In this episode of The Sonny Brown Breakdown, guest Scott Sievewright discusses his ecological approach to coaching martial arts. Sievewright emphasises the importance of live, unscripted sparring from day one to build relationships and develop

Ecological Approach vs Progressive Resistance with Greg Souders & Priit Mihkelson

Sep 7th, 2023 2h 3m

I talk to Greg Souders and Priit Mihkelson, two of the most forward-thinking jiu-jitsu coaches today, about their philosophies on training methodology and practice design. Greg advocates for an ecological approach focused on constraints and fou

Jiu-Jitsu Games For Teaching Kids & Adults With Kabir Bath

Mar 8th, 2023 1h 16m

I talk to Kabir Bath, A Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Rafael Lovato Jnr, who runs Kaboom Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He runs an excellent kid's program using only constraints based learning games. We discuss how he structures his class and programs for k

Teaching Jiu-Jitsu Without Teaching Techniques With Greg Souders

Dec 8th, 2022 1h 26m

I talk to Greg Souders, A Jiu-Jitsu black belt who runs his Jiu-Jitsu academy without teaching any techniques. Instead, he uses the ecological approach to skill development which has a substantial body of evidence for its effectiveness when use

BJJ Training Progress, Evolution & Control Points With Chris Paines

Oct 23rd, 2022 1h 14m

I talk to Chris Paines, who recently released an instructional titled "How to Defend Against Everyone". We discuss his thoughts on teaching and learning Jiu-Jitsu through the use of heuristics focusing on control points and how that can emphasi

ADCC Training At New Wave Jiu-Jitsu With Luke Martin

Sep 14th, 2022 1h 2m

I talk to Luke Martin, a Jiu-Jitsu coach currently preparing his athletes for the ADCC world championships out of the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu camp in Texas with John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, Gary Tonon, Nicholas Meregali and the rest of the New Wave AD

TLC For Training & MMA Padwork With Mittmaster Matt Chapman

Aug 30th, 2022 1h 12m

I talk to Mittmaster Matt Chapman, a martial artist for 35 years who has a wealth of experience teaching & training Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. Matt discussed how it's important to be nurturing and caring with new ma

Quality Jiu-Jitsu Instruction, ADCC & BJJ Competition Teams With Jeremy Skinner

Aug 8th, 2022 1h 1m

I talk to Jeremy Skinner, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, coach & competitor who recently won the ADCC Oceana trials, which will see him compete at the 2022 ADCC World championships. We discuss his preparation for competition while managing his coachin

Rapid Learning From Instructionals & Technique Tinkering With Jozef Chen

Jul 25th, 2022 1h 3m

I talk to Jozef Chen, a grappling phenom who recently took Bronze at the ADCC trials while only being seventeen years old and relatively new to his jiu-jitsu training. We discuss how he gained his skill level at such a young age from using inst

New Wave Coaching Of No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Grapplers With Luke Martin

May 30th, 2022 1h 26m

I talk to Luke Martin, a Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt who runs Sydney West Martial Arts. He recently switched his academy from a mix of gi and no-gi training to only no-gi for adults. We discuss how he feels the culture of no-gi jiu-jitsu is progressin

The Reverse Classroom, Skill Acquisition & Submeta With Lachlan Giles

Apr 19th, 2022 54m 29s

I talk to Lachlan Giles about his instructional style. He experimented with using the reverse classroom model to teach jiu-jitsu which involves students watching videos before attending class and then directing portions of their training over w

Positive Benefits of the Gi & IBJJF Points System With Robert Degle

Mar 31st, 2022 1h 31m

I talk to Robert Degle. A blackbelt in BJJ, who was recently banned from competing by the IBJJF due to not having enough time registered as a brown belt before being promoted to black belt. Yet we discuss why he thinks the IBJJF has an overall

BJJ Mental Models, Concepts, Principles & Online Learning With Steve Kwan

Feb 23rd, 2022 52m 44s

I talk to Steve Kwan of the BJJ Mental Models Podcast in a Crossover Episode! We talk about how his podcast has influenced his own game, the most important concepts he learned from his podcast guests and the debate over concepts vs techniques.

Contrarian Grappling While Combining Catch Wrestling & Jiu-Jitsu With Sam Kressin

Jan 9th, 2022 1h 53m

I talk to Sam Kressin, a Black Belt in BJJ who also trained extensively with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson. Sam is also a talented visual artist who holds a degree in exercise and sports science. We discuss how he came to find jiu-jitsu

Mind Over Muscle, Judo & Jigoro Kano With Andy From School Of Grappling

Jan 3rd, 2022 1h 22m

I talk to Andy From School Of Grappling about the book "Mind Over Muscle: Writings From The Founder Of Judo" By Jigoro Kano. We explore the philosophy of Judo as written and explained by Kano while also discussing his views on physical educatio

The Rancid Ingredients For A Martial Arts McDojo With Rob From McDojoLife

Dec 13th, 2021 1h 32m

I talk to Rob From McDojoLife. Rob has been a lifelong martial artist with a black belt in Karate and a Purple Belt in Jiu-Jitsu. McDojo life has a massive social media presence that you have likely seen before where it exposes fakes, frauds an

Designing BJJ Lessons, Learning & Lifestyle With John B Will

Nov 22nd, 2021 1h 13m

I talk to John B Will, one of the all-time legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts. As an early adopter of BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts, he has spent countless hours teaching classes and seminars worldwide. Combined with an active interest

The Taoist Teachings Of Bruce Lee With Daniele Bolleli

Nov 8th, 2021 58m 8s

I talk to Daniele Bolelli, author, martial artist & university professor. He is the host of multiple podcasts, including the Drunken Daoist podcast and the History on Fire podcast and a frequent guest on the Joe Rogan Experience. He was a contr

Belts, Ranking, Titles & Hierarchy In Jiu-Jitsu With Priit Mihkelson

Oct 31st, 2021 1h 34m

I talk to Priit Mihkelson, A Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt From Estonia and founder of Defensive BJJ. Priit always has a lot of interesting takes on the teaching, training & traditions of Jiu-Jitsu and after recently relocating his school I took the cha

Submitting the Stigma of Mental Health in Martial Arts With Erin Herle

Sep 20th, 2021 1h 20m

I talk to Erin Herle, Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt & Founder of #submitthestigma. Submit the Stigma is a mental health advocacy group, so we discuss the work they do and the interplay, boundaries and roles that Jiu-Jitsu training can play in mental hea

UFC Performance Institute, MMA Periodisation & Integrating Mental Training With Richy Walsh

Aug 14th, 2021 1h 6m

I talk to Richy Walsh, A veteran of The UFC & The Ultimate Fighter who now works as an MMA Coach at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China. We discuss the goals of the UFC P.I, how they run the MMA Combine & scout for new talent and t

Dedication of Daisy Fresh & Fighting For the Future With Heath Pedigo

Jul 15th, 2021 1h 49m

I talk to Heath Pedigo, Founder of Pedigo Submission fighting, aka Daisy Fresh. We discuss the culture and mindset used to build Daisy Fresh from Mt. Vernon to win the Pan Ams and the work ethic he looks to instil in his team and build camarade

Alliance With Adversity & The Value of Vulnerability With Eric Uresk

Jun 29th, 2021 1h 13m

I talk to Eric Uresk, a Judo & Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt who coaches at Alliance MMA. We discuss his martial arts career and how he advocates for embracing vulnerability in his training to help conquer adversity. He explains his coaching philosophy

An Inquiry-Based Instructional Strategy of Teaching Without Telling With Tum "Energia" Voorn

Jun 1st, 2021 1h 39m

I talk to Tum "Energia" Voorn who is a Jiu Jitsu Practitioner with a Capoeria background and who also trained as a teacher. We discuss an inquiry-based instructional strategy that he describes as "Teaching Without Telling" and how he applies it

Initiating No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu for the Next Generation of Grapplers With Chris Brennan

May 10th, 2021 1h 16m

I talk to Chris Brennan, the O.G of No-Gi. Chris is an MMA Hall of Famer and 3-time No-Gi world champion, but perhaps might not be as well known for starting the first No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu school in America back in 1998 after leaving the Gracie Acad