Dirty White Belt Radio

Listening to American Olympic judo silver medalist and BJJ black belt Travis Stevens will make you want to get up at 5 a.m. and train five times a day. He talks to us about goal-setting, work ethic, and determination -- and recounts matches that are years in the past with an emotional resonance that suggests they happened yesterday. Listeners submitted dozens of questions for Travis, and he answered them all in the way you’d expect him to -- directly, thoughtfully, thoroughly. We go over his thoughts on how you should approach learning and practicing takedowns; what it takes to keep up his famous training volume, and his approach to avoiding injuries while clocking so many hours on the mat; what he really thinks about self defense; advice for judo teachers with jiujitsu students; and how the training at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York compares to international judo training. Be sure to stay tuned for the brutal story of his 2012 Olympic semifinal, where the judges went against him in a controversial deci

Everyone dreams of making the podium at the World Championships. In this episode, we talk to two competitors from North Carolina who did just that -- Sabrina Wright, a purple belt who trains with Lucas Lepri in Charlotte, and Kim Rice, a brown belt who has steadily worked toward this moment for years. PLUS, Victor Estima crashes the podcast! This is the first in a series of perhaps 5 shows about the Worlds, and you don't want to miss any of them -- so please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or Google Play. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Columbia, SC, June 30 or July 14 in Charlotte -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Dr. Jose Tufy Cairus, a historian and professor at Brazil's Federal Institute of Santa Catarina, is one of the few scholars studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu jistory. Cairus' father was involved with Brazilian judo for decades, and the author himself trained with Carlson Gracie -- something you'll hear all about in this interview! You'll learn what he things the biggest misconceptions about BJJ history are; who the first Japanese person to teach Kodokan Judo in Brazil was; who the first woman to train was; what the differences were between Jigoro Kano's judo at the time and the jiu-jitsu taught by Mitsuyo Maeda (who wasn't the only one using the "Count Koma" name); the critical role of Donato Pires dos Reis and Jacinto Ferro; the importance of Brazil's Navy in promoting jiu-jitsu, and how Maeda taught to the Brazilian Navy in the Amazon, including Luis Soto; Geo Omori and Takeo Yano's contributions to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; how Brazil's history, including the transition from the monarchy to the Old Republic to the

Rob the Lord Humongous is back in studio! Visiting from Germany, Rob Austin from the Big Jiu-Jitsu Show talks with us about his MMA fight, balancing training and relationships, tag team jiu-jitsu (really!) and how pro wrestling interfaces with BJJ. That's not a work or a rib. The show also features our first (and second) Randy "Macho Man" Savage impersonation. RIP. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Columbia, SC on June 30, Charlotte, NC July 14 or Richmond, VA, July 28 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Hannette Staack is one of the absolute best ever, and a powerful positive force in jiu-jitsu. We were lucky enough to visit her Chicago school and have a conversation with her about a wide array of topics. We were GOING to go down to once every two weeks, and we probably still will, but we wanted to get this out to remind you to register for US Grappling Richmond. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Richmond April 28 or Greensboro May 5 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Wes Claytor is a competitive brown belt training with the dapper bunch of killers at Gracie Raleigh. He has a passion for the charity Tap Cancer Out. In this interview he explains why, and how you can get involved! Plus, learn what it's like to learn from Brandon Garner and train with beasts like Andrew Bitner and Evan Arredondo, hear about that time Wes smashed Jeff during a tournament, and check out our brief Toro Cup recap! Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Richmond April 28 or Greensboro May 5 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

"When jiu-jitsu as a whole grows, everybody benefits." These are words from Mark Cukro, a black belt and well-respected instructor at Integrated Martial Arts who also has a background in filipino martial arts, muay Thai, catch wrestling and more! He’s this week’s guest. Learn about how to get better at blue belt and beyond, the difference between being an instructor and a student, what martial arts complement Brazilian jiu-jitsu the best, and more! Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Richmond April 28 or Greensboro May 5 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

The team at US Grappling join us to talk about the early days -- running a tournament in a bar! -- and the growth that has created the largest tournaments in their history. Hear stories of Seph Smith in a Billy Blanks t-shirt, what their favorite destinations are, and how to get them to come to YOUR town. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Greensboro coming up -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Heather Kasey is a mainstay of the local jiujitsu scene and yoga community, as well as founder of a non-profit elephant conservation organization. Now, she can add "Pans Silver Medalist" to those titles! We walk through the local results and Heather talks us through her matches and her trip to train with the Mendes Brothers, as well as revealing what it's like to train with Mary Holmes and be coached by the Culbreths. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Richmond, Virginia Beach, or Greensboro coming up -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Black belt Samantha Faulhaber went 4-1 with four submission wins at US Grappling Raleigh. We recap US Grappling's largest event ever -- 550 competitors! -- with the Elevate MMA competitor, who also talks with us about her techniques for post-tournament recovery using Kinstretch. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Richmond, Virginia Beach, or Greensboro coming up -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

The first ever Adaptive Jiujitsu Summit is happening right now in North Carolina: 7 disabled grapplers (the X-Men of Adaptive Grappling) have united to spread the art and their technique. We have a group conversation about wow they came together; how training with each other is invaluable but watching each other roll is useful, too; why having an adaptive athlete in your gym helps everyone; what to look for in an academy if you’re an adaptive athlete; how adaptive training changes both the athlete and the instructor; what coaches of adaptive athletes should know; and how jiujitsu changes lives (sometimes twice); along with some truly wicked humor. Check out maybe Jeff's favorite show ever, and listen to the end for BREAKING TORO CUP NEWS! Thanks to everyone who talked to us: Neil Brown, Rafa Diaz, Tommy Gwynn, Brian Freeman, Peter McGregor, Jess Munter and Maximiliano Ulloa. And thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Rale

Gracie Raleigh's Andrew Bitner is a successful competitive brown belt and one of the area's most rigorous students of competition footage. Listen to his methods for breaking down techniques in use by the top competitors today, hear about how he started his journey, about who the best teachers he's been around are, and how teaching is a change of pace. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Raleigh on March 3 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Miha Perhavec -- one of the world's top brown belts -- is traveling around the world for a year. He stopped by the triangle for a week to train with us, teach a seminar, and talk about why Yoga For BJJ is great, why Kit Dale knows nothing about kombucha, and about how mental toughness can power you through broken bones. There are several stories here you don't want to miss. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Raleigh on March 3 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Our guest this week is the gold medal winner in the IBJJF Atlanta Open's featherweight master one division! It was CJ Murdock's first ever IBJJF tournament, and we talk to him about how surreal the experience was, about the meaning behind his tattoos, why Cobrinha and Megaton are role models, amazing, about training with super-tough brother Josh Murdock, about goals to become a world champion, training with Roberto Traven and much more. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete on March 3 in Raleigh -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Two terrific interviews this week! The legendary Joe Moreira checks in to talk about his time training with Rubao Carioca, John Schell's black belt and the key to a great stack pass. Then, a featured interview with multiple-time black belt world champion Leo Nogueira from Alliance. He tells us about the one win he's most proud of; how he got his blue belt in just three months, and his advice for current today's blue belts; the most important thing he's learned from Romero Jacare; what training with Fabio Gurgel is like (hint: TOUGH -- the easiest rounds at Fabio's were with current brown belt world champions); who his best training partners have been (including one who you've never heard of, but is 'better than a lot of black belt world champions'); the greatness of Bruno Malfacine; the two guys he thinks are the best sport competitors; his best single piece of advice for guard passing; how to have a long, healthy jiujitsu career; favorite competitors to watch; and more. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US

Former co-host Trevor Hayes has a new gym, Chance Muay Thai Academy! His fighter Roland Mizell makes his debut this Feb. 10 at the Lightning Strikes even at the Durham Armory. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in Raleigh on March 3 -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

The 2018 podcast season starts with a bang, as Jiujiteiro of the Year John Schell joins Vernon Kirk in the studio to talk about the Jan. 27 benefit seminar featuring the legendary Joe Moreira! That seminar at Schell Shock BJJ will help offset medical expenses for Prof. Rubao Carioca. We also tell some hilarious stories of training, top pressure and competitions, with notes on John's upcoming Feb. 11 seminar at Elevate MMA as well. Register for the seminar and contribute to the GoFundMe here! https://www.gofundme.com/professor-rubaos-medical-fun Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete on March 3 in Raleigh -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

It's been an amazing week for Raquel Pa'aluhi Canuto & Renato Canuto: after a stellar performance at KASAI Pro, they both won black belt gold at Nogi Worlds! Lourdes talks with each of them -- and talks to Kasai silver medalist Celso Vinicius and bronze winner Gianni Grippo as well. Grippo talks about the Berimbolo haters, whether he'll do MMA, competing in front of his parents and his lucky socks. We also talk with Junny Ocasio, who reflects on a performance that shows he can compete with the elite of the elite, and Cameron Florczak, who won in impressive fashion on the KASAI undercard. Raquel Canuto speaks with us about balancing coaching and competing; on having her on superfight while her husband is competing in a tournament; her MMA career in Invicta; winning Nogi worlds as a purple belt and brown belt before black belt; and more. Renato Canuto talks about never giving up on your dreams, shaving, and being a jiujitsu nerd while competing against jiujitsu heroes. Enjoy this BONUS SHOW! Cameron Florczak

It's the moment we've been waiting for -- the first annual DWB Southeast Jiujitsu Awards! Lourdes and Jeff announce 10 awards, and read emails and voicemails of support for the candidates. Listen to this show to know who won Jiujiteiro & Jiujiteira of the Year, Match of the Year, Most Inspirational, Peoples' Choice, Tournament Coach of the Year and Self Defense Instructor of the Year. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in the New Year -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month -- thanks, y'all!

Veteran fighter and accomplished grappler Miguel Torres talks with Lourdes about a multitude of topics (including some breaking news). Learn about his experience with Traditional Martial Arts growing up; his' parents support, and the harrowing story of the first fight his mom watched; his thoughts on the IBJFF; when we'll see him compete again; training with Ricardo De La Riva & Carlson Gracie Sr., & who his Mr. Miyagi was; why he bonded with Carlson Gracie Sr.; helping out lower-income people who want to train; growing up as a nerd with a fanny pack; his favorite way to make tacos; and the magic of airbrushed gi patches. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA! Register online at usgrappling.com to compete in the New Year -- and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month --