BJJ Mental Models

62:31

Ep. 411: The Fragmentation of Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Jeff...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/10/05

This week, we're joined by Jeff Serafin! Jeff runs Serafin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu out of Gym 1801 in Evanston, Illinois, and has been training jiu-jitsu for almost 30 years. In this episode, Jeff talks about the fragmentation of the jiu-jitsu community, and what coaches and students can do to bring it back together. Topics include: gi versus no-gi tribalism, ecological versus traditional training, gatekeeping, and cross-training. Train at Serafin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (inside Gym 1801) in Evansto...

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5:48

Mini Ep. 126: Visualization

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/10/01

In this mini-episode, we explain visualization: the science behind it, its limitations, the difference between general and technique visualization, and how it applies to jiu-jitsu. 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.co...

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60:15

Ep. 410: Instructing Versus Coaching, feat. Hillary...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/28

This week, we're joined by Hillary VanOrnum! Hillary is a third-degree black belt who runs Unicorn Jiu Jitsu in Portland, Oregon with her husband, and she just won her first Masters World Championship at black belt. In this episode, Hillary explains the difference between instructing and coaching, and how she uses questions to help students work out answers for themselves. Topics include: relating jiu-jitsu to sports students already know, building on each student's favorite techniques, letti...

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7:48

Mini Ep. 125: Perception-Action Coupling

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/24

In this mini-episode, we explain perception-action coupling: a sports science concept explaining how practice should give athletes the same cues they'd face in a real match. 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 Nee...

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61:29

Ep. 409: Super Mario Theory, feat. Nelson Puentes

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/21

This week, we're joined by Nelson Puentes! Nelson co-founded Inverted Gear and runs Inverted Gear Academy in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In this episode, Nelson explains his Super Mario theory of jiu-jitsu: a good game teaches you how to play it by raising the difficulty one step at a time, and a good jiu-jitsu class works the same way. Topics include: game design, resource management, coaching without instructions, defensive jiu-jitsu, and intrinsic motivation. Buy Inverted Gear apparel: https...

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5:44

Mini Ep. 124: Deliberate Practice

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/17

In this mini-episode, we explain deliberate practice: a training method intended to improve performance by addressing your weaknesses and breaking through plateaus. 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 BJ...

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67:08

Ep. 408: Intention-Led Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Rob Cole

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/14

This week, we're joined by Rob Cole! Rob has been training martial arts for over 35 years, 25 of them focused on grappling, and he coaches at Ascension Athletics in Connecticut, where he runs his practice through the ecological dynamics framework. In this episode, Rob explains the intention-led approach, where you give students a goal to work toward instead of specific things to focus on. Topics include: a plain-language primer on ecological dynamics, intention versus attention, win condition...

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6:02

Mini Ep. 123: Differential Learning

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/10

In this mini-episode, we explain differential learning: a training approach used in sports proposing that motor skills are learned by varying how the movement is executed rather than trying to get it identical every time. 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...

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69:42

Ep. 407: Day Zero Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Jesse Walker &...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/07

This week, we're joined by Jesse Walker and Shelby York! Jesse and Shelby own Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky, a gym of about 200 students with an unusually high number of women and older grapplers (the average student is around 43). In this episode, they walk a complete beginner through what happens before your first jiu-jitsu class. Topics include: vetting a gym, what to bring, why you should tap early, panic and intensity, injury risk. Learn more at Rough Hands BJJ: https://roughh...

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8:09

Mini Ep. 122: Gamification

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/09/03

In this mini-episode, we explain gamification: the practice of adding game-like elements to something in order to motivate a certain type of behavior. It's a concept from software design with elements of applied psychology and is used for everything from marketing to products to (of course) jiu-jitsu. 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 ...

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69:47

Ep. 406: The Problem of Leadership, feat. Barbara...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/31

This week, we're joined by Barbara Ruiken and Giles Garcia! Barbara is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and the new head coach at Bergen Grappling in Norway, and she wrote her political science master's thesis on power and politics in jiu-jitsu organizations. Giles is the head coach and owner of Ronin Grappling in Rutherglen, just outside Glasgow, and a returning guest on the show. In this episode, Barbara and Giles explain why every gym has politics, whether the coach wants them or not. Topi...

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6:28

Mini Ep. 121: Constraints-Led Approach

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/27

In this mini-episode, we explain constraints-led approach (CLA) in simple terms, and how it impacts your jiu-jitsu training. 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 Mental Models? Get the legendary BJJM...

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52:24

Ep. 405: Solving Procrastination, feat. Itamar Shatz

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/24

This week, we're joined by Itamar Shatz! Itamar is a jiu-jitsu black belt and a Cambridge University researcher whose new book, Solving Procrastination, is published by Penguin Random House. In this episode, Itamar explains why we procrastinate, and walks through the strategies research shows will help. Topics include: the self-control fallacy, hard conversations with your coach, if-then rules for unsafe rolls, perfectionism, and burnout. Get Solving Procrastination: https://solvingprocrasti...

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11:52

Mini Ep. 120: Ecological Dynamics

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/20

In this mini-episode, we explain ecological dynamics in simple terms, why it's misunderstood, and how it impacts your jiu-jitsu training. 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 Mental Models? Get ...

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51:40

Ep. 404: Cross-Grip Passing, feat. Rosie Miller &...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/17

Jeff Shaw is guest hosting this week, and he's joined by Rosie Miller! Rosie is a jiu-jitsu educator known for explaining complicated positions in plain language. In this episode, Rosie walks through how the cross-grip pass works, and why she now teaches it starting from the tripod position instead of the entry. Topics include: collapsing the knee shield, counterattacks like the omoplata, gi versus no-gi differences, and teaching with games. Follow Rosie on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r...

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5:46

Mini Ep. 119: Trading Up

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/13

In this mini-episode, we discuss trading up: the strategic importance of getting more than you give in any jiu-jitsu exchange. 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 Mental Models? Get the legendary BJ...

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46:42

Ep. 403: Learning from Kids Class, feat. Brennan...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/10

This week, we're joined again by Brennan Strimple! Brennan and his wife founded Rochester Jiu Jitsu in 2014, and almost all of their kids classes are taught by black belts. In this episode, Brennan explains why kids don't grapple like adults, and what the rest of us can learn from teaching them. Topics include: teaching goals instead of moves, coaching cues kids actually understand, how slowly kids process instruction, treating the tap like a video game respawn, and building young athletes. ...

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9:17

Mini Ep. 118: Labeling

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/06

In this mini-episode, we discuss labeling: the practice of attaching a name, category, or descriptor to something in order to make it easier to identify and understand. 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 mor...

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74:07

Ep. 402: Dichotomies of Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Charles...

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/08/03

This week, we're joined by Charles Harriott! Charles has been doing martial arts since he was four years old, and after years of traveling the world teaching seminars for BJJ Globetrotters and BJJ Fanatics, he recently opened his own gym, Lofi Dojo, in Gainesville, Florida. In this episode, Charles walks through the dichotomies of jiu-jitsu, the apparent opposites that often turn out to be sliding scales. Topics include: climbing versus leaping, gameplans versus improvisation, following the m...

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4:50

Mini Ep. 117: Mnemonics

BJJ Mental Models ·

2026/07/30

In this mini-episode, we discuss mnemonics: memory shortcuts that help you remember what you learned in jiu-jitsu class. 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 Mental Models? Get the legendary BJJ...

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