In Episode 33 of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, Professor Laercio Fernandes of Alliance Laguna Hills shares his journey from São Paulo, Brazil to building a structured, system-driven academy in Southern California.

Professor Laercio began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1993 in São Paulo. What started as a way to stay out of trouble evolved into a lifelong pursuit that included earning an engineering degree from the University of São Paulo, competing internationally, and eventually relocating to the United States to test himself against the highest level of competition.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Training in Brazil during the 1990s Vale Tudo era

• The transition from hobbyist to professional competitor

• Moving to the United States with limited English and no clear roadmap

• Training at Alliance under Cobrinha and adapting to a structured system

• Winning IBJJF titles including Pan Ams, No-Gi Worlds, and Europeans

• Building a gym in Orange County after competition success

• Why curriculum and weekly planning matter in modern academies

• The difference between improvisation and intentional adaptation

• Competition mindset: “doer brain” vs. “talk brain”

• Preparing for IBJJF tournaments without overcorrecting fight week habits

• Teaching mixed-level classes (white belts to black belts) in the same hour

• Managing roles as instructor, business owner, parent, and entrepreneur

Professor Laercio speaks directly about the evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — from early pressure-heavy training environments in Brazil to the more structured, curriculum-based academies operating in the U.S. today. He explains how systematic training, weekly instructor meetings, and clear segmentation inside classes support long-term retention and safer training environments.

We also discuss:

• Gi vs No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu

• IBJJF rules and competition structure

• The growth of professional grappling

• Engineering mindset applied to training and business

• The importance of aligning body preparation and mental preparation before competition

• Why adapting systems does not mean abandoning fundamentals

If you train in Orange County, Professor Laercio welcomes visitors at Alliance Laguna Hills.

Subscribe for more long-form conversations on the business, culture, and lived experience of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

A jiu-jitsu gym is supposed to be the safest room you walk into all week. The recent allegations involving some of the biggest names in our sport pushed a harder question into the open: what does real safety look like in a sport built on trust, proximity, hierarchy, and access to people’s bodies?

In this special Grappling Monthly episode, I’m joined by Lindsay Kreighbaum and Professor Bryan Gregerson, owner and head instructor of Legacy BJJ in Pasadena, CA, for a direct conversation about abuse of power in jiu-jitsu. We talk about the conditions that make violations easier to hide, why people often stay silent for years, and what gym owners, coaches, and teammates can do to reduce risk without turning the academy into a paranoid workplace.

Losing a gym, losing training partners, and becoming the center of attention is not a “benefit” or a revenge fantasy. It’s frequently a painful tradeoff that people avoid until they cannot anymore. The episode breaks down why naming an experience can be difficult in real time, how authority and “hero culture” distort judgment, and why outside validation is often the moment things finally become clear.

From an academy leadership perspective, this conversation gets practical. It covers concrete guardrails gyms can implement to reduce risk, including policies around private lessons with minors, avoiding situations where a single adult has unobserved access, and building a culture where reporting concerns is normal and protected. It also addresses what to do when someone confides in you, including the difference between adult disclosures and situations involving minors where reporting obligations may apply. We also get into accountability and culture. “Different norms back home” is not a defense. If you move into a new community, it’s on you to learn its boundaries and laws.

Finally, this episode challenges a jiu-jitsu blind spot: belts and titles measure skill, not character. Respect the craft, but do not confuse rank with moral authority. This is not an episode about internet drama. It’s about standards, leadership, and building gyms where people can train hard without being put at risk.

#GrapplingMonthly #JiuJitsu #BJJ #BJJCommunity #GymCulture #SafeSport #AthleteSafety #Safeguarding #CoachEducation #TraumaInformed #Leadership #PowerDynamics #SportsPsychology #MartialArts #LegacyBJJ

On this week's episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Professor Blake Kasemeier in sunny Glendale, CA. 

 @blakeoftoday  is a father of two, a prolific storyteller, a writer,  a badass jiu jitsu black belt and a genuinely nice guy. On this episode we discuss: 

- Blake's first contact with Jiu Jitsu 

and so much more! 

Many thanks our sponsor  @BaitApparel .  Visit https://www.baitapparel.com to check out the latest in jiu jitsu and lifestyle gear.

Grappling Monthly is dedicated to the people, culture, and business of the grappling arts. We produce original documentaries, podcasts, short and long-form videos, and features that spotlight the global grappling community, from practitioners and coaches to creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs.

Our goal is to bring attention to the people of jiu jitsu and their stories and to explore the realities, values, and voices shaping the grappling world today.

https://www.grapplingmonthly.com  

#jiujitsu  #jiujitsubrésilien  #brazilianjiujitsu  #combatsports  #martialarts  #selfdefense  #selfimprovement  #bjj  #blackbelt  #grappling #thegrapplingmonthlypodcast #gi #nogi #ibjjf #adcc #blakekasemeier #glendaleca   #california #usa #legacybjj

On this week's episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, I had the honor of sitting with Professor Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller at his academy in Ventura, California: Paragon BJJ.

Professor Ricardo Miller, commonly known in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as “Franjinha”,  is regarded as one of the top BJJ coaches in the world, having graduated from his famed Paragon Jiu Jitsu Academy, big names of the grappling world such as Tyrone Glover, Jeff Glover , Bill “The Grill” Cooper among many others.

Ricardo Miller was born on the 30th of June, 1969, in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. He grew up on one of the most famous burghs of Rio, the Leblon which neighbors Copacabana. The last name Miller comes from Ricardo’s American origins, his great-grandfather was from the USA. It is said that his family owned a Mill a few generations ago, thus the name “Millers” which later turned into Miller. Another peculiarity of Ricardo Franjinha Miller is that unlike many of the athletes in BJJ today who had very humble upbringings, Miller came from a middle-class family in Brazil and had a chance to study in a good school. He found Jiu Jitsu in his late teens (when he was 19) and straight away started training with his one and only mentor, Romero Cavalcanti at the Jacaré academy in Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro.

At Jacaré’s place, Miller had the opportunity to train with and under many of the big names of his time. People like Fábio Gurgel, Traven and “Telo” Mendes. All this hard training paid off in 1996 as “Franjinha” took gold at the Mundial (World Championship) in the meio-pesado brown belt division. He was awarded his black belt by master Romero Cavalcanti shortly after his World title (February 1997) combining a total of 8 years between the time he first stepped on a mat and his black belt ceremony.

In 1997 Franjinha decided he needed a new challenge in life. Ricardo was already one of the coaches at the prestigious Alliance Academy in Sao Paulo (Fabio Gurgel‘s Headquarters), but after a brief stay in Santa Barbara, CA for the 1996 BJJ Pan American he fell in love with the place and moved to the US, seeing great potential for BJJ in the country for Jiu Jitsu.

In California Ricardo Miller founded the Paragon Academy, This academy flourished throughout the last decade having become a testament to its name, a true model of excellence to all BJJ academies all over the World, with great fighters coming out of its camp. Paragon today is famous for its technical prowess that has graduated names such as Jeff Glover, Bill Cooper, and Tyrone Glover (who was Franjinha’s first black belt), but another of Paragon’s most successful competitors is also its founder, Miller is still a very active competitor in many top-level events such as the Pan American the Nogi World Championships and many others.

This week's episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast we had the privilege of sitting down with 6th degree black belt and legend in the game: Professor Chris Haueter in his home in Redondo Beach, California. Prof. Haueter is one of the first 12 non-Brazilians to be awarded the rank of black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United States in the late 90's.

Chris Haueter was born in 1964 in California. Like many other children who grew up during the 1970s, Haueter started his martial arts training through shotokan karate, influenced by the popular kung fu movies of the era, eventually developing his nunchaku skills. Has Chris reached high school, he started wrestling. He did well throughout the school program, representing his varsity team as a 98lbs athlete. Although successful, a serious injuries took him off the team for half of his sophomore and all of his junior year. After going through the school system, Chris Haueter joined the US Marine Corps. Looking for something to keep him occupied, he sought several martial arts, including muay Thai and boxing. It was after his first (and only) pro Thai boxing match (1987) that Haueter decided to go back to grappling. Although he had won the match, he felt the striking arts left open too many options for future head trauma. As Chris returned to his old wrestling room, he found an aikido instructor named Mits Yamashita demonstrating a grappling position (mounted armbar). Haueter was interested in the position and asked for it to be performed on him, which Mits did successfully.

As Chris showed the desire to learn more, Yamashita directed him to Rorion Gracie’s academy. At the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Chris Haueter met Rorion’s cousin, Rigan Machado – who was one of jiu jitsu’s most celebrated champions at the time. Machado became Haueter’s main coach, and when Rigan moved away from the Gracie academy to form his own, Chris followed. His dedication and hard work culminated with Chris Haueter receiving his black belt on December 1996. During the ceremony 4 other black belts were handed: Renato Magno, David Meyers, Rick Williams, Fernando Vasconcelos. Haueter also became known for coining a few of Brazilian jiu jitsu’s positions which were unnamed in Portuguese. One of those was the famous “combat base” stance. One that later gave name to Chris’ academy in California.

Grappling Monthly is dedicated to the people, culture, and business of the grappling arts. We produce original documentaries, podcasts, short and long-form videos, and features that spotlight the global grappling community, from practitioners and coaches to creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs.

Our goal is to bring attention to the people of jiu jitsu and their stories and to explore the realities, values, and voices shaping the grappling world today.

https://www.grapplingmonthly.com  

#jiujitsu  #jiujitsubrésilien  #brazilianjiujitsu  #combatsports  #martialarts  #selfdefense  #selfimprovement  #bjj  #blackbelt  #grappling #thegrapplingmonthlypodcast #gi #nogi #ibjjf #adcc #chrishaueter #redondobeachca #california #usa #bjjdirtydozen #ricksongracie #roycegracie #roriongracie #ufc

Many thanks to our sponsor https://www.baitapparel.com

On this week's episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting with professor Paul Schreiner in his beautiful academy Frogtown Jiu Jitsu in Los Angeles, CA. 

Originally from Santa Cruz, Prof. Schreiner has decades of experience training, teaching, and competing at the highest levels of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In this episode, Prof. Schreiner shares parts of his journey in the grappling arts which have led him to travel the world, to live in Brazil and train extensively with many legends of the sport including as Roberto “Gordo”, Rilion Gracie, João Rangel, and Dave Camarillo, and Marcelo Garcia . 

He has taught Jiu-Jitsu for over 20 years including 14 years at Marcelo Garcia Academy in NYC. Paul was a part of the MGJJ coaching team that produced the Brown belt “dream team” and the first academy to have athletes win the Black belt weight and absolute division in the World Championships in the men’s and women’s divisions in the same year (Bernardo Faria, Dominyka Obelenyte). Prior to teaching at MGJJ NYC Paul taught at American Kickboxing Academy alongside Dave Camarillo, founded Kaijin MMA with Garth Taylor, and started a Jiu-Jitsu program for Apple at their Cupertino headquarters. Paul is known as a focused and impactful teacher and coach who refers to his teaching methodology as “non-denominational.” He remains passionate about teaching and training Jiu-Jitsu as a daily practice.

FROGTOWN JIU–JITSU is a school dedicated to creating a fun and engaging environment for practitioners of all levels. The school is located on 1803 Blake Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90039.

#bjj #jiujitsu #brazilianjiujitsu #grappling #paulschreiner #frogtown #frogtownjj #nogi #gi #martialarts #combatsports #selfdefence #adcc #ibjjf 

What's your preferred set up for grappling competitions? A mat, the pit, the bowl, a cage? This week's guest has experience in all 4! This week the Grappling Monthly Podcast travels to Encinitas, CA to chat with one of jiu jitsu’s elite competitors Prof. Keith Krikorian!

On this episode Keith shares his passion for martial arts, competing in wrestling and Jiu Jitsu, the sacrifices and discipline it takes to reach the highest levels, and his experiences on jiu jitsu’s biggest platforms such as IBJJF, ADCC, and UFC BJJ. Jump into the mind of an elite level athlete and competitor on the modern Jiu Jitsu scene. Episode airs this Wednesday January 21 at 7am PDT. Keith Krikorian is a professional grappler and a back belt in jiu-jitsu under Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez of the 10th Planet Team. An experienced athlete under the submission-only and EBI ruleset, Krikorian first made waves in the sport while competing at the ADCC United States Trials as a colored belt, where he conquered 2 second places (2018 & 2019), performances that earned Keith an invitation for the ADCC World Championships of 2019. Keith would later earn the rank of black belt and continue to prove his worth on the professional circuit. Keith Krikorian was born on October 14, 1997, in San Diego, California, USA.

Drawn to combat sports from an early age, Keith started boxing as a 9-year-old, pursuing the Sweet Science competitively in the amateur circuit for a number of years. During this period, Krikorian also added other striking sports to his tool kit such as kickboxing and muay Thai with the long-term goal of competing in mixed martial arts. During high school, Keith finally started training in mixed martial arts, a discipline that led him to jiu-jitsu under the guidance of Shannon Gugerty. As part of his grappling introduction, Krikorian also decided to join his school’s wrestling team, competing extensively in the folkstyle ruleset. During his progression in jiu-jitsu, Keith worked with the aforementioned Gugerty as well as Walel Watson before finding his way to instructor Richie Martinez of 10th Planet, the man responsible for much of Krikorian’s sporting success. Under the guidance of Martinez, Krikorian earned his purple, brown, and black belts, the latter in October 2020.

Grappling Monthly is dedicated to the people, culture, and business of the grappling arts. We produce original documentaries, podcasts, short and long-form videos, and features that spotlight the global grappling community, from practitioners and coaches to creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs. Our goal is to bring attention to the people of jiu jitsu and their stories and to explore the realities, values, and voices shaping the grappling world today.

https://www.grapplingmonthly.com

#jiujitsu #jiujitsubrésilien #brazilianjiujitsu #combatsports #martialarts #selfdefense #selfimprovement #bjj #blackbelt #grappling #thegrapplingmonthlypodcast #gi #nogi #ibjjf #adcc #keithkrikorian #10thplanet #10thplanetsandiego #encinitas #california #usa Many thanks to our sponsor https://www.baitapparel.com

This week, The Grappling Monthly Podcast travels to South Los Angeles to sit and get to know professor Dominick Haider (aka Coach Nick). Prof.Dominick Haider is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the founder of Guardian Project Los Angeles. Martial arts is a deeply personal and rewarding practice that help set him on a path of growth and helping others.

From Kickboxing, to MMA, to BJJ, prof. Haider has decades of experience in martial arts and a passion for giving back to the community by ensuring anyone interested gets the opportunity to learn the art and work on themselves. Partnering with the international Jiu Jitsu charity Guardian, has helped Prof. Haider realize a dream of making martial practice accessible to all. Prof. Nick is the owner and head instructor of Omni Jiu Jitsu in South LA. He is also the head of the Guardian Project in Los Angeles.

Grappling Monthly is dedicated to the people, culture, and business of the grappling arts. We produce original documentaries, podcasts, short and long-form videos, and features that spotlight the global grappling community, from practitioners and coaches to creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs.

Our goal is to bring attention to the people of jiu jitsu and their stories and to explore the realities, values, and voices shaping the grappling world today.

Grappling Monthly is starting the year off strong with our latest guest: Professor Jaime Mendez III. Prof. Mendez is the owner and head instructor of Renzo Gracie, Los Angeles. He is a former American collegiate football free safety, who was an All-American at Kansas State University. He is the Wildcats' all-time career leader in interceptions with 15 and a lifetime practitioner of the martial arts with decades of experience in striking and grappling.

In this episode we discuss:

And so much more!

Tune in for the full podcast episode this Wednesday January 7 at 7am PDT.

This week The Grappling Monthly Podcast travels to the newest location in the Legacy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community, Legacy Santa Clarita. Join us and get to know Professor Victor Yushin, owner and head instructor of Legacy Santa Clarita.

Victor is a 2nd degree black belt under Prof. Alberto Crane. In this episode, we get to know prof. Yushin and his journey in competitive sport, dance, and martial arts.

Grappling Monthly is a media platform dedicated to the people, culture, and business of the grappling arts.

We produce original documentaries, podcasts, short- and long-form videos, and features that spotlight the global grappling community—from practitioners and coaches to creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs.

Driven by a passion for the arts, our goal is to engage everyone—from committed practitioners to curious fans—through stories that explore the realities, values, and voices shaping the grappling world today. Our content reflects the spirit of the grappling arts through media that motivates growth, strengthens connection, and conveys the ingenuity, discipline, and shared commitment that define this community.