In episode 8, I talk to the Vogel brothers (Josh and Drew) about going from white belt to black belt together, training at Balance, competing, training with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, teaching, the loss of their mom, support from Brian Cimins of Grapplers Quest, Rafael  and Guilherme Mendes, Tom and Terry Brands, the evolution of “basic” … Continue reading 8: Brothers in Jiu Jitsu with Drew and Josh Vogel →

In episode 7, I talk to Tim Carpenter about Iceberg Slim’s book “Pimp: The Story of My Life”, relationships, furry parties and other sexual perversions, women in jiu jitsu, the decline of  marriage, monogamy, lying, cheating, murder, Facebook, Scarface, gorillas, bonobos, and much more. Subscribe on iTunes or RSS, and check out the facebook page. … Continue reading 7: Tim Carpenter on Women, Relationships, Iceberg Slim and Pimp Philosophy →

In episode 6, I talk to Niko Dax, a judo black belt, instructor, and the most knowledgeable dude on the elite-level judo competition circuit than anyone I’ve met in the judo community. Here are some topics we  talk about: The role of sport judo in growing the art. The top American judoka. The difference between … Continue reading 6: Niko Dax on Elite-Level Judo and BJJ →

In episode 5, Josh and Lex talk about competing  as a black belt, Antifragile by  N. N. Taleb, Wellington “Megaton” Dias,  uncertainty of competition, No Gi Pans, New York Open, taking the bus, winning and losing, competing as a recreational player, masters vs adult divisions, posting results to Facebook, cross training as a pastry chef, etc. And … Continue reading 5: Competing as a Black Belt, Antifragile Cats, and Megaton →

In episode 4, Tim, Josh, and Lex talk about the IOC recommendation to remove wrestling as one of the core Olympic sports, the history of wrestling in the Olympics, IOC, FILA, Dan Gable, Aleksandr Karelin, Rulon Gardner, pankration, professional wrestling, squash, facing an aggressive opponent in competition, etc. Subscribe on iTunes or RSS, and check out the facebook … Continue reading 4: Olympic Wrestling: Past, Present, and Future →

In episode 3, Lex and Josh talk about the ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, the many different flavors of Josh Vogel, twitter stardom, burning off excess pain, MovNat, learning new languages, handstands in French, levels of immersion, Josh’s birthday, John Danaher, Royce Gracie, skating in the 90s, Thrashin’, True Romance, Steve Plyler’s black belt hair, money in sports, … Continue reading 3: A Riddle Within a Riddle →

In episode 2, Lex and Tim talk about Miyamoto Musashi, the iTunes explicit rating, hero worship, the value of getting punched in the face, fear of losing, learning from fighting, battling to the death in West Philly, hipsters at the Piazza, Sex at Dawn, A Book of Five Rings, romantic relationship with jiu jitsu, risk aversion, karate vs wrestling, … Continue reading 2: Hero Worship and the Resolute Acceptance of Death →

In episode 1, Lex and Josh talk about Louis Zamperini, the four minute mile, white belt problems, grace in movement, and kneebars. Here are some links mentioned in the episode: #whitebeltproblems on Josh’s blog: Volume 1: How to decide what to practice Volume 2: How do I remember new moves? Volume 3: I’m getting smashed all … Continue reading 1: Unbroken Rapscallion →