Bjjbrick Podcast- Bjj, Jiu-jitsu, Mma, Martial Arts, No-gi And Good Times!

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have part 2 of Sam Spiegelman answering your questions about strength and conditioning. Sam is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Mark Vives, he trains at New Breed Training Center.  He has written a bunch of great articles on Breaking Muscle.  Sam is also available for online consultations. Sam answers these questions: What supplements do you recommend? How do you deal with cramps during training? What should I ear before a competition? How do I improve my flexibility? What are your thought on training multiple times per day? What muscle groups are used more for offence or defense? If someone can roll only twice a week what off the mat training should they do? Does the training mask work? What tips do you have for recovery after training? What apps for your phone do you recommend using for conditioning training? Links: Applied Strength and Conditioning New Breed Training Center Facebook Twitter Breaking Muscle

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Sam Spiegelman This week Sam Spiegelman answers your questions about strength and conditioning. Sam is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Mark Vives, he trains at New Breed Training Center.  He has written a bunch of great articles on Breaking Muscle.  Sam is also available for online consultations. Sam answers these questions: How often should you train when you are new to BJJ? What level of Jiu-Jitsu class is best to start with? Should I do extra cardio to get in shape for BJJ? What are the benefits of joint mobility? What is a quick and healthy breakfast? When cutting weight is it necessary to run? Do you need to compete in BJJ to get better? How many times per week should I strength train? What should your exceptions be if you are just starting a strength program? What is the best strength and condition program for BJJ? Links: Applied Strength and Conditioning New Breed Training Center Facebook Twitter Breaking Muscle Ep

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have a Pioneer of American BJJ practitioners David Meyer. David started Jiu-Jitsu is 1991 and was one of the first americans to reach the rank of black belt. We talk about: His early experiences with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competing at some of the first BJJ competitions in the united states Being an athlete and a vegan Kicking ass and saving animals Getting more out of each class Doing BJJ home work Doing a tabata workout How to push yourself when you are tired BJJ for MMA Early MMA Performing better at competitions Developing new techniques Being a good training partner The importance of a game plan Training with Eddie Bravo Adopting a pet Links: fuel for the fighter Training for Competition BJJ America Adopt a pet Quote of the week: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle, Presented by Ryan Hall Article of the week: "4 Ways Submission Grapplers Can Apply Wrestling Concep

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week on the podcast we have an interview with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Stephan Kesting.  Stephan has written some of the best articles about BJJ.  He is very well know for teaching BJJ on his websites Grapplearts.com, BeginningBJJ.com and his newsletter. We talk about: His start with Martial Arts Doing BJJ before it was popular Content vs context when learning BJJ online Taking responsibility for your own training Your training environment The overall role of a BJJ coach Learning from lower belts The firefighting and BJJ BJJ and self defense Advice for people who can only train 2 or 3 times per week The ideas for a BJJ roadmap Links: A Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu-JitsuHow to Progress FAST in BJJ Grapplearts Facebook page Grapplearts.com Twitter Youtube Quote of the week: "never give up, and believe in yourself" Franjinha Article of the week: 5 Difficult Concepts For BJJ Beginners To Grasp, check out the authors site here

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have an interview with one of the top BJJ coaches Ricardo Miller.  Ricardo is also known as Franjinha.  You can find a full bio on Franjinha here.  Check out his school Paragon website here. We talk about: A brief history of Franjinha His coaching style His 32 Black belts under him Jeff Glover and Bill "The Grill" Cooper How BJJ is always changing He has 10,000 people that have came to his gym, and out of that he has made 32 Black belts that is one person per every 312 His goal of when he has a new student Helping his students What Paragon means The small percent of people that actually compete Advice for the first time competitor Advice for the person who can only train once a week Comparing BJJ to a puzzle Links: Jiu-Jitsu Pedia Paragon Quote of the week: "respect all, fear none" Danny Alvarez Article of the week: "Does Technique Really Conquer All? 3 BJJ Masters Give their Opinion" BJJEE.com  

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Danny Alvarez is a 2nd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Danny is affiliate under 4th degree Black Belt Bruno Bastos. Check out his full bio and huge competition history here. We talk about: Dealing with a loss Coaching kids Why it is important to set a schedule to train The growth of BJJ Training only once a week Note taking Balancing your personal life and BJJ Links: Alvarez BJJ Alvarez Facebook page Twitter @alvarezbjj Instagram Quote of the week: "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.” Theodore Roosevelt Article of the week: "5 Tips To Take Your BJJ Sparring To The Next Level"   Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Danny Alvarez is a 2nd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Danny is affiliate under 4th degree Black Belt Bruno Bastos. Check out his full bio and huge competition history here. Danny Alvarez We talk about: His start with BJJ Leaving a good full time job to teach BJJ Balancing work and family His aggressive style of BJJ Doing BJJ as a family Overcoming travel difficulties Cutting weight as you travel How to use internet to help your training The importance of doing private lessons Avoiding frustration when learning a new technique Advice for doing your first tournament Links: Alvarez BJJ Alvarez Facebook page Twitter @alvarezbjj Instagram Quote of the week: "Shoot for the moon and even if you miss you will be among the stars" Bernardo Faria. This is a must listen to quote! it starts at 2min 30sec. Article of the week: Rickson Gracie “Should Put More Value On Learning Than On Competing With Your Training Partner” The video Gary

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have part 2 of our interview with Tim Sledd. Tim is a 1st degree black belt under  Andre Galvao. Tim not only runs his own gym Small Axe BJJ, he is also the Director of affiliates for Atos. Tim shares lots of information about what is going on behind the scenes at Atos. If you missed part 1 of this interview check it out first here! Tim Sledd In part 2 of this interview we talk about: What Atos does differently than other BJJ teams Systems building with your techniques Drilling, and how to drill properly Specific sparing and how it is used Speed drills, flow drills, and fine motor skills drills The culture of Atos The culture of Small Axe BJJ Left brain right brain confusion Advice for a student doing a first tournament How to start off a match strong The Leg Drag Links: Email Tim Sledd: smallaxebjj@gmail.com Small Axe website Essays by Tim Sledd Leg Drag Workshop Dvd by Tim Sledd Quote of the week: ”Everything Should

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have an interview with Tim Sledd. Tim is a 1st degree black belt under  Andre Galvao. Tim not only runs his own gym Small Axe BJJ, he is also the Director of affiliates for Atos. Tim shares lots of information about what is going on behind the scenes at Atos. Tim Sledd In part 1 of this interview we talk about: His training history Washing your belt and what your belt should mean to you Who helps you get better at BJJ (not just coaches and teammates) Leaving his job as a prosecutor to do BJJ full time Real world lessons matching up with things learned on the mat The name of his gym Small Axe BJJ The idea of a chain saw vs an axe Check out the Bob Marley Small Axe video His thoughts about the berimbolo Building systems in BJJ How purple belts begin to speak the BJJ language Comparisons of BJJ to learning a new language Organizing your jiu-jitsu Links: Email Tim Sledd: smallaxebjj@gmail.com Small Axe website Essays by Ti

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we are excited to bring you an interview with Eduardo Telles.  Eduardo is well know for his creativity on the mat, he is always trying to surprise his opponents. Check out more of Eduardo's Bio here. In the interview with Eduardo Telles we talk about: Training in both Sao Paulo and Rio Starting BJJ at 17 years old How having fun was so important to getting good at BJJ The use of the turtle guard The benefits of using the turtle guard Common mistakes when using the turtle guard How he attacks someone that is using the turtle guard His ideas about how points can distract opponents and lead to more submissions The idea of giving points for side control Advice for a first time student competing What he was like as a blue belt Some of his most favorite matches. Watch his match with Felipe Pena His online training academy Links: 99 Jiu-Jitsu San Diego Turtle guard on line training here Nine Nine Jiu-Jitsu on Facebook Eduardo's

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Brian Freeman is back on the BjjBrick Podcast! His last appearance was episode 16. Brian is a disabled vet with a T4 spinal cord injury with Brown-Sequard syndrome. He is from Rockingham, North Carolina. Brian is now a blue belt under Renzo Gracie. Brian Freeman and Xande Ribeiro at IBJJF PAN 2015 We talk about: What caused his injury Getting started in BJJ Doing some techniques in his chair, and training to not get separated from his chair in a self defense situation What it is like to be part of a BJJ team Competing with able bodied competition His game and strategies that he uses Why some techniques are difficult for him to defend, and how he deals with them His experience at IBJJF Pan 2015 How everyone adapts Jiu-Jitsu to their bodies How he moves around differently off the mat because of Jiu-Jitsu His story of getting his blue belt Competing two weeks after getting his blue belt His goals when he competes Competing in the expert

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Submission Series Promotions is the biggest submission only host in Canada.Their second event "The Takeover" takes place Saturday, June 20 in Halifax Ns.  In this episode we bring you interviews with two of the athletes that are competing in this event. Jason Gagnon- Jason is a brown belt under Cobrinha.  You can find Jason training at Genesis Martial Arts in Abbotsford, BC. He will be competing against Hood Rich of Zuma MMA.  Jason's Facebook page. Josh Wincey- Josh is a black belt under Kevin Taylor.  Josh trains at Titans MMA.  His is competing against Andris Brunovskis on The Takeover card.  Josh's Facebook page. Quote of the week: Presented by James Puopolo "True strength is not always shown through victory.  Stand up, try again and display strength of heart." Rickson Gracie Article of the week: "The One Secret Trick to Getting Good at BJJ" Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This week we have a interview with Rafael Lovato Jr black belt James Puopolo.  He has been doing BJJ full time since leaving his middle school math teaching job.  He can be found on the mats at Salem-Keizer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. You can find out more about James here on BJJ Heroes. We talk about: Running his academy His ever changing style of BJJ Training with out the use of a timer Fitting your BJJ into many different rule sets The importance of finishing your opponent His training schedule Training other grappling arts Training with Luke Tirey His first training experience with RLJ Doing 14 competitions last year His future goals Keeping a training journal The process he goes through before a competition Basic meditation to get you in your zone Advice for a students first tournament Links for James Puopolo's sponsors: Check out the gis at Origin Green Strength Elite Flexibility Iron Lion Soap Keep up with James on his Fac

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod PJ Waicus joins us this week for an interview.  He has been training BJJ for about 5 years.  He trains at South Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy.  PJ has two children that have Angelman Syndrome.  This interview we talk a lot about BJJ, learn about Angelman Syndrome and we face off the mat challenges that life presents. We talk about: Starting BJJ at the age of 39 Size differences on the mat How Angelman Syndrome is passed on The effects of Angelman Syndrome The Angelman community Bipolar Disorder and BJJ Training with a busy schedule How BJJ is like a church to him Training BJJ for the long term Advice for parents that have kids with Angelman Syndrome Links: Voices for Angels/ devoted to Angelman Syndrome awareness for our children South Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy Angelman.org Contact PJ on his Facebook page here Quote of the week: Presented by: A double quote! Presented by Mark Mullen. "It is not who is good, it is

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Mark Mullen Mark Mullen is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a brown belt in judo from Canada, now based in Taipei, Taiwan. Mark Started training in judo in 1995 and inspired by Royce Gracie winning the early UFC's he became obsessed to learn BJJ. When Marcus Soares 7th degree coral belt of the Carlson Gracie Team moved to Vancouver in 1997 (the first black belt to teach in Canada) Mark became on of the earliest students. Mark discovered an early aptitude and love for teaching BJJ when head instructor Soares would return to Brazil and Mark would teach the class. Mark started Training with Gracie Barra black belt Josh Russel when Josh moved back to Canada after training and living in Rio De Janeiro for several years. Mark was one of the original founders of Gracie Barra Calgary and graduated to purple, brown and finally black belt under Josh Russell 3rd degree. In 2014 Mark accepted an offer to relocate to Taipei, Taiwan to be th

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Sam Spiegelman Sam Spiegelman is a author and strength and conditioning coach.  Sam is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Mark Vives, he trains at New Breed Training Center.  He has written a bunch of great articles on Breaking Muscle.  Sam is also available for online consultations. We talk about: What brought him to BJJ Strength and conditioning for BJJ Strength and conditioning for people who are new to the mats Training differently for your particular game or style. Off the mat training for BJJ Doing a self assessment of your strength The importance of having your body strength balanced to help you be efficient Why people gas out on the mats Increasing your cardio for BJJ Staying motivated with your off the mat training The importance of having a healthy diet Starting BJJ after having a sedentary lifestyle Advice for doing your first tournament Goals for students their first 6 months and year Links for Sam Spiegelman: Ap

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Chris Easter Chris Easter is a Black Belt and has been training BJJ since 1998.  Chris has a game that focuses on the basics.  Chris has moved many times due to being in the military, this has given him the opportunity to train with many amazing practitioners and share Jiu-Jitsu.  He is now training at Sergio Penha's.  We talk about: Moving and finding a new gym Training in the military The importance of drilling Different types of drilling and what they will accomplish How his off the mat training has changed over the years Dealing with injuries His favorite techniques Training with Paul from Open Mat Radio Finding an instructor that is a good fit for you Coaching advice "Its all about angles" The amount of details for basic techniques What he focuses on before a match How BJJ helps you when you are going through problems First tournament advice Chris Easter Facebook Page Links: Help out our friend Amber by pitching in on the grap

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Jay Bell in the center This week we have an interview packed full of great information from Coach Jay Bell. Jay went from white belt to brown belt under Royce Gracie, He later received his black belt from Marco Delima.  Jay is currently training under Rob Kahn & Marcio Stambowsky.  Jay is the owner and head BJJ instructor at Gracie Farmington Valley located in CT. We talk about: His start in BJJ How he has grown his women's class How he likes to run his kids class Kids self defense (talk, tell, and tackle) Opening a BJJ gym and making it profitable The growth of BJJ Why it is important to not quit the first 6 months How his game has changed since getting his black belt Breaking down complex ideas into simple explanations His youtube channel Advice for a first BJJ tournament Advice for big students What he was like as a blue belt How to develop a game plan Goals for first year students Jay's Links: Email: jay@graciefv.com, Youtub

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod Jared Dopp Jared "Megalo" Dopp is a Brown belt under Rafael Lovato Jr.  He is a Blue, Purple, and Brown Belt No-Gi World Champion. Blue, Purple, and Brown Belt Pan Champion. Blue Belt Gi World Champion, and two time Purple Belt World Gi Silver medalist.  In 2013 as a Purple belt he took 4th place at ADCC. We talk about: His accomplishments with only 4 years of serious training His push the pace style How he is able to force his opponents to make mistakes How he views Gi and No-gi differently Ways to get around an opponent that is stalling Passing the guard to the right side He is in school for chemical engineering Balancing school and BJJ His training schedule Off the mat training including rugby His research in growing nano tubes His thoughts on competing in 2015 ADCC His hopes of doing submission only matchs Strategy for a submission only match Advice for a student doing a first tournament His advice for cutting weight to compete

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunes, Stitcher radio, and RSS link for Andriod This episode we talk with Vic Torres of "Torres MMA and Fitness at The Jungle" in Wantagh, New York.  He is a purple belt under Matt Serra.  Vic uses Jiu-Jitsu and his diet to help control his symptoms from Multiple sclerosis (MS).  He was diagnosed with MS in 2010. We talk about: How he discovered that he had MS What his symptoms are like How BJJ helps reduce his symptoms Doing MMA before he was diagnosed and after Advice for new students Training with someone that is not as good as you, about the same as you, and better than you Training with lower belts Quote of the week: "Fighting is the best thing a man can do for his sole" Renzo Gracie Article of the week: "Review- Banana" http://grapplergourmet.com/ Links: Serra BJJ http://provepeoplewrong.com/ http://www.defensesoap.com/ Contact Vic on: Facebook or Twitter Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast