Open Mat Podcast

In this episode Tim and Adam address the difficult positions of Front Headlock and Turtle, and how to build a dominant game. They discuss why it's impossible to control right away, how to focus aggression into primary...

Tim and Adam discuss the cycle and evolution of Jiu Jitsu's competitive "metagame". They discuss how competitive BJJ has evolved since Tim started in 2009, what is currently happening, and also what they expect the next...

Tim and Adam discuss whether knowing and tracking Jiu Jitsu lineage still means anything in an art that continues to become more of a sport every year. They discuss how it may give meaning to belts that they don't have...

Continuing from episode 29, Tim and Adam tackle questions they have been asked on the mats before. They discuss why they believe it's important to teach heel hooks to beginners, where we can find significance in belts...

Tim and Adam answer questions they've been asked about coaching or learning styles, and also address some thoughts they've heard more generally. They discuss why specifically they typically do not demonstrate techniques...

Tim and Adam ring the new year in discussing how to approach returning to the mats after the holidays, how to approach setting and attaining goals in Jiu Jitsu and why most people should not set a new goal when they...

Tim and Adam take an episode to discuss their Jiu Jitsu journeys throughout the past year - the ups, the downs, the changes and the progress. They discuss what they've focused on and what they've discovered, and also...

At some point in the journey of everyone who makes it past white belt, we deal with "losing" to someone we don't think we should lose to. Whether that loss is being tapped, having our guard passed, or anything in...

Tim and Adam discuss what is considered by some to be the most devastating position in Jiu Jitsu, but for many practitioners is a challenge both to control and attack. Tim discusses the keys to avoid being thrown or...

In this episode Tim and Adam discuss submissions - and specifically, why Tim believes that submission is the only thing that even matters in Jiu Jitsu. They briefly define Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for any listeners...

Pinning is an important part of all grappling sports, but is much less important in Jiu Jitsu compared to other similar sports. Or is it? In this episode Tim and Adam discuss how pinning serves a different purpose, and...

As we get better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we tend to develop certain areas of our game we're better at than others. But how do we take those skills and turn them into true specialties? In this episode Tim and Adam...

Back Control is one of the most powerful positions in Jiu Jitsu, but behind closed doors most hobbyists have to admit they struggle to control from the back long enough to submit. In this episode Tim and Adam discuss...

At some point in our Jiu Jitsu career, we run into one or more training partners we're completely helpless against. In this episode, Tim and Adam discuss what to do when the skill gap between you and your partner is too...

Adam and Tim discuss how to use class time leading up to a competition to prepare to win. They discuss how to avoid getting robbed in a tournament, why and how to train differently with a competition coming up, and how...