Combat Thoughts Podcast

We speak with Alex Salisbury, British BJJ Black belt, owner and head coach of Novo BJJ, and wrestling advocate. We discuss his experiences of early days, small town grappling, and the drama and difficulties that come along with it. We talk about setting up his own gym, how he sees his relationships with students and coaches, and the contrast of gi and no-gi. More than anything, we look at the culture of BJJ. Hope you enjoy!

We speak with Barry Cooper, British professional wrestler from Brighton, with more than a few stories. Before I go on, Barry has upcoming shows on the 12th and 26th of March and 2nd of April, so get in touch with him on Instagram at @barry.cooper.566. We speak with Barry about the strange world of British pro wrestling, his experiences from the 60s to the present day, and recall some legends of the past. Hope you enjoy!

And for the first podcast of 2022, we bring you Muay Thai in the Olympics. We discuss the effects it might have on the sport, with comparisons to Judo, Wrestling and others, how it might affect public perception and participation, and who we might see on the podiums - hope you enjoy

With our biggest guest to date, we bring to you an interview with none other than Daniel Strauss, aka The Raspberry Ape. Dan is a Jiu-Jitero and was the first Brit to qualify for ADCC back in 2011, is a commentator on Polaris and Cage Warriors, is a podcaster, stone lifter, and a general ambassador for the sport. We discuss a wide range of topics, looking into why he thinks competition is such a core part of the sport, discussing his journey through strength training and dealing with injuries, and look into how grappling and stone lifting give us a real link to our cultural heritage. Don't miss out. 

MMA is a sport, but not a specific rules-set. As a relatively young sport there have been several iterations of the rules in recent years, and even now there are noticeable differences between organisations in the West such as the UFC and Bellator, and organisations in the East such as Rizin and ONE. We look at the differences between the rule-sets, how they affect the ways we train the sport and how they affect the ways in which we watch, consume, and understand it as spectators. 

Priit Michelson is best known as the founder of 'Defensive BJJ', along with his Estonian-blunt lessons at BJJ Globetrotters camps. One of the greatest minds in the sport at the moment, we speak to him about his system of BJJ, some of his personal history and philosophy, and dig into some issues of how Jiu Jitsu has been taught for many years.

Mike Currier is a lifelong athlete, gym owner, and regular instructor at the BJJ Globetrotters camps. He has featured on SUG, F2W and EBI so he's really reached the highest points in the sport and despite his age shows no sign of slowing down. We discuss with him how his unique history has shaped his views on BJJ, how he feels that teaching should happen and academies should be run, and the importance of failure in our development

Ian O'Neil is a content producer for Severe MMA and a real fountain of knowledge in the martial arts world, with a competitive amateur career in his own right. We discuss with him MMA media and the role it plays, his experiences in the early days  of Irish MMA, and how mixed martial arts have really helped him on a personal level.

This week we return to Exile gym, this time with Gareth Blair, one of the founding members. We discuss the early, experimental days of British Muay Thai, the influence of Bruce Lee on Gareth's development, and his personal approach to coaching. 

In this week's episode, we discuss the potential issues of being given the 'power' of a black belt. Reaching the highest rank for many people is an incredibly important milestone in many people's martial arts journies, but what if that privilege is not handled with care? Join us in this discussion!