Ninja Rob

On episode #20 Marco and Tim discuss Marcos most recent beef with fellow/rival podcast the Andocast. Marco is incensed that the Andocast recently featured Tim as a guest rather than himself. The podcast this week features some live play by play of ADCC along with some predictions and discussion of Keenan Cornelius and Marcos experience with Pink eye. Speaking of pink, the podcast discusses Team Balance promoting their 1st Female black belt. The challenges faced by women and men in BJJ,  a fellow Martial Arts School recently burning down and how we can all help, and they also answer some questions about women in bjj, and who are the best instructors we have ever trained with. 

On episode #19 Marco and Tim discuss Marcos recent experience at the IBJJF nogi pans and the differences between competition and training, the difference in pace, intensity and the gap between techniques that work in training and techniques that work in competition as well as the importance of sticking with your most high percentage moves rather than trying something new in the heat of battle. The podcast also goes deep into the difference between “old school” and “modern” bjj techniques and which is better, who is the better cook between the 2 co hosts, and what tournaments are best for the average practitioner to get started. As a bonus topic the podcast also gets into some updates on producer Devins uncomfortable issues that are preventing him from training.

On episode #18 Tim and Marco welcome the Strongest man in the US on to the show to discuss strength and conditioning for the martial arts and martial arts for the conditioned and strong. US Strongman National Champion Joe Szatmary is the owner of The Lions Den Elite Training Center and also a student under Tim at Hellfish MMA in Chalfont. He brings a wealth of knowledge about training for strength and conditioning for various sports including BJJ and Muay Thai. Joe recently competed in his first BJJ competition and he shares his experience as an elite athlete crossing over into a new sport. The guys also answer questions about, who is the best pound for pound, what guests will be coming on in the future, what is the best cheesesteak in philly, and whose responsible for safety during training. 

On episode #17 Tim and Marco show up unprepared to do the podcast, but end up giving listeners a glimpse of what a beginner should expect to experience at each of their schools. They go over the process of someone trying out the classes and then joining the gym. They also discuss some upcoming plans for the podcast including a special seminar for Ninja Rob listeners. Producer and owner of SFX studios also shares some of his experiences as someone brand new to Jiu Jitsu.

On episode #16 Tim and Marco welcome their 1st guest and longtime friend Jared Weiner, owner of BJJ United and Commander in Chief of the TAC team association. This episode is a Jiu Jitsu roundtable discussion covering topics like BJ Penns recent street fights and his past altercations at Jiu Jitsu competitions. The roundtable also cover topics like the importance of understanding the various rulesets of different competitions and what set of rules each of the guys prefers, what is the “IT” factor when it comes to a competitor, the importance of a competitor believing in his coach, the pros and cons of social media and the martial arts, belt demotions instead of promotions and much much more. 

On episode #15 Marco is obsessed with beef. The episode kicks off with beef between Marco and Podcast contemporary Gillie the King on behalf of producer Devin based on some disparaging remarks Gillie made about Marco. Tim has some serious questions about the process and value of beefing. Marco and Tim have some beef of their own.  Continuing the theme of beefing in the martial arts world, Marco and Tim discuss some recent incidents of both verbal and physical altercations between some big names in the BJJ community. There were a lot of questions this week covering topics like, Mcgregor vs Khabib 2, some of our favorite tournament experiences, should a white belt focus on position or submission, the steep learning curve of BJJ, whats up with Marcos finger, the BJJ specialist, and applying concepts of bjj to normal life. 

On episode #14 Tim and Marco talk about the current state of the amateur fight game and what it takes to compete and fight. Tim gives Marco an education on a popular new class of PEDs called SARMS and Marco flirts with the idea of enhancing his performance. The guys discuss the importance of strength and conditioning for both competitors and recreational Martial artists as well as a weird story of an instructor giving students a personality test before rolling and pairing students up according to the results. Listeners ask and we answer questions about asking a higher belt to roll, how to escape when a man is sitting on your face, and will th PFL ever be successful in the fight game. 

On episode #13  Marco and Tim continue to seek the truth about Bruce Lee and his fighting prowess after his controversial portrayal in the new Tarantino film. Marco reads an unfavorable review of a local martial arts school and takes a deep dive into what makes a martial arts school successful. Tim and Marco discuss what amenities are necessary at a martial arts school and Marco shares a story about saving a friend who had been held hostage in Pakistan from the comfort of his south philly home. Loyal listener Gabe Lackfella  asks the guys what their favorite guard passes are and how they prefer to finish.

On episode #12 Tims groin is once again the focus of the show, as the guys discuss his recent groin injury and why he had to pull out of his Fight 2 Win match last week. Tim and Marco go back to a question from last week about the debate over the oxford comma. Tim has some strong opinions on the seated guard/butt scooting position in grappling and how it is bad for the sport. Questions this week cover topics like Donald Trump training bjj, who are your favorite BJJ/MMA competitors of all time, and how to make the decision to pull out of a competition.

On episode #11 Tim turns 39 and Marco discuss Tims upcoming fight to win match and dealing with a recent groin injury, and touch on the topic of weight cutting in both bjj and MMA. Marco comes to terms with his obsession with Tims sexual exploits and makes a commitment to letting it go. Other topics covered include the idea of “slow practice” in learning guitar and martial arts, the oxford comma debate, gym wars and whether or not they are necessary or beneficial. how to handle the criticism from untrained armchair warriors. After the tragic death of Maxim Dadachaev in a recent boxing match Marco and Tim talk about the responsibility of a corner/coach in the safety of a fighter and when to throw in the towel, whether it is better to be a specialist or a generalist in BJJ, and how to properly be selfish as a fighter/competitor without being an asshole.