Renato Migliaccio has spent decades studying, teaching, and preserving the philosophy behind Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In this conversation, we go far beyond techniques and competition to explore what martial arts are really meant to teach.

We discuss why boxing evolved while many BJJ gyms still spar too hard, how modern Jiu-Jitsu is changing, raising children through martial arts, competition vs. personal growth, the influence of wrestling, judo and sambo, the history of traditional martial arts, gym culture, coaching philosophy, and why respect and discipline still matter.

Whether you're a BJJ practitioner, MMA fan, coach, parent, or simply interested in the deeper philosophy of martial arts, this episode offers insights rarely discussed.

Topics include:

• brazilian jiu jitsu philosophy

• why bjj should learn from boxing

• competition vs training

• kids in martial arts

• mma evolution

• wrestling, judo & sambo

• traditional martial arts

• gym culture & coaching

• the future of brazilian jiu jitsu

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone passionate about martial arts.

He's coached fighters for 36 years, from Belgium to Oslo to Thailand — and unless you know fighters personally, you've never heard his name. Carl is the dark horse of fight coaching: the man they call "Mister Basics," who trains a friend in a wheelchair every week, rebuilt well-known MMA fighters from the ground up, and comes home from pad work needing ice packs.

We talk about coaching people with Parkinson's, why kids teach a coach more than adults ever will, what 13 trips to Thailand taught him about respect, the spaghetti moment that made him rethink family sacrifice, and the one rule he gives every fighter: if I want it more than you do, find another coach.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro — the dark horse of coaches

0:26 The fighter in a wheelchair

9:00 "Hit me now, love me later" — hard pad work

11:10 Porcelain fighters

12:02 How it started — jujitsu at six

14:20 A father figure with pads

16:07 The first time he held pads

17:26 "Mister Basics" — foundation first

18:54 From kids class to adult class

21:29 Why kids teach a coach more

23:26 Biomechanics & bad coaching

24:26 Rebuilding a well-known fighter

25:51 Thailand — what 13 trips taught him

29:32 Tourist gyms vs. family gyms

30:49 Norway & the spaghetti story

43:33 When a fighter outgrows you — Anthony Joshua

49:22 Training out of a dark space

55:56 GSP, Gordon Ryan & fighter personalities

57:10 "You have to want it" — the Tyson rule

59:17 Everybody is a fighter

In this episode Ben Bubb sits down with Ilyas Qazi, founder of Shōgun Grappling in Ghent, to talk about what it actually takes to win — on the mats and in life.

Ilyas has spent years building Shōgun Grappling into a home for grapplers in Belgium.

In this conversation, Ben and Ilyas talk through the mindset behind competing, what it takes to build something from nothing, and what "winning" really means once you strip away the medals.

#mma #podcast #bjj #belgium #europe

Director Uwe Boll (Rampage, Postal, Assault on Wall Street) on Citizen Vigilante, starring Armie Hammer — the film every distributor said was "so important," then refused to buy.

We talk about the original title Warner Bros. wouldn't allow, financing the film alone after buyers got cold feet, why Germany's rating board refused to rate it, casting Armie Hammer over Tom Hardy and Christian Bale, the collapse of independent cinema, and whether any streamer has the guts to pick it up.

Chapters:

0:00 Warner Bros. and the original "Dark Knight" title

1:57 Financing it alone — "they were scared to buy it"

4:17 An in-between movie vs. a sledgehammer

5:15 The opening scene & Battle of Algiers

10:58 Germany refuses to rate the film

12:57 Fassbinder, Herzog & which films age well

16:51 The death of independent cinema

20:50 Which streamer has the guts?

24:24 Casting Armie Hammer

28:40 Citizen Vigilante 2

#elonmusk #podcast #interview #truecrime #uweboll #citizenvigilante #armiehammer #banned #elonmusk #bannedfilm #filmmaker #blanc #controversialfilm #cancelled #germany #interview #independentfilm #censorship

Brussels-born. Half-Zimbabwean.

Fighting in the UFC at Lightweight. Bolaji Oki built his way from local Belgian gyms through Dana White's Contender Series to the world's biggest MMA stage — and he sat down with Ben to talk all of it. Heritage, identity, the grind, and what it actually costs to compete at this level.

10 wins. UFC veteran. The Zulu Warrior.This is Fill in the Blanc.▶ Subscribe:

https://www.youtube.com/@The_Blanc_Movement    / @the_blanc_movement  #ufc #mma #ufcfreedom #fightnight #boxing #jiujitsu #martialarts #bolajoki #blanc #belgium #fighter #lightweight #contenderseries #thezuluwarrior

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Shai Gerena is a brown belt competitor and coach who has built his game — and his life — around one principle: discipline isn't motivation, it's practice. In this episode, we get into the mindset behind the mat, what real consistency looks like, and why pressure is where growth actually happens.

Florian Bayili on what grappling really is — beyond the mats.
Discipline, pressure, and the mindset it builds over time.

Gaetano Pirrello is a trailblazer in the European fighting community, helping shape the culture beyond the ring.

In this episode, we sit down with Gaetano to talk about life, discipline, and the mindset shaped by fighting.

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Podcast Introduction :

Today’s guest is someone who has quietly but steadily shaped the Belgian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu scene from the inside out. Daan Bauwens is a black belt coach based in Brussels, known for his technical depth, his sharp coaching eye, and the calm, analytical approach that has helped develop a new generation of competitors. Among his students is Belgian world champion Florian Bayili —a name you’ll certainly be hearing more of in the years to come.

In this episode, we dive into Daan’s journey through Jiu-Jitsu, the philosophy that guides his coaching, and the mindset required to build athletes capable of performing at the highest level. Whether you’re a seasoned grappler or simply curious about the craft and culture of BJJ, this conversation offers rare insight from someone who lives and breathes the art.

Today’s guest is Ben Kovacs — founder of Guardian BJJ, general manager at FloGrappling, and a genuinely influential figure in the jiu-jitsu media space. He’s someone who’s achieved a huge amount behind the scenes, yet stays incredibly humble and focused on giving back to the sport.

We dig into his journey, the creation of Guardian BJJ, his work shaping the storytelling of grappling, and the mindset that’s driven his success. It was a brilliant conversation, and I’m excited to share it with you.

Welcome to Chats with Ben.