I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

What if...

It’s not the black belt.It’s not winning Worlds.It’s not the perfect technique.It might not even be the journey.It’s all about the people you get to do jiu jitsu with.But there’s another side to community.The wrong gym, wrong coach, or wrong group of people can make you start to hate something you once loved. And once a community becomes valuable, there will always be people who want to exploit it.This episode is about finding your people, appreciating them while you have them, and protecting the community you’re lucky enough to be part of.👇 Who is someone Jiu-Jitsu brought into your life that you’d still be friends with even if neither of you trained anymore?Subscribe for more Jiu-Jitsu philosophy, competition stories, training advice, BJJ culture, and questionable opinions from the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu Show.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck00:00 What Jiu-Jitsu Is ACTUALLY About03:25 It Took Me 18 Years to Learn This06:49 The Friend Who Changed My Jiu-Jitsu10:52 The Best Years of Competition12:28 Is Catalina Island Actually Japan?18:43 Jiu-Jitsu’s Greatest Gift19:28 The Wrong Gym Can Make You Hate Jiu-Jitsu25:20 The Friend Who Bet on Me29:03 You Can’t Buy a 10-Year Friendship34:05 How to Know If You Found the Right Gym38:18 Ponzi Schemes, Influencers & Fake Community46:53 Protect Your Jiu-Jitsu Community50:20 Your Best Friends Might Be on the Mat53:16 Appreciate Your Training Partners54:18 Goal vs. Journey vs. Community

Dorian Brownlee is one of the most recognizable photographers in Jiu-Jitsu.

In this episode we talk BJJ photography, Daisy Fresh, content creation, the IBJJF circuit, Jiu-Jitsu culture, Jiu Jitsu drama, and what it really takes to build a life around Jiu-Jitsu full time.

📸 Dorian: @bjjedits

🥋 Josh: @thejoshmckinney

Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnod

Free Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck

Can a BJJ blue belt actually win a street fight, and could you beat up Jonah Hill?Jonah Hill’s viral jiu-jitsu rant opens a much bigger question: how well does modern day BJJ really prepare you for violence outside the gym?Josh breaks down “blue belt energy,” shares a recent confrontation in downtown St. Louis, and explains the difference between fighting and real self-defense. Learn why live rolling matters, why top position is king, and the three rules every grappler should remember when a fight becomes unavoidable.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Can Blue Belts Win Street Fights?1:35 Jonah Hill’s Viral Jiu-Jitsu Rant2:46 The “Blue Belt Energy” Problem5:29 Why Jiu-Jitsu Should Make You Avoid Fights7:53 99% of Fights Are Avoidable11:23 My Downtown St. Louis Near-Fight17:44 Bruce Lee’s “Fighting Without Fighting”22:29 Fight vs. Self-Defense24:25 Sport BJJ vs. Real Fighting26:18 Why Live Rolling Transfers29:10 Win the Fight, Lose Everything31:01 The Truth About Jonah Hill33:07 When Fighting Is Unavoidable34:51 Boundaries and Distance Management37:37 The “Never Throw the First Punch” Rule41:05 Avoiding the Sucker Punch43:54 Safest Positions in a Street Fight46:35 Three Rules for Winning a Fight48:25 Can the Average Blue Belt Win?50:31 Why Younger People Fight Less53:39 What Black Belts Understand

Is Jiu-Jitsu Brain Washing You?Your BJJ coach may be great at jiu-jitsu, but that doesn’t make them: your spiritual leader, financial advisor, relationship counselor, or life coachIn this episode, Josh breaks down the warning signs of cult-like gym culture, how loyalty turns into control, why good coaches sometimes lose perspective, and how to tell whether your academy is a healthy tribe or a place you need to leave.Warning: Don't blame me if I shatter the glass and make you realize you've been paying $199 per month to be a member of a CULT.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Meet Your New Jiu-Jitsu Cult Leader2:24 Could You Be in a Cult Without Knowing It?6:18 Your Coach Is Not a Spiritual Leader16:05 When a BJJ Gym Becomes a Tribe22:41 Coaches Who Control Where You Train27:04 A Coach Tells a Student to Reject College30:03 The Simplest Test for a Dangerous Coach45:24 Coaches Dating Their Students51:39 Is Your Gym a Tribe or a Cult?54:41 Kids, Steroids and Exploitation58:45 The Biggest Warning Signs1:06:29 How to Choose the Right Gym

Henry Akins is 50 years old, and his jiu-jitsu is still getting better.

In this episode, Henry explains how older grapplers can keep improving without relying on speed, strength, or brutal training sessions that eventually break the body down.

We discuss why injuries are the biggest threat to long-term progress, how to remove unnecessary strength from your game, and why positional training and flow rolling may be the best ways to train after 40.

Henry also explains how he exhausted and beat me down me after barely training for nine months, and why your jiu-jitsu should become more effective as you age.

If you want to keep training, improving, and giving younger grapplers problems for decades, this episode is for you.

Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnod

Half off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing

00:00 Henry Akins beat me down
02:24 The biggest mistake grapplers make after 40
09:13 How to roll with less strength
15:01 Physicality versus technique
19:30 Start training like you are 80
24:32 The truth about Rickson Gracie
29:16 How Henry passed my guard
41:30 You only need to master 5% of jiu-jitsu
47:02 How to choose the right game for your body
59:26 The best training method for grapplers over 40
1:08:06 Roger Gracie’s positional training strategy
1:11:04 How to flow roll correctly
1:21:49 Techniques older grapplers should avoid
1:24:38 Recovery and training frequency after 40
1:25:00 Henry barely trained before beating me
1:31:05 The real reason people should train jiu-jitsu
1:32:16 Henry’s training schedule at 50
1:37:28 Where to learn more from Henry Akins