Episodes
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This week I got to sit down with one of the nicest people in the game! Sam Yos is a BJJ OG in the Niagara Region - along with being the owner and head instructor of Evolve MMA in St. Catharines, Sam is also a successful competitor who won gold at the 2019 Provincial Championships in the brown & black belt division! We cover a ton of topics like how drunk backyard brawls got Sam into BJJ, the early days of training before the social media explosion, Sam's competition experiences and his mentality, Sam's weight loss journey, the lessons he's learned about diet and nutrition and the importance of sustainable eating habits, his unique approach to off the mat functional training, staying healthy as an aging grappler, the challenges of being a head coach and more!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW SAM YOS & EVOLVE MMA: https://www.instagram.com/saaammmmo/ https://www.instagram.com/evolvemma_fitnesscentre/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
3:40 intro
6:20 Dealing with Covid as a gym owner - we're not all in this together
12:09 Reflecting on the old days, drunk fight club & what motivated Sam to get started in BJJ
18:00 Starting at Niagara Falls BJJ, Sam's road thought the belts early days at Fight Club Canada
26:10 Competition experiences and Sam's mentality
35:08 The changes sam had to make to be successful in competition at high levels and the development of his off the mat fitness routine
43:29 The importance of functional strength vs max effort lifting in the gym: benefits of functional training
54:23Getting promoted to black belt, feeling lost and how your perception of BJJ changes over time
1:02:53 The challenges of being a head coach and growing as a leader
1:08:32 Sam's experience winning provincials, using that experience to help his, and the emotional year he had leading up to that win
1:20:00 Leaving his old coach, joining a new team and making tough decisions in BJJ
1:25:18 Sam's perspective on nutrition, the problem with social media's influence on dieting, struggling with weight over years and living a healthy lifestyle
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This week I sat down with one of the most accomplished women in BJJ and we had an amazing and important conversation! Livia Giles is 3x IBJJF World Champion (Gi & No Gi) 🥋🥇, 2x Asian Champion 🥇, Copa Podio Winner 🥇, and ADCC Trials Winner 🤼♂️. Livia is a true world class athlete with an incredible resume that dates back to her childhood when she became a world class gymnast 🤸♂️who represented both Australia 🇦🇺 and Poland 🇵🇱 on the international stage. Livia has become an advocate fighting to end the culture of abuse in gymnastics and in this podcast talk about a number of important topics like Livia's personal experiences with abuse as a young athlete, the normalization of eating disorders in sport and in society, Livia's struggle with her body image over the years, and we also talk about disordered eating and body image issues in BJJ. We talk about Livia's BJJ journey as a women, her incredible determination to win world championships and the ADCC trials though major injuries, her mentality for competition, dealing with anxiety, her ADCC experience and more!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW LIVIA GILES:https://www.instagram.com/livia_giles/
FOLLOW THE ABSOLUTE MMA ST. KILDA YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVX5F9uZyzzSI9juQRp_2Hw
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
3:43 The elaborate intro
6:47 How Livia is dealing with covid and the positive things that have come from a long layoff 12:43 Livia getting into gymnastics and what training was like
16:21 The culture of abuse, Livia's experience and speaking out
23:53 The normalization of eating disorders and Livia's struggle with food and body image issues
31:24 Maintaining a healthy body image in BJJ and how weight classes contribute to eating disorders in BJJ
42:03 BJJ as a woman and growth of women's community
51:32 Tips for women getting into BJJ
55:32 Early competition experiences and the evolution of Livia's self belief and skills as a competitor
1:00:46 The importance of learning from losses, enjoying the process and being adaptable
1:05:27 Livia's mentality when dealing with setbacks and the key to long term development
1:11:14 Livia's brutal weight cut and serious knee injury leading up to Brown belt worlds
1:17:43 Livia's pushing through serious knee injuries to win Copa Podio and the ADCC Trials 1:19:20 Livia's competition mentality, dealing with anxiety and performing even when you're not feeling perfect
1:23:59 Tips and tricks for dealing with negative thoughts and visions
1:26:48 Training for multiple rule sets & being successful both Gi & No Gi
1:31:13 Livia talks about her nutrition and thoughts on fuelling your body for training and competition
1:35:58 The importance of recovery in BJJ
1:41:36 Winning ADCC trials and as a couple and how Livia was able to adapt to her injuries to be successful
1:49:09 Losing at ADCC and the rollercoaster of emotions Livia and Lachlan felt at ADCC 2019
1:53:12 Livia's initial reaction to Lachlan entering absolute, being in his corner, and her feelings on watching him win bronze
2:00:32 Livia's future plans
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Missing episodes?
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This week I got to sat down with the highly decorated, life long martial artist Steve Ferraro! Steve is the owner and head instructor of Ferraro Karate and Martial Arts in Guelph Ontario. A 6th Degree Karate Black Belt 🥋, Japanese Jiu Jitsu Black Belt 🥋, Steve has turned his sights to No Gi BJJ 🤼♂️ and over the past few years has found himself at the top of the podium at several events (2017 Grappling Industries Gold Medalist 🥇, the 2019 Para Bellum No Gi Classic silver medalist 🥈, 2019 Ascension BJJ silver medalist 🥈). Steve and I touch on many topics like his experience trying to survive as a gym owner during the pandemic, his background in Karate and growing up in the era of dojo wars, his experiences getting in to BJJ and how it differs from the Karate culture, the impact of the UFC on Karate, the evolution of BJJ and the commercialization of martial arts and more!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW STEVE FERRARO:https://www.instagram.com/ferrarokarateandmartialarts/ https://www.ferrarokarate.ca/ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
4:22 The elaborate Intro
8:05 Being a gym owner trying to survive during with Covid and emerging as leader during a brutal time
16:36 How Steve got by mentally and Any positives to take away from zoom classes and remote learning
24:19 How Steve Got in to Karate and martial arts and the history of his style of Karate
29:46 Steve explains the Karate tournament structure
34:33 Growing up during the Dojo wars era and fighting your friends
37:27 How the image of Karate changed after the rise of the UFC and the commercialization of martial arts
45:53 Promotions and the idea of kids being give black belts
48:43 The American perception of the black belt, the evolution of BJJ and the meaning of rank in modern BJJ
57:10 Why Steve started doing NO GI BJJ and his experience learning at Para Bellum MMA and being a white belt again
1:11:43 The differences between BJJ and Karate for Steve
1:17:31 Hardest part about trying to improve at BJJ
1:20:32 Competing in BJJ vs Karate
1:24:00 Starting a No Gi Program in a Karate gym and the negative reception from many peers in the community
1:35:03 How Steve sees the pandemic playing out long term and advice for people training now
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Man we landed a huge guest this week! I was lucky enough to sit down with one of the biggest names in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu right now - ADCC Bronze Medalist, 2019 breakout grappler of the year, the heel hooking giant killer himself - Lachlan Giles! Lachlan is such an incredibly humble and down to earth guy and he let me pick his brain on a ton of topics like his evolution of from BJJ hobbyist 🥋 to ADCC medalist 🥉, his life as PhD student 👨🎓, how he was able to develop his game living in Australia 🇦🇺 so far away from the major BJJ hubs, how he's dealt with setbacks in his career, the rollercoaster of emotions he felt during his incredible ADCC run, his mentality towards competition and training 💪, his thoughts on Gordon Ryan 👑, performance enhancing drugs in the sport 💉, how he developed his 50/50 game 🦶🔒, as well as his philosophy on teaching, training for long term development and more!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW LACHLAN GILES: https://www.instagram.com/lachlan_giles/
BUY LACHLAN'S NEW GUARD RETENTION DVD HERE: http://lachlangiles.net/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
4:21 The Elaborate Intro
7:00 How Lachlan is Dealing with Covid in Australia
10:00 The Evolution from Hobbyist to Elite BJJ Athlete
14:36 PHD and Leaving that Behind to Pursue BJJ Full time, Using the Scientific Method in BJJ
21:00 How Lachlan Was Able to Become World Class Living So Far from the Main BJJ Countries
27:07 Little Moments When Lachlan Started to Believe in Himself
31:50 What Keeps Lachlan Going After Setbacks and His Perspective on Losing and Improvement
37:00 Preparing for ADCC – Integrating Wrestling into BJJ
42:45 ADCC Mentality Before Competition, Dealing with Anxiety
44:04 Losing to Lucas Lepri and Regrouping for Absolute
49:53 Submitting Kaynan Duarte and Emotions After Winning Bronze in Absolute
53:21 Competing Against Steroid Users and Training as a Natural Athlete
58:15 What Makes Gordon Ryan So Difficult to Deal With?
1:02:13 Lachlan’s Development of His 50/50 Heel Hook Style, Why He Prefers it Over the Saddle Position
1:11:27 Half Guard - Why Lachlan Gravitated to That Style and His Thoughts on Playing Open Guard
1:18:46 Modern BJJ and the Impact of Different Rule Sets
1:22:48 Lachlan's Philosophy on Improving vs. Winning in the Training Room
1:26:41 The Challenges of Being an Instructor and the importance of Self-Directed Learning
1:32:08 Lachlan's Approach to DVD Instructionals and How To Get the Most Out of Them
1:38:00 Upcoming Aussie Talent We Should Look Out For
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This week I got to talk with one of the baddest female BJJ fighters in Canada! Vicky Hoang is a 2018 IBJJF World Champion, 2019 JJIF World Champion, 2019 IBJJF European Champion and on August 25th 2019 she was awarded her BJJ Black Belt under Jorge Britto at Toronto BJJ. We talk about Vicky's incredible self belief and commitment to being world class from day 1, quitting her job as a white belt, her journey from early tournament struggles to becoming a world champion, the physical cost she's paid for being an elite competitor, her perspective on BJJ as a female in a male dominated sport, and more!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW VICKY HOANG: https://www.instagram.com/vicky__nini/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
3:05 Guest Intro
4:37 Getting Promoted to Black Belt, How Vicky Got Started in BJJ & Quitting Her Job as a White Belt
9:54 Being a Competitive Person and the Desire to Be World Class From Day One
14:42 Early Competition Set Backs, Taking Ownership of Losses
17:48 How Weight Lifting Helped Vicky Find Success in Competition
20:56 The Moment Vicky Knew She Belonged With The Best in the World and Representing Canada in the JJIF
28:08 Dealing with Anxiety and How Vicky Wins with the Mental Battles in & Out Of Competition
34:38 The Importance of Taking Accountability in Training and Not Making Excuses
37:52 Vicky Talks About Her Spider Guard Game and Love of Pressure Passing
41:40 Vicky Talks About Her Struggles With Concussions and the Physical Cost of Being a World Class Athlete
48:10 Vicky's Experience and Perspective on Being a Female in BJJ and Her Thoughts on Training with Men
55:20 How Vicky Likes to Run Her Women's Program
1:00:51 Vicky's Advice for Women Starting BJJ
1:03:46 Being an Instructor at Toronto BJJ and The Impact of Jorge Britto
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This week I get a chance to talk to a good friend of mine about his amazing life! Mat Rocca is a true Canadian MMA Pioneer who, in 1996, tried out for and made the infamous Lion's Den - a world class MMA team led by Ken and Frank Shamrock that produced many legends in the sport through intense and brutal training sessions. At the young age of 19, Mat found himself in the middle of a historic time in Mixed Martial Arts as the sport began to transition from the wild west to the highly regulated global phenomenon that we know it as today. Mat is also highly successful on the mats - he is currently Brown Belt in BJJ as well as a No Gi World Champion - we cover a ton of great topics listed below:
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW MAT ROCCA: https://www.instagram.com/thuh_rawk/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
SHOW NOTES:
2:42 Guest Intro
5:28 How Mat Met Ken Shamrock in 1995 & Found Himself Trying Out For the Lion's Den
15:25 The Gruelling Selection Process to Make the Team
20: 36 Why Did He Want to Make the Team at Age 19?
23:03 Mat's Martial Arts Background
24:35 Winning the Mental Battles: Mat's Mentality Towards Training, Life & How He Pushed Through to Make The Lion's Den
34:00 Crazy Stories: Training and Life In The Lion's Den
42:40 Mat's First Pro Fight in Australia, Bareknuckle
53:57 Fighting MMA Legend Akihiro Gono in Japan with Shooto
1:02:43 Finally Getting a Win Over Shawn Tompkins
1:04:14 Lessons From Fighting, Meeting Jocko Willink Trying to Get Back to a Normal Life
1:10:00 How Mat Helped Me Mentally At the No Gi World's in 2019
1:14:52 What Does Mat Think About Modern MMA & BJJ, Thoughts on the Evolution He's Seen Over the Years
1:29:00 How Mat Has Transitioned From Fighting To BJJ Competitor
1:32:04 Mat's Experience Winning Gold as a Purple Belt at No Gi World's
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Super excited to have Nathan Dos Santos on this week! He's one of best BJJ Black Belts in Canada and a truly elite competitor earning medals at major events like the IBJJF World Championships, Pans, North Americans, and European Championships - he has also represented Canada on the international stage in the JJIF. Nathan is a Black Belt under Jorge Britto and also teaches out of Toronto BJJ - he's a super humble guys and we covered a lot of great topics outlined below:
FOLLOW NATHAN DOS SANTOS: https://www.instagram.com/nathandossantos/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
SHOW NOTES:
3:56 Guest Intro 5:30 Silver Lining: How Nathan Continues to Evolve During the Pandemic and Long Layoffs 11:09 Nathan's Start in BJJ, His Rise to Black Belt How Small Moments Can Lead To Major Achievements 19:19 Nathan's Interests off The Mats and How They Relative to his Jiu Jitsu Game 21:58 Dealing with Injuries, Setbacks and Using them As Opportunities To Grow 25:19 Rolling with Intention and the Importance Of Specific Sparring 29:09 How Nathan Structures His Classes and The Best Way To Train for Improvement 33:18 Training for Tournaments and Working Your A Game 36:28 Overtraining and Managing Your Work Load 40:10 Does Nathan Study his Opponent's Before Competition? 42:49 Sometimes Discipline Can Be Passive 45:41 Dreaming Big, Dealing With Anxiety & What Separates Elite Competitors from The Rest of the Pack 54:47 The Environment at Toronto BJJ and Jorge Britto As A Leader
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My guest this week is a very talented freelance photographer & videographer who has done some amazing work with high level MMA & BJJ athletes across Canada and the US. Lauren was the creative force behind the Fight Files Vlog where she would produce intimate and candid pieces documenting the life of amateur and professional MMA fighters, giving a creative behind the scenes look into what it takes to make into the cage and live the fighting lifestyle. In addition to her full time job with Ontario Soccer, Lauren has covered many high profile events like BTC Fight Promotions and Para Bellum Quintet. We cover a ton of topics outlined below:
FOLLOW LAUREN MAHARAJ: https://www.instagram.com/LMcreativefilm/
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
SHOW NOTES:
3:18 Guest Intro
6:20 Starting Off and Getting Into Working With MMA & BJJ Athletes
10:50 The Fighters Lauren Has Worked With
12:40 Working With MMA Fighter Adam Defreitas and the Behind The Scenes Struggles That Fighters Often Experience
20:45 Working With MMA Fighter Jasmine Jasudavicius and The Behind the Scenes Look at Her Rapid Rise in MMA
24:30 Life Behind The Lens: The Para Bellum MMA Style and the Impact of Head Coach Lyndon Whitlock
27:39 Life Behind The Lens: Gaining Trust, Being in the Inner Circle and Having A Candid Look at The Fight Life
34:18 Lauren's Experience Covering BJJ, Being Part of Para Bellum Quintet & Trying to Bring More Attention to BJJ Athletes
41:00 Lauren's Process in Trying to Bring Out the Best In The Athletes and Gaining Trust
51:56 Lauren's Impressions of The BJJ and MMA Community and Changes She's Seen Over Time 55:15 Being A Videographer & Photographer in the Covid Era and Lauren's Future Plans
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This is an unscripted and raw take on some of my initial feelings learning that my long time coach PJ O'Sullivan was forced to permanently close his gym after 11 years. Pura was my home for over a decade and the gym became a fixture in the BJJ community - it's incredibly sad to see this happen and in this episode I reflect on my time there and try to come to terms with the loss.
FOLLOW ME ON MY NEW INSTAGRAM HANDLE: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
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My guest this week is one of the best MMA fighters Canada has ever produced! Josh "The Gentleman" Hill is Canada's #1 bantamweight and veteran of The Score Fighting Series, TKO, Fight Nights Global Russia, a 2x title challenger in the World Series of Fighting and veteran of the UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter; Josh is now a top contender in Bellator MMA with a huge fight coming up THIS FRIDAY AUGUST 21st against UFC veteran Erik Perez. We cover a ton of topics outlined below:
SHOW NOTES:
4:53 Time Machine: The World in 2009 When Josh Started Fighting and the Early Days of His Career
9:30 How People Don't Appreciate How Good Josh Is Everywhere
11:39 The Perception Of MMA Fighters & NO GI Jiu Jitsu in the BJJ Community
16:29 Bellator contact and experience
17:45 Being Stereotyped from TUF & Contender Series
20:50 MMA Contracts and Josh's Thoughts on How Fighters Should be Compensated
27:05 Scott Coker's Impact on Bellator
29:10 Josh's Training Camp During Covid
31:00 Upcoming Fight With Erik Perez
33:23 How Covid Has Impacted Josh On & Off The Mats
37:06 Life as a Father and Pro Fighter
40:10 Josh's Experience on TUF 18
45:00 Training at Team Alpha Male differences between Canada and US Gyms
48:00 The Importance of Wrestling in MMA & BJJ
50:38 Training with TJ Dillashaw & Steroids in MMA
55:04 Losing on TUF & Overcoming Adversity
1:00:20 Josh's Talks Dealing With Anxiety, Self Doubt & Improving Your Mental Game
1:09:15 The Negative Side of Social Media
1:12:27 The Time Josh Was Stranded in Russia
1:19:05 Josh's Prediction For DC vs. Stipe 3
1:20:35 Will Josh Ever Fight in the UFC?
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW JOSH HILL: https://www.instagram.com/gentlemanjhill/
FOLLOW ME ON MY NEW INSTAGRAM HANDLE: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
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This week I had my first jiu jitsu celebrity on The PFed BJJ Lifestyle Podcast and Kent did not disappoint! Most people in the BJJ world know Kent Peters for his outstanding technique breakdown videos that often reach viral status. Kent is also a BJJ & Judo Black Belt, Head Instructor of Zombie Poof BJJ in Sydney, NS Canada as well as the creator of Supernatural Survival Gear - some of the best selling and highest quality BJJ apparel out there. Kent is awesome and this was a great interview where we covered a ton of topics ranging from how Covid-19 has impacted Kent's life and business, his path from white to black belt, his perspective on overcoming plateaus in training, how to develop a BJJ tournament strategy, where his Shit Wouldn't Work Wednesday Series came from, to his philosophy on the best way to teach & train heel hooks and much more! Don't miss this one!
WATCH PODCAST VIDEOS & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
SHOW NOTES:
4:30 The Elaborate Intro
13:00 How Covid Has Impacted Kent's Life & Business
16:48 With Covid We're Not All In This Together
25:23 How Kent Got Started & His Road to Black Belt
33:50 Kent's Beginning in No Gi & How Gavin Tucker Changed His Game, The Differences Between Gi vs. No Gi and Rolling With Pro Athletes
37:33 Getting Into Heel Hooks, Gym Culture & Learning From Everyone
46:22 Kent's Approach to Developing a Tournament Strategy
50:00 How To Teach and Train Heel Hooks and Leg Locks Safely
55:06 Is Kent Starting Steroids!?
56:09 How To Overcome Plateaus in Training
1:00:35 Kent's Growth as a Social Media Star and How "Shit Wouldn't Work Wednesday" Started 1:04:43 People Sliding into Kent's DMs
1:09:32 Supernatural Survival Gear
1:12:00 The Origins of Zombie Proof BJJ
FOLLOW KENT PETERS: https://www.instagram.com/thekentpeters/ https://www.zombieproofbjj.com/BUY HIS SHIT: https://supernaturalsurvivalgear.com/FOLLOW ME ON MY NEW INSTAGRAM HANDLE: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
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Another awesome guest this week - my friend Brandon Rynka is an incredibly knowledgeable and ambitious person who played a big role in motivating me to compete at the 2019 IBJJF No Gi Worlds. Brandon is a strength, endurance and adventure athlete, a heath, wellness & motivation expert, No Gi BJJ competitor and former university wrestler. In this podcast we cover a lot of topics ranging from how he's stayed motivated and productive during the lockdown, to the importance of mental programming in life and sport, to his thoughts on strength and conditioning for BJJ, to why he feels motivation is unreliable for long term progress. Brandon also explains his 5 Tool Performer approach to life, sport and overall wellness.
SHOW NOTES:
5:38 The Elaborate Intro
7:47 How Brandon Has Been Dealing with Lockdown: The Importance Of Having A Goal
17:10 Being a "5 Tool Performer" in Life & The Need For Balance
28:38 The Importance of Mental Programming & Reframing Failure
39:40 Don't Judge The Finished Product & The Importance Of Delayed Gratification
47:23 Brandon's Athletic Background: Football, Wrestling, Martial Arts
53:19 49:17 How Wrestling Helped My BJJ & Mentality on the Mats
1:01:28 How Should BJJ Athletes Be Training Off The Mats?
1:11:11 Why Motivation Is Shit
1:15:01 1:10:59 Brandon's Advice For People Who Are Struggling
1:18:27 Brandon's Next Endurance Challenge
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
FOLLOW Brandon ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/brandonrynka365/ https://twitter.com/brandon_rynka
BRANDON RYNKA 365 HOME PAGE: https://brandonrynka365.com/
FOLLOW ME ON MY NEW INSTAGRAM HANDLE: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
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A great question this week about how to manage your ego when you're training. In this video I talk about dealing with the personal mental battles we all experience, the ups and downs of progressing in a difficult sport, dealing with competition between team mates, and how to find the right frame of mind for long term success.
SHOW NOTES:
4:06 Ego Is A Double Edged Sword
6:07 Selective Amnesia
7:37 Progress is Not Linear
9:55 Training Partner Battles
15:53 Struggling With Lower Ranked Training Partners
19:55 Managing Your Frustrations
22:40 You're Not Alone - People Just Don't Talk About It Enough
23:49 Give Yourself Credit For Being in a Difficult Sport
25:13 Let Failure Guide Your Training
27:16 Training to Win vs. Training to Improve
30:40 Seeking An Outside Perspective
32:26 Final Thoughts
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS PODCAST HERE:
https://youtu.be/8s9ktsgpAt8SUBSCRIBE TO THE PFED BJJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVLZKykiHAl7twBkwwrFTA
If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
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Super excited to have my first official guest on the podcast and it's a great one! Aaron is a professional MMA fighter, current BTC Fight Promotions Middle Weight Champion, veteran of the Dana White Contender Series, BJJ purple belt under Rory McDonell at Para Bellum MMA, Nutritionist and all around good guy! This is a fun wide ranging conversation where we talk about a lot topics ranging from how he got started in martial arts, to random men sliding into his DMs, Aaron's emo phase as a teenager, to nutrition and the fitness industry - Aaron also opened up about his experience about competing on the Contender Series, dealing with adversity and life as a pro fighter. We also talk about AJ's upcoming fight on August 13th in Miami Florida and what training is like in the covid era.
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS PODCAST HERE:https://youtu.be/jvqxGoYMh2U
SHOW NOTES:
4:22 Random Men Messaging Aaron on Instagram 5:48 How Aaron Has Dealt with Lockdown
11:55 Early Years for Aaron and Getting Into Martial Arts
18:08 Becoming an MMA Fighter And Finding Para Bellum
20:24 Aaron's Academic Background in Medical Sciences and Early Career
22:35 Starting Jeffery Nutrition, Aaron's Diet Philosophy and The Pitfalls of the Fitness Industry
32:22 Life as a Professional Fighter
41:49 Dana White Contender Series Experience, Dealing with a Setback and Moving Forward After a Loss
54:06 Relationship with coaches Rory McDonell, Lyndon Whitlock and Training Partner Elias Theodoreau
59:50 Aaron's Upcoming Fight on August 13th in Miami, His Preparation and Mentality Going into Fights
FOLLOW AJ ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://www.instagram.com/aajmma/
https://www.instagram.com/JefferyNutrition/
https://twitter.com/jefferynutr?lang=en
JEFFERY NUTRITION HOME PAGE:
https://www.jefferynutrition.com/
FOLLOW ME ON MY NEW INSTAGRAM HANDLE:
https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
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Another great question this week and one that touches on something many of us are struggling with - maintaining our mental health during this crazy pandemic. I have a Master's degree is clinical social work, I've been a mental health crisis counselor, I have my own long history of struggling with mental illness and here are some of my thoughts, experiences and tips on the subject. I am not a doctor so please always listen your physician first and foremost! Hopefully some of this helps you in some way :)
RICH FRANKLIN TED TALK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L3OG-fl9tE
If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
Show Notes:2:57 My Personal Experience With Mental Illness 3:56 My General Philosophy On Mental Health 7:45 The Idea of Radical Acceptance11:41 Tip #1 Focus On The Basics 14:30 Tip #2 Find Positive Things That Soothe You 16:07 Tip #3 Comedy and Laughter 17:27 Tip #4 Get Outside in Nature 18:23 Tip #5 Disconnect From Social Media 20:13 Tip #6 Find External Inspiration 24:15 Tip #7 Don't be Afraid to Seek Professional Help 26:46 Tip #8 Gratitude: Focus On Things That Are Working 28:08 Tip #9 Focus On What's Right In Front Of You, Win the Small Battles 29:44 How This Ties Into BJJ
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This is Part 2 of my response to a great question that came to me from Grappling Canada Variety Channel! Here I break down my top 10 most exciting local Gi BJJ grapplers - this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, and it is not ranked in any particular order. I tried to make this a well rounded list by including some big names in the men's division, a couple of "up and comers" as well as some master's level athletes - these are names you definitely need to be watching! 👀 LISTEN TO MY 10 TEN MOST EXCITING LOCAL NO GI GRAPPLERS IN EPISODE #3: https://pfedbjjlifestylepodcast.podbean.com/e/qa-3-my-top-10-most-exciting-local-no-gi-bjj-grapplers-in-2020/
If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedmusic/
Show Notes: 5:11 Graham Peckham 8:10 Nathan Dos Antos 12:11 James An 14:44 Brandon Manarin 17:58 Janine Mocaiber 20:20 Jeff Campbell 22:44 Michael Sheehan 27:40 Michael Aviado 30:00 Eric Phan 31:35 Kyle Sleeman
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I was invited recently by the awesome people at GCVC for an interview and I was asked about a ton of different topics ranging from how I got started in BJJ, my thoughts on the best way to improve, to my mental health, dealing with competition anxiety and more.
Follow GCVC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grapplingcanadavc/
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
Show Notes: 2:15 Where/how did I start in BJJ 4:52 How Old when I started – what got me interested 6:35 What’s PJ O’Sullivan like 7:34 How has the sport changed over the years? 9:16 What’s the best way to train – learning from everyone 14:15 How old should people be before they start competing 17:00 How does competition effect BJJ development 19:27 How do I deal with competition anxiety 28:41 Open mat etiquette 34:04 Is it important to roll with new people 37:43 Wrestling mentality 39:22 Why do I grapple
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This Part 2 of my response to a great question I received a couple of weeks ago! In this video I talk about the lessons that I think No Gi grapplers can learn by training in the Gi. LISTEN TO EPISODE 2 FOR PART 1 WHERE I DISCUSS THE BENEFITS NO GI!If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
Show Notes:3:11 What Friction & More Handles Means 6:42 Self Defence Perspective 8:22 More Depth to the Guard Game 10:18 More Depth to the Passing Game 14:14 Less Emphasis On Leg Locks 16:46 The Aging Grappler 18:53 The Gi Culture
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Another great question this week came to me from Grappling Canada Variety Channel! Here I break down my top 10 most exciting local no gi grapplers (GTA, Niagara, Burlington, Hamilton, London ON) - this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, and it is not ranked in any particular order. These are people who I have either trained with, rolled with and/or seen compete live on a few occasions. If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
Show Notes: 5:08 Vinny Dias 7:07 Ergys Sigeta 10:33 Brandon Haire 12:39 Mandie Adamache 13:57 Scott Jutras 15:35 Greg Young 17:02 Mike Romano 18:20 Luke Roberts 20:00 Tom McIlvenny 21:50 Mike Malott
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Another great question was sent to me this week! Here I talk about the many lessons that can be learned by training no gi BJJ or "submissions wrestling" more often! I believe there are benefits to training both styles of BJJ and in this video I reveal the most important lessons I've learned from training and competing in no gi.
If you have a question you'd like for me to address in a video response leave a comment or DM me on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/pfedbjj/
Show Notes: 2:40 What Less Friction and Fewer Grips Leads To 4:52 Gripping Matters More In No Gi 5:35 What A Faster Pace Leads To 7:05 The Universal Nature of No Gi7:58 The Influence of Wrestling 12:03 Openness To Leg Locks 13:34 No Gi Culture Differences
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