Ep. 224: Waypoints and J-Points, feat. Matt Kwan

This week, Steve and Matt are joined by Olympian and Judo legend Travis Stevens. Travis shares how he developed the kind of champion's mindset required to succeed at the highest levels. Mental models discussed in this episode: Levels of Competition https://bjjmentalmodels.com/levels-of-competition/ Habits Over Results https://bjjmentalmodels.com/habits-over-results/ Investing in Loss https://bjjmentalmodels.com/investing-in-loss/ Dictate the Pace https://bjjmentalmodels.com/dictate...

12 Okt 20201h 27min

This week, Steve and Matt are joined by Cal McDonald to discuss best practices for educating kids. In addition to being a black belt under Rob Biernacki, Cal is a specialist in creating educational frameworks for children. Cal shares his knowledge on the topic in a wonderful conversation with implications well beyond teaching children. This is one of our favorite conversations ever on the podcast. Learning strategies discussed: Effortful Retrieval: Make them work to pull c...

5 Okt 20201h 23min

This week, Steve and Matt are joined by Jon Thomas, the legendary black belt and BJJ instructor. Steve, Matt, and Jon have a spirited discussion about the best way to integrate new techniques into your game. We also discuss the limitations of principles and how being dogmatic about them can hinder your development. Jon suggests four ways to integrate new techniques: ask your coachwatch an instructionalwatch competition videocreativity Mental models discussed in this episode: Beg...

28 Sep 20201h 17min

This week, Steve and Matt break down the differences between single and double lever control. In general, single lever control affords more damage, whereas double lever control affords more control. Learn more about this mental model here: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/single-vs-double-lever-control/ Mental models discussed in this episode: Single vs. Double Lever Control https://bjjmentalmodels.com/single-vs-double-lever-control/ Rotational Control https://bjjmentalmodels.com/rotatio...

21 Sep 20201h 11min

This week, Steve is once again joined by Rob Biernacki from Island Top Team. If you follow Rob, you know how passionate he is about respecting expertise and calling out impostors. We live in a world where identifying expertise is harder - and more important - than ever. In this episode, we give you the tools to do so. When assessing an expert, beware these red flags: Does the expert speak with 100% certainty at all times?Does the expert avoid disclosing the limits of their ...

14 Sep 20201h 55min

This week, Steve and Matt talk about seated guards! Seated guards are a great way to track and harass your opponent from the bottom. In this episode, you'll also learn why supine guard is sometimes referred to as Ali-Inoki position - which is a much more dignified nickname than how seated guard is referred to as "buttscooting." Mental models discussed in this episode: Inside Channel Control https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control/ Predictable Responses https://bjjmen...

7 Sep 20201h 22min

This week, Steve and Matt talk about gi-based open guards! There are a lot of variations, including spider guard, collar and sleeve, and worm guard. The sheer number of grip configurations can be overwhelming. Rather than trying to memorize each variation, we suggest thinking in a concept-based approach. In this episode, we discuss how. Mental models discussed in this episode: Direct vs. Proxy Control https://bjjmentalmodels.com/direct-vs-proxy-control/ Grips Dictat...

31 Aug 20201h 9min

This week, Steve and Matt talk about butterfly guard! Butterfly is a hook-based guard that works in both gi and no-gi, and excels against larger opponents. Mental models discussed in this episode: Inside Channel Control https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control/ Body Tethering https://bjjmentalmodels.com/body-tethering/ Types of Guard https://bjjmentalmodels.com/types-of-guard/ Kuzushi https://bjjmentalmodels.com/kuzushi/ Head Position https://bjjmentalmodels.com/head-pos...

24 Aug 20201h 7min