Can a BJJ blue belt actually win a street fight, and could you beat up Jonah Hill?Jonah Hill’s viral jiu-jitsu rant opens a much bigger question: how well does modern day BJJ really prepare you for violence outside the gym?Josh breaks down “blue belt energy,” shares a recent confrontation in downtown St. Louis, and explains the difference between fighting and real self-defense. Learn why live rolling matters, why top position is king, and the three rules every grappler should remember when a fight becomes unavoidable.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Can Blue Belts Win Street Fights?1:35 Jonah Hill’s Viral Jiu-Jitsu Rant2:46 The “Blue Belt Energy” Problem5:29 Why Jiu-Jitsu Should Make You Avoid Fights7:53 99% of Fights Are Avoidable11:23 My Downtown St. Louis Near-Fight17:44 Bruce Lee’s “Fighting Without Fighting”22:29 Fight vs. Self-Defense24:25 Sport BJJ vs. Real Fighting26:18 Why Live Rolling Transfers29:10 Win the Fight, Lose Everything31:01 The Truth About Jonah Hill33:07 When Fighting Is Unavoidable34:51 Boundaries and Distance Management37:37 The “Never Throw the First Punch” Rule41:05 Avoiding the Sucker Punch43:54 Safest Positions in a Street Fight46:35 Three Rules for Winning a Fight48:25 Can the Average Blue Belt Win?50:31 Why Younger People Fight Less53:39 What Black Belts Understand

Is Jiu-Jitsu Brain Washing You?Your BJJ coach may be great at jiu-jitsu, but that doesn’t make them: your spiritual leader, financial advisor, relationship counselor, or life coachIn this episode, Josh breaks down the warning signs of cult-like gym culture, how loyalty turns into control, why good coaches sometimes lose perspective, and how to tell whether your academy is a healthy tribe or a place you need to leave.Warning: Don't blame me if I shatter the glass and make you realize you've been paying $199 per month to be a member of a CULT.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Meet Your New Jiu-Jitsu Cult Leader2:24 Could You Be in a Cult Without Knowing It?6:18 Your Coach Is Not a Spiritual Leader16:05 When a BJJ Gym Becomes a Tribe22:41 Coaches Who Control Where You Train27:04 A Coach Tells a Student to Reject College30:03 The Simplest Test for a Dangerous Coach45:24 Coaches Dating Their Students51:39 Is Your Gym a Tribe or a Cult?54:41 Kids, Steroids and Exploitation58:45 The Biggest Warning Signs1:06:29 How to Choose the Right Gym

Henry Akins is 50 years old, and his jiu-jitsu is still getting better.

In this episode, Henry explains how older grapplers can keep improving without relying on speed, strength, or brutal training sessions that eventually break the body down.

We discuss why injuries are the biggest threat to long-term progress, how to remove unnecessary strength from your game, and why positional training and flow rolling may be the best ways to train after 40.

Henry also explains how he exhausted and beat me down me after barely training for nine months, and why your jiu-jitsu should become more effective as you age.

If you want to keep training, improving, and giving younger grapplers problems for decades, this episode is for you.

Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnod

Half off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing

00:00 Henry Akins beat me down

02:24 The biggest mistake grapplers make after 40

09:13 How to roll with less strength

15:01 Physicality versus technique

19:30 Start training like you are 80

24:32 The truth about Rickson Gracie

29:16 How Henry passed my guard

41:30 You only need to master 5% of jiu-jitsu

47:02 How to choose the right game for your body

59:26 The best training method for grapplers over 40

1:08:06 Roger Gracie’s positional training strategy

1:11:04 How to flow roll correctly

1:21:49 Techniques older grapplers should avoid

1:24:38 Recovery and training frequency after 40

1:25:00 Henry barely trained before beating me

1:31:05 The real reason people should train jiu-jitsu

1:32:16 Henry’s training schedule at 50

1:37:28 Where to learn more from Henry Akins

Every Jiu-Jitsu gym has that guy.The person everyone avoids when it’s time to roll. The person who treats Tuesday night training like the ADCC finals, refuses to tap, coaches you while losing, and somehow has an excuse ready before the round is even over.But here’s the uncomfortable part:That guy usually has no idea he’s that guy.After 18 years in Jiu-Jitsu and 11 years running schools, Josh has seen exactly where these habits lead. Some people become incredible training partners who make everyone around them better. Others slowly become unsafe, exhausting, uncoachable... and eventually avoided.In this episode, Josh breaks down what it actually means to be a great training partner, a good teammate, and a student who never stops improving.Train hard. Protect your partners. Stay out of drama. Stay coachable.And don’t be that guy.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodHalf off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing0:00 Why Everyone Hates You1:57 The Worst Training Partner10:57 Why Winning Practice Hurts You22:22 Why You Rolling Too Hard is dumb25:00 My Students nearly ended me for $20036:29 Why You Must Respect the Tap39:56 Why Vulturing Makes People Hate You42:06 The Most Annoying Training Partner Habit45:17 The Time I Was the Problem51:17 Why Gym Drama Ruins Teams55:25 Why Purple Belts Stop Improving1:02:15 A Final Story

I tried to solve one of Jiu Jitsu's oldest debates and got beat up by a 50 year old man instead.Was Rickson Gracie actually that good… or did the legend get bigger than the man?Before we know whether or not Rickson was the goat we must answer a much bigger question: what does it actually mean to be good at jiu-jitsu? Not famous. Not decorated. Not good at one rule set. Actually good at grappling.This episode starts with the myth: the 450-0 record, the old-school stories, the Gracie aura, and the never-ending internet arguments. But it turns into something way more useful: a breakdown of efficiency, effectiveness, connection, weight distribution, and the kind of jiu-jitsu that still works when strength, speed, and youth start disappearing.And yes, I finally tell the story of getting beat up by a 50 year old and, one of Rickson’s most respected black belts, and why getting absolutely manhandled changed the way I think about skill forever.This is not really an episode about worshipping Rickson. It’s about figuring out whether there is a level of jiu-jitsu most people never learn how to see.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodHalf off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing0:00 Was Rickson Gracie actually that good?4:06 Did Rickson have secret jiu-jitsu knowledge?6:13 Learning from Henry Akins8:38 What does “good jiu-jitsu” actually mean?13:17 Learning to roll without strength21:50 Henry changed how I saw dominant positions26:25 Rickson vs modern jiu-jitsu rulesets31:50 Breaking the old-school training room code38:33 Rolling with Henry Akins44:28 The efficiency gap became obvious46:29 The best and worst moment of my jiu-jitsu life49:04 Why medals don’t tell the whole story54:36 Are modern black belts actually better?1:01:34 Why the Rickson debate is really about identity1:02:12 Was Rickson actually that good?1:03:56 The real lesson of the episode

Six jiu-jitsu black belt coaches with over 100 years of combined teaching experience sit down for an honest roundtable about what it really means to lead a team, run a school, and try to help the next generation.Josh McKinney is joined by Jared Weiner, Kyle Watson, Nick Sanders, Junior Silva, and Andrew Sabens to talk about the hidden cost of coaching, students leaving, gym culture changing, the pressure of being a role model, and where the “old dogs” fit in as jiu-jitsu keeps growing.Is opening a jiu-jitsu school still the dream? Or is there a side of leadership most people never see until it’s too late?All that and more on The I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu Show.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodHalf off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing0:00 Intro1:03 What do we do with the next generation?3:05 Coaching changes when you have a family4:54 Impact them while you have them7:13 The responsibility of being a jiu-jitsu role model8:26 Why a good coach keeps people around13:53 Jiu-jitsu coaches are not counselors18:40 The emotional cost of students leaving21:03 Learning to let students go23:49 Jiu-jitsu culture is changing fast25:03 Where do the old dogs fit in now?26:58 Why structure still matters in a gym29:16 Building the culture from the top32:05 The truth about opening a jiu-jitsu school33:13 The business stress nobody sees38:24 When your job makes you choose between career and jiu-jitsu42:41 The C***D years and gym owner pressure46:12 Why jiu-jitsu still matters in a divided world48:09 The worst travel stories in jiu-jitsu58:42 Kyle Watson vs. Jared Weiner1:03:45 How competition creates lifelong friendships1:07:18 Why refereeing is the worst job in jiu-jitsu1:09:38 Are BJJ refs better now?1:11:19 Why coaches still need to know the rules1:13:05 Coaching chaos at tournaments1:21:19 The lore of the team1:23:31 Why good teams happen organically1:25:23 Your enemies at blue belt become your peers at black belt

This might be the best Jiu-Jitsu advice I’ve ever given.

Because once you understand this Secret Concept, you’ll know who’s actually winning every position before the score ever changes.

Today, I(@thejoshmckinney) will break down the idea of "Positional Pacing" and why it's important to base your game around the right positions. 

Most grapplers don’t lose because they don’t know enough techniques. They lose because they don’t know when they’re already in trouble. 

They think all guards are equal. They think close matches are close because the scoreboard says they are.

They’re wrong.

In this episode, I’m going to show you the hidden way good grapplers measure every position: who has real offense, who controls the pace, who is closer to scoring, and who is slowly getting dragged into hell.

I call it Positional Pacing and using the ideas you’ll learn you will start to see Jiu Jitsu’s Secret scoreboard!

And once you see it, guard, passing, pressure, pacing, and match strategy will never look the same again.

Somebody is always winning.

Most people just don’t know how to see it yet.

Subscribe to the I Suck at Jiu Jitsu Show for weekly AJJ advice, mindset, training stories, and questionable life choices that help you suck just a little bit less at Jiu Jitsu.

Get my free ebook The Competitor’s Journey:

simplifyingjiujitsu.com

Get a free copy of jiu jitsu for imbeciles: bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck

Sponsored by Datsusara:

Use code ISUCK at dsgear.com

Get Champions Stay Present(mindset hacks for competition): https://www.simplifyingjiujitsu.com/csp

0:00 Most Black Belts Don’t Know This BJJ Hack

4:23 Welcome to I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu

5:05 The Secret Scoreboard in Every Sport

7:28 Why Some Positions Are Worth More Than Points

8:24 Closed Guard Isn’t Neutral

10:44 Smashed Half Guard Means You’re Losing

14:16 The Chicago Open Story That Changed My Game

23:51 He’s Tired… Go Now

27:56 The Blitz: When to Attack and When to Wait

47:34 The Black Belt Answer: “You Shouldn’t Have Been There”

50:57 How to Beat the Annoying Blue Belt

1:03:00 How to Use Positional Pacing in Your Rounds

1:07:22 The Dormammu Strategy for Jiu-Jitsu

1:09:18 The Positions You Should Build Your Game Around

BJJ Black Belt, Josh Longood, went viral for saving a Frontier Airlines Flight.Josh was on a flight home when another passenger allegedly started attacking workers and causing all sorts of chaos. The Bjj spidey sense in Josh’s head started to tingle and he handled the situation exactly how a black belt should. He was able to control the aggressive passenger, keep everyone calm, and go super viral while doing it!Today, I(@thejoshmckinney) get to sit down with Josh and ask him exactly how he was able to subdue the passenger so easily. We also find out what Frontier Airlines did to thank him for saving everyone in what could have been an absolute disaster.If you’ve ever wondered, “I wonder if my jiu jitsu could work in a real life situation?” This episode is for you!Watch this before your next flight!Subscribe to the I Suck at Jiu Jitsu Show for weekly AJJ advice, mindset, training stories, and questionable life choices that help you suck just a little bit less at Jiu Jitsu.Get my free ebook The Competitor’s Journey:simplifyingjiujitsu.comGet a free copy of jiu jitsu for imbeciles: bjjmentalmodels.com/isuckSponsored by Datsusara:Use code ISUCK at dsgear.comGet Champions Stay Present(mindset hacks for competition): https://www.simplifyingjiujitsu.com/csp0:00 Intro1:33 The viral Frontier flight story3:35 Flying home from Puerto Rico5:04 When Josh knew something was wrong8:38 Going hands-on with the passenger10:29 “I only used 2%”11:47 Zip ties, seatbelts, and keeping everyone calm13:22 Passengers started yelling “choke him!”15:39 Police, FBI, and the emergency landing16:37 When Josh realized the story went viral19:30 Riding the wave after going viral23:48 Why this went bigger outside the BJJ world28:33 Every jiu-jitsu guy’s airplane fantasy30:13 Does jiu-jitsu actually work in real life?34:06 Josh’s wrestling, MMA, and competition background41:30 Coaching vs. teaching jiu-jitsu45:36 The IBJJF rule mistake that cost him gold55:21 The best jiu-jitsu advice Josh ever received57:04 Where to train with Josh

Every BJJ white belt needs this.

When you start Jiu Jitsu, you don’t know the positions, you don’t know the rules, you don’t know the etiquette, and worst of all… you don’t know what you don’t know.

So after 18 years of training and 13 years of teaching beginners, I made the White Belt Survival Guide I wish someone gave me on day one.

These are the 10 white belt mistakes that keep people confused, injured, frustrated, annoying to train with, and worst of all… stuck at white belt forever.

If you’re brand new to BJJ, trying to get to blue belt, constantly getting smashed, addicted to YouTube techniques, scared to ask your coach questions, rolling way too hard, or wondering why everyone else seems to be improving faster than you, this episode is for you.

This is not just “beginner advice.”

This is how to survive white belt, stop sucking faster, avoid quitting, and actually become dangerous on the mats.

Watch this before your next Jiu Jitsu class!

Subscribe to the I Suck at Jiu Jitsu Show for weekly BJJ advice, mindset, training stories, and questionable life choices that help you suck just a little bit less at Jiu Jitsu.

Get my free ebook The Competitor’s Journey:

simplifyingjiujitsu.com

Get a free copy of jiu jitsu for imbeciles: bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck

Sponsored by Datsusara:

Use code ISUCK at dsgear.com

Get Champions Stay Present(mindset hacks for competition): https://www.simplifyingjiujitsu.com/csp

0:00 Every White Belt Starts Completely Lost

2:02 There Is No Perfect Time to Start BJJ

8:46 The Skill That Makes White Belts Improve Faster

16:02 Jiu Jitsu Will Ruin Your Social Life

21:53 The Truth About Consistency

30:03 Why White Belts Need to Pay Attention

35:06 Winning in the Gym Is Not the Goal

44:27 Jiu Jitsu Does Not Automatically Make You Better

56:28 Do YouTube BJJ Moves Actually Work?

1:00:59 If It Hurts, Tap

1:04:04 Recovery Rules White Belts Ignore

1:10:22 Volume vs Intensity: How White Belts Stay on the Mat

1:14:34 Final Advice for Every White Belt

Have you ever walked into a Jiu Jitsu tournament feeling ready… and then got absolutely smashed in the first round?You trained hard. You thought you were prepared. You knew some techniques. Maybe you even had a plan.Then the match started and everything fell apart.In this episode, I’m breaking down 3 mindsets that might be the real reason you keep losing BJJ matches — not because you don’t know enough moves, not because the ref screwed you, and not because your opponent was just “stronger.”My name is Josh McKinney (@thejoshmckinney) and after 18 years of competing, coaching, winning, losing, and watching students go through the same patterns over and over again, I’ve noticed that most people don’t lose because of one big technical mistake.They lose because they don’t understand how to perform on command.They lose because they get trapped in the wrong story after a bad match.They lose because they walk into chaos with no real plan and hope their Jiu Jitsu magically shows up.If you’re a white belt, blue belt, purple belt, or anyone trying hard to compete but you can’t figure out why you keep falling short, this episode is for you.We’ll talk about competition mindset, game planning, pacing, exchanges, staying present, and how to actually compete in your own match instead of just “seeing what happens.”Get my free ebook The Competitor’s Journey:simplifyingjiujitsu.comGet a free copy of jiu jitsu for imbeciles: bjjmentalmodels.com/isuckSponsored by Datsusara:Use code ISUCK at dsgear.comGet Champions Stay Present(mindset hacks for competition): https://www.simplifyingjiujitsu.com/csp

Chapters:

0:00 Why you keep losing BJJ matches
2:34 Mistake #1: The learner’s mindset
5:06 How to actually perform on competition day
7:00 Finding your real competition A-game
9:47 Performance mindset vs. learner mindset
10:54 Free gift: The Competitor’s Journey
12:24 Mistake #2: Victim mentality
15:05 The brutal truth about losing in front of everyone
16:13 The match I thought I won
17:01 Understanding exchanges and pacing
20:22 Why I should have turned it up sooner
23:18 Free BJJ Mental Models course
24:33 The wildest victim mentality story ever
31:24 Take responsibility for your own doodoo
33:09 Why excuses ruin your Jiu Jitsu
37:21 Datsusara hemp gear
38:49 Mistake #3: The chaos mindset
40:43 The opposite of chaos is being present
43:00 Why “just see what happens” loses matches
44:32 How I stopped losing at adult black belt
46:02 Why your game plan has to be simple
49:04 The 3 mindsets that decide your matches
50:02 Why my coach changed my finals game plan
53:28 Being present in your training camp
55:17 Know the rules, know your opponent
56:44 Why losing is part of becoming dangerous
57:39 Final thoughts

Rose Miller, aka @rosierollz, is everywhere on BJJ Instagram right now because she does something that sounds simple but is actually incredibly rare: she gives simple but helpful advice.In this episode of the I Suck at Jiu Jitsu Show, Rose and I talk about how to actually learn Jiu Jitsu faster, why so many people waste years training without a real plan, and how a black belt thinks about improvement differently than a beginner.We get into her start in Jiu Jitsu, losing a lot early, competing, getting injured, learning how to learn, teaching white belts and blue belts, creating BJJ content, CLA/ecological training, drilling, women leading in Jiu Jitsu, and why starting every round from your knees is probably making your Jiu Jitsu worse.This is not just a “do these 3 moves” episode. This is a conversation about how to train smarter, how to think better, and how to keep getting better at Jiu Jitsu without making your entire life miserable.Follow Rose on Instagram: @rosierollzGet my free ebook The Competitor’s Journey:simplifyingjiujitsu.comGet a free copy of jiu jitsu for imbeciles: bjjmentalmodels.com/isuckSponsored by Datsusara:Use code ISUCK at dsgear.com

00:00 Intro
00:46 How Rose Miller got into Jiu Jitsu
03:31 Why Jiu Jitsu gave Rose structure and direction
05:28 Starting at Gracie South Bay with elite women
08:45 Rose’s first Jiu Jitsu competition
11:18 Losing a lot and learning how to learn
13:02 Why Rose refused to quit Jiu Jitsu
15:09 The original goal of becoming a black belt
16:30 What changes when you finally get your black belt
18:19 Injuries, COVID, concussions, and loving the process
22:01 Becoming a “try-hard hobbyist”
25:17 Why Rose makes beginner-friendly BJJ content
29:13 Rose’s intention behind creating content
34:10 Women leading in Jiu Jitsu
40:42 Training in San Diego vs smaller Jiu Jitsu scenes
43:56 Cross-training, loyalty, and gym culture
47:23 Would Rose be different if she started at a hobbyist gym?
49:57 Using competition as a learning tool
53:06 Why Rose’s Jiu Jitsu content works
57:31 Drilling, CLA, and live training
1:04:33 Why CLA people can be so annoying
1:07:10 Advice for beginners learning Jiu Jitsu today
1:10:27 Stop starting rounds from the knees
1:12:34 Why Jiu Jitsu standup is still evolving
1:16:37 Is Jiu Jitsu Brazilian or American?
1:17:50 Final thoughts