Open Mat Podcast

Episode 38: Why you shouldn't only train in the gi - but should sometimes | Balancing Gi and no Gi training

Most people don't train only gi anymore, but should you train in it sometimes? Tim and Adam discuss how, when and why to train in both, and how to manage the balance

Episode 37: Why ignoring concepts makes our BJJ better | Improving specific skills | When efficiency is and is not important

The idea of understanding and learning concepts in Jiu Jitsu - like posture, inside position, and head control - has been the gold standard of "good" technique for years.

Episode 36: Why white belts SHOULD teach other white belts | The role of reflection on the mats

Tim and Adam discuss a common situation: White belts giving feedback and advice to other white belts. They discuss the role and importance of peer feedback among junior s

Episode 35: Never have drop-in nerves again | How to properly drop in while travelling | Finding "Home gyms" while travelling

Tim and Adam discuss dropping in to new gyms while travelling. While this sounds like one of the easiest decisions to make while travelling, most practitioners have anxie

Episode 34: How to create Ecological “games” for Jiu Jitsu | Is Flow Rolling useful?

Tim and Adam discuss how they create classes in which they don't demonstrate or drill techniques. They cover how to break technique apart into individual skills, how

Episode 33: Winning positions you can't control | Becoming dangerous in Turtle and Front Headlock | The importance of a primary attack

In this episode Tim and Adam address the difficult positions of Front Headlock and Turtle, and how to build a dominant game. They discuss why it's impossible to cont

Episode 32: Is "Old School" Jiu Jitsu coming back?| Jiu Jitsu's metagame | Why techniques always become less effective over time

Tim and Adam discuss the cycle and evolution of Jiu Jitsu's competitive "metagame". They discuss how competitive BJJ has evolved since Tim started in 2009, what is c

Episode 31: Does lineage actually mean something? | Finding significance in rank

Tim and Adam discuss whether knowing and tracking Jiu Jitsu lineage still means anything in an art that continues to become more of a sport every year. They discuss how i

Episode 30: Is guard pulling the best strategy? | Why Tim teaches heel hooks to beginners | Answering questions

Continuing from episode 29, Tim and Adam tackle questions they have been asked on the mats before. They discuss why they believe it's important to teach heel hooks t

Episode 29: Why don't we show techniques? | Are offense and defense different? | Answering questions

Tim and Adam answer questions they've been asked about coaching or learning styles, and also address some thoughts they've heard more generally. They discuss wh

Episode 28: How to start the year with explosive growth | How to approach goal setting in Jiu Jitsu | When do you not need a new goal?

Tim and Adam ring the new year in discussing how to approach returning to the mats after the holidays, how to approach setting and attaining goals in Jiu Jitsu and why mo

Episode 27: The year in Jiu Jitsu | Reflecting on 2025 | How to prepare for the next year's Jiu Jitsu

Tim and Adam take an episode to discuss their Jiu Jitsu journeys throughout the past year - the ups, the downs, the changes and the progress. They discuss what they'

Episode 26: How to deal with losing to junior belts | Becoming more comfortable training for tougher rolls

At some point in the journey of everyone who makes it past white belt, we deal with "losing" to someone we don't think we should lose to. Whether that loss is being

Episode 25: How to build a suffocating mount | How to stop losing control for mount | Consistently submitting opponents from the mount

Tim and Adam discuss what is considered by some to be the most devastating position in Jiu Jitsu, but for many practitioners is a challenge both to control and attack. Ti

Episode 24: Only one thing matters in Jiu Jitsu | How do we define Jiu Jitsu | How to focus your learning

In this episode Tim and Adam discuss submissions - and specifically, why Tim believes that submission is the only thing that even matters in Jiu Jitsu. They briefly defin

Episode 23: Guaranteeing submissions through pins | How pinning works differently in Jiu Jitsu | Why pinning is so important

Pinning is an important part of all grappling sports, but is much less important in Jiu Jitsu compared to other similar sports. Or is it? In this episode Tim and Adam dis

Episode 22: How do we develop specialized skills in Jiu Jitsu | Specialties | What to do against knowledgeable resistance

As we get better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we tend to develop certain areas of our game we're better at than others. But how do we take those skills and turn them into

Episode 21: How to actually control from the back | How to dominate back control for extended periods | The three lines of control

Back Control is one of the most powerful positions in Jiu Jitsu, but behind closed doors most hobbyists have to admit they struggle to control from the back long enough t

Episode 20: How to get better when you're getting smashed | Rolling with people much more skilled than you | How to win when you know you'll lose

At some point in our Jiu Jitsu career, we run into one or more training partners we're completely helpless against. In this episode, Tim and Adam discuss what to do

Episode 19: How to prepare to win competitions | How to train differently leading up to a competition | How to get comfortable standing

Adam and Tim discuss how to use class time leading up to a competition to prepare to win. They discuss how to avoid getting robbed in a tournament, why and how to train d