Everyman BJJ

Everyman BJJ Episode 14

Eddie Bravo fans might particularly enjoy this week’s episode of Everyman BJJ. The charismatic founder of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu’s system is once again hailed for his elite skill set, marketing savvy and relentless unorthodoxy. Jordan Wirth, a 10th Planet brown belt in Henderson, NV., recalls discovering Bravo’s system at 16 years young and being instantly hooked by a no-gi style that fit his own outside-the-box perspective, lanky frame and natural flexibility. Noah Green, a heavyweight, explores the difference between “High Guard” and “Rubber Guard.” Frank Forza, who met Bravo years back while working for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and also competed against one of Eddie’s best students (Denny Prokopos), weighs in on what makes the “Rubber Guard” and “Twister” ambassador so unique. 

On the mat: What do you say to the one-stripe white belt who has yet to score a submission in practice, who doesn’t yet know what submitting someone feels like? Frank knows such a student who is still waiting to feel that elusive thrill.

This video podcast is, in many ways, a celebration of conversation: we not only learn by listening to each other, but also discover what is inside us that comes to the surface during the discussions.

Noah mentions his sciatica pain and the quest for relief; his cake-cooking skills, and continues to sing the praises of Sam Harris’s meditation app, which Noah faithfully listens to every day for at least 10 minutes and has fueled positive improvements in his life. 

The difference between “knowing” and “applying”; in Frank’s view, too many people think they “know” winning habits but do not consistently apply them. He perceives this to be a mental block that sabotages a lot of human performance -- a glaring blind spot for many. The merits of knowing in action, knowing that is well-applied and expertly expressed in the physical world -- not just hidden somewhere in our brain as a fact to be regurgitated. A deeper knowing that you embody, express and exemplify, not just say with your lips. Being the thing vs. Saying the thing.

If it is true that nearly everyone is using a mere fraction of his/her brainpower, how do we gain more from our brain? Today, worry is epidemic, a vicious distraction and thief from our higher self. How do we learn to turn off the so-called “Monkey Mind” and become more fully present? The team discusses ways to combat over-stimulation and enter a Flow State of Mind. 

Frank believes intuition trumps intelligence; what is he talking about and why does it matter? At a technologically-driven time when science, systems and “hacks” are ragingly popular, Frank shares why he still sees human spirit and intuition as the definitive hallmarks of greatness. 

Everyman BJJ shoots new, live videos every Sunday — catch us live-streaming conversations every Sunday at 1:30 pm Pacific Standard Time/4:30 EST. 

Email questions, comments and compliments to: [email protected]

Everyman BJJ Episode 13 - Creepy

The “Halloween” horror movie series, timeless and chilling, were written and directed by John Carpenter. But Frank Forza shares a little-known fact about Halloween 1 that demonstrates Carpenter’s remarkable versatility. 

Now, you might naturally be asking, “What does the Halloween movie series have to do with Everyman BJJ and jiu jitsu?” 

Well, you see, Everyman’s Noah Green... for some inexplicable reason, elected to incorporate some really Macchiavellian lighting into Sunday’s podcast setting. Very sinister stuff and 100% worth seeing the look on Noah’s face. Once you see shadowy Noah it’s something you can’t unsee! 

Jordan Wirth -- as he’s done previously on the show -- talks about his earlier training at the UFC Performance Institute and can’t resist talking about his dream throwdown with UFC fighter Sean O’Malley, who bears some resemblance to Jordan. But Jordan sings a slightly different tune this time around. 

Frank discusses the pros and cons of being an ultra-competitive person, and the exceptional confidence exemplified by combat athletes such as Jon Jones and Marcelo Garcia. Noah, ever the academician and voracious reader, talks about the “chunking” concept and how he believes it can accelerate learning. 

The mind of Jordan, a brown belt in the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system, is usually way outside-the-box and unconventional. He is a free thinker and discusses being struck with love at first sight when he saw Lachlan Miles demonstrate his “Australian Necktie” technique. 

With uncertainty gripping much of the world, the Everyman crew weighs in on the coronavirus and how they are staying busy away from the mats. 

“What do you say to a training partner whose breath stinks really bad?” Noah asks. How do you tastefully navigate that situation? What would Robert Drysdale or Casey Halstead do? 

Two of Frank’s favorite topics -- Mindset/Confidence coaching and optimal nutrition -- take center stage. He offers tips on healthy eating and two of his favorite mindset techniques -- including how to unleash a much stronger WHY to more deeply and sustainably motivate you. 

Everyman BJJ shoots new, live videos every Sunday — catch us live-streaming conversations every Sunday at 1:30 pm Pacific Standard Time/4:30 EST. 

Email questions, comments and compliments to: [email protected]

Everyman BJJ Episode 12

Amid these historic “Stay At Home” times, the Everyman BJJ crew is back again to talk Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, home training regimens and how we’re navigating these challenging days. 

Noah Green, Manhattan’s Finest, talks about the incredible airline bargains to be had as he travels cross-country to the West Coast. “Where’s Planet Earth right now?” Noah muses, later detailing the experience of being on a big airplane with only 10 or so passengers. 

Jordan Wirth discusses his evolving website (JordanWearsNoGi.com) and his growing obsession with practicing a reverse kimura from top position versus an opponent’s butterfly guard. 

Frank Forza evokes Jon Jones’s early days -- which Jones once referred to as “Monkey see, Monkey do” -- and the art of seeing a move, even when watching instructional videos, even if you don’t have access to grappling mats and training partners. How do you do that using mainly your mind, your muscle memory? How can you prepare now -- from a park or in your home -- so that when you return to the mats, in just a short period of time your rates of submission are significantly better than ever, even though you went many weeks or months without actually rolling on the mats with live training partners? What can you do NOW, at home, that will help you increase your rate of submissions? We explore. 

Jordan shares some at-home exercises that he feels have already noticeably improved his takedown defense (for the most part, Jordan, a brown belt in the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system, has been known as a non-wrestler). Noah, meanwhile, steers the conversation toward his growing fascination with Judo, specifically the IPPON SEOI NAGE technique and throw. 

Let’s say your judo skills are lacking. Let’s say you are a wrestler, or even a non-wrestler, who must face a talented judoka in training or live combat sports competition. On a strategic level, how might you approach the challenge? If you were going to play an anti-judo game, what’s your best bet when trying to avoid getting thunderously slammed to the mat, maybe even hard on your shoulder or your head? With that in mind, Frank tells the story from his white belt days, when he competed in a tournament and was tasked with facing another BJJ white belt -- yet that BJJ “white belt” also happened to hold a Judo black belt from Japan who spoke little English. 

This is a fast-moving conversation covering stay-at-home training and exercises, visualization, grappling strategies and mindset training. We enjoyed it, we were entertained and got a little smarter along the way!  

Everyman BJJ shoots new, live videos every Sunday — catch us live-streaming conversations every Sunday at 1:30 pm Pacific Standard Time/4:30 EST. 

Email questions, comments and compliments to: [email protected]