The Sonny Brown Breakdown

I talk to Andy from School of Grappling and Greg Souders from Standard Jiu-Jitsu about their perspectives on the ecological approach to teaching grappling. We explore the theoretical foundations and practical applications of this method, discussing key concepts like experience, perception, consciousness, and intentionality. Andy shares insights on the phenomenological perspective and subjective experience, while Greg delves into ec...

I talk to Andy from School of Grappling about the rising trend of the ecological approach in BJJ coaching and its implications. We explore the interplay between culture, coaching methods, and individual motivation in training. Andy shares insights on the limitations of singular approaches and the need for a holistic perspective in creating supportive training environments. We discuss the impact of social media on Jiu-Jitsu culture,...

In this episode of The Sonny Brown Breakdown, guest Scott Sievewright discusses his ecological approach to coaching martial arts. Sievewright emphasises the importance of live, unscripted sparring from day one to build relationships and develop skills, arguing that traditional techniques taught in isolation do not effectively transfer to real-life fighting situations.

Si...

I talk to Greg Souders and Priit Mihkelson, two of the most forward-thinking jiu-jitsu coaches today, about their philosophies on training methodology and practice design. Greg advocates for an ecological approach focused on constraints and foundational functions, while Preet comes from a background utilizing progressive resistance. We have an in-depth discussion on motor learning, developing skills, and the merits of different sys...

I talk to Chris Paines, who recently released an instructional titled "How to Defend Against Everyone". We discuss his thoughts on teaching and learning Jiu-Jitsu through the use of heuristics focusing on control points and how that can emphasise defensive principles as well as optimising offence. We also discuss the importance of providing context when communicating the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu to learners and how understanding you...

I talk to Luke Martin, a Jiu-Jitsu coach currently preparing his athletes for the ADCC world championships out of the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu camp in Texas with John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, Gary Tonon, Nicholas Meregali and the rest of the New Wave ADCC competitors. In a special emergency broadcast edition of the Sonny Brown Breakdown podcast, he gives us a rare insight into what that experience is like and how John Danaher prepares his a...

I talk to Mittmaster Matt Chapman, a martial artist for 35 years who has a wealth of experience teaching & training Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. Matt discussed how it's important to be nurturing and caring with new martial arts students, so they stick with it and master the art. Also, he detailed how this style of coaching care could be used to develop fighters and how he applied this martial arts philoso...

I talk to Jeremy Skinner, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, coach & competitor who recently won the ADCC Oceana trials, which will see him compete at the 2022 ADCC World championships. We discuss his preparation for competition while managing his coaching responsibilities and how he can determine quality in jiu-jitsu instruction and teaching. We also discuss his thoughts on current competition formats and how he feels a shift to a more team-...

I talk to Jozef Chen, a grappling phenom who recently took Bronze at the ADCC trials while only being seventeen years old and relatively new to his jiu-jitsu training. We discuss how he gained his skill level at such a young age from using instructionals and drilling techniques in a conceptual style influenced by Rob Biernacki. After preparing for the ADCC trials at the B-Team in Texas with Craig Jones, we talk about what his exper...

I talk to Steve Kwan of the BJJ Mental Models Podcast in a Crossover Episode! We talk about how his podcast has influenced his own game, the most important concepts he learned from his podcast guests and the debate over concepts vs techniques. Further, we discuss learning Jiu-Jitsu online and the multiple online learning platforms and instructions out there and how you can go about finding one that best suits your needs and improve...

I talk to Sam Kressin, a Black Belt in BJJ who also trained extensively with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson. Sam is also a talented visual artist who holds a degree in exercise and sports science. We discuss how he came to find jiu-jitsu and catch wrestling in his martial arts journey and his time spent training both, and the process of combining them. He also coaches grappling and runs catch wrestling workshops for Scientif...

I talk to Andy From School Of Grappling about the book "Mind Over Muscle: Writings From The Founder Of Judo" By Jigoro Kano. We explore the philosophy of Judo as written and explained by Kano while also discussing his views on physical education and the principles of Judo including mutual benefit and maximum efficiency in energy use. We also discuss the concept of embodied grappling and the critical role rough and tumble play can h...

I talk to Rob From McDojoLife. Rob has been a lifelong martial artist with a black belt in Karate and a Purple Belt in Jiu-Jitsu. McDojo life has a massive social media presence that you have likely seen before where it exposes fakes, frauds and phoneys of the martial arts industries. We discuss the elements that make a McDojo, the warning signs and dangers of fake martial arts, and how you can a...

I talk to John B Will, one of the all-time legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts. As an early adopter of BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts, he has spent countless hours teaching classes and seminars worldwide. Combined with an active interest in the art of learning and teaching it gives him an invaluable insight into how best to deliver information and techniques to a class of students and how to help yourself become a better lear...