coaching, TJ found his purpose in teaching — and since moving to Oregon, he’s earned his black belt under Kevin and Matt, opened Gracie Coquille and Gracie Coos County, and become a pillar in the local BJJ community.

Today we’re getting into his journey, his mindset, building gyms, and what it’s like to start everything over later in life.

In today’s episode, we sit down with Heather Woods, a seasoned BJJ black belt, world traveler, world champion competitor & dedicated coach, to unpack her unique path through jiu-jitsu.

Heather began her journey with BJJ as a wanderer - traveling the world, exploring different gyms, and immersing herself in various training cultures. Over time, her dedication led her to earn her black belt from Atos Jiu-Jitsu under legendary coach Andre Galvao. 

Beyond the podiums, Heather’s story is incredibly special because of the breadth of her experience - training in gyms across the world, absorbing different styles, and refining a unique, well-rounded approach to BJJ.  

These days, Heather is channeling her passion into coaching. Through her brand, Heather Woods Jiu Jitsu, she offers an online coaching program that goes far beyond technique; clients receive personalized BJJ coaching, strength & conditioning programming, nutrition guidance, and mental-health/mindset coaching. It's the complete holistic package aimed at transforming athletes physically, technically, and mentally. Her global training background, competition experience, and exposure to many gyms worldwide infuse her coaching style with diversity and adaptability, which makes her well equipped to guide students with different goals, backgrounds, and body types. 

Enjoy this episode!

Hosts: @jennholmberg @itsmaltime

Follow: @chokeholdsandchillpod

Guest: @heathernwoods @h.woodsbjj

Sponsors: @milusos_skincare @limitless_tape

This week on Chokeholds & Chill, Jenn sits down with Gwena — a jiu jitsu blue belt and the creator of the “From My Mat to Yours” podcast.

After her breast cancer diagnosis, Gwena built her podcast as a way to stay connected to the Jiu Jitsu community she loves so deeply. In this episode, she opens up about the realities of navigating life, training, identity, and healing through an entirely new lens.

We dive into:

How Jiu Jitsu shaped her before and after her diagnosis

What inspired her to launch From My Mat to Yours

How she stays connected to the community while off the mats

Her goals as a practitioner, creator, and woman in Jiu Jitsu

The shift in perspective and gratitude she carries today

It’s honest, grounded, emotional, and incredibly inspiring.

Sponsored by:

✨ Mil Usos Skincare — milusosskincare.com | @milusos_skincare

✨ Limitless Tape — @limitless_tape

Use code CHOKEHOLD at checkout: https://limitlesstape.square.site/s/shop

Hosts:

@itsmaltime & @jennholmberg

Guest:

@frommymattoyourspodcast

This week we’re joined by Zoe Parris, a competitor whose grit and growth mindset are turning heads on and off the mats. Jenn and Mal dive into Zoe’s journey—from her early days training to the challenges, breakthroughs, and self-discovery that come with chasing jiu-jitsu at a high level.

Expect real talk, plenty of laughs, and a refreshingly honest look at what it takes to keep evolving as an athlete and as a human.

Sponsored by MilUsos Skincare—your skin deserves the same care you put into your training.

Explore the full line at milusosskincare.com | IG: @milusos_skincare

In this episode, Mal and Jenn sit down with Mal’s sister, Lindsay — a special education teacher, early intervention specialist, and mom — to explore her world supporting tiny humans with big needs and being a steady force for the families who love them. She tells us all about her business, Jump the Line, and the services that she offers to support families. We talk about motherhood, marijuana as a regulation tool, and how sensory diets aren’t just for kids but a love language to yourself. 

Lindsay doesn’t train jiu-jitsu herself; her sensory needs are different, and the intensity of the sport doesn’t serve her in the same way. But she’s one of Mal’s biggest supporters and has a deep understanding of how movement and regulation work — both as a mom raising 3 kids and as a professional guiding other families through early development.

For Mal and Jenn, jiu-jitsu is deeply therapeutic — a physical outlet for emotion, connection, and self-regulation. For Lindsay, therapy takes different forms. Together, they explore how different nervous systems need different forms of healing, and how the goal isn’t sameness — it’s awareness. This one is honest, grounding, and a reminder that showing up for others starts with learning how to show up for yourself.

Guest: @lindswalkkkkkk

Rob Ingram — aka McDojo Life — joins Jenn and Mal for a deeply honest conversation about what really goes on in some martial arts schools. In this episode, we talk about fraud, abuse, and the people who use “dojo” as a disguise for predatory behavior.

Rob shares how he’s uncovered fake instructors, cult-like gym cultures, predatory behavior, and financial scams. We also confront the darkest parts of this industry — sexual misconduct, child exploitation, and why so many martial arts schools operate with zero accountability.

Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Please prioritize your mental and emotional well-being before listening.

This is more than critique — it’s a call to reform. If you believe in martial arts as a force for good, this episode will challenge you, inform you, and hopefully move you.

Follow them everywhere:

IG/TikTok/YouTube: @mcdojolife • X/Twitter: @McDojoLife

Website: www.mcdojolife.com

Senseis Bars and Scars Book: https://a.co/d/aFztgJj 

Proudly sponsored by Mil Usos Skincare — premium, athlete-tested skin products designed to protect and restore. Visit www.milusoskincare.com to shop the lineup.

In this week's episode of Chokeholds & Chill we sat down with Patrick “Durkin” Cummins for a conversation that somehow hits every chapter of his life in one go. We start off joking around (fast forward a touch if you don't like dirty jokes), but quickly dig into the real story — from walking on to wrestle at Penn State, being a member of the National team, navigating legal trouble, getting thrown straight into the UFC spotlight, and all of the highs & lows that came along with all of it.

Patrick opens up about what happens when the fighting chapter ends: exploring his creative side, figuring out who he was outside of the cage, finding purpose in coaching, and the gym he’s building now — a safe, intentional space where community really matters.

We wrap up with some fun rapid fire questions, but the whole episode is honest, grounded, funny, and full of the kind of perspective only someone who’s lived a few different lives can offer.

Tap in — this one’s got layers and a lot of laughs.

Guest: @officialdurkin

From rolling on mismatched mats in rural Pennsylvania to training under John Danaher, Garry Tonon, and Gordon Ryan — Katie Hooven’s story is one of obsession, evolution, and community.

Jenn and Mallory sit down with Katie to talk about her journey through small-town beginnings, the legendary blue basement, moving to Puerto Rico mid-pandemic, and now helping lead the next generation at Kingsway Jiu Jitsu in Austin.

She also opens up about balancing life as a black belt, sales engineer, and co-founder of Grappling Getaways — one of the most empowering and fun women’s Jiu Jitsu camps in the world.

It’s a story of passion, perseverance, and why it’s never too late to pack your gi and chase what lights you up.

Register for Grappling Getaways at https://grapplinggetaways.com/

@grapplinggetaways

@katiehooven

@kingsway_hq

From a small farm town basement to the black belt ranks, John Kress’s Jiu Jitsu journey is anything but ordinary. Starting at 16, he trained with wrestlers, rolled on makeshift mats, and fought his way through local tournaments before earning his black belt after 16 years of dedication.

Now our newest professor at Union Jiu Jitsu, John shares his story of competition, discipline, and passion for the fundamentals. In this episode, we talk about:

• His background; from growing up in Ohio to his career in Physics to his semi-recent move to the Oregon Coast with his wife, Taylor, and their fur babies.

• How a purple belt in a basement sparked his obsession

• The grind from NAGA and Arnold Classic tournaments to black belt

• What drives his teaching style today at Union Jiu Jitsu

If you’ve ever wondered what keeps someone hooked on the mats for nearly two decades, John’s story is your answer.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.