Partizan Grappling Podcast

What habits separate elite BJJ athletes from the rest?

In this episode, we break down the seven core lessons that we've learned from chatting with, and observing some of the best BJJ athletes in the game, such as Jozef Chen, Lachlan Giles and Kenta Iwamoto.

We'll be sharing tactical advice that you can start implementing in your own training immediately, even as a hobbyist.

This episode is brought to you by SubMeta, the premier online platform for learning BJJ in a structured way.

Use the codeword "PARTIZAN" for a massive discount on your first month.

https://submeta.io/

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 – Habit 1

04:35 – Habit 2

07:40 – Habit 3

10:00 – Habit 4

12:50 – Habit 5

14:53 – Habit 6

18:28 – Habit 7

21:40 – Bonus Habit

Partizan Podcast Episode #22 In this episode, we cover how to prepare for your first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition, including stories from our own experiences and mistakes.If you've competed before, what advice would you give to somebody who's about to compete for the first time?This episode is brought to you by SubMeta, the premier online platform for learning BJJ in a structured way.Use the codeword "PARTIZAN" for a massive discount on your first month.https://submeta.io/

Partizan Podcast #21 — Derek Rielly.

In this episode, we sit down with Derek — best-selling author, co-founder of Stab Magazine, and the man behind Bob Hawke’s biography. Derek shares wild stories from his days as a surf journalist, what it was like profiling an Aussie Prime Minister, and how he found himself on the mats as a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We explore the overlap between surfing and fighting, the decline of surf culture, and the challenges of staying creative over a long career.

This episode is brought to you by SubMeta, the premier online platform for learning BJJ in a structured way.

Use the codeword "PARTIZAN" for a massive discount on your first month.https://submeta.io/

📍 Timestamps:00:00 - Intro

00:49 - SubMeta Ad

01:20 - Who is Derek Rielly?

09:13 - Writing a best-selling biography

15:05 - Living a surfer bum lifestyle

18:28 - Surfing and fighting

21:41 - Surfing is lame now

25:05 - On being an author

28:22 - Creative process

37:11 - Starting BJJ

42:34 - Longevity in BJJ

46:41 - Breaking the ice in BJJ

51:35 - BJJ Books

In this episode or the Partizan Grappling Podcast, we sit down with Briana Bowley, a Nervous System & Performance Coach who works with combat sports athletes to overcome anxiety, competition nerves, and performance blocks.

We break down the science behind staying calm under pressure, why some athletes freeze, and how to retrain your nervous system so you can compete at your best, along with actionable advice for coaches in the combat sports industry.

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments and consider subscribing!

00:00 - 04:40 Briana's Background

04:40 - 05:50 Understanding Fight Flight Freeze

05:50 - 09:00 First Competition Experiences

09:00 - 14:10 Different athletes need different preparation

14:10 - 21:00 Understanding your responses

21:00 - 24:00 Retraining Survival Responses

24:00 - 25:30 Advice for Coaches

25:30 - 28:00 You can say no to anybody

28:00 - 31:35 Briana's Method

32:00 - 40:00 Dealing with losses

41:00 - 44:10 Summary

submeta.io

If you want to train smarter and learn from structured, principle-based instructionals from Lachlan Giles, check out SubMeta and use code PARTIZAN for 64% off your first month.

You can find more from Briana below!

https://www.brianabowley.com/

https://www.instagram.com/brianabowley/

In this episode of the Partizan Grappling Podcast, Lachlan Giles shares insights from the Australia/Asia CJI Trials, building a world-class team including Fabricio Andrey, and what it really takes to succeed as a BJJ athlete long-term. We dive into coaching philosophy, how to train smarter (not just harder), and what Lachlan has learned throughout his long and successful BJJ career.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing!

submeta.io

If you want to progress quicker in BJJ and learn from structured, principle-based instructionals, check out SubMeta and use the codeword PARTIZAN for 64% off your first month.

00:00 CJI Trials Recap

08:20 Securing Fabricio Andrey & CJI Team

11:10 Level of BJJ in Australia

12:50 Innovations in Modern BJJ

14:18 Ecological Dynamics/CLA

20:10 How Lachlan Likes to Study

21:09 Sponsored by SubMeta

21:39 Lachlan's Career

25:00 Advice for Running a BJJ Gym

28:05 What Makes Athletes Successful?

30:10 Dealing with Losses

32:10 Mindset in Competition

35:10 The First CJI Experience

38:10 CJI2 Strategy & Ruleset

45:10 Sub-Meta

49:10 Lachlan's YouTube Channel

51:10 Advice for BJJ Content Creators

Ivica Pavlinic (aka Judo2U) joins the Partizan Podcast to talk about his journey through Judo — from starting out, to coaching young athletes, and even working as a bouncer. We cover practical coaching advice, how to build good training environments, the difference between hobbyists and competitors, and whether Judo still works for self-defense today. Ivica also shares his take on dynamic balance, the belt system, and what separates high-level athletes from the rest. If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to like and subscribe!

https://www.instagram.com/judo2u/

00:00 - Intro

00:02:32 - Starting Judo

00:06:19 - Finding Training Partners with Common Goals

00:11:37 - Go-To Throws

00:14:28 - How to Develop Young Athletes

00:18:48 - Hobbyists vs Competitors in Judo

00:21:01 - Belt System in Judo

00:25:42 - Is Judo Good for Self-Defence?

00:27:34 - Veets Was a Bouncer

00:30:47 - Dynamic Balance

00:33:43 - Teaching Different Ages

00:38:48 - Constraints-Based Learning

00:42:49 - What Sets High Achievers Apart

Partizan Grappling Podcast #17

In this episode, Kit Dale shares his unfiltered thoughts on why most BJJ training is flawed, the origins of his ecological training, and how he got his black belt in just four years. We also dive into his coaching philosophy, the problem with the standard way of training/coaching and his journey into acting and filmmaking.

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comment section and hit that follow button so you don't miss out on future episodes!

Chapters:

00:00 Early Training with Lachlan and Craig

04:30 Competing isn’t a true test of BJJ skill

10:20 Did Kit teach Greg Souders about ecological training?

15:45 How to train ecologically in a gym that drills?

17:20 The problem with positional sparring

18:40 How Kit likes to coach

22:10 How to get a black belt in 4 years

28:20 Kit hates advice

29:10 Don’t be a helicopter coach

34:00 Becoming an actor and filmmaker

44:00 Future competitions for Kit

🎙 Partizan Podcast #15 — Adele Fornarino: #1 Female Grappler in the World. In this episode, we sit down with ADCC World Champion Adele Fornarino — Flo Grappling's P4P best female grappler on the planet, and her coach Jake O'Driscoll.

She opens up about her journey from a young blue belt in Australia to dominating the international scene, training at ATOS, and preparing for her highly anticipated match against Ffion Davies.

We also dive deep into the mindset it takes to become world-class, the role of elite coaches, and why Adele believes athletes need to stand up for themselves in today’s BJJ culture.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – How did Adele start training BJJ?

05:12 – Deciding to pursue full-time BJJ

08:02 – How did Jake start training BJJ?

10:32 – The role of a coach at the highest level

12:57 – Mindset of high-level competitors

15:12 – How to deal with nerves

18:50 – Training overseas at ATOS

22:07 – If Adele could change one thing about BJJ

23:12 – Hierarchy and power dynamics

26:12 – Athletes standing up for themselves

30:12 – ADCC Wins

34:12 – Balancing enjoyment and greatness

37:12 – Challenges and setbacks

39:12 – Upcoming match with Ffion Davies

40:02 – Becoming the greatest grappler of all time

43:02 – Advice for up-and-coming athletes

📲 Like, comment, and subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes!

Do you suck at jiu-jitsu and would like to suck a bit less?

This episode is for you.

We deconstruct some of the lessons we've learned over the years, including how some of the best in the world train, so you can get better, quicker, at the sport that we all love.

Make sure to smash that subscribe button! It helps more than you know.

Partizan Podcast Episode #15

00:00 Reduce unforced errors

04:00 Emulate a pro with your body type

06:00 Become hard to submit and pin

09:00 Have a singular focus

12:00 The secret to skill development

15:40 Jozef Chen and tinkering

17:40 Training intensity and asking the right questions

21:00 Be in the right training room with the right people

What are the secrets for beating larger opponents in BJJ? Do you agree or disagree?If you enjoyed this, please subscribe so you don't miss out on the next episode!Partizan Podcast Episode 14.You can also find us on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/@Partizangrappling00:00 Attack the Legs 04:40 Use Your Advantages 07:30 Choose the Right Guards 09:10 Take the Back 13:25 Guillotines 14:15 Summary