November 28, 2025 • 19 mins
Get the ULTIMATE program for BJJ--
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bulletproof-for-bjj/id6444311790
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bulletproofforbjj&utm_source=na_Med
Stay hydrated with Sodii & get 15% OFF: BULLETPROOF15 https://sodii.com.au/bulletproof
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Your environment determines your success.
How the impact of your gymculture is going to really
determine the future of yourjujitsu.
And look, I think this plays outin a lot of different ways in
terms of business, life,everything.
But ultimately, if you'resomeone who wants to be really
(00:21):
competitive, I do believe youneed to be in a competitive
space.
But also, if you're someone whodoesn't want to be a competitor,
then maybe it is better for youto find a gym that isn't so
focused on that.
And really, I've I've seen thisplay out in a few realms
recently.
And so I wanted to kind of getinto the chat.
Um, you you would have seen thisa bit yourself, Joe, with your
(00:42):
own experience in gym life, andalso I guess uh having worked
with some some high-level peopleyourself, seeing them hang out
in some higher level circles.
SPEAKER_00 (00:54):
Yeah, I remember when I taught Jack Della
Martellena how to box.
Those days.
Introduced Hamza to wrestling,of course.
Yeah, you know, these arereasonably high-level
individuals.
No, no, yeah.
I mean, you know, in the gymthing, um, I think a really good
example that comes to my mind isuh like middle-aged, middle-aged
(01:17):
women who come into our gym.
Sure.
Uh jungle botany, and they comein and they're like, you know,
whatever, just like everyonethat comes to to a gym like
ours, they're usually justlooking to get fit, sure.
Kind of generic sort of goalset.
And then, you know, and theynever really have much ambition
around the training thing.
And then after six, eight weeksin this culture where, you know,
(01:39):
there's women doing multiplesets of weighted chin-ups and
double bodyweight deadlifts,they're like, holy fuck.
Like, at first, some some ofthem are like they're often in
awe but kind of maybe a littlebit repulsed by some of it.
But then give them a few monthsand it's like, oh, I'm working
towards my first chin-up.
Yeah, that's the standard.
And you're like, fuck, how cool.
Like, you never would havemeant, like, that was never even
(02:00):
in your mind before, right?
It wouldn't have occurredbecause they didn't go to a gym
where that was happening as justa regular thing.
So, yeah, I do really think thatthe the culture you're in can
just shape the the the output orthe outcome of what you get.
Yeah, for better or for worse.
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
Yeah, the expectations piece is is huge.
Like, I I just I've noticed itrecently, uh, the gym I train
at.
Uh, there's been two peoplewho've come into the space that
have made it even morecompetitive.
I mean, I think it was thestandard was already very high.
Is it your strength gym?
Yeah, this is a strengthworkshop.
Uh, there's a gentleman namedBradman, and he is he's rated as
(02:38):
the third strongest guy inAustralia in the open class.
Right.
He's a giant.
The guy's like six foot seven,whatever, 150 kilos, like he's
behemoth.
The other day he tried todeadlift 400 kilos and almost
did.
It was very close.
And no one had pulled 400 in thegym yet, and it's only like his
(02:59):
second week.
He had originally trained withall those guys a year or two
ago, and he'd gone down toVictoria, done a bunch of stuff,
and it's like he's back, andhe's like, Well, fuck it.
I'm I'm about to put everybodyon notice, and everyone's like,
God damn.
Like, if you've never seenanyone put that much weight on a
bar and you see it in person,you're like, there's no room for
(03:19):
collars.
Like, that's all the plates,that's nine plates.
The hell is going on right now?
And it was just like colossal.
And the fact that he wouldattempt it and and came very
close, it's like, holy shit.
Even all the other big strongguys are like, fuck, gotta step
up now.
You know, like that thatpresents a problem, yeah.
(03:40):
And uh also recently a guycalled Scotty um who I trained
with originally uh a couple ofyears back, he is definitely up
there as one of Australia'sstrongest guys, under 100 kilos
and under 90 kilos.
He has the Australian record fordeadlift, which I think is 365
kilos under 90 kilos.
Oh wow, under 90 kegs, which isit's ridiculous, right?
(04:04):
And so he and I have a funnyrelationship because people it's
probably similar to you and I,but he and I maybe even look
more similar.
He thinks you're a dickhead?
No, actually.
Uh I'm I might act like adickhead, but he no, he, you
know, he's he's younger than me.
And so I think he tolerates meas an annoying older brother
figure, and I tolerate him as anannoying younger brother figure,
(04:26):
and the dynamic plays out, buthe is he is far stronger than
me.
And so he came in and uh he'sbeen injured recently, but he he
wiped my bench press record offthe board.
My one little glory was that I'dI've improved my bench press
enough to have the the recordunder a hundred kilos.
He just within a week just gone.
(04:48):
And he told me.
He said, he's like, oh, good tosee you, mate.
Oh, I'm done.
I was like, oh, I just uh I beatyour bench press record, it's
just it's gone now.
I was like, what the fuck?
What?
Oh and so just it's a funnything that this agitation, if
you think about like um anoyster, the grit in the oyster
is what creates the pearl kindof thing.
(05:09):
Oh wow, yeah, you know, it'sit's similar having a gym
nemesis, like this idea orhaving someone who pushes you,
it it changes how you act.
SPEAKER_00 (05:19):
For sure.
And I I suppose like thinking toyou know, your framing of the
point though, if you're in thisif you want the competitive
thing and that's what brings thebest out of you, then that's
probably the kind ofrelationship you're looking for,
isn't it?
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:33):
But if competition is not the thing, no, someone
having someone like that around,you'd probably be like, fuck
this joint.
I'm okay.
I'm not into this guy.
Oh, 100%.
And you wouldn't be a goodlifting buddy for someone that's
like, man, I just want to shop afew days a week and you know,
I'm happy to get a little bit ofimprovement month to month.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
Yeah, and I'm not, I'm I tend to I can, you know, I
I read people pretty well.
And so I can read if someone'snot up for that kind of a
relationship, you know.
I just look, oh cool, man, andjust don't talk to them.
Because I'm not like I'm youknow, I got like whatever, three
to four hundred milligrams ofcaffeine in me.
I came to express intensity, andyeah, it just doesn't always
(06:12):
work well with people.
So I I just know that to eitherjust stay in my own zone or only
banter with folks who are kindof into that, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (06:22):
And and so the reason why I feel this is Did
that Jim has that Jim shiftedyour shifted your barometer of
like what's possible for you?
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
I I think so.
I mean I I I already thought itmight be possible for me to do
something like that, so I that'swhy I went to that environment.
But I think the other good thingis there is a number of ways to
get to the top.
So what has been conveyed to meis that you don't have to go a
million percent all the time,like you don't like you know,
(06:55):
and and so that's where uh Dan,who's like uh coaching a bunch
of us, and like Sean, who's alsoone of the head coaches there,
like he will say, Hey man, don'tdon't max out today, don't do
that.
And so that's you know, that'ssensible.
There's got to be a responsibleadult in the room, and he is an
exceptionally strong person, andhe, you know, he's trained long
(07:17):
enough and he understands enoughthat he he knows, and and we all
know it, but it's good to havesomeone in the room to kind of
temper the the vibe because youlook across and you see somebody
doing something, and you say youyou might be on a similar
program, you're like, Well, do Ineed to go harder?
And it's important to have theleadership and the advice to
(07:39):
say, actually, that's notappropriate for you right now.
It's not like, oh, you can't gothere, it's just not right now.
And I think that that that'swhere we get into like standards
and habits that when you haveexperienced people in the room,
whether it's for competition orbusiness or anything, they could
say to you, hey man, you haven'tgot the wrong idea, but maybe
it's not the right time.
(08:00):
And and that that bit of nuancecan save you from injuring
yourself or committing to a badbusiness deal or whatever it
might be.
Like um, for for some people outthere, you might be part of like
a um like a business group, likea once-a-month get together.
I know some people who do that.
Your old mastermind similar andand people kind of share their
challenges and it allowscamaraderie, but it also allows
(08:24):
like group learning.
And I think when you're in a gymculture where people are sharing
and open to that, that's reallyhelpful too.
So when you when you've got somestruggles, whether it be
professional or personal,whatever, like it does help you
to kind of be able to say it outloud and and and get a bit of
feedback.
(08:44):
So when it comes to culture,it's not only just the coach, it
can be just the people aroundyou willing to share with you.
Yep.
Have have you found that, Joe?
Because you've you know, you'veobviously worked with a lot of
different coaches and you'vealso like had mentorship from
coaches and business folks.
Um, have you because kind of Iguess when it comes to business
(09:06):
and owning your own business,you kind of have to piece it
together for yourself.
There's not always just like abusiness gym club where you can
go hang out.
So, I mean, you I guess whereI've seen it is uh like we had
mentioned him before, uh JohnMarsh, he had organized his own
uh business mentorship forpeople, but we both know John as
(09:28):
like someone who's very focusedon marketing and and it's not
always just KPI stuff.
He he gets more into the like aphilosophical side of business,
I guess.
Um, have you had anyone who'shelped like influence you or uh
guide you for business oranything like that?
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Yeah, bunch of people, yeah.
Bunch of people, yeah.
Like um, I mean, you know,there's there's I've had
business coaches that are, orone in particular that was
specifically for gyms, and sothat was, you know, very that
was kind of that club, right?
Where it's like all gym stuffand all designed exactly for us,
which at a time was really good,um, was exactly what we needed.
(10:07):
But then, yeah, I mean, there'sbeen other kind of um, you know,
less official sort of mentorsover the years and still is um
that I, you know, even JohnMarsh to a point has been a
mentor to me, you know, and soyeah, there's been heaps.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:26):
The two elements that you need to guarantee your
success in the gym are guidanceand accountability.
The big mistake that we seepeople making when training for
BJJ is doing random workouts.
That's why we made theBulletproof for BJJ app.
We have our online communitythat can give you feedback and
help you out, and then we alsohave our structured programs
(10:48):
that will get you fitter,stronger, and more flexible for
BJJ.
We've got a 14-day free trial.
Get in there, try it out, and ifyou decide that it's not for
you, we have a 100% money backguarantee.
So go to the Play Store, go tothe App Store, download the app,
and we'll see you on the inside.
And well, I think the otherthing I wanted to say on this is
(11:11):
you can often learn from peopleindirectly, just observing them.
You know, you see somebody, youdon't necessarily talk to them,
you know, whether it be like asenior belt or whatever, and you
see them come in and forexample, they come in and they
do their warm-up, and it seemsweird.
Like, why do they do all thoseexercises?
And then it's only later youtalk to them, they they say, Oh,
(11:33):
I I fell off my motorbike anddislocated both my shoulders,
and so I have to do this,otherwise I can't train.
And you're like, Oh, whoa, I hadno idea.
Or you see them taping theirknuckles or strapping their
ankle, and they they have theirown preparation, and even though
it doesn't necessarily makesense from the outside, you
start to like observe howorganized they are or how um how
(11:56):
they prepare for training, andthat then has a subconscious
effect on you being prepared fortraining, you know, like these
when you observe um betterhabits that can I I think I
learned a fair bit from peoplewho were better than me uh in
jujitsu, in judo, in wrestling,just by um not through them
(12:18):
telling me directly or me evenasking them, but just kind of
showing up and trying to payattention to what they're doing
and being like, ah, maybe that'simportant.
I didn't know that wasimportant, and but they're doing
that.
Um yeah, stuff like that.
And so I I I've seen it, I'veseen it definitely in the
lifting space with peoplepreparing their gear, uh, you
(12:40):
know, like preparing their kneesleeves or their wraps or um
preparing their hands, tapingtheir thumbs, like doing this
different stuff.
And you think, well, that seemsa bit odd.
And then when you tr when youare then trying to do what they
are doing, you're like, oh, Ishould have, I should have taped
my thumbs.
Or, you know, whatever it mightbe.
And so one of those things whichI got, this is sounds strange.
(13:03):
There's a there's an odd tool,you might have seen it, Joe.
It's called a callus plane.
You've seen those?
Yeah.
Now for those of you.
Yeah, right.
So for those of you out therewho are not in the you know, um
heavy gripping, I mean we all dojujitsu, we grip, but it when
you um gripping with hardobjects, hard objects with you
climbing ropes, rings, bars, youdo build up calluses, and it's
(13:25):
not so much the callus thattears, it's the softer skin
connected to the callus thatthen tears.
So if you build up some mightycalluses, but you don't maintain
them of sorts, you can get somebig tears, and that can kind of
take you out of commission fordoing anything because it takes
a while to heal.
So a good friend of mine, EmilyFriedel, who was a uh kettlebell
world champion back in the day,shout out she had crazy
(13:49):
calluses.
She had calluses that basicallyextended all the way down her
fingers to her palms.
Oh wow, and she was alwaysworking them back with this
callus plane, and it's justbasically like a razor blade
angled, and it was kind ofgross, but she'd be working back
her calluses on a regular basisbecause she was doing kettlebell
snatches and cleaning jerkeslike every fucking day.
(14:12):
And she's like, Well, if I don'tdo this, then I can't do this
every single day.
And I was like, Wow, that's kindof gross, but I respect it,
cool, like you know, and she wasso strong and so fit, and and it
was just something like thatwhere I'd never thought about it
until I completely tore a hugecallus and then I was bleeding
out my hand and I couldn't gripfor for like weeks.
(14:34):
So it's just it's something likethat where it doesn't seem
obvious, but when you look atthe pros or you look at someone
who's very experienced, it makesa big difference.
And I don't even think this isnecessarily about competition
and performance, it can also beabout like teaching kids' class.
Like I've seen some really goodkids' class instructors come
very prepared for dealing withkids who get distracted because
(14:59):
they're organized, they they'reable to run a really good kids'
class.
Yeah, not just show up and belike, like the Ben Affleck
fucking um memes where it's justlike pulling on a cigarette,
like, oh fuck, another kid'sclass, like fuck my life.
You know, like someone who hastaught a lot of kids classes,
knows how to deal with kids, andbecause they're prepared, you
(15:21):
can see them being like, wow,they they magically are able to
manage this herd of cats.
SPEAKER_00 (15:27):
So what are you getting at there?
SPEAKER_01 (15:29):
Like the like maintaining a standard, yeah,
like preparation and and also Ithink it's that they've done
something a lot of times whichmakes it look far easier than it
is.
Yeah, so when you get in there,you're like, fuck, this is
really hard.
I'm fucking struggling here.
But by being around people whoare expert at it, you start to
(15:50):
pick up things which will makeyou get better.
Yeah, and so I think that'swhere this idea of like not only
the expectation, but the habitsand the standards of these
people um help you get better.
And uh, I mean, you would befamiliar, Joe, with the the like
phrase, like you are the sum ofthe five people you spend your
(16:10):
most time around.
SPEAKER_00 (16:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:11):
And um, you know, if you hang out with, for example,
a bunch of jujitsu guys whoalways smoke weed, like that
seems cool.
Smoke a bit of weed after theclub.
You're gonna be a jiu jitsu guythat smokes weed.
Yeah, yeah, because it just hasthat kind of impact on you.
SPEAKER_00 (16:25):
Um have you Whereas if you hang around five jujitsu
guys who also trade heavily inthe forex market and in
cryptocurrency, you are gonna bea fucking gazillionaire, son.
Sign up for my fucking Forexprogram.
Results may vary, yeah.
Do your own research.
But no, it's true, like, youknow, whatever, it it all it all
(16:45):
rubs off, right?
Like I um I I I kind of I've allI um you know that you're the
sum of the five people you hangaround with.
I've always you know, like it'sa it's a it's a it's a great
point.
Sounds cliche, but I've alwayshated it a bit because it's kind
of like yo, go and get friendsthat are better than the friends
you got and go hang around withfucking finance douchebags and
(17:06):
you can be rich.
But but but but no, there's sometruth to that, right?
Like you do just sort of becomewhatever the environment, the
context that you're in.
So I remember this like back atschool, there was a period there
where I was hanging around somefucking dropkicks and I was
doing dropkick shit.
Yeah, you know, breaking intocars and whatever.
And at some point I'm like,fuck, this is all a bit silly,
isn't it?
It's not really, you know, andit wasn't, I don't remember
(17:28):
consciously, but there was apoint where I was like, I'm
gonna kind of not do thatanymore.
Yeah, going around atso-and-so's house and just
ripping bongs all night, andthen someone getting into a
fight, that's not really thatfun anymore.
Right.
Um so yeah, like it, it, it, itabsolutely does play out that
way.
SPEAKER_01 (17:46):
Yeah, and and and sometimes it's it's not always
what you think, right?
Like you you you imagine toyourself, oh, if I go to this
gym where everyone's so good atjujitsu, it's gonna be a certain
way.
And then you go and they'relike, they're doing a prayer
circle.
Like, oh, that's strange, youknow, and then they if that's
what it fucking takes.
(18:07):
I've regarded this.
Uh, you know, like what youknow, so sometimes it we paint a
picture in our mind of what ittakes to be successful, but when
you actually spend some timearound people who are good at a
thing, it it the reality is isquite different.
And it's only by spending timearound them that you go, oh
well, okay, well, they're doinga bunch of stuff I'm not doing.
(18:28):
So maybe through adopting thesedifferent behaviors, and and
obviously it's different foreveryone.
Like what works for you is notnecessarily what works for me,
but when you have certainconversations with people and
you're like, oh, so what are youdoing tonight?
They're like, Oh, I'm going homedoing my food prep, or I'm gonna
go watch some video of thismatch, or you're like, oh, okay,
that sounds okay.
I've never heard anyone say thatbefore.
(18:50):
And you know, I've I've I'veonly been able to improve my
level through just constantlyobserving people who are better
than me.
And it doesn't mean I got tospend that much time hanging out
with them, but when I did, Itried to absorb their their good
habits, I guess.
And not so much the bad habits.
A bit of aura farming.
unknown (19:10):
No, no.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
Well, I think I I I think I was building XP, Joe.
I think that's more what it was.
The aura farming will comelater, but um, but there it is,
folks.
I I really feel like you youunderestimate it, and once you
identify a good culture, you getamongst it and absorb that.
Nice.
Your environment determines your success.
How the impact of your gymculture is going to really
determine the future of yourjujitsu.
And look, I think this plays outin a lot of different ways in
terms of business, life,everything.
But ultimately, if you'resomeone who wants to be really
(00:21):
competitive, I do believe youneed to be in a competitive
space.
But also, if you're someone whodoesn't want to be a competitor,
then maybe it is better for youto find a gym that isn't so
focused on that.
And really, I've I've seen thisplay out in a few realms
recently.
And so I wanted to kind of getinto the chat.
Um, you you would have seen thisa bit yourself, Joe, with your
(00:42):
own experience in gym life, andalso I guess uh having worked
with some some high-level peopleyourself, seeing them hang out
in some higher level circles.
SPEAKER_00 (00:54):
Yeah, I remember when I taught Jack Della
Martellena how to box.
Those days.
Introduced Hamza to wrestling,of course.
Yeah, you know, these arereasonably high-level
individuals.
No, no, yeah.
I mean, you know, in the gymthing, um, I think a really good
example that comes to my mind isuh like middle-aged, middle-aged
(01:17):
women who come into our gym.
Sure.
Uh jungle botany, and they comein and they're like, you know,
whatever, just like everyonethat comes to to a gym like
ours, they're usually justlooking to get fit, sure.
Kind of generic sort of goalset.
And then, you know, and theynever really have much ambition
around the training thing.
And then after six, eight weeksin this culture where, you know,
(01:39):
there's women doing multiplesets of weighted chin-ups and
double bodyweight deadlifts,they're like, holy fuck.
Like, at first, some some ofthem are like they're often in
awe but kind of maybe a littlebit repulsed by some of it.
But then give them a few monthsand it's like, oh, I'm working
towards my first chin-up.
Yeah, that's the standard.
And you're like, fuck, how cool.
Like, you never would havemeant, like, that was never even
(02:00):
in your mind before, right?
It wouldn't have occurredbecause they didn't go to a gym
where that was happening as justa regular thing.
So, yeah, I do really think thatthe the culture you're in can
just shape the the the output orthe outcome of what you get.
Yeah, for better or for worse.
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
Yeah, the expectations piece is is huge.
Like, I I just I've noticed itrecently, uh, the gym I train
at.
Uh, there's been two peoplewho've come into the space that
have made it even morecompetitive.
I mean, I think it was thestandard was already very high.
Is it your strength gym?
Yeah, this is a strengthworkshop.
Uh, there's a gentleman namedBradman, and he is he's rated as
(02:38):
the third strongest guy inAustralia in the open class.
Right.
He's a giant.
The guy's like six foot seven,whatever, 150 kilos, like he's
behemoth.
The other day he tried todeadlift 400 kilos and almost
did.
It was very close.
And no one had pulled 400 in thegym yet, and it's only like his
(02:59):
second week.
He had originally trained withall those guys a year or two
ago, and he'd gone down toVictoria, done a bunch of stuff,
and it's like he's back, andhe's like, Well, fuck it.
I'm I'm about to put everybodyon notice, and everyone's like,
God damn.
Like, if you've never seenanyone put that much weight on a
bar and you see it in person,you're like, there's no room for
(03:19):
collars.
Like, that's all the plates,that's nine plates.
The hell is going on right now?
And it was just like colossal.
And the fact that he wouldattempt it and and came very
close, it's like, holy shit.
Even all the other big strongguys are like, fuck, gotta step
up now.
You know, like that thatpresents a problem, yeah.
(03:40):
And uh also recently a guycalled Scotty um who I trained
with originally uh a couple ofyears back, he is definitely up
there as one of Australia'sstrongest guys, under 100 kilos
and under 90 kilos.
He has the Australian record fordeadlift, which I think is 365
kilos under 90 kilos.
Oh wow, under 90 kegs, which isit's ridiculous, right?
(04:04):
And so he and I have a funnyrelationship because people it's
probably similar to you and I,but he and I maybe even look
more similar.
He thinks you're a dickhead?
No, actually.
Uh I'm I might act like adickhead, but he no, he, you
know, he's he's younger than me.
And so I think he tolerates meas an annoying older brother
figure, and I tolerate him as anannoying younger brother figure,
(04:26):
and the dynamic plays out, buthe is he is far stronger than
me.
And so he came in and uh he'sbeen injured recently, but he he
wiped my bench press record offthe board.
My one little glory was that I'dI've improved my bench press
enough to have the the recordunder a hundred kilos.
He just within a week just gone.
(04:48):
And he told me.
He said, he's like, oh, good tosee you, mate.
Oh, I'm done.
I was like, oh, I just uh I beatyour bench press record, it's
just it's gone now.
I was like, what the fuck?
What?
Oh and so just it's a funnything that this agitation, if
you think about like um anoyster, the grit in the oyster
is what creates the pearl kindof thing.
(05:09):
Oh wow, yeah, you know, it'sit's similar having a gym
nemesis, like this idea orhaving someone who pushes you,
it it changes how you act.
SPEAKER_00 (05:19):
For sure.
And I I suppose like thinking toyou know, your framing of the
point though, if you're in thisif you want the competitive
thing and that's what brings thebest out of you, then that's
probably the kind ofrelationship you're looking for,
isn't it?
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:33):
But if competition is not the thing, no, someone
having someone like that around,you'd probably be like, fuck
this joint.
I'm okay.
I'm not into this guy.
Oh, 100%.
And you wouldn't be a goodlifting buddy for someone that's
like, man, I just want to shop afew days a week and you know,
I'm happy to get a little bit ofimprovement month to month.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
Yeah, and I'm not, I'm I tend to I can, you know, I
I read people pretty well.
And so I can read if someone'snot up for that kind of a
relationship, you know.
I just look, oh cool, man, andjust don't talk to them.
Because I'm not like I'm youknow, I got like whatever, three
to four hundred milligrams ofcaffeine in me.
I came to express intensity, andyeah, it just doesn't always
(06:12):
work well with people.
So I I just know that to eitherjust stay in my own zone or only
banter with folks who are kindof into that, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (06:22):
And and so the reason why I feel this is Did
that Jim has that Jim shiftedyour shifted your barometer of
like what's possible for you?
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
I I think so.
I mean I I I already thought itmight be possible for me to do
something like that, so I that'swhy I went to that environment.
But I think the other good thingis there is a number of ways to
get to the top.
So what has been conveyed to meis that you don't have to go a
million percent all the time,like you don't like you know,
(06:55):
and and so that's where uh Dan,who's like uh coaching a bunch
of us, and like Sean, who's alsoone of the head coaches there,
like he will say, Hey man, don'tdon't max out today, don't do
that.
And so that's you know, that'ssensible.
There's got to be a responsibleadult in the room, and he is an
exceptionally strong person, andhe, you know, he's trained long
(07:17):
enough and he understands enoughthat he he knows, and and we all
know it, but it's good to havesomeone in the room to kind of
temper the the vibe because youlook across and you see somebody
doing something, and you say youyou might be on a similar
program, you're like, Well, do Ineed to go harder?
And it's important to have theleadership and the advice to
(07:39):
say, actually, that's notappropriate for you right now.
It's not like, oh, you can't gothere, it's just not right now.
And I think that that that'swhere we get into like standards
and habits that when you haveexperienced people in the room,
whether it's for competition orbusiness or anything, they could
say to you, hey man, you haven'tgot the wrong idea, but maybe
it's not the right time.
(08:00):
And and that that bit of nuancecan save you from injuring
yourself or committing to a badbusiness deal or whatever it
might be.
Like um, for for some people outthere, you might be part of like
a um like a business group, likea once-a-month get together.
I know some people who do that.
Your old mastermind similar andand people kind of share their
challenges and it allowscamaraderie, but it also allows
(08:24):
like group learning.
And I think when you're in a gymculture where people are sharing
and open to that, that's reallyhelpful too.
So when you when you've got somestruggles, whether it be
professional or personal,whatever, like it does help you
to kind of be able to say it outloud and and and get a bit of
feedback.
(08:44):
So when it comes to culture,it's not only just the coach, it
can be just the people aroundyou willing to share with you.
Yep.
Have have you found that, Joe?
Because you've you know, you'veobviously worked with a lot of
different coaches and you'vealso like had mentorship from
coaches and business folks.
Um, have you because kind of Iguess when it comes to business
(09:06):
and owning your own business,you kind of have to piece it
together for yourself.
There's not always just like abusiness gym club where you can
go hang out.
So, I mean, you I guess whereI've seen it is uh like we had
mentioned him before, uh JohnMarsh, he had organized his own
uh business mentorship forpeople, but we both know John as
(09:28):
like someone who's very focusedon marketing and and it's not
always just KPI stuff.
He he gets more into the like aphilosophical side of business,
I guess.
Um, have you had anyone who'shelped like influence you or uh
guide you for business oranything like that?
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Yeah, bunch of people, yeah.
Bunch of people, yeah.
Like um, I mean, you know,there's there's I've had
business coaches that are, orone in particular that was
specifically for gyms, and sothat was, you know, very that
was kind of that club, right?
Where it's like all gym stuffand all designed exactly for us,
which at a time was really good,um, was exactly what we needed.
(10:07):
But then, yeah, I mean, there'sbeen other kind of um, you know,
less official sort of mentorsover the years and still is um
that I, you know, even JohnMarsh to a point has been a
mentor to me, you know, and soyeah, there's been heaps.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:26):
The two elements that you need to guarantee your
success in the gym are guidanceand accountability.
The big mistake that we seepeople making when training for
BJJ is doing random workouts.
That's why we made theBulletproof for BJJ app.
We have our online communitythat can give you feedback and
help you out, and then we alsohave our structured programs
(10:48):
that will get you fitter,stronger, and more flexible for
BJJ.
We've got a 14-day free trial.
Get in there, try it out, and ifyou decide that it's not for
you, we have a 100% money backguarantee.
So go to the Play Store, go tothe App Store, download the app,
and we'll see you on the inside.
And well, I think the otherthing I wanted to say on this is
(11:11):
you can often learn from peopleindirectly, just observing them.
You know, you see somebody, youdon't necessarily talk to them,
you know, whether it be like asenior belt or whatever, and you
see them come in and forexample, they come in and they
do their warm-up, and it seemsweird.
Like, why do they do all thoseexercises?
And then it's only later youtalk to them, they they say, Oh,
(11:33):
I I fell off my motorbike anddislocated both my shoulders,
and so I have to do this,otherwise I can't train.
And you're like, Oh, whoa, I hadno idea.
Or you see them taping theirknuckles or strapping their
ankle, and they they have theirown preparation, and even though
it doesn't necessarily makesense from the outside, you
start to like observe howorganized they are or how um how
(11:56):
they prepare for training, andthat then has a subconscious
effect on you being prepared fortraining, you know, like these
when you observe um betterhabits that can I I think I
learned a fair bit from peoplewho were better than me uh in
jujitsu, in judo, in wrestling,just by um not through them
(12:18):
telling me directly or me evenasking them, but just kind of
showing up and trying to payattention to what they're doing
and being like, ah, maybe that'simportant.
I didn't know that wasimportant, and but they're doing
that.
Um yeah, stuff like that.
And so I I I've seen it, I'veseen it definitely in the
lifting space with peoplepreparing their gear, uh, you
(12:40):
know, like preparing their kneesleeves or their wraps or um
preparing their hands, tapingtheir thumbs, like doing this
different stuff.
And you think, well, that seemsa bit odd.
And then when you tr when youare then trying to do what they
are doing, you're like, oh, Ishould have, I should have taped
my thumbs.
Or, you know, whatever it mightbe.
And so one of those things whichI got, this is sounds strange.
(13:03):
There's a there's an odd tool,you might have seen it, Joe.
It's called a callus plane.
You've seen those?
Yeah.
Now for those of you.
Yeah, right.
So for those of you out therewho are not in the you know, um
heavy gripping, I mean we all dojujitsu, we grip, but it when
you um gripping with hardobjects, hard objects with you
climbing ropes, rings, bars, youdo build up calluses, and it's
(13:25):
not so much the callus thattears, it's the softer skin
connected to the callus thatthen tears.
So if you build up some mightycalluses, but you don't maintain
them of sorts, you can get somebig tears, and that can kind of
take you out of commission fordoing anything because it takes
a while to heal.
So a good friend of mine, EmilyFriedel, who was a uh kettlebell
world champion back in the day,shout out she had crazy
(13:49):
calluses.
She had calluses that basicallyextended all the way down her
fingers to her palms.
Oh wow, and she was alwaysworking them back with this
callus plane, and it's justbasically like a razor blade
angled, and it was kind ofgross, but she'd be working back
her calluses on a regular basisbecause she was doing kettlebell
snatches and cleaning jerkeslike every fucking day.
(14:12):
And she's like, Well, if I don'tdo this, then I can't do this
every single day.
And I was like, Wow, that's kindof gross, but I respect it,
cool, like you know, and she wasso strong and so fit, and and it
was just something like thatwhere I'd never thought about it
until I completely tore a hugecallus and then I was bleeding
out my hand and I couldn't gripfor for like weeks.
(14:34):
So it's just it's something likethat where it doesn't seem
obvious, but when you look atthe pros or you look at someone
who's very experienced, it makesa big difference.
And I don't even think this isnecessarily about competition
and performance, it can also beabout like teaching kids' class.
Like I've seen some really goodkids' class instructors come
very prepared for dealing withkids who get distracted because
(14:59):
they're organized, they they'reable to run a really good kids'
class.
Yeah, not just show up and belike, like the Ben Affleck
fucking um memes where it's justlike pulling on a cigarette,
like, oh fuck, another kid'sclass, like fuck my life.
You know, like someone who hastaught a lot of kids classes,
knows how to deal with kids, andbecause they're prepared, you
(15:21):
can see them being like, wow,they they magically are able to
manage this herd of cats.
SPEAKER_00 (15:27):
So what are you getting at there?
SPEAKER_01 (15:29):
Like the like maintaining a standard, yeah,
like preparation and and also Ithink it's that they've done
something a lot of times whichmakes it look far easier than it
is.
Yeah, so when you get in there,you're like, fuck, this is
really hard.
I'm fucking struggling here.
But by being around people whoare expert at it, you start to
(15:50):
pick up things which will makeyou get better.
Yeah, and so I think that'swhere this idea of like not only
the expectation, but the habitsand the standards of these
people um help you get better.
And uh, I mean, you would befamiliar, Joe, with the the like
phrase, like you are the sum ofthe five people you spend your
(16:10):
most time around.
SPEAKER_00 (16:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:11):
And um, you know, if you hang out with, for example,
a bunch of jujitsu guys whoalways smoke weed, like that
seems cool.
Smoke a bit of weed after theclub.
You're gonna be a jiu jitsu guythat smokes weed.
Yeah, yeah, because it just hasthat kind of impact on you.
SPEAKER_00 (16:25):
Um have you Whereas if you hang around five jujitsu
guys who also trade heavily inthe forex market and in
cryptocurrency, you are gonna bea fucking gazillionaire, son.
Sign up for my fucking Forexprogram.
Results may vary, yeah.
Do your own research.
But no, it's true, like, youknow, whatever, it it all it all
(16:45):
rubs off, right?
Like I um I I I kind of I've allI um you know that you're the
sum of the five people you hangaround with.
I've always you know, like it'sa it's a it's a it's a great
point.
Sounds cliche, but I've alwayshated it a bit because it's kind
of like yo, go and get friendsthat are better than the friends
you got and go hang around withfucking finance douchebags and
(17:06):
you can be rich.
But but but but no, there's sometruth to that, right?
Like you do just sort of becomewhatever the environment, the
context that you're in.
So I remember this like back atschool, there was a period there
where I was hanging around somefucking dropkicks and I was
doing dropkick shit.
Yeah, you know, breaking intocars and whatever.
And at some point I'm like,fuck, this is all a bit silly,
isn't it?
It's not really, you know, andit wasn't, I don't remember
(17:28):
consciously, but there was apoint where I was like, I'm
gonna kind of not do thatanymore.
Yeah, going around atso-and-so's house and just
ripping bongs all night, andthen someone getting into a
fight, that's not really thatfun anymore.
Right.
Um so yeah, like it, it, it, itabsolutely does play out that
way.
SPEAKER_01 (17:46):
Yeah, and and and sometimes it's it's not always
what you think, right?
Like you you you imagine toyourself, oh, if I go to this
gym where everyone's so good atjujitsu, it's gonna be a certain
way.
And then you go and they'relike, they're doing a prayer
circle.
Like, oh, that's strange, youknow, and then they if that's
what it fucking takes.
(18:07):
I've regarded this.
Uh, you know, like what youknow, so sometimes it we paint a
picture in our mind of what ittakes to be successful, but when
you actually spend some timearound people who are good at a
thing, it it the reality is isquite different.
And it's only by spending timearound them that you go, oh
well, okay, well, they're doinga bunch of stuff I'm not doing.
(18:28):
So maybe through adopting thesedifferent behaviors, and and
obviously it's different foreveryone.
Like what works for you is notnecessarily what works for me,
but when you have certainconversations with people and
you're like, oh, so what are youdoing tonight?
They're like, Oh, I'm going homedoing my food prep, or I'm gonna
go watch some video of thismatch, or you're like, oh, okay,
that sounds okay.
I've never heard anyone say thatbefore.
(18:50):
And you know, I've I've I'veonly been able to improve my
level through just constantlyobserving people who are better
than me.
And it doesn't mean I got tospend that much time hanging out
with them, but when I did, Itried to absorb their their good
habits, I guess.
And not so much the bad habits.
A bit of aura farming.
unknown (19:10):
No, no.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
Well, I think I I I think I was building XP, Joe.
I think that's more what it was.
The aura farming will comelater, but um, but there it is,
folks.
I I really feel like you youunderestimate it, and once you
identify a good culture, you getamongst it and absorb that.
Nice.
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.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.