Ep. 315: Defensive Angles, feat. Priit Mihkelson

This week, we're joined by Nick Salles! Nick is a black belt under Mikey Musumeci and co-founder of Movement Art Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode, Nick discusses epistemic humility: a scientific philosophy reminding us that our knowledge is always incomplete. Topics include: democratic learning environments, creating conditions for exploration, constraints-led training, recoverable vs. unrecoverable errors, gym culture, and the limits of AI in skill acquisition. Follow Nick on Instagram: htt...

22 Dec 1h 14min

In this week's mini-episode, we discuss the certainty heuristic: the natural human tendency to prefer answers that offer a simple, easy solution... even if that solution is wrong. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro ⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium! The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free: https://bjjmentalmodels.com...

18 Dec 7min

This week, we're joined by Thomas and Phillip Barreiro! They're both Division 1 wrestlers and multi-time Canadian national champions, plus the operators of Good Mind Grappling: an organization using wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu to address youth trauma. In this episode, Thomas and Phillip break down their "lazy wrestling" framework. They explain how effective stand-up grappling doesn’t require explosiveness, but instead relies on frames, hand fighting, pressure, and positional control. This episode...

15 Dec 57min

In this week's mini-episode, we discuss the importance of probabilistic thinking: viewing Jiu-Jitsu as a game of probabilities where your goal is to create (and maintain) the greatest possible chance of success. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro ⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium! The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is f...

11 Dec 7min

This week, we're joined by Jesse Phillips! Jesse is a BJJ black belt under Brian Johnson and the head coach at Gentle Giant Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode, Jesse explores burnout in martial arts and real life, often caused by the crushing weight of personal expectations that we place upon ourselves. Follow Jesse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentlegiantjiujitsu Train with Jesse at Gentle Giant Jiu-Jitsu in Seattle, WA: https://www.gg-jj.com Mental models discussed in this episode: ...

8 Dec 58min

In this week's mini-episode, we discuss the idea of learning modalities. The old concept of "learning styles" has been debunked; here's what we use instead. Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro ⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium! The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free: https://bjjmentalmodels.com Need more BJJ Menta...

4 Dec 6min

In this episode of State of the Meta, Marcelo Garcia vs Lachlan Giles takes center stage as Drew breaks down ONE Fight Night 38’s generational clash. He explores each legend’s style, career arc, and signature weapons (from Marcelo’s pressure, wrestle-ups, and guillotines to Giles’ K-guard leg-lock traps), while examining age narratives, meta trends, and realistic paths to victory for both icons. This free bonus episode is from Drew Foster's excellent State of the Meta podcast, exclusively av...

4 Dec 34min

This week, we're joined by BJJ and Judo black belt, Dr. Chris Round! Chris is the Executive Director at Martial Arts for Social Transformation, Equity, and Rights (MASTERs). In this episode, Chris explains the helpful gripfighting scorecard from his Tactical Grip Fighting system. Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris__circle Learn about Martial Arts for Social Transformation, Equity, and Rights (MASTERs): https://www.martialartsforsocialgood.org Get Chris' instructiona...

1 Dec 1h 1min