bjjpodcast

Are you able to adapt to your surroundings and the challenges that come your way?

Rodrigo Onishi has lived all over the world and adapted to everything that comes with that.  On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss why adapting to your surroundings is so important, both on and off the mats.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

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Today’s guest has trained and coached all over the globe and today is integrating jiu-jitsu into the school system and military in the United Arab Emirates.

Rodrigo Onishi joins us to discuss why the implementation of jiu-jitsu in schools, the military, and the presidential guard, is so important, the real impact jiu-jitsu has had on his students, how the people you surround yourself with affect your life, and a ton more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with Ryan Gracie black belt, Renzo Gracie team member, and member of the Presidential Guard Dubai, Rodrigo Onishi.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

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https://www.instagram.com/onishigraciebjj/
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Episode Highlights:
4:12 Jiu-Jitsu in Abu Dhabi
9:50 Making an Impact
14:34 Training in Secret
25:22 Surround Yourself with Good People
36:31 Jiu-Jitsu is the Same Everywhere
48:07 Changing Lives
59:22 Leo Vieira’s Question

Why is it so hard to find balance in life, let alone jiu-jitsu?

After a great conversation with Leo Vieira, who spoke about the importance of a balanced life, Thomas and Gary discuss what they believe keeps us from finding balance and how to seek it out. 


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
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https://checkmatbjj.com/Instructors/Professor-Leo-Vieira
https://www.instagram.com/leovieirabjj/
https://bjjfanatics.com/search?q=%20leo%20vieira

As both a member and co-founder of some of the biggest and most respected jiu-jitsu teams in the world, today’s guest is one of the most influential people in jiu-jitsu.

Today Leo Vieira joins us to discuss what makes a great team and community, the importance of balance, being present, and a ton more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with a multi-time world champion, co-founder of Brasa Club de Jiu-Jitsu and Checkmat, and coach to some of the biggest names in jiu-jitsu, Leo Vieira.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

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https://checkmatbjj.com/Instructors/Professor-Leo-Vieira
https://www.instagram.com/leovieirabjj/
https://bjjfanatics.com/search?q=%20leo%20vieira

Episode Highlights:
4:07 Present
7:34 Is Jiu-Jitsu Easier Now
13:00 Trash Talk vs Performance
20:13 Beat Up By a Girl
22:29 Jiu-Jitsu for a Living
34:46 3 Reasons Leo Wanted to Stop
42:40 Building Bonds on the Mats
49:24 Comprido: The Biggest Impression on Leo
55:23 What Sets a Successful Team Apart
1:07:31 Pati Fontes’s Question

Have you ever been so determined to accomplish something that nothing could stand in your way?

Pati Fontes’s mother wouldn’t let her train jiu-jitsu when Pati was a teen because girls didn’t do things like that. However, Pati was so determined to train she did it in seceret. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how a person’s determination can set them apart from the pack.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
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https://checkmatbjj.com/Instructors/Professor-Patricia-Fontes
https://www.instagram.com/patifontes/
https://www.instagram.com/jiujitsupatifontes/

Today’s guest is a multi-time world champion and won the IBJJF Worlds three consecutive years in a row. Pati Fontes joins us to discuss how her determination to just train jiu-jitsu when she wasn’t allowed, eventually led to her championships, the struggles she had to overcome being one of only two women in her academy, and how she never let self-doubt get in the way of her goals.

Here is The RŌL Radio with the 2015 through 2017 IBJJF No-Gi World Champion and instructor at Checkmat in Signal Hill California, Pati Fontes.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
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https://checkmatbjj.com/Instructors/Professor-Patricia-Fontes
https://www.instagram.com/patifontes/
https://www.instagram.com/jiujitsupatifontes/

Episode Highlights:
4:38 Cats and Dogs
9:06 Finding Jiu Jitsu
16:45 Determined to Train
25:10 Promoted on the Podium
31:14 Is Jiu-Jitsu Hard
38:18 Is It Easier Today

Richard Bresler says that his jiu-jitsu journey started because he was at the right place at the time.

On this Takeaway Thomas and Gary discuss how life can take unexpected twists and turns through coincidences, accidents, and the impact that can have on a person’s life and generations that follow.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://richardbresler.com/
https://www.instagram.com/richard_bresler/
https://www.amazon.com/Worth-Defending-Gracie-Jiu-Jitsu-Saved/dp/B08NDZ2SFC
https://360sdacademy.com/

Today’s guest was literally at the very beginning of BJJ in the United States and has the distinction of being Rorion Gracie’s very first student in America.

Richard Bresler joins us to discuss the earliest days of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the US, his chance encounter with Rorion that changed his life, how jiu-jitsu has evolved over the past 40 years, how he overcame depression and drug use through jiu-jitsu, and a ton more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with Rorion Gracie’s first student in the USA, an instructor at 360 Martial Arts in Los Angeles California, and the author of the book Worth Defending: How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life, Richard Bresler.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://richardbresler.com/
https://www.instagram.com/richard_bresler/
https://www.amazon.com/Worth-Defending-Gracie-Jiu-Jitsu-Saved/dp/B08NDZ2SFC
https://360sdacademy.com/

Episode Highlights:
4:07 Right Place Right Time
10:15 Meeting Rorion
20:54 Looking for a Change
31:44 Whatever You Resist Persists
40:32 An Ambassador for Jiu Jitsu
53:37 Receiving the Black Belt
1:06:08 Gilberto Castro’s Question

Would you consider someone who grew up with a dirt floor in their kitchen and no hot water in their house lucky? What if the same person became a success only to have his business burn to the ground, would you consider them lucky? Gilberto Castro has lived through that and considers himself the luckiest guy in the world.

On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how with a positive outlook and a certain perspective, someone with seemingly bad luck can turn it all around and feel like the luckiest person in the world.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.aloharollacademy.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/aloharollrebuild
https://www.gofundme.com/f/aloharollcommunity
https://www.instagram.com/aloharollacademy/

Today’s guest considers himself a lucky guy. Many others may not. Gilberto Castro grew up in Mexico under extreme poverty and most recently he lost his academy this past summer when it was destroyed in the Maui wildfires. 

Gilberto sees those struggles as what has made him who he is today and he is here to discuss how his positive attitude and perspective have enriched his life.

Here is The RŌL Radio with instructor and owner at Aloha Roll who at the time of this recording had just held their first Fundamentals class in his new Maui academy, Gilberto Castro.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.aloharollacademy.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/aloharollrebuild
https://www.gofundme.com/f/aloharollcommunity
https://www.instagram.com/aloharollacademy/

Episode Highlights:
3:20 I Am the Lucky Guy
6:40 What Makes You Who You Are
15:04 My Own Effort
22:33 What Jiu Jitsu Really Teaches You
33:44 Gilberto’s Black Belt
38:13 Responsibility of a Black Belt
42:35 Rebuilding Aloha Roll
52:00 1% Better Everyday
53:50 Miko Hytonen’s Question

Have you ever been around a person whose personality and vibe rub off on everyone around them?

After a great conversation with Miko Hytonen, Thomas and Gary discuss how a person’s personality and how they teach can affect their students and the community at large.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
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https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/
https://bjjfanatics.com/search?q=miko%20hytonen
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chokes+and+more
https://www.facebook.com/chokesandmore

Today’s guest has made a name for himself by being one of the most followed and entertaining jiu-jitsu practitioners on social media.

Miko Hytonen joins us to discuss why he creates his content the way he does, the importance of having a solid foundation in your jiu-jitsu, how gradual improvement will keep you growing, and a ton more.

Here is the infectious, positive, hilarious creator of Chokes and More, and new BJJ black belt, Miko Hytonen.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/
https://bjjfanatics.com/search?q=miko%20hytonen
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chokes+and+more
https://www.facebook.com/chokesandmore

Episodes Highlights:
4:23 Miko’s Goal
10:37 Extra Love
13:35 Miko Finds His Home
18:07 Disciplined Miko
24:06 Small Goals
28:49 Entertainment Value
34:20 Miko’s BJJ Blueprint
38:20 Miko Gets His Black Belt
53:48 Positive Attitude
57:34 Javier Vazquez’s Question

Javier Vazquez believes his method of teaching jiu-jitsu is going to fundamentally change the way people learn the art going forward.

On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the different ways people teach and learn jiu-jitsu and how learning concepts rather than steps can make your partners feel you are always five steps ahead.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/

https://www.instagram.com/jvjiujitsu/
https://jiujitsuranchocucamonga.com/
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/pathessentialstoolbox
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/jvbasicsconfrontation

Today’s guest is a fifth-degree black belt and has fought in some of the top grappling and MMA organizations in the world But he isn’t resting on his past achievements and has set his sights on changing the world of jiu-jitsu.

On this episode Javier Vazquez discusses his unique coaching and instructing style, how it helps students learn faster, what separates it from the more traditional ways jiu-jitsu has been taught, and more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with JV Jiu-Jitu owner and instructor, ADCC veteran, and former fighter in organizations including, Elite XC, WEC, and the UFC, Javier Vazquez.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.instagram.com/jvjiujitsu/
https://jiujitsuranchocucamonga.com/
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/pathessentialstoolbox
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/jvbasicsconfrontation

Episode Highlights:
3:10 All Ending Up in the Same Place
6:44 Being Taught Backwards
12:05 Your Way vs My Way
17:04 Fundamental Stability
24:25 I Don’t Care About Points
30:40 The Central Path
38:55 Teach What Works Best First
45:26 Shintaro Higashi’s Question

Shintaro Higashi’s father grew up and trained Judo in Japan and was tuff on Shintaro but also showed him a softer side that he himself didn’t receive.

On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss the impact a father has on his children and how fatherhood has changed over the generations.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

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https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70qwffU7qQvTVm26wziD8A
https://shintarohigashi.com/about
https://www.instagram.com/judoshintaronyc/
https://linktr.ee/shintarohigashi

Today’s guest is a double black belt. He is a six dan in judo and a black belt in BJJ.

Shintaro Higashi has excelled in multiple martial arts and was raised under two vastly different training philosophies. His father was a native of Japan and Shintaro was raised in the United States.

Shintaro discusses how that upbringing forged his current training philosophy, why Judo is so popular around most of the world, what holds Judo back from being popular in the US, and what he believes the future holds for both Judo and BJJ.

Here is The RŌL Radio with owner and instructor at Kokushi Budo in NYC, 2-time National Judo Champ, 2-time World Team Member, and a former top 50 Judo competitor in the world, Shintaro Higashi.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70qwffU7qQvTVm26wziD8A
https://shintarohigashi.com/about
https://www.instagram.com/judoshintaronyc/
https://linktr.ee/shintarohigashi

Episode Highlights:
3:48 Fundamentals are Where It’s At
7:36 My Father’s Method
14:21 The Japanese System
21:05 Training in Two Worlds
35:25 Thinking In a Different Way 
42:34 Judo In the United States
51:25 Judo Across the Globe
58:39 Judo Merging with Jiu Jitsu
1:00:57 Rick Williams’ Question

Bjj Dirty Dozen member Rick Williams was so thirsty for knowledge when he began training that he trained with Royce Gracie in the morning and the Machado brothers in the evenings.

While it isn’t as big a deal as it once was, cross-training is still something that is frowned upon. On this Takeaway, Thomas and Gary discuss how they feel about training at more than one academy and how the thirst for knowledge should be respected.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

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The goal of having the entire Dirty Dozen gets one step closer with today’s guest.

Rick Williams is here to discuss his early journey with Royce Gracie, his seat at the table during the development of the first UFC, grading student performance on a curve, and a ton more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with a Machado Brothers black belt, Los Angeles Lakers Head of Team Security, and a member of the BJJ Dirty Dozen, Rick Williams.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
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Episode Highlights:
4:17 Royce in the Morning Rigan in the Evening
9:44 Royce Was Like My Brother
14:35 The Evolution of Jiu Jitsu
21:16 The Dirty Dozen
24:41 I’m Still Learning
29:07 Behind the Scenes of UFC 1
38:11 Expectations of the Belt
52:16 Rick Gets His Black Belt
1:02:57 Steve Bongiorno’s Question1:05:24 Jiu Jitu’s Future

Steve Bongiorno ends every class by asking his students, “What did you learn and who did you help?”. This makes his students reflect on their class and look deep inside themselves. 

So, next time you’re stepping off the mats, ask yourself those questions and use the answers to better yourself and your life.

www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/

https://sjbjj.com/
https://www.instagram.com/southjerseybjj/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvjfVWrwWKIyAWHThyggJA

Today’s guest has been on the New Jersey martial arts scene for over 40 years. Starting off in the striking arts he earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan and was going to specialize in weapons training. However, after seeing the very first UFC he switched his focus to grappling.

Steve Bongiorno joins us to discuss why people bond over jiu-jitsu, how he leads by example, what keeps him motivated after decades of training, and a ton more.

Here is The RŌL Radio with Ricardo Almeida black belt, owner and instructor of South Jersey BJJ, and New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame member, Steve Bongiorno.


www.rolacademy.tv 30% discount with ROLRADIO code at checkout. Over 1000 videos for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

http://www.therolradio.com
https://www.instagram.com/therolradio
https://www.facebook.com/therolradio/

https://sjbjj.com/
https://www.instagram.com/southjerseybjj/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvjfVWrwWKIyAWHThyggJA

Episode Highlights:
3:56 True Character is Revealed on the Mats
10:08 Professor Almeid
13:45 Who Really Needs Jiu Jitsu
17:37 Lead By Example
20:21 Training Smart
31:17 Why Steve Was Put On This Earth
42:18 It’s All Love
53:54 Where Is Jiu Jitsu Gowing
1:00:15 Scott Burr’s Question