Welcome to The Winners Circle, Episode 19! Join your hosts Eugene Plowden and Isaiah Gathings as they dive into the world of Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and other combat sports. In this episode, the hosts discuss: The Struggle of Martial Arts Academies in Cold Weather [06:18]: Eugene and Isaiah share personal stories and discuss the financial and logistical challenges that winter, cold temperatures, and snowstorms pose for martial arts school owners, including dealing with low class attendance, heating costs, and deciding when to cancel classes. Online Training: Fad or the Future of Martial Arts? [21:26]: A deep dive into whether online training platforms (Zoom classes, pre-recorded instructionals, and future VR/AI technology) can ever truly replace the in-person experience, especially for advanced students and grappling arts. Why Are Jiu-Jitsu Practitioners So Opinionated About Other Academies? [45:15]: The hosts explore the culture of gatekeeping and scrutiny over belt ranks and lineage within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, comparing it to the traditional martial arts world. Professor's Perspective - Flow Sequence: Americana Escape to Eating Choke [59:06]: A detailed breakdown of a two-move combination for BJJ: escaping the Americana/Paintbrush arm lock and immediately flowing into the Eating Choke to pass the guard, emphasizing the need for quick, back-to-back transitions to prevent the opponent from recovering. Catch new episodes of The Winners Circle every Monday as part of the Martial Arts InterNetwork!

Welcome back to The Winners Circle, the official podcast of the Martial Arts InterNetwork (MAiN)! Hosts Eugene Plowen and Isaiah Gatherings dive into the latest in jiu-jitsu, MMA, and combat sports, along with a passionate debate and a BJJ technique breakdown.This Week's Topics:

• Are Boxing and Wrestling True Martial Arts? A deep-dive debate on whether these combat sports meet the criteria of "martial arts," designed for war, self-defense, and weapon use, or if they are simply rule-bound sports.
• Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Rumors: The guys give their surprising take on the potential matchup between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former heavyweight champion, including why one host believes Paul could pull off the upset.
• The Lions' Win and the Blueprint: Reaction to the Detroit Lions' victory over the Giants and why a weak win can be worse than a loss for a championship-contending team.
• The Professor's Perspective: Move of the Week: Eugene breaks down a simple yet highly effective Jiu-Jitsu guard pass for dealing with those annoying partners who try to "scissor" or squeeze your ribs tight from the closed guard.
• Karate vs. Jiu-Jitsu Class Structure: Comparing the pros and cons of structuring martial arts classes based on age versus belt rank.

Timestamps:

• [00:02] - Welcome & MAiN Show Schedule
• [02:11] - Detroit Lions NFL Talk
• [06:47] - Karate vs. Jiu-Jitsu Class Structure: Age vs. Belt Rank
• [20:45] - The Big Debate: Are Boxing and Wrestling Martial Arts?
• [45:07] - Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Prediction & Analysis
• [01:04:35] - Professor's Perspective: BJJ Guard Pass for the Squeeze
• [01:09:21] - Closing & Happy Thanksgiving

Don't forget to check out the entire MAiN schedule for more great content!MAiN Schedule:

• Mondays: The Winner Circle
• Tuesdays: The Inside Scoop
• Wednesdays: The Traditional Way
• Thursdays: Fist Kicks and Flicks

On this episode of Winner's Circel, Eugene and Isaiah discuss:


Travel and Martial Arts: Co-host Isaiah shares his experience traveling to England and a past international tournament in Ireland where he broke his nose.
Jiu-Jitsu Discussion: Co-host Eugene discusses receiving his fourth stripe on his white belt. The hosts debate the importance of tournaments and seminars for jiu-jitsu students and discuss a controversial figure who allegedly bought his black belt.
Technique Demonstration: The episode concludes with Isaiah demonstrating a specific jiu-jitsu mount escape technique.