The Adaptable Athlete Podcast Why Exploration Beats Perfection: 25 years of Coaching Fighters w/ Adam Singer
Adam Singer is the head coach of SBG Athens, where he and his brother Rory have been developing fighters for over 25 years.
A longtime practitioner of ecological dynamics in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Adam has coached multiple athletes to the highest levels of competition, including two world champions.
He’s also a co-author of a landmark paper on ecological dynamics in combat sports with Shawn Myszka, Tyler Yearby, Scott Sievewright, and Andy Grahn.
Known for blending sharp insight with humor (and reminding everyone he’s both handsome and funny), Adam brings a unique perspective to coaching and skill development.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why coaching is about relationships and culture first — and how SBG Athens has built that over decades
- Stories from the gym: balancing intensity with care, developing fighters responsibly, and lessons learned across 25+ years in MMA
- The role of exploration and aliveness in training, and why “sloppy” doesn’t always mean wrong
- Why there are no shortcuts in adopting an ecological approach, and the pitfalls of surface-level buzzwords
- How Adam’s philosophy challenges traditional pad-work, drill-heavy coaching, and emphasizes problem solving in context
If you’re a coach or practitioner interested in skill acquisition, practice design, and building adaptable athletes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Referenced in this episode:
- SBG Athens
- Ecological Dynamics in Sport Combat — Paper (ResearchGate link)
- Emergence
- Watch full podcast episodes on YouTube → youtube.com/@thecoachjav
Episode Resources:
If you’re a coach or practitioner interested in skill acquisition, practice design, and building adaptable athletes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav