The Grapplezilla Podcast

Kenny Johnson, known as Bolt Wrestling, returns to the Grapplezilla Podcast. He is a Dan Gable-coached Iowa wrestler, a two-time BJJ black belt, a Black House MMA coach and the Olympic wrestling coach for the Bahamas. This time he talks about his new training tool, Bolt Zurkaneh club handles that screw onto a water bottle.

In this episode, Kenny explains the 45 years of club swinging behind the product, why he built a portable alternative to traditional wooden clubs, and what he has learned coaching fighters at the highest level of MMA and wrestling.

🥋 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How the Iron Sheik inspired Kenny to start swinging clubs as a kid

• How the Bolt zurkaneh handles turn a water bottle into a travel-friendly training club

• Why club swinging builds shoulder, grip and full-range strength, and how it differs from dumbbells

• How Kenny survived a 20-foot mountain bike fall with the clubs in his backpack

• What he is building as Olympic wrestling coach for the Bahamas, including a coach certification program

• Why he thinks coach education could change US wrestling

• The "chasing the ghost" mindset he took from Dan Gable

• What it takes to coach UFC fighters, and why he says "the training is the drug"

🌎 ABOUT THE GUEST

Kenny Johnson is a wrestling and MMA coach who says he has worked with 33 UFC champions. He wrestled at the University of Iowa under Dan Gable and is a gold-certified USA Wrestling coach.

🔗 LINKS

Bolt Zurkaneh on Instagram: @bolt.zurkhaneh 

Bolt Wrestling on Instagram: @boltwrestling 

Grapplezilla store: https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

👍 If you enjoyed this, like and subscribe to help the show grow and bring on more great guests.

Grab, throw, tap.

#Wrestling #MMA #Grapplezilla #zurkaneh #zurkaneh #kennyjohnson #mmapodcast #blackhousemma #iowawrestling

Turon is Uzbekistan's national combat sport, with roots going back to the era of Amir Timur. Farrukh Niyazimbetov, president of the International Turon Federation, joins the Grapplezilla Podcast to explain how it works and how he's taking it global.

In this episode, Farrukh breaks down how Turon blends striking, throws, and submissions, and why the rules push constant action. He also covers how the International Turon Federation grew to 35 member countries and where the sport goes next.

🥋 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Where Turon comes from and how Amir Timur used competition to pick his strongest soldiers

• How Bahodir Saidov developed the modern rules in 1991, and how Turon became an official sport in Uzbekistan in 1992

• How scoring works: throws, chokes, arm bars, leg locks, and wrist locks

• The grip and uniform rules, and why referees penalize passivity

• Why both fighters get a warning when one steps out of the mat

• Habits wrestlers, jiu-jitsu players, and kickboxers have to unlearn to compete

• How Turon compares to Kurash and combat sambo

• The plan for pro Turon, the Arnold Sports Festival, the Olympics, and the Asian Games

🌎 ABOUT THE GUEST

Farrukh Niyazimbetov is the president of the International Turon Federation (ITF), established in June 2025 and headquartered in New York City. He is a seven-time Uzbekistan champion, an Asian champion, and an international gold medalist in Turon.

🔗 LINKS

Turon website: https://www.itf-turon.com/

Farrukh on Instagram: @farruxniyazimbetov

Grapplezilla store: https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

👍 If you enjoyed this, like and subscribe to help the show grow and bring on more great guests. Got a question? Drop it in the comments.

Grab, throw, tap.

#Turon #Grapplezilla #MartialArts #grappling #uzbekistan #uzbek 

In the Soviet Union, "Line 5" (pyataya grafa) on your internal passport listed your ethnic nationality. If it said "Jewish," it could quietly close doors to university spots, job promotions, and career ceilings for your entire life.

But there was one place in the USSR where a bureaucrat with a stamp and a quota couldn't touch you: the wrestling mat. Because a pin is a pin, and either your back touches the ground or it doesn't.

In this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we break down the extraordinary history of the Jewish wrestlers and coaches who didn't just survive the brutal Soviet sports pipeline (Dynamo, CSKA, Spartak, Burevestnik)—they dominated it and built the technical infrastructure still used at the highest levels of Olympic grappling today.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Intro: "Line 5" & The Only Objective Proving Ground in the USSR

  1:10 The Soviet Wrestling Machine (Dynamo, CSKA, Spartak, Burevestnik)

  2:34 Boris Maksovich Gurevich: The First Soviet Olympic Wrestling Champion (1952)

  3:42 Yakov Punkin: From 80-Lb WWII POW Survivor to Olympic Gold

  5:16 Grigory Gamarnik: Champion & 20-Year Architect of Ukrainian Greco-Roman

  6:21 Oleg Karavaev: Master of Pace, Tempo & Impenetrable Defense

  7:12 Boris Mikhaylovich Gurevich: 1968 Gold & The UN Statue Legend

  8:45 Aleksandr Kolchinsky: The 2x Olympic Super-Heavyweight King

  9:55 The Architects: Mikhail Mirsky, David Rudman (Sambo-70) & Valentin Kalika

  11:25 The Technical Legacy: 2-on-1 Russian Tie, Folk Setups & Pace Control

  11:56 The 1990s Aliyah Wave: Carrying the System to Israel

  13:50 The Honor Roll Across 11 Time Zones

  15:17 Why This Legacy Still Matters Today on the Mat

  
  

💬 Drop a comment below: Which of these stories stood out to you the most—Yakov Punkin’s comeback from captivity, or the coaching tree that still dominates wrestling rooms today? Let me know what wrestling history topic we should cover next!

🔔 Subscribe to Grapplezilla for deep dives into wrestling history, global grappling disciplines, and combat sports biomechanics. Until next time—Grab, Throw, Tap!If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

#WrestlingHistory #SovietWrestling #GrecoRoman #FreestyleWrestling #OlympicWrestling #Sambo #Grappling #Grapplezilla #history #jewishhistory #jews #jewish #soviethistory #ussrwrestling #jewishathletes #jewishwrestler

Sambo Steve Koepfer reveals why the smartest grapplers are thinking about throws, grips, and transitions all wrong. If you train jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, or combat sambo, this conversation will change how you see stand-up, breakfalls, and the moment a strike becomes a takedown.

Stephen Koepfer is the founder and head coach of New York Combat Sambo, one of the earliest U.S. Sambo academies, operating in New York City since 2003. 

He is a Master of Sport of Russia in Combat Sambo, president of the American Sambo Association, co-founder of Breakfall Studios, and a stunt performer and action designer whose work has appeared in John Wick 2, John Wick 3, Hunters, and The Blacklist.

We break down the evolution of American Sambo from the late 90s to the Fedor-era explosion, including how Combat Sambo became an official sport and why timing mattered so much for the growth of the art. Stephen also tells the full story behind earning his Russian Master of Sport title as an American, including the on-the-mat testing, the old-school coaches watching, and the moment that sealed the credential.In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why Combat Sambo rewards finish-fast thinking instead of point-fighting habits

  
  

• The biggest mistake jiu-jitsu athletes make when closing distance under striking pressure

  
  

• How Sambo grips translate from kurtka to no-gi, and what simply does not transfer

  
  

• Why the Achilles grip matters more than the heel hook in real leg entanglement strategy

  
  

• How Stephen uses sweep mechanics to teach throws to jiu-jitsu players who think they “can’t throw”

  
  

• What stunt performers and actors must learn to make a fight scene look brutal without getting injured

  
  

Stephen also shares what makes John Wick’s grappling feel authentic, how Breakfall Studios turns martial arts knowledge into screen action, and why teaching fight choreography is really about preserving story, structure, and safety at the same time.

If you love technical grappling, Soviet training methods, or the hidden mechanics behind movie fight scenes, this one is packed with real-world insight.

Perfect for grapplers who want better stand-up, coaches who want smarter training methods, and anyone obsessed with the intersection of martial arts, film, and old-school combat systems.

Here are Sambo Steve’s social media account where you can find him online:

Instagram: @sambosteve

YouTube: @sambosteveYouTube: @FilmFightsFriendsPod 

URL: ussambo.com

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

#sambo #sambosteve #sambopodcast #usasambo #ussambo #nycsambo #grappling #grapplingpodcast #grapplezilla

The hardest part of training isn’t the throw—it’s getting to the gym after a brutal workday. Holly Ann Frazier knows that challenge firsthand. 

A root canal assistant by day and elite Sambo and judo competitor by night, Holly shares how discipline, community support, and countless hours on the mat took her to the 2025 Sambo World Championships in Kyrgyzstan.

In this Grapplezilla Podcast episode, Holly talks about balancing work, school, and world-class competition—and what it meant to carry the support of her community onto the international stage. 

She also breaks down the tactical differences between judo and Sambo, including grip fighting, the Georgian grip, drop seoi nage, and harai-goshi.

In this episode, Holly discusses:

• How she balanced a demanding job with elite-level training

  
  

• Crowdfunding her path to international competition

  
  

• What she learned competing at Pan Americans and the Sambo World Championships

  
  

• How she adapts her game across judo, Sambo, and MMA-influenced training

  
  

• Grip-fighting strategy and the adjustments that can decide a match

  
  

• Managing nerves with music, warm-ups, and competition routines

  
  

• The growth of American Sambo and the women helping move the sport forward

  
  

• The athletes and coaches who inspire her development

  
  

Whether you’re a grappler, martial artist, combat sports fan, or someone working toward an ambitious goal, Holly’s story offers an honest look at the persistence behind competing on the world stage.

Subscribe to the Grapplezilla Podcast for more conversations about grappling, martial arts, and the people shaping combat sports.

Here is Holly Anne Frazier’s social media account where you can find her online:

Instagram: @hawleee_

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

#sambo #judo #usasambo #ussambo #usjudo #usajudo #bjj #womensbjj #grappling #grapplingpodcast #sambopodcast #sambousa #hollyannefrazier #jiujitsupodcast #bjjpodcast #girlpower

Francis Pignoti Pana joins the Grapplezilla Podcast for a deep dive into ultra-heavyweight no-gi grappling, elite competition, pressure passing, and the mindset required to perform on the sport’s biggest stages.

From his early days training under Brazilian Top Team to representing Homa BJJ in Montreal, Francis shares the story behind his rise in jiu-jitsu.

He breaks down his world championship run, lessons from competing at ADCC, the influence of boxing on his stand-up game, and how he developed a crushing top-pressure style built around control, patience, and exhaustion.

We also get into his experience facing elite competitors including Felipe Pena and Luke Griffith, the evolution of heavyweight leg-lock defense, recovery for older athletes, cross-training, coaching, gratitude, and why he believes more men need to prioritize fitness.

If you love Brazilian jiu-jitsu, no-gi grappling, ADCC, heavyweight pressure passing, wrestling, combat sports, or the mentality behind high-level competition, this episode is for you.

In this episode:- Francis Pignoti Pana’s journey from France to Canada- Brazilian Top Team, Homa BJJ, and building a no-gi game- Winning at the highest levels of jiu-jitsu- Facing Felipe Pena and competing on major stages- What Luke Griffith taught him about elite top pressure- Boxing footwork, cardio, distance management, and grappling- Heavyweight passing, guard work, and leg-lock defense- Training smarter, recovering better, and staying durable- Coaching, gym culture, brotherhood, and competitive mindset

Here are Francis Pignoti Pana's social media account where you can find him online:

Instagram: @francopana_combateYouTube:  @francopana_combate  Threads:  @francopana_combate 

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

#grappling #bjj #jiujitsu #adcc #montrealbjj #francispignotipana #nogi #nogigrappling #bjjpodcast #jiujitsupodcast #grapplingpodcast #bjjfighter #grapplezilla

Brett Pastore has fought his way from a New Jersey classroom to the brutal front lines of global combat sports, and his story is as wild as his style.

The American Nomad breaks down why teaching middle school felt harder than MMA, how he ended up training and living in Thailand, and what it really takes to survive across Catch Wrestling, Sambo, Combat Wrestling, Ssireum, MMA, One Championship, and bare-knuckle Lethwei.

Brett is a BJJ black belt, USA Sambo national team member, 2021 Catch Wrestling lightweight world champion, and a professional MMA fighter training out of the world famous Tiger Muay Thai and MMA.

In this conversation, he reveals how he blends catch wrestling pressure with jiu-jitsu guard concepts, why the “gap system” matters everywhere from turtle to guard retention, and how his aggressive, submission-hunting approach changes when strikes, headbutts, and ring ropes enter the equation.

You’ll discover:

- Why catch wrestling and BJJ are closer than people think

- How combat Sambo and MMA overlap, especially with strikes, grips, and takedowns

- What changes when leg locks meet punches

- Why One Championship’s rule set and ring create completely different problems

- How Brett adapts to wildly different rule sets without losing his core game

Brett also shares the story of taking an eight-week camp into bare-knuckle Lethwei against a world champion in Myanmar, what he learned from getting outmuscled and cut open in hostile territory, and why fighting in a ring can be far stranger than fighting in a cage.

Along the way, he and the host dig into rule differences, back-of-the-head strikes, folkstyle vs freestyle wrestling, Korean Ssireum, and the technical details that separate great grapplers from great MMA fighters.If you care about high-level grappling, MMA strategy, or the mindset of a fighter who’s lived the real nomad life, this one delivers.

Essential listening for wrestlers, jiu-jitsu players, and anyone who wants a brutally honest look at what works when the rules stop being theoretical.

Here is Brett Pastore’s social media account where you can find him online:

Instagram: @brettpastore.americannomad

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

#tigermuaythai #mma #mmafighter #mmapodcast #sambo #bjj #jiujitsu #mmatips #brettpastore #onechampionship #onefc #ufc #podcast #grapplezilla

The difference between winning and fading in grappling often comes down to one idea: one stance, one grip, one throw. 

Ukrainian Sambo world champion Ivan Vasylchuk reveals the brutally simple system behind elite-level takedowns, submissions, and transitions, and why mastering a few fundamentals beats collecting hundreds of techniques.Ivan has won gold at the 2011 World Championships in Vilnius and the World Combat Games, holds black belts in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and has built a reputation as one of the sharpest technical minds in Sambo. 

But what makes this conversation special is how he breaks down world-class grappling into details you can actually use—from grip fighting and leg locks to no-gi throwing mechanics and the mindset that keeps champions dangerous.

You'll discover:

• Why Ivan believes rules matter more than people realize and how they shape 60% of a match

  
  

• The real biomechanics behind the Achilles lock and the common mistakes that kill finishing power

  
  

• How to adapt throws for no-gi, including where to grip when the jacket is gone

  
  

• Why Sambo, judo, and BJJ all reward different pace, pressure, and stance choices

  
  

• How he trains transitions from standing to ground so attack never stops after the takedown

  
  

Ivan also explains how changing judo rules reshaped the sport, why some grapplers are better off learning fewer techniques better, and how the best competitors control not just the body, but the opponent's decision-making.

He shares the coaching philosophy he inherited from Gennady Horokhov, the tactical lessons from silver-medal finishes, and the psychological edge every serious grappler should study.

If you care about standup dominance, ruthless efficiency, or making your top game instantly more dangerous, this episode gives you a masterclass from a true international champion. Perfect for Sambo players, Judokas, BJJ competitors, and MMA grapplers who want practical answers, not theory.

Grapplezilla hosts the conversation, and Ivan Vasylchuk  brings the experience, precision, and championship-level insight.

If you want to understand how elite grapplers think, move, and finish, hit play now.

Here are Ivan Vasylchuk’s social media account where you can find him online:

Instagram: @ivanvasylchuk_sp

Instagram: @vasylchuk_academy 

YouTube: @IvanVasylchuk_silapartera

Facebook: @SilaParteraIvanVasylchuk

URL: https://www.silapartera.com/

URL: https://gpp.silapartera.com/

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

Kristiany “The Karate Queen” Carvalho is proving that elite striking can thrive inside MMA—and she’s doing it without abandoning her style.

She breaks down how she blends karate, Muay Thai, wrestling defense, and growing jiu-jitsu confidence into a game built to frustrate opponents and win rounds.From Brazil to South Florida, Kristiany shares her evolution at Fight Sports Deerfield Beach with Coach Daniel Mendes and jiu-jitsu coach Jesus Cavalcanti.

She explains why she refused to flatten her stance into something generic, how she’s rebuilding her grappling without losing her speed, and what she learned from both a first-round rear-naked choke win and a controversial fight at the wrong weight.In this episode, you’ll hear:

- Why Kristiany believes changing her stance too much could erase the best part of her game

- How a striking exchange unexpectedly turned into a submission finish

- What training in Florida has changed about her wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and fight camps

- Why competing at the right weight class matters

-How music, confidence, and staying loose shape her fight-night mindset

We also discuss the pressure of fighting under the UFC Fight Pass spotlight in Houston, moving from scattered training camps in Brazil to a complete team in Florida, and learning to trust coaches with the game plan.

Kristiany talks about the fighters who inspire her—from Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko to Sean O’Malley—and how their styles influence the fighter she’s becoming.

For MMA fans, martial artists, and aspiring fighters, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at adapting a striking-first style while building a more complete game.Kristiany Carvalho, Brazilian MMA fighter known as “The Karate Queen,” in conversation with the Grapplezilla Podcast.

Here is Kristiany Carvalho’s social media account where you can find her online:

Instagram: @krisoficial_If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!

#kristianycarvalho #karatequeen #karate #mma #mmafighter #mmapodcast #karatemotivation #mmakarate #furyfc #junglefight #brazilmma #brasilmma #mmabrasil #mmabrazil #fightsport #grapplingpodcast #womensmma #ufc

What does it take to build a grappling life in a country at war, while balancing a demanding career, brutal training, and a completely different combat culture? 

Vlad Polyanskiy, known as VladXBJJ, reveals why Ukraine's jiu-jitsu scene is unlike anywhere else in Europe - and why wrestling, sambo, and old-school discipline changed his game for good.

Vlad is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Michelle and Maurice Gofar at Triforce Antwerp and is a longtime grappler who split his time between Belgium and Kiev before planting his roots in Eastern Europe. In this conversation, he opens up about the jump from hobbyist jiu-jitsu in Belgium to the highly competitive, cross-training-heavy world of Ukrainian grappling, where elite wrestlers and sambo athletes force you to evolve fast.

You'll discover:

• Why training in Ukraine feels like getting stress-tested by monsters from day one

• How a serious wrestling room with national champions and Olympians transformed Vlad's takedowns, movement, and overall jiu-jitsu

• The Soviet-style coaching mentality, where structure, repetition, and complete commitment shape the best athletes

• Why kids' programs often matter more than adult classes in Eastern Europe

• What actually transfers when judo, sambo, and wrestling athletes enter BJJ - and what gets left behind

The episode also pulls back the curtain on two of the most talked-about moments in Ukrainian grappling: 

Craig Jones' wartime seminar in Kiev and the controversy around Gordon Ryan's attempted seminar. 

Vlad explains what it felt like to train, organize, and live through those moments while missiles, shelling, and daily destruction were part of normal life.

This is a rare inside look at the mindset, politics, and culture shaping Eastern European grappling right now. Essential listening if you care about BJJ, wrestling, Ukraine, or how combat sports actually develop outside the Western bubble.Here are Vlad Polyanskiy’s social media accounts as well as where you can find him online:

Instagram: @vladxbjj

If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:

https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/

If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:

https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla

Also, if you enjoyed this episode of the Grapplezilla Podcast, we invite you to subscribe to Grapplezilla’s YouTube channel for more great Grappling and Wrestling content updated regularly.

Until next time…Grab, Throw, Tap!