In this week's mini-episode we discuss air choke mechanics!  Air chokes involve cutting off your opponent's ability to breathe by either compressing their trachea ("windpipe") or covering their mouth.  Air chokes often don't act as quickly as blood chokes, but there are ways to speed them up by triggering the gag reflex.  We also talk about why air chokes are legitimate techniques and should not be thought of as "dirty."Listen to our prior mini-episode on blood choke mechanics:https://podcast.bjjmentalmodels.com/243161/15622350-mini-ep-16-blood-choke-mechanicsRead up on the different types of chokes:https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/choking-mechanics/Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintroDon't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

Shane McCarthy, head coach at Princeton BJJ and a black belt under Emily, joins the conversation to tackle the challenges of progression in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He critiques traditional promotion methods, emphasizing the subjective nature of belt rankings and the need for a balance between structure and creativity in training. Shane delves into community dynamics, highlighting how personal connections and shared responsibility foster growth. The discussion also touches on evolving teaching methods and the importance of navigating tough conversations for personal and communal advancement.

This week we're joined again by Adam Medlock!  Adam is a Braulio Estima black belt and a lead educator from the UK.  In this episode, Adam discusses the challenges of student assessment, or how Jiu-Jitsu coaches can measure student progress and the effectiveness of the curriculum.  Key points include the introduction of the TLA cycle (Teaching, Learning, and Assessment) and the concept of cumulative disfluency, alongside a critique of one-size-fits-all curricula and seminar-style teaching.Resources discussed in this episode:Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom, by Paul Black et al.https://bit.ly/4dUdqqGInside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment, by Dylan Wiliam & Paul Blackhttps://kappanonline.org/inside-the-black-box-raising-standards-through-classroom-assessment/Kolb's Cycle of Reflective Practice — University of Hullhttps://libguides.hull.ac.uk/reflectivewriting/kolbTeach Like a Champion, by Doug Lemovhttps://teachlikeachampion.org/books/The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkinhttps://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learningMental models discussed in this episode: Cognitive Loadhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load/ Goodhart's Lawhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/goodharts-law/ Feedback Loophttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/feedback-loop/ Teach to Learnhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/teach-to-learn/ Psychological Safetyhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety/ Making Smaller Circleshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles/ Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

In this week's mini-episode we discuss blood choke mechanics!  This is the concept behind all chokes we'd classify as "carotid restraints," where compression on the carotid arteries cuts off blood flow to the brain.  We'll discuss the simple "triangle around the head" concept that helps tighten all blood chokes including rear naked chokes, collar chokes, triangle chokes, and head and arm chokes.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintroDon't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

In this episode of State of the Meta, Drew "Darce_Knight" Foster welcomes Gil Alcocer, a black belt trained by the Mendes brothers and owner of The Jiu Jitsu Institute in Wilmington, North Carolina. The conversation explores Gil's extensive journey in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the balance between fundamentals and advanced techniques, the significant influence of grapplers like Roger Gracie and Rafa Mendes, current trends in training, as well as strategies for injury prevention and maintaining longevity in the sport.Resources discussed in this episode:Guest: Gil Alcocer:https://www.youtube.com/@GilAlcocer17https://www.instagram.com/thejiujitsuinstituteRafa Mendes Highlight w/ Gator Roll Pass:https://youtu.be/3t63LAd1zakTainan Dalpra teaches his Gator Roll Pass:https://youtu.be/oNKwGUd9DZgTainan Dalpra Gator Roll Pass to Armbar:https://youtu.be/OZ47TSoNv5wGui Mendes Pressure Passing:https://youtu.be/OBIazAb6eXoRafa Mendes Guard Retention Breakdown:https://youtu.be/XlRkpElOAVMNeed more Drew Foster?Follow Drew Foster on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drewdarceListen to Drew on The Neon Belly Podcast:https://theneonbelly.buzzsprout.com/Check out Drew's contributions on Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/user/Darce_Knight/Get Drew's instructionals:http://darcedynamics.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

This week we're joined by Mandy Schneider!  Mandy is a BJJ Mental Models sponsored athlete competing at purple belt out of SOUL FIGHTERS Martial Arts in Allen, Texas.  Mandy just underwent surgery for chronic bursitis in her elbow, and in this week's episode, Mandy shares her experience working around injury in Jiu-Jitsu. Topics include the challenges of training through injuries, distinguishing between manageable injuries and those requiring full rest, maintaining mental sharpness and motivation during recovery, and the public perception athletes face regarding injury-related decisions.Follow Mandy on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mandynschneiderMental models discussed in this episode: Prioritize Longevityhttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/ Timeframe Paradoxhttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/timeframe-paradox/ Mental Gatekeepinghttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/mental-gatekeeping/ Visualizationhttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/visualization/ Defensive Thinkinghttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/defensive-thinking/ Stress and Recoveryhttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/stress-and-recovery/ Training Handicapshttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/training-handicaps/ Self-Competitionhttp://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/ Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

Erin Herle, a Jiu-Jitsu expert, dives into the complexities of self-determination in martial arts. She discusses key psychological needs like autonomy and competence, shedding light on traditional Jiu-Jitsu cultures that may stifle personal growth. The conversation explores how motivation impacts practitioners, along with the connection between self-worth and performance. Erin emphasizes the importance of aligning personal values with Jiu-Jitsu to foster sustainable engagement and combat burnout, sharing insights from her own experiences for transformation.

In this week's mini-episode we discuss dominant angles!  The concept of dominant angles is more complicated than "being behind or beside your opponent."  It's more about positioning your body relative to theirs such that their arms, legs, and other weapons can't come into play.Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintroDon't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/

This week we're joined again by David Figueroa-Martinez!  David is a black belt, instructor, and writer training out of Gracie La Mesa in California.  In this episode, David discusses one of the most difficult — but sometimes essential — decisions that many grapplers will face during their journey: the decision to leave their gym.Follow David on social:https://www.instagram.com/dfm.2099https://www.threads.net/@dfm.2099David's website:https://dfm2099.me/Support David via DawnBreakers BJJ:https://www.dawnbreakersbjj.com/Mental models discussed in this episode: Prevention Over Curehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure/ Loss Aversionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/loss-aversion/ Cognitive Dissonancehttps://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-dissonance/ Keep it Playfulhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful/ Psychological Safetyhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety/ Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game.  We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/

In this episode of State of the Meta, Drew "Darce_Knight" Foster shares his analysis from Who's Number One (WNO) 24, with lessons learned from Gordon Ryan vs. Josh Saunders and Diego "Pato" Oliveira vs. Fabricio Andrey.Resources discussed in this episode: Pato vs. Fabricio Andrey Finish:https://youtu.be/utzfeakzERc?t=870Gordon Ryan vs. Josh Saunders finish:https://youtu.be/XweuFgTVZxo?t=519Breakdown of Gordon vs. Josh:https://youtu.be/XGoT0QxWliU?t=39Cobrinha highlight:https://youtu.be/fShd_sacTn0Need more Drew Foster?Follow Drew Foster on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drewdarceListen to Drew on The Neon Belly Podcast:https://theneonbelly.buzzsprout.com/Check out Drew's contributions on Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/user/Darce_Knight/Get Drew's instructionals:http://darcedynamics.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/