Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Training, Mindset, Competition & Community
Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu podcast for grapplers who want to improve their game on and off the mats. Whether you're a brand-new white belt, a seasoned competitor, or a lifelong student of BJJ, this show delivers practical insights, mindset strategies, and real conversations from the Jiu Jitsu community.
Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu explores:
- BJJ training tips and technical development
- Competition preparation and tournament strategy
- Injury recovery and longevity in Jiu Jitsu
- Belt progression and skill plateaus
- Gym culture, leadership, and academy growth
- Mental toughness, discipline, and motivation
- The lifestyle of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Each episode blends interviews with coaches, competitors, gym owners, and everyday grapplers, alongside solo deep dives on performance, identity, and personal growth through Jiu Jitsu.
If you're searching for a BJJ podcast that covers training, mindset, community, and the realities of the grind this is your spot.
This isn’t just about tapping people out.
It’s about building resilience, sharpening your thinking, and staying consistent when motivation fades.
Welcome to Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu.
Episodes
54 episodes
Growing A Jiu Jitsu Gym with Guest Michael Spyrou
Most jiu-jitsu academies aren’t struggling because the coaching is bad. They’re struggling because the business side is running on hope, slow replies, and a messy spreadsheet. I sat down with Michael Spyrou, a brown belt and the creator of the ...
The Voice Of Modern Jiu Jitsu - Guest Ryan Ford
A single VHS tape of early UFC fights can change your whole view of martial arts, and for Ryan Ford it set a compass he followed for decades. We start with the human side: growing up high-energy in Georgia, chasing martial arts influences from ...
Art From The Mats: The Story of Rubber Bones Rash Guards with Maria Schweitzer
A Kickstarter launch days before the world shut down sounds like a disaster, but it also reveals what a brand is really made of. We’re joined by Maria Schweitzer, the founder and owner of Rubber Bones Rash Guard, to tell the full story of build...
Keep Jiu Jitsu Fun
If jiu jitsu has started to feel heavy, this one is for you. We’re chasing a sport we chose, we pay for, and we love, yet a lot of us walk into the academy carrying an invisible pressure to prove we belong. That pressure shows up as tension in ...
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Under Pressure: How First Responders Train Composure
Pressure does not always look like flames and sirens. Sometimes it looks like a tight collar grip, a failing escape, and the moment you realize your first plan is gone. For our 50th episode, we sit down with Justin Meyer and Vinny Mercadonte, t...
The Real Slim Sadie: Jiu Jitsu, Motherhood, and Rebuilding
Anxiety doesn’t always look like worry. Sometimes it looks like waking up in the middle of the night with your heart racing, convinced something is wrong, then trying to hold it together for your kids and your job the next morning. That’s where...
Building An A Game That Still Grows: with Dr. Colin Smith
In this episode of Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu, I sit down with Dr. Colin Smith to discuss the balance between building a dependable jiu jitsu game and avoiding the trap of becoming too comfortable.Developing a clear style is important. Every ...
The Skill Of Being Coachable On A Frustrating Day
Some days on the mats, a simple correction lands like a punch to the ego. You’re tired, your timing is off, you keep getting stuck, and suddenly the exact feedback you need is the hardest thing to hear. I’m talking about that specific BJJ probl...
Why Technique Vanishes During Live Rounds In Jiu Jitsu
You know the feeling: a technique looks simple, you drill it clean, you can almost see yourself hitting it and then the round starts and it is gone. Not sloppy. Not close. Just inaccessible. I dig into why that happens in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu an...
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The Difference Between A Tough Room And A Toxic Room
A lot of jiu-jitsu athletes get told the same thing: if training feels harsh, scary, and out of control, that must mean the room is “serious.” I don’t buy that. A hard academy can be intense, honest, and exhausting while still being a safe plac...
The Transformational Power Of Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-jitsu has a funny way of starting as something simple and turning into something that changes how you see yourself. I sit down with purple belt competitor Ainslie Armstrong to unpack what that “transformational power of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”...
The Unspoken Rules Of A Healthy Place To Train Jiu Jitsu
Looking for a Jiu-Jitsu home that pushes hard without breaking people? We unpack the unspoken rules that separate healthy academies from chaotic ones, tracing the invisible standards you feel the moment you step on the mat: safety with intensit...
Who Are You When You Can't Train Jiu Jitsu? Liana De La Cruz
What do you do when the one thing that keeps your head clear and your heart steady gets taken away overnight? Liana De La Cruz mom, former custody deputy, blue belt competitor, and ethical dog care owner opens up about tearing her meniscus, fac...
Building Confidence When Validation Fails In Jiu Jitsu
Ever ride the high of a great roll one day and feel crushed the next? We dig into why that swing happens so often in jiu-jitsu and how to escape it by separating confidence from validation. Early on, BJJ showers you with loud signals quick impr...
Creating Space: Why Women Focused Jiu Jitsu Matters
Fear fades faster on a mat built with intention. I sat down with Emily and Rebecca, two purple belts behind Iron Wolf’s women-only BJJ program, to explore how a safe, thoughtful training space helps women start strong, stick with it, and grow i...
Why Losing Doesn't Bother You Anymore (and Why That's Growth)
A single tap used to derail my whole day. Not anymore and that change didn’t arrive with a new belt or a medal. It showed up quietly, in calmer breaths under pressure and cleaner exits from bad positions, and in a journal that traded “I got sma...
The General, Master Fabio Gurgel: Building Champions, Teams, and The Future of Jiu Jitsu
Sitting down with Master Fabio Gurgel, we go straight to the roots and then build forward: why the art’s foundations haven’t changed, how techniques evolve without abandoning first principles, and what it really takes to keep people training fo...
Fortitude On The Mats: A Window Into Self-Defense, Confidence, and Jiu Jitsu
Holli LaMarque of Fortitude Defense shares a clear path for people who don’t see themselves as fighters to become hard targets: stand tall, make eye contact, use your voice, and have a plan if kindness fails.We unpack her Embolden–Equip...
Returning With Intention: Letting Go Of The Need To Be Good At Jiu-Jitsu
A late night drive after class can turn into a spiral: replayed rounds, imagined judgments, and the quiet pressure to be great at jiu-jitsu. We decided to confront that pressure head on and rebuild a healthier way to train one that trades valid...
Caleb Holland and The Iron Wolf Tale
A lot of schools say, “iron sharpens iron.” Few build an entire culture around it. We sat down with Professor Caleb Holland, owner and head coach of Iron Wolf Academy in Braselton, GA, to unpack how a humble school without a sign on the door gr...
Why We Keep Showing Up To Jiu Jitsu
Coffee in hand, gi on the chair, and a question that won’t let go: why do we keep showing up to jiu-jitsu long after the first aches fade? I’m back after travel, training in Manila and Vegas, and a much needed reset to unpack the hidden reasons...
Maximizing Your Mat Time Through Strategic Note-Taking
Ever walked out of BJJ class feeling like you've just learned the perfect technique, only to completely forget it by the next day? You're not alone. This episode dives into the game-changing practice of strategic note-taking for jiu-jitsu pract...
The Other Side of the Mat & The Betrayal: The Return of Bad Jackie
What does it truly mean to be a woman in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Multiple-time IBJJF champion and brown belt Jacqueline "Bad Jackie" Young returns to Caffeinated Jiu-Jitsu to explore this question with raw honesty and hard-won wisdom.From ...
Is Jiu Jitsu for Me? I'm Glad You Asked!
Considering stepping onto the jiu-jitsu mats for the first time but feeling hesitant? This episode is your complete roadmap to beginning your BJJ journey with confidence and clarity.After returning from a brief hiatus, I'm diving into e...
White Belt Chronicles: Amanda Cowie's Journey and Beyond
The journey into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often begins with unexpected catalysts. For Amanda Cowie, it was her three energetic boys that first brought her to the edge of the mats. After watching from the sidelines for two years, this talent acquisit...