I'm a black belt, ask me anything.You asked, I answered. No prep, no filter, just straight answers to the questions I usually dance around.If you train, you'll get something out of this. If you coach, you'll get more.In this one I get into why most of what you drill is wasting your time, how to tell if a concept is actually helping you or just confusing you, when gym loyalty turns into manipulation and how to spot it early, what to do with a talented student who has a bad attitude, why the gap between two black belts can be bigger than white belt to black belt, and my honest hot take on where jiu-jitsu is heading right now.Plus how many 150lb blue belts I could fight in a row before I lose?Come argue with me in the comments.Got a question or hot take? Call 951-HOT-TAKE and leave a voicemail. Anonymous unless you say otherwise.Want my curriculum? The one I use to run all three HeadNod schools. Go to skool.com/headnod, first 7 days free.Free from BJJ Mental Models: Rob Biernacki's Jiu-Jitsu for Imbeciles at bjjmentalmodels.com/isuckCome train at one of my 3 Southern IL Gyms: Headnodhq.com 0:00 - Could you beat 100 blue belts in a row?1:47 - Welcome to the Q&A episode2:13 - Do you still feel like you suck at jiu-jitsu?5:36 - What's something you'll never teach again?8:30 - When do concepts become too vague to help?13:45 - The Saturday class that humbles black belts15:54 - I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu School18:15 - Have you ever gotten in real trouble for the podcast?19:50 - My first podcast ever (nobody guessed it)20:33 - How close have you come to ending the show?21:08 - The episode I'm most proud of that flopped23:12 - Podcast Josh vs. real Josh25:46 - What does HeadNod do worse than other gyms?27:30 - Jiu-Jitsu for Imbeciles28:28 - What goes through your head when a student leaves?35:08 - How has jiu-jitsu affected your faith?38:02 - Handling a talented student with a bad attitude39:56 - When does gym loyalty become manipulation?42:13 - How do I keep HeadNod from becoming what I criticize?43:02 - Should coaches promote someone they don't like?45:06 - Feed the algorithm gods46:02 - Should coaches care if students cross train?46:56 - Toxic student vs. difficult student48:07 - My biggest hot take: morality as currency in BJJ53:55 - Do you miss competing?59:54 - Do you care if black belts respect your jiu-jitsu?1:01:13 - Why I got donkey guarded by Jeff Glover in khaki pants1:08:30 - Could you beat the 25-year-old version of yourself?1:10:44 - Wrap up

What if...

It’s not the black belt.It’s not winning Worlds.It’s not the perfect technique.It might not even be the journey.It’s all about the people you get to do jiu jitsu with.But there’s another side to community.The wrong gym, wrong coach, or wrong group of people can make you start to hate something you once loved. And once a community becomes valuable, there will always be people who want to exploit it.This episode is about finding your people, appreciating them while you have them, and protecting the community you’re lucky enough to be part of.👇 Who is someone Jiu-Jitsu brought into your life that you’d still be friends with even if neither of you trained anymore?Subscribe for more Jiu-Jitsu philosophy, competition stories, training advice, BJJ culture, and questionable opinions from the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu Show.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck00:00 What Jiu-Jitsu Is ACTUALLY About03:25 It Took Me 18 Years to Learn This06:49 The Friend Who Changed My Jiu-Jitsu10:52 The Best Years of Competition12:28 Is Catalina Island Actually Japan?18:43 Jiu-Jitsu’s Greatest Gift19:28 The Wrong Gym Can Make You Hate Jiu-Jitsu25:20 The Friend Who Bet on Me29:03 You Can’t Buy a 10-Year Friendship34:05 How to Know If You Found the Right Gym38:18 Ponzi Schemes, Influencers & Fake Community46:53 Protect Your Jiu-Jitsu Community50:20 Your Best Friends Might Be on the Mat53:16 Appreciate Your Training Partners54:18 Goal vs. Journey vs. Community

Dorian Brownlee is one of the most recognizable photographers in Jiu-Jitsu.

In this episode we talk BJJ photography, Daisy Fresh, content creation, the IBJJF circuit, Jiu-Jitsu culture, Jiu Jitsu drama, and what it really takes to build a life around Jiu-Jitsu full time.

📸 Dorian: @bjjedits

🥋 Josh: @thejoshmckinney

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

Free Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck

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