Lance is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Under Vicente Junior out of Maryland.  He is also a partner of Academy Kings, a community of likeminded entrepreneurs who run Martial Arts Academies.  He is also a business coach and responsible for helping academy owners grow their business to 300 plus students.    

Lance has been instrumental in the growth of our academy at Ares East Mesa BJJ.  He and his team have taught us how to market, sell deliver and retain students which has produces an academy of more than 300 students in less than two years.    

Lance and I go into detail about what Academy Kings does and how it "over delivers" on its promise to help build an academy.    Lance and his team have completely changed my life for the better and I know if you are a business owner or if you are thinking about opening an academy, Academy Kings should be your first call.  

www.academykings.com  @Academy Kings  www.bjjconquest.com

Breakdown of the IBJJF World Master BJJ Tournament. This was the biggest Jiu Jitsu event in history.  Alex and I talk about the logistics of competing and spectating a large tournament.  There are many tournaments during the year and this tournament is arguably the most important tournament of the year.  We talk about preparation for this tournament. There is a point in which you peak for competition and you must choose when you are going to peak physically. One can't peak for every tournament.  

Strategy plays a big roll in preparation and execution.  There are times in which we need to play a conservative game and then there are times in which you have to test the "gas tank" and just leave it all on the mats.  We go over all of the action over the weekend.  There were so many good matches that we didn't want to leave the venue.  We saw several people get injured, but that's all part of the game. But there were a lot of good matches and strategies to learn form.    I made some changes this year in my preparation.  The first was working on my mobility.  Mobility in jiu jitsu is so critical because of the risk of injury. I also started working with a diet coach which helped me keep the gas tank full and matching my nutrition with my physical output.  I worked with my instructor (Josh Cisneros) on strategy and game plan.    

There are times to execute a good plan now instead of a bad plan later.  Don't over analyze where to start on your fitness journey.  If you need help then ask for help.  Be part of a community and you'll find people willing to help.  If you're looking for a place to start...hydrate, clean up your eating and sleep a lot.  

The venue was set up very well.  The art work was amazing.  There was a beautiful tribute to Leandro Lo (a legend in the sport) who was murdered at a club in Brazil earlier this year.  Alex and I talk about going up a weight class in preparation tournaments.  

There are times when you have to go down in age or up in weight to get a match.  When you go up in weight make sure you go in optimal.  Which means go in at your competition weight.  People make the mistake of eating like crap because they can and that leads to sub-optimal performance.

Aaron grew up in Welington Arizona.  Where he competed as a wrestler from the time he was a kid.  He was a stand out wrestler at Antelope Union High School where he compiled a record of 142-1 and earned multiple State Championships.  He went on to compete as a walk on at Arizona State University where he earned 110 wins, two Pac 10 Conference Championships and All American Status in 1996 and 1998. He went on to be an assistant coach at ASU for nine years.  

Aaron became a professional fighter after coaching and amassed a 12 win record with 6 wins by knockout.  Aaron fought in the UFC, WEC and World Series of Fighting before retiring from eh fight game.    

Aaron was my wresting coach at Ares Arizonan BJJ in Mesa Arizona where he is also a Purple Belt under professor Paul Nava.  

Aaron shares fighting and coaching philosophies.  We go deep into preparation, overcoming setbacks and dealing with the demons in your head as a fighter.    

I think everyone will benefit from this podcast no matter what your back ground.  I really enjoyed this conversation with my friend Aaron.

Alex and I celebrate Episode 10 of the podcast with a nice bottle of Stagg, a small batch bourbon from Buffalo Trace.  Alex and I talk about the past ten episodes and the work that it takes to make an episode.  

We are also celebrating our second year as an academy at Ares East Mesa BJJ Academy.  We talk about our recent belt promotion and what we are looking for in skills of the different belt levels. Most people haven't done something hard (like Jiu Jitsu) for a long time and that's the reason they quit at Blue Belt.  They haven't accomplished anything that takes that much effort so they feel like they are not capable of achieving then next level.  There are so many "should be a Black Belt by now" people that have come and gone.

There is a huge difference between a person going from Blue Belt to purple belt after 6 years of training and a person who came up through the kids system that has been training for 12+ years. The difference is very obvious once they meet on the competition mat. So, being patient before going to the next level is important. Enjoy the journey and be happy for those that do get promoted.

We talk about preparing for the biggest tournament of the year and balancing the responsibilities as a coach.  There is a high level of stress that goes with preparation, competition, coaching and being prepared mentally. The wait before competition can seem like an eternity but suffering with the team is all worth it.

Samir is a 3rd degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 3 x World Champion, 3x Pan American Champion, and 9x National Champion. Samir started BJJ when he was 9 years old and received his black belt from Professor Alan Moraes, Carlson Gracie Team at the age of 20. He moved to Northern California in 2009 to pursuit his dream of becoming a World Champion and having his own academy.

Samir and I talked about coming up in BJJ as a kid and growing up in the sport. He gave up a pursuit of a law career to move to America and become a full time Jiu Jitsu competitor. He and three of his teammates branched off and created the Ares Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association.

Samir and I talk about his journey through Jiu Jitsu and how far the sport has come in such a short time. If you are not willing to put everything into training the results will not be favorable.

Dr. Neil is a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.  His focus is hormone and injection therapy.  Dr. Neil and I covered a lot of subjects regarding injection therapy (hormone, PRP and Stem Cell) and the benefits each.  His goal is to help people with pain relief and get them back to their optimal performance. His passion to help those in need (pain) really comes through in this podcast.

Dr. Neil is a former student athlete and he dealt with a lot of injuries which led him down a path of wanting to learn more about healing the body and physical longevity.  

We talked about how Traumatic Brain Injury can effect a person's ability to heal itself due to then imbalance that can cause to the individual's hormones.  

We also talked about his personal experience with stem cell therapy that healed a 85% tear of his ACL.  He was back on the mat training in half the time of a surgical repair.  He also has an example of stem cell therapy healing a tear in a patient's quadriceps muscle.  It's a fascinating look into alternative therapies to surgery.

This was a great conversation and if you are living in pain, you should go see Dr. Neil at Restore Health AZ.

Greg is a Physical Therapist and Owner of Control Physical Therapy in Scottsdale AZ.  Greg is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and coaches part time.  We had a great conversation and covered many different strategies on staying healthy and active, but most importantly staying on the BJJ mats.  Greg talks about his journey through Jiu Jitsu and how a mentor lead him to believing in himself which culminated in his going to school, getting his degree and starting his own business.  I think Greg's is a story that everyone should hear and learn from.

Alex and I break down the 2022 IBJJF Phoenix Open.  We talk about competing in general, what we pack of the tournament and the importance of knowing the rule set in any competition.    

Alex talks about the intensity of competition and the importance of knowing how to play the "game" of Jiu Jitsu.  Some people have very boring Jiu Jitsu because they are playing the game and playing within the rule set.  

I break down my matches (as best I can remember).  Going up a weight class, I learned a lesson on giving up weight and understanding the weight/strength of the larger opponents.

Watus is the owner and head trainer at Unfair Advantage in Tempe, Arizona.  Watus and I talk about growing up in Japan in a military family.  Going to college and bieng in Division 1 athletics in both football and track and field.    

Watus walks us through getting the body to "neutral" and then building from there.  Food, Movement, Breathing and Recovery are the four pillars of health.  We go into detail on how to achieve optimal health and mobility by focusing on those four pillars.  

Watus is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to building a better athlete no matter what their level.  I think everyone will get something they can use in their own life.  I am so excited to drop this episode!

Vin is a personal trainer, business owner, and a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Vin and I talk about several subjects including strength training for Jiu Jitsu, training, competing and traveling.  Vin is known for flying out the morning of a competition, competing against the best in the world and flying back that evening so he can open his business the next morning.  

Vin and I talk about starting a business and keeping it going for 20 plus years and what new aspiring trainers can do to break into the business.  

I had a lot of fun having this conversation with Vin and I think a lot of people will get a lot of takeaways from this episode.