What can an ancient philosophy teach you about Jiu-Jitsu—and life?
In this episode of Inside the Wave, Perry sits down once again with Jon Friedland—BJJ black belt, longtime instructor, and founder of Neutral Ground—to explore the connection between Stoicism and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
They dive deep into how Stoic principles like emotional control, resilience, and perspective show up on the mats—and why training can become one of the most powerful tools for navigating life’s challenges.
From Jon’s military background to running one of Wisconsin’s largest academies (and raising kids and chickens), this conversation is filled with grounded lessons on mindset, growth, and embracing the uncomfortable.
Episode Highlights:
- The real meaning of “controlling your emotions”
- How Jiu-Jitsu reveals your mindset under pressure
- Why discomfort, failure, and even boredom are critical to personal growth
- Teaching Stoicism as a parent and role model
- Jon’s favorite Stoic mantra—and how he applies it on and off the mats
This is a must-listen for anyone interested in philosophy, personal development, or high-level training through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Jon and his work here:
Stay tuned for more conversations that go beyond the mats.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!