So Jiu Jitsu feels like it’s pretty main stream now a days with a lot of famous people joining the ranks. 

Who is someone famous that you would like to roll with? 

While not possible due to his untimely death I’d love for the chance to roll with Anthony Bordain. How cool would it be to hang out getting some rounds in  and then go out and grab dinner?! 

Hey everyone, what concept helped your guard retention to improve the fastest?

What’s the best advice a coach or training partner ever gave you?

It could be technical, mental, or something about training that stuck with you over the years.

Maybe it changed how you roll. Maybe it changed how you think about Jiu Jitsu altogether.

Share it below and if you remember who said it, give them a shoutout.

If you could never get caught in a particular submission ever again what would it be? 

I'd pick the arm triangle. Getting caught in them was a long time problem.                                     

Here’s a little imagination and mental planning. You’re at open mat, and you’re going against your mat nemesis (whomever that is, name them if you’d like), and the round goes exactly how you planned it. You hit a takedown, control and then get the submission. What is the takedown that you used? 

What is an obstacle you had to overcome in order to improve your jiu jitsu?

What’s up everyone in BJJ land. I’ve been thinking and that can be dangerous but in all seriousness. I was wondering. Do you isolate techniques, and perfect them individually or do you work on the what ifs? And then do you drill them, connecting them into a system? What’s worked best for your game?

I know for myself. When I started it was one move. But watching the upper belts destroy me consistently there had to be a trick. Right? A system…

 But what it turned out for me was journaling, recording myself, and asking them questions all this helped. But it wasn’t everything. 

So I took my fav submission and worked backwards and forwards till I uncovered all the strengths and weaknesses. Putting myself in the most vulnerable positions and not so vulnerable.

Eventually or organically it all fit together into a flow. But that was one position and there are so many out there to make our own. 

What’s something that has been a struggle to deal with in life that Jiu Jitsu has taught you to be better at when applying it outside of Jiu Jitsu?

For me, I’ve always struggled with asking for help to avoid disappointment or allowing my pride and/or ego to prevent me asking. Very interested to hear other perspectives. I find it impossible to progress in Jiu Jitsu without needing and wanting the help of others. 

Life lesson: Asking for or needing help is not a sign of weakness but one of strength to display vulnerability and the willingness to be better.

2 part question; 

Seems like there are 2 types of people, those that love drilling and those that hate it. Which one are you? 

2nd question….what’s the technique you know you should be drilling but just haven’t been? 

What is the biggest pieces of advice and coach/training partner gave you that made a difference in your game?  I have many, but first one that comes to mind was from an upper belt training partner.  I think about low-mid blue, I was having a hard time getting better and how to escape from side control, especially against the bigger opponents.  I was told to take two months and just start every round from bottom side and get as many reps as you can.  He said he did they same thing and you just needs the reps to build the escapes/frames/movement/calm needed when being smashed.  I use this method a lot and still to this day when trying to new things and just commit to a time period to work on them.