Episode 303 – Chad "The Beast" Hardy

On this episode, we are joined by Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Owner of Guardian MMA, Chad “The Beast” Hardy.    Chad discusses recovering from a severe injury, the crazy story of Chad competing against a 300 lb. wrestler when he was 14 years old, how to modify training to get through a major injury, how Chad improved his BJJ while injured, “The Hardy Hit Squad,” becoming a leader in the gym, changing gyms as a black belt, gym owership, the importance of choosing your training partners, and being a "Mat Enforcer."   Also check out the after podcast conversation about…

Episode 302 – What Is The Toughest Belt To Get In Jiu-Jitsu?

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the toughest belt to get in Jiu-Jitsu and also the toughest transition between belts in Jiu-Jitsu. We also discuss the secret to learning a new skill, why the white belt is not the toughest belt to get, how Jiu-Jitsu can impact your life in a positive way, enjoying the process of training, why you should think about Jiu-Jitsu like a “relationship,” the most difficult transition between belts in Jiu-Jitsu, finding a formula that works for achieving your goals, the easiest transition between belts in Jiu-Jitsu, the importance of getting experience outside of your…

Episode 301 – Zoltan Bathory and "Epic" Matt

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene are joined by Judo Black Belt, BJJ Black Belt, and the guitarist from the band “Five Finger Death Punch,” Zoltan Bathory. We are also joined by BJJ Black Belt and owner of "Epic Roll," Matt Wahlstrom. On this episode, Zo discusses his dream of moving to the United States to become a musician, starting Judo at 9 years old, the discipline instilled through martial arts, achieving the impossible through martial arts, the martial arts mindset, how Zo met Matt from “Epic Roll” and became a co-owner in the company, the crazy story of when…

Episode 300 – 10th Planet Black Belt Andy Varela

Andy Varela is a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and high level competitor. Andy joins the podcast to discuss his start in training MMA and then eventually focusing on Jiu-Jitsu at 21 years old, what it was like having a father who was an MMA coach, moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career MMA, competing in a grappling match against former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland, how he developed Jiu-Jitsu style focused around attacking the back, the inspiration to elevate his Jiu-Jitsu game, the decision to stop training MMA, Jiu-Jitsu inspirations, favorite tournament format, how he trains for longer…

Episode 299 – How To Reinvent Your BJJ Game With BJJ Black Belt Jeff Alexander

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ black belt and former MMA fighter Jeff Alexander. Jeff also helps run "The Chewjitsu Open" and shares some details about the upcoming tournaments. Jeff joins the podcast to discuss his start in MMA and taking his first fight without any formal training, the challenges of balancing family life and training, the start of 6 am BJJ classes and their importance in training, the most disciplined people in BJJ, making the most of your time, the advantages of starting in MMA and transitioning to BJJ, how and why Jeff started to…

Episode 298 – 10th Planet Black Belt Johnny Buck

On this episode, we are joined by 10th Planet Black Belt, former MMA fighter, and “Rogue Combat Club” owner Johnny Buck. Johnny discusses what sets his gym and business apart from other gyms in Asheville area, the importance of gym culture on and off the mats 15, how to build a balance at the gym for hobbyists and high level competitors, the importance of having stressors in your life, the importance of making an impact on others, the importance of building community, learning how to teach from 10th Planted Black Belt Brandon McCaghren, Johnny’s start in martial arts and transition…

Episode 297 – Is BJJ Watered Down?

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of whether BJJ is watered down. We chat about how Jiu-Jitsu has evolved over the years from a traditional self-defense martial art and more toward a sport, how BJJ becoming more of a business changed the martial art, the evolution of training, how social media has impacted BJJ techniques and learning, the evolution and proliferation of techniques, if it is easier to get promoted in BJJ today, the importance of having older grapplers on the mats, and whether the skillset of Jiu-Jitsu practitioners is better today. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's…

Episode 296 – Judo National Champion Austin Cook

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene talk to Judo U.S. National Champion, U.S. Open Champion, World Cup Medalist, and Medical Doctor Austin Cook.  Austin also specializes in teaching No-Gi Judo on his Instagram page @badboymedicine https://www.instagram.com/badboymedicine/ Austin joins the podcast to discuss his start in Judo, his process for learning Jiu-Jitsu, whether Judo or Jiu-Jitsu is more sustainable for longevity, how he got into BJJ, the cross-over between wrestling, Judo, and Jiu-Jitsu,  why he stopped grappling for 6 years, whether you should specialize in a sport, how his medical experience changed his ideas on training, ideas on decreasing overtraining, the…

Episode 295 – 5 More Principles Useful For BJJ and Life

On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss 5 basic principles that are useful in BJJ and in Life. Everything requires repetition and practice. Be open to learning new techniques and doing things that make you uncomfortable. It’s better to be effective with less than be ineffective with more. Your perception shapes everything. Find activities that require less discipline. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of…

Chew Chat 6 – How To Become A More Confident and Better BJJ Coach

Chewy discusses what makes an effective BJJ Coach, whether you have to be an extrovert to be a good coach, and how to increase confidence. Know the content you are teaching (be prepared) Prepare more content then you think you will need Get your “reps.” Learn your student’s names. The mission is to make your students better. Book recommendations to assist with coaching: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by “Peak” “Range” “Practice Perfect” Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic…