BJJ Mental Models
Steve Kwan
<p>Your guide to a conceptual and intelligent Jiu-Jitsu approach. BJJ black belt Steve Kwan and a slate of expert guests explain the concepts, strategies, and tactics behind the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.</p>
- 48 minutes 50 secondsEp. 379: Position Series: The 90/90, feat. Rob Biernacki
This week, Rob Biernacki is back! In this episode, Rob explains the 90/90: a yoga-style "pigeon pose" position ideal for defending leglocks and getting to the running man escape (AKA the "Captain Morgan").
Follow Rob on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/islandtopteam
Train with Rob at Island Top Team in Nanaimo, BC:
https://www.instagram.com/islandtopteambjj
https://islandtopteam.com
Learn online with Rob at BJJ Concepts:
https://bjjconcepts.net
Mental models discussed in this episode:- 3 Joint Rule
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/3-joint-rule - Knee Line
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/knee-line - Myopia
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/myopia - Prevention Over Cure
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure - Universal Defenses
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/universal-defenses - Proximal and Distal Control
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/proximal-and-distal-control
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
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Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta2 March 2026, 8:00 am - 3 Joint Rule
- 6 minutes 51 secondsMini Ep. 95: Impostor Syndrome
In this week's mini-episode, we tackle impostor syndrome: the common (but false) belief that you are unworthy of your rank or accomplishments.
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta26 February 2026, 8:00 am - 56 minutes 42 secondsEp. 378: Repetition and Representation, feat. Cal Jones
This week, we're joined by Cal Jones! A 32-year grappling veteran with a master's in advanced coaching practice, Cal is one of the most recognized voices in the constraints-led approach (CLA) space. In this episode, Cal breaks down why the quality of your reps matters more than the quantity and how to design training that actually transfers to competition. Topics include: repetition and representation, the PVCT model (a framework for layering increasingly representative training tasks), perception-action coupling, invariants in BJJ, open mat intention, and the role of fun and confidence in long-term skill development.
Follow Cal on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/calwjones
Connect with Cal for consulting:
https://calendly.com/calumwalkerjones/consultancy
Resources discussed in this episode:
Ecological Dynamics in Sport Coaching: An Essential Guide, by Steve M. Smith:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWCTGND5
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics - Invariants
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/invariants - Perception-Action Coupling
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/perception-action-coupling - Intention
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/intention
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta23 February 2026, 8:00 am - Ecological Dynamics
- 4 minutes 4 secondsMini Ep. 94: Kinetic Chains
In this week's mini-episode, we discuss kinetic chains: a concept from mechanical engineering and physiology that explains how movement in our joints affects the other joints in that limb. Kinetic chains are open when the hand/foot is unconnected, or closed when connected to a surface.
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta19 February 2026, 8:00 am - 1 hour 2 minutesEp. 377: Presence & Anticipation, feat. Margot Ciccarelli
This week, we're joined again by Margot Ciccarelli! In this episode, Margot shares mindset advice on staying present and escaping the mental trap of "anticipating" negative outcomes. Margot covers important mental reframing topics like fear, hesitation, our internal dialogue, intentional exposure, pattern interrupts, and rhythm changes.
Follow Margot on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/margotciccarelli
Margot's mindset coach, Dr. Frazer Atkinson @ Kaizen:
https://kaizenmp.com
Resources discussed in this episode:
BJJMM Ep. 131: Movement Vocabulary, feat. Margot Ciccarelli
https://bjj.plus/131
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Acute Stress Response
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/acute-stress-response - Mindfulness
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mindfulness - Emotional Contagion
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/emotional-contagion - Reframing
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/reframing - Pattern Interrupts
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/pattern-interrupts - Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics - Predictable Responses
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/predictable-responses - External Cues
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/external-cues
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta16 February 2026, 8:00 am - Acute Stress Response
- 1 hour 15 minutesBONUS: The Economics of Jiu-Jitsu Gyms in 2026, feat. David Bayarena
In this bonus episode for BJJ business owners, we're joined again by David Bayarena! David is a BJJ black belt, a longtime BJJMM community member, and the founder of RONIN: a financial planning & training firm specialized in working with Jiu-Jitsu gyms.
This conversation focuses on how BJJ gym owners can survive economic volatility and build real wealth, not just create a job for themselves. Topics include: cash flow discipline, break-even analysis, liquidity reserves, entity structure (LLCs vs. S-Corps), tax strategy, insurance protection, inflation, and smart use of leverage.
Email David:
[email protected]
Work with David at RONIN Wealth:
https://www.roninwealth.com
Resources discussed in this episode:
BJJMM Ep. 303: Building Wealth in BJJ, feat. David Bayarena
https://bjj.plus/303
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com13 February 2026, 3:00 am - 7 minutes 24 secondsMini Ep. 93: Plus, Minus, Equals
In this week's mini-episode, we discuss plus, minus, equals: a team-based training concept often attributed to UFC legend Frank Shamrock. It teaches that you get the best results when training with a combination of people who are better than you (the "pluses"), worse than you (the "minuses"), and on par with you (the "equals").
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta12 February 2026, 8:00 am - 54 minutes 17 secondsEp. 376: New-School Fundamentals, feat. Lachlan Giles
This week, we're joined again by Lachlan Giles for a deep rethink of what "fundamentals" really mean in modern Jiu-Jitsu. Rather than treating fundamentals as a fixed list of techniques, Lachlan argues they should be defined by goals, rulesets, and outcomes. He explains why competitors may benefit more from guard retention and winning early exchanges than from late-stage escapes, how mindset and time allocation shape development, and why specialization often beats chasing the meta.
Follow Lachlan on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/lachlan_giles
Train with Lachlan at Absolute MMA in St. Kilda, Australia:
https://absolutemma.com.au
Learn online with Lachlan at SUBMETA (seriously, do it):
https://submeta.io
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Controlling the Distance
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-the-distance - Opening Salvos
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/opening-salvos - Win Conditions
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions - Defense Paradox
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox - Layers of Guard
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-guard - Prevention Over Cure
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure - Funneling
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling - Zone of Genius
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/zone-of-genius - Shuhari
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/shuhari - Curse of Knowledge
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta9 February 2026, 8:00 am - Controlling the Distance
- 6 minutes 8 secondsMini Ep. 92: Momentum
In this week's mini-episode, we discuss momentum and its underappreciated importance to Jiu-Jitsu. Momentum is the product of mass times velocity. Beginners tend to ignore momentum and attempt techniques from a dead stop, which reduces their likelihood of success.
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta5 February 2026, 8:00 am - 48 minutes 44 secondsEp. 375: Becoming a Kids Coach, feat. Andrew Green
This week, we're joined by Andrew Green! Andrew is the creator of the Kids Jiu-Jitsu Playbook and a 25-year veteran of martial arts coaching. In this episode, Andrew teaches what truly makes a great kids coach: understanding developmental stages, emotional regulation, building culture, motivating engagement, working effectively with parents, why kids can’t be coached like "mini adults," how life skills outweigh medals, and what gyms can do to create safer, more sustainable, and more impactful youth programs.
Follow Andrew on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/innovativemartialartswpg
Train with Andrew at Innovative Martial Arts in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
https://winnipegmartialarts.ca
Check out The Kids Jiu-Jitsu Playbook (there's a free version):
https://www.skool.com/kids-jiu-jitsu-playbook
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Gamification
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/gamification
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta2 February 2026, 8:00 am - Gamification
- 6 minutes 30 secondsMini Ep. 91: Leading Edges
In this week's mini-episode, we discuss leading edges, and why it's important to identify which part of the body is responsible for making an attack work. The leading edge will often (but not always) be the nearest part of your opponent's body where gravitational force is coming from.
Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro
⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!
The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com
Need more BJJ Mental Models?
Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter
Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database
Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels
⚠️ NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!MINDSET FOR BETAS, our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta29 January 2026, 8:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App