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>
- 57 minutes 12 secondsEp. 387: Trips & Foot Sweeps, feat. Isa Friedlander & Chris Round
This week, we've got a panel! Chris Round is the head judo instructor at High Noon in Alexandria, Virginia, and a judo and BJJ black belt who coaches athletes on the IJF tour. Isa Friedlander is a former Team USA judoka, a brown belt at Unity, and coaches judo at The Dojo in Bushwick and at Unity in Manhattan. In this episode, Chris and Isa break down foot sweeps and trips for grapplers, tied to their new instructional with MASTERs. Topics include: timing vs. structural setups, shape making, the role of the uke, variable drilling, and play.
Follow Isa on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/isa100kg
Follow Chris on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/chris__circle
Train with Chris at High Noon Judo in Alexandria, VA:
https://instagram.com/highnoonjudo
Learn more about MASTERs (Martial Arts for Social Transformation, Equity and Rights):
https://martialartsforsocialgood.org
Follow MASTERs on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/masterssocialgood
Get Chris and Isa's foot sweeps and trips instructional:
https://martialartsforsocialgood.org/store
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Kuzushi
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/kuzushi - Predictable Responses
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/predictable-responses - Perception-Action Coupling
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/perception-action-coupling - Staying Loose
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/staying-loose - Psychological Safety
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety - Constraints-Led Approach
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach - Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics - Curse of Knowledge
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge - Keep It Playful
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful
⬆️ 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/@bjjmental
⚠️ 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/beta20 April 2026, 7:00 am - Kuzushi
- 6 minutes 40 secondsMini Ep. 102: Constant and Variable Tension
In this mini-episode, we explain constant and variable tension, and the pros and cons of each in jiu-jitsu.
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/beta16 April 2026, 7:00 am - 56 minutes 1 secondEp. 386: Don't Make Them Feel Stupid, feat. Heather Morgan
This week, we're joined by Heather Morgan! Heather is a jiu-jitsu black belt, competitor-turned-coach, and content creator based in San Diego who teaches in person at the Collective in Ocean Beach and online to students worldwide. In this episode, Heather shares how she coaches students to find their own game rather than copying hers, and why making people feel capable is the real job of a teacher. Topics include: developing individual jiu-jitsu style, psychological safety in the training room, the gap between being good at jiu-jitsu and being a good coach, gamification and constraint-led training, and coaching hobbyist students.
Follow Heather on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/heather_morganbjj
Watch Heather on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Heather_MorganBJJ
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Psychological Safety
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/psychological-safety - Curse of Knowledge
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge - Constraints-Led Approach
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach - Gamification
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/gamification - Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics - Keep It Playful
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful
⬆️ 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/beta13 April 2026, 7:00 am - Psychological Safety
- 7 minutes 40 secondsMini Ep. 101: Open Knowledge
In this mini-episode, we explain the concept of open knowledge and when information should be kept secret, charged for, or shared freely.
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/beta9 April 2026, 7:00 am - 59 minutes 8 secondsEp. 385: Jiu-Jitsu "Third Places," feat. Justin Relph
This week, we're joined by Justin Relph! Justin is a self-described die-hard hobbyist, event marketer, and the black belt coach behind Jiu Jitsu Invermere, a not-for-profit gym in the mountains of British Columbia. In this episode, Justin shares his experience building community through jiu-jitsu in a small resort town, and we revisit the concept of third places: the social spaces beyond home and work that so many of us are missing. Topics include: the decline of third places in modern life, how to build gym culture around community rather than competition, bringing jiu-jitsu to where people are, and the power of unstructured social time after training.
Follow Jiu Jitsu Invermere on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jiujitsuinvermere
Train with Justin at Jiu Jitsu Invermere in Invermere, BC:
https://invybjj.ca
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Third Places
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/third-places - Growth from Discomfort
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/growth-from-discomfort - Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics
⬆️ 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/beta6 April 2026, 7:00 am - Third Places
- 7 minutes 37 secondsMini Ep. 100: The Golden Rule
In our 100th mini-episode, we explain the golden rule, also known as the ethic of reciprocity or the "do unto others" principle. In our opinion, despite not being explicitly about grappling, the golden rule is the most important mental model for jiu-jitsu.
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/beta2 April 2026, 7:00 am - 38 minutes 21 secondsEp. 384: Secret Gracie History, feat. Jeff Shaw
This week, we're joined by Jeff Shaw! Jeff is a black belt, head coach at Bellingham BJJ, and a history professor with peer-reviewed publications on jiu-jitsu history. In this episode, Jeff shares his findings on one of the most obscure and underappreciated figures in jiu-jitsu history: Rorden Gracie.
Follow Jeff on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jeffshawbjj
Train with Jeff at Bellingham BJJ in Washington:
https://bellinghambjj.com
⬆️ 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/beta1 April 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 1 minuteEp. 383: The Way of Excellence in BJJ, feat. Brad Stulberg
This week, we're joined by Brad Stulberg! Brad is the author of multiple bestsellers including The Way of Excellence and Peak Performance. In this episode, Brad shares his findings from a decade of researching excellence: what it actually is, why we chase it, and what separates real pursuit from the performative version flooding our feeds. Topics include: the three Cs of excellence (caring, curiosity, consistency), self-handicapping, reframing nerves as excitement, why plateaus are a feature (not a bug), and how to make intelligent trade-offs so you stop spreading yourself too thin. If you've ever beaten yourself up for not progressing fast enough, this one's for you.
Get The Way of Excellence and Brad's other books:
https://bradstulberg.com
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Process Over Outcomes
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/process-over-outcomes - Feedback Loop
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/feedback-loop - Defensive Thinking
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defensive-thinking - Consistency
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/consistency - Compounding
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/compounding - Surface Area
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/surface-area - Keep It Playful
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful
⬆️ 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/beta30 March 2026, 7:00 am - Process Over Outcomes
- 10 minutes 2 secondsMini Ep. 99: Elbow-Knee Connection
In this week's mini-episode, we explain the elbow-knee connection: a defensive (and also offensive) concept where we shrink the gap between our elbow and knee. Closing this space makes guard passing and retention easier by denying our opponent access to our hips, arms, and legs.
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 March 2026, 7:00 am - 59 minutes 59 secondsEp. 382: Simple Beats Fancy, feat. Tum Energia
This week, we're joined again by Tum Energia! In this episode, we explain the real challenge facing grapplers today: not finding good technique, but filtering through way too much of it. Tum breaks down how concepts and mechanical cues beat memorizing techniques, and why simple games like "dirty feet" build better jiu-jitsu than drilling the latest viral submission.
Follow Tum on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/tumenergia
Subscribe to Energia Martial Arts on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@EnergiaMartialArts
Train with Tum at Energia Martial Arts in Nijmegen, Netherlands:
https://energia-martialarts.com
Mental models discussed in this episode:- Concepts Over Techniques
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques - Hick's Law
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/hicks-law - Cognitive Load
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load - Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics - Inside Channel Control
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control - Kuzushi
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/kuzushi - Theory of Alignment
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment - External Cues
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/external-cues - Abundance Paradox
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/abundance-paradox - Red Queen Effect
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/red-queen-effect
⬆️ 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 March 2026, 7:00 am - Concepts Over Techniques
- 7 minutes 9 secondsMini Ep. 98: Shuhari
In this week's mini-episode, we explain shuhari: a Japanese concept from the traditional martial arts explaining the three stages of mastery.
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 March 2026, 7:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App