The BJJ Foxcast

Dr. Nessler is the President of Ready Rebound Vitality, a company providing injury prevention services to 250+ police and fire departments across the US.  Trent is the co-founder | co-developer of the ViMove+ AMI™, ViPerform AMI™, a 3D motion capture assessment that used in professional athletics, PT/MD practices, in military personnel and with first responders across the US, UK, Canada and Aus.  The ViMove+ AMI is quickly becoming the test or standard of practice for determining Return to Sport following ACL reconstruction.    Dr. Nessler is also co-founder of the Combat Athlete Science Institute, a national company devoted to helping BJJ gym owners aid prevention services to their gyms.    

Trent holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, a master’s in physical therapy, and a doctorate with a focus in biomechanics and motor learning.  He is sports medicine physical therapist with 25+ years experience & is a published researcher in the area of ACL and injury prevention and is author of How To Build A Badass Firefighter.  He has been teaching courses for PTs, MDs, ATCs, Chiros for over 15 years and certified over 650 professionals in the AMI™.  As a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt with 10 years of training, he also teaches a certification course in Treating the Combat Athlete for PTs, ATCs, MDs and Chiros working with combat athletes.    

Some of the subjects we cover on the podcast:  

BFR (blood flow restriction training) – what is it and how does it apply to BJJ Recovery and importance of for longevity in BJJ  How older (mature) athletes maintaining a high volume of training with lower risk of injury.  

What BJJ (combat athletes) can do to help prevent ACL injuries.  

I was blown away by Trent's knowledge of the human body and how he can communicate with athletes to help prevent injuries.  I'm sure everyone who is trying to stay on the mats is going to get a lot out of this podcast.

Jonathan is a Second Degree Black Belt under Professor Gustavo Dantas.  He was my instructor at Ares Arizona BJJ for four years and was a big part of my development as a competitor and a coach.  

Jonathan and I talk about our coaching philosophies, being business owners and sharing our passion for Jiu Jitsu with our students.  Jonathan is a big competitor but that was almost cut short due to injuries.  He has taken recovery very seriously and has made it his highest priority to take care of himself mentally and physically.  He shares his routines for getting back to homeostasis after training or teaching.  

I am so excited to share this conversation with everyone and I know you'll get a lot out of it.

www.mjja.academy.com  @My Jiu Jitsu Addiction  @m1bjjaz #jiujitsu #bjj #aresbjj #army #specialforces #bjjcoach #jiujitsuforlife #blackbelt   

Jeff is a BJJ Black Belt and former Army Special Forces Green Beret.  He is one of the head coaches at My Jiu Jitsu Addiction in Surprise Arizona and also drives and hour and a half each way to Cottonwood Arizona to teach Jiu Jitsu classes.  He clearly has a passion for teaching the art of Jiu Jitsu.  Jeff and I talk about his four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where he actually was exposed to Jiu Jitsu.  

He was part of a team that was disbanded due to issues with the leadership and ended up working a logistic job which kept him from the battle field.  But, because of that deployment, he found Jiu Jitsu and fell in love with the sport.  

Jeff shares is experiences as a combat operator and a Jiu Jitsu coach.  His passion for teaching really comes through in this episode and I know every one will get a lot out of this podcast.  

It was truly an honor to spend a couple of hours with Jeff and share common experiences on the mat.

@jennyfitwellness https://www.jennyfitwellness.com #dietcoach #fitnesscoach #healthylifestyle #bjj #jiujitsu #bjjblackbelt   Jenny is a diet coach with years of experience in coaching people to better health.  Jenny has coached high level athletes and has helped corporations save money on health insurance by providing diet coaching to their staff  We talk about the importance of the right amount of macro nutrients, micronutrients and proper hydration to achieve personal goals.  

Jenny explains the importance of planning for an off season with a "re-feed" phase of training which increases the caloric intake without increasing the total weight gained.  This will help people on a weight loss journey to lose the weight and keep it off.  

Jenny always focuses on meeting the client where they are.  She does not make major changes in people's lives.  She focuses on small changes over time.  We talked about the importance of athletes being at optimal weight vs. weight cutting by dehydration.  I share a story about my experience with a hard weight cut with ended in my passing a kidney stone the day after.  There is always a price to pay with poor nutrition choices.  

My wife Aimee talks about putting in a lot of work and not seeing the results.  She was working really hard and not losing the weight (which was her goal) which was very frustrating.  Now with 40 pounds lost and more than 16% body fat, she has transformed herself into a more confident athlete.  She is mentally and physically stronger thanks to a lot of hard work and help from Jenny.  

We talk about the importance of getting the inner demons in check and not allowing our head trash to get the best of us.  This all starts with keeping the promises we make to ourselves.  Believing in ourselves is the switch that initiates all change in our lives.  

Jenny and I talk about the importance of having a good relationship with food.  This is especially important for younger kids in combat sports.  

This was a great podcast and I know everyone will get a lot out of this show.

#fightcancer #survivor #jiujitsu #bjj #aresbjj   

Julissa is a Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt at Ares Arizona under Professor Paul Nava.  She is one of the first students to train under Paul.    In this episode we talk about how she got into Jiu Jitsu, what training means to her and competing in the sport.  

A few years ago, while on a trip to Australia, Julissa was diagnosed with cancer and her life came to a stand still.  She was first treated in an Australian hospital before coming back to the United States for treatment.  

Julissa talks about her fight and how the Jiu Jitsu community came together to help her along the way.    She is a true warrior and shares her story quite candidly.  I think everyone will get a lot out of this podcast.  

Julissa is now living her best life and traveling as much as possible.  She feels like she's been given a second chance is is determined to make the most of it.

Fresh off of his ADCC debut Josh shares his experience at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club No Gi Tournament in Las Vegas.  Josh goes into detail on his experience being surrounded by the "who's who" in the Jiu Jitsu world.  

The ADCC tournament comes around every two years and competitors around the world compete just to qualify for the tournament.  There are several brackets ranging from 66 kilos to 99+ kilos.  Josh competed in the 66 kilo bracket of 16.  

Josh talks about his preparation for the tournament, which included changes in his diet, weight lifting and a killer regiment of training sessions.  

Josh talks about the pivotal role his team at Ares Goodyear played, specifically Professor Oswaldo Queixinho in his preparation.  

Josh talks about his experience at the tournament and a conversation he had with Gary Toonon backstage before the matches began.  Gary did a seminar for Josh's school when Josh was only 13 and now they were in the same bracket.    

This was a great conversation and I think everyone will get some value from it.  #bjj #competitor #adcc2022 #jiujitsu #jiujitsucompetition

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.