In this conversation, Mike Lady and James Wilson explore the intersections of mountain biking and Jiu-Jitsu, discussing James's journey from fitness training to becoming a Jiu-Jitsu black belt. They delve into the principles of mastery, the importance of biomechanics, and the evolution of training methods. James shares insights on pedal design and how it relates to performance, while also emphasizing the significance of live training and understanding the most important battles in Jiu-Jitsu. The discussion highlights the challenges and rewards of the journey in martial arts, encouraging listeners to embrace the process of learning and growth.

Takeaways

James Wilson transitioned from mountain biking to Jiu-Jitsu, finding parallels in mastery.

The principles of mastery apply across different sports and disciplines.

Biomechanics play a crucial role in both mountain biking and Jiu-Jitsu.

Live training is essential for understanding and applying techniques effectively.

Coaching should focus on principles rather than just memorizing techniques.

Ego can be a significant barrier in the learning process of Jiu-Jitsu.

Recognizing the most important battles in Jiu-Jitsu is key to success.

There is no hidden knowledge in Jiu-Jitsu; all techniques are accessible to everyone.

The journey in Jiu-Jitsu is filled with ups and downs, but it's worth it.

Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in martial arts.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to James Wilson and His Journey

02:55 Transition from Mountain Biking to Jiu-Jitsu

05:57 The Evolution of Mountain Biking and Jiu-Jitsu

08:54 The Science Behind Pedals and Performance

11:58 The Catalyst Pedal: Innovation in Cycling

14:56 The Intersection of Insights: Adjacent Possible

18:02 Coaching Philosophy and Learning in Jiu-Jitsu

28:34 Critical Thinking in Jiu-Jitsu

31:53 The Role of Demonstration in Learning

33:26 Practical Applications of Drilling

35:49 The Continuous Nature of Jiu-Jitsu

36:58 Recognizing Opportunities in Jiu-Jitsu

38:26 Adapting Techniques Over Time

40:46 The Evolution of Techniques

42:30 The Accessibility of Jiu-Jitsu Knowledge

44:50 The Journey to Blue Belt

45:42 Defining Battles in Jiu-Jitsu

47:54 Recognizing the Most Important Battle

49:05 Revisiting Teaching Methods

51:16 Walking the Path of Mastery

Keywords

Jiu-Jitsu, mountain biking, mastery, coaching, biomechanics, training, sports, personal development, pedal design, ego

Welcome back to Humans of Grappling, where we explore the intersection of grappling and everything else in life. We talk about applying grappling to everyday life, and everyday life to grappling.

Mike describes how he’s been feeling in 2024 and how it’s different than what he felt in 2022. He talks about how he and a small group of friends enabled him to make it to the round of 16 in ADCC West Coast Trials as a regular software engineer with no professional athletic background beyond high school sports. Mike talks about his mental health, his battle with anxiety, and how he’s channeling his passion into coaching others to follow his lead.

ADCC 2022 WC Trials -99kg bracket

https://arena.flograppling.com/event/a2fe54ab-be1f-9ebd-c24f-be927cc4fe18?page=brackets

If you want to level up your game with a curriculum and community that guarantees results, check out www.sandboxbjj.com

⏩ the fastest way to develop grappling skill

🏖️ creative, iterative, resettable play

🔲 boundary around what we focus on

👇 join a community that cares

www.sandboxbjj.com

Follow for more on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mikelady/

https://www.instagram.com/sandboxbjj/

Mike describes how anyone can start training ecologically by defining their own games with the elements of:

https://www.instagram.com/mikelady/

https://www.instagram.com/sandboxbjj/

Mike describes how we can frame ecological Jiu-Jitsu games similar to video game tutorial levels. Mike relates this to his course and community on Sandbox BJJ.

If you want to level up your game with a curriculum and community that guarantees results, check out www.sandboxbjj.com

⏩ the fastest way to develop grappling skill

🏖️ creative, iterative, resettable play

🔲 boundary around what we focus on

👇 join a community that cares

www.sandboxbjj.com

Follow for more on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mikelady/

https://www.instagram.com/sandboxbjj/

Let’s play around in a sandbox to work on something

How do we fuck around and find out?

Doesn’t mean that this is directionless, it’s actually very empowering.

We don’t have to have a “master” coach to get better.

We can just start where we’re having trouble and sit there until we figure some relative truths out.

It might not be the most optimal or ideal, but it’s a start.

Low level white belts don’t need high level technique. You just need the next increment up to actually get better.

Sandbox implies defined boundaries (fancy word is “constraints”)

Also implies physical and psychological safety

It’s still just practice

It’s okay if we mess up, we can tear it down and start over again

What is the sandbox we need to set up?

Sandbox BJJ Skool Community https://www.skool.com/bjjfaqs

Summary

In this episode, Mike reflects on his journey as a content creator and shares his insights on the challenges and expectations of work. He emphasizes the importance of taking action and iterating to figure out one's niche. Mike also discusses the difficulties of college and the transition to the industry, highlighting the compressed timeline and the need for good time management. He advises junior developers to focus on intrinsic motivation and to understand that becoming a senior developer takes time and effort. Mike concludes by emphasizing the importance of finding fulfillment both on and off the job.

Takeaways

Take action and iterate to figure out your niche

College is hard due to the compressed timeline and the need for good time management

Becoming a senior developer takes time and effort, and it's important to focus on intrinsic motivation

Find fulfillment both on and off the job

Sound Bites

"Doing more is going to help me figure things out better than waiting and doing less and thinking through things"

"Work is going to be hard, but not necessarily in the way you expect it"

"You have to figure out a better pace for the next 40 years"

Chapters

00:00 Finding Your Niche: Taking Action and Iterating

02:26 The Challenges of College and the Industry

17:31 Developing a Better Pace and Long-Term Plan

21:32 From Junior to Senior: Time, Effort, and Skill Development

41:11 The Fulfillment of Being a Professional

Keywords

content creation, challenges, expectations, work, action, iteration, college, industry, time management, junior developers, senior developers, intrinsic motivation, fulfillment

AI-Generated text:

In this episode, Mike interviews Doug Ancey, a black belt in jiu-jitsu and a technical writer. Doug shares his journey in grappling, from starting with wrestling in middle school to discovering jiu-jitsu in college. He talks about the importance of fostering relationships in the jiu-jitsu community and the value of having a third place for kids. Doug also discusses his career in technical writing and how it has helped him analyze and explain jiu-jitsu techniques. He emphasizes the connection between writing and jiu-jitsu in terms of processing thoughts, understanding concepts, and adapting to different audiences. The conversation covers topics such as jiu-jitsu, technical writing, neurodivergence, and mental health. It emphasizes the importance of understanding your audience and effective communication. The speakers discuss their experiences with ADHD and the challenges they face in managing their mental health. They also touch on the societal expectations of work and the need for self-care and recovery. The conversation highlights the need for therapy and the importance of giving oneself grace and understanding. The conversation covers various topics including the growth of knowledge, media scrutiny, the influence of social media, the impact of AI on different industries, the role of capitalism in shaping society, the importance of questioning the motives of the country, the need to dissect media, the evolution of jiu-jitsu, and the challenges of competition mindset.

Keywords

grappling, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, relationships, community, third place, technical writing, career, analyzing, explaining, processing thoughts, understanding concepts, different audiences, jiu-jitsu, technical writing, neurodivergence, mental health, ADHD, communication, work, self-care, recovery, therapy, knowledge growth, media scrutiny, social media, AI, capitalism, questioning motives, dissecting media, jiu-jitsu evolution, competition mindset

Takeaways

Building relationships in the jiu-jitsu community is valuable and fosters personal growth.

Having a third place, like a jiu-jitsu gym, provides a sense of community and belonging for both adults and kids.

Technical writing skills, such as analyzing and explaining concepts, can be applied to understanding and teaching jiu-jitsu techniques.

Writing helps in processing thoughts and understanding one's own jiu-jitsu journey.

Jiu-jitsu and technical writing both require adapting to different audiences and effectively communicating information. Understanding your audience and effective communication are key in various aspects of life, including jiu-jitsu and technical writing.

Managing mental health, especially for individuals with ADHD, requires self-awareness, therapy, and finding the right balance.

Societal expectations of work often do not align with the needs of neurodivergent individuals, and it is important to prioritize self-care and recovery.

Therapy is beneficial for everyone, regardless of their mental health status, and provides a space to talk about and process life's stressors.

Having an open and critical mind is important, but it is crucial to maintain rationality and not fall into conspiracy theories or false beliefs. Continual growth of knowledge is important, and anti-intellectualism is a problem.

Social media has both positive and negative impacts on society, allowing for greater access to information but also making it harder to control the narrative.

Media scrutiny is crucial, and it's important to learn how to dissect media and question biases.

Capitalism plays a significant role in shaping society and can lead to the alignment of interests among powerful individuals and organizations.

It's essential to question the motives of the country and recognize that the West is not always the 'good guy'.

Understanding history is important to gain a broader perspective and challenge mainstream narratives.

One of the first things that blew my mind in history class was when my middle school teacher taught us about how boats were developed in parallel around the same time across cultures geographically nowhere near each other. 

Same thing happens today between companies, like fitness tech wearable wristbands and other weight lifting tracking devices,  or even within the same company like Google spinning up and killing a hilarious number of chat clients over the years.

Sometimes there’s things in the zeitgeist and history is ready for someone to “invent” a particular technology, or in Jiu-Jitsu a particular technique, but really it could be anyone because the necessary prerequisite pieces are all in place in the environment. It’s just that someone has to perceive the right set of affordances that unlocks the new innovation.

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Mike talks about how we can better use our natural pattern-matching subconscious mind to accomplish our goals, and how ecological dynamics may explain the practice of "manifesting".

Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.

What "slow parts" of the TV show of your life are you willing to sit through for the big payoff at the end of certain seasons of your life?

Mike talks about recent small changes he's made in his life that are compounding already, such as his back squat working weight for 3 sets of 5 reps moving up from 225lbs to 270lbs in one month, adding 5 lbs to the bar each time.

He shows how we can apply this principle to life in general.