Episode Sponsored by CSH - Keeping Athletes Training

Episode 74! And its Jack whos back welcoming Jake Brewer from Ascendant Grappling. The conversation covers Jake's early exposure to boxing and martial arts, his transition to jiu-jitsu and MMA, the journey to black belt, and the influence of boxing on competitive readiness and physicality in martial arts training. It highlights the impact of early exposure to boxing, the transition from striking to grappling, and the importance of physicality and aggression in martial arts training. The conversation covers the mental preparation for competition, the journey from black belt to gym owner, developing a top game and gym culture, and future plans including competing in catch wrestling. It emphasizes the importance of individualized coaching and understanding members' goals to create a positive gym culture.

Takeaways

• Early exposure to boxing provided a foundation for discipline and competition
• Transition from striking to jiu-jitsu and the impact on training and competition
• The importance of physicality and aggression in martial arts training Training for competition requires mental preparation and confidence.
• Individualized coaching and understanding of members' goals create a positive gym culture.

Chapters

• 00:00 Early Exposure to Boxing and Martial Arts
• 11:10 Return to Jiu-Jitsu and the Journey to Black Belt
• 18:28 Competitive Preparation and Physicality in Martial Arts
• 24:39 Mental Preparation for Competition
• 31:41 Journey from Black Belt to Gym Owner
• 39:30 Developing a Top Game and Gym Culture
• 47:32 Future Plans and Competing in Catch Wrestling

WASH YOUR GI 73! Sponsored by BJJ Notes - BJJ Notes helps serious practitioners organize their training, track techniques, and grow faster - all from your phone.

Was amazing to have Marco Canha join us on Wash Your Gi. The conversation begins with an introduction and Marco's journey to coaching, highlighting his transition from Brazil to the UK and his passion for teaching Jiu-Jitsu. The discussion then delves into the importance of specific training in Jiu-Jitsu, emphasizing the benefits and strategies for effective training. The conversation delves into the strategic importance of guard retention and recovery in Jiu-Jitsu, emphasizing the impact of decision-making in competition and the development of a competitive mindset. It also explores the challenges of coaching a large team and the future plans for gym expansion. Throughout, the theme of building confidence through competition and identifying potential in competitors is prevalent.

Takeaways

• Journey to Coaching
• Importance of Specific Training Guard retention and recovery are crucial in Jiu-Jitsu
• The importance of confidence and mindset in competition

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Journey to Coaching
• 10:02 The Importance of Specific Training
• 29:38 The Strategy of Guard Retention
• 35:37 Competitive Mindset and Confidence
• 42:47 Identifying Potential in Competitors
• 52:06 Alternative Avenues for Personal Growth

SEVENTY TWO. We were absolutely stoked to have Jude Samuel join us! The conversation covers the topics of youth development in Jiu-Jitsu and the pathways for Jiu-Jitsu athletes. It delves into the importance of creating a future pathway for young Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and the need for a centralized, standardized model for Jiu-Jitsu in the UK. The conversation with Jude Samuel delves into the significance of community in Jiu-Jitsu and the role of visualization in skill improvement. Jude emphasizes the importance of a supportive and like-minded community in the sport, highlighting the impact of training partners and the need for a cohesive unit. Additionally, he discusses the value of visualization as a key tool for personal growth and skill development in Jiu-Jitsu.

Takeaways

• Youth Development in Jiu-Jitsu
• Pathways for Jiu-Jitsu Athletes Community is key
• Visualization is important for improvement

Chapters

• 00:00 Youth Development in Jiu-Jitsu
• 10:35 Pathways for Jiu-Jitsu Athletes
• 29:44 The Role of Visualization in Jiu-Jitsu

Welcome to episode 71! We are over at Apperly Bridge where we caught up with Victor Estima, a fourth-degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.. Alongside his brother Braulio Estima, he was developed under the guidance of Ze Radiola in Brazil.

Victor has competed — and claimed titles — at the very highest level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with major victories across the European, Pan-American, and World Championships.

The conversation covers the journey and development of Jiu-Jitsu in the UK, the value of Jiu-Jitsu in society, the impact of Jiu-Jitsu on communities, mistakes preventing longevity in Jiu-Jitsu, safety and training with heel hooks, and balancing the desire for taps with safety and control. The key takeaways include the concept of Jiu-Jitsu as a service and the importance of safety and longevity in Jiu-Jitsu. The conversation delves into the importance of Jiu-Jitsu foundations over trends, emphasizing the need for a complete and authentic approach to learning and teaching. It also explores the impact of social media on Jiu-Jitsu trends, the importance of authenticity and credibility in Jiu-Jitsu instruction, and the challenges of navigating conflicting views in the Jiu-Jitsu community. Additionally, it highlights the principle-led approach to Jiu-Jitsu techniques and the significance of self-defense and guard domination in Jiu-Jitsu training.

Takeaways

• Jiu-Jitsu as a Service
• Safety and Longevity in Jiu-Jitsu Foundations Over Trends
• Authenticity in Teaching

Chapters

• 00:00 Balancing the Desire for Taps with Safety and Control
• 26:12 Teaching Fundamental Jiu-Jitsu to New Students
• 31:21 Authenticity and Credibility in Jiu-Jitsu Instruction
• 39:08 Principle-Led Approach to Jiu-Jitsu Techniques

Sponsored by BJJ Notes

This episode of Wash Your Gi goes deep on performance beyond the mats with Joe Gaunt — high-performance psychologist, behaviour-change specialist, and founder of Health Labs HQ.

Joe’s work sits at the intersection of psychology, health, and leadership. From supporting athletes and high performers to building founder-focused programmes like Entrepreneur Labs, he breaks down how habits, mindset, and evidence-based health interventions actually translate into sustainable performance — not burnout.

We talk behaviour change that sticks, mental resilience under pressure, why most “high performance” advice fails, and how founders and athletes alike can train their mind with the same intent they train their body. Expect practical insights, no fluff, and plenty of crossover between elite sport, business, and everyday life.

A must-listen for anyone serious about performing better — on the mats, in the boardroom, and long term.

Wash Your Gi Episode 69 brings in Scottish black belt and Metatech Academy head coach Cammy Donnelly from Meta Tech in Glasgow for a seriously nerdy deep dive into modern jiu-jitsu.

Cammy breaks down Polaris and why he thinks Team Europe could beat anyone in the world, studies killers like Mateus and Joseph Chen as “case studies” in innovation, and talks through Buffy’s historic Euros win as the first Scottish female champion. He opens up about major injuries, rebuilding with smart strength work, why you must be selfish about training partners, and what “modern coaching” really means at Metatech. Plus: cross-training in Scotland, straight ankle lock revolutions, and why he’d still pull guard against Baby Shark.

Sponsored by:

Combat Sports Hygiene

Yoga for BJJ

Matthouse UK - Premium Jiu-Jitsu Mat Upgrades and Facility Build Outs

Join Eddie, Jack, and Grant in episode 9 as Eddie details his first round rolling with a black belt. Jack gets hung up on apples and melons, and we discuss the importance of connection points as our 'term of the week.' We also review Eddie's failures in his round with 'bigger than me' Matt and provide actionable concepts and tips so you don't make the same mistakes.

We also cover (once again!) staying motivated and eager to learn with your jiu-jitsu training, and Grant loses the first round of our new untitled on-air game, with everything to play for next week. Wash Your Gi!

In this episode Steve White of Flow Submission Grappling (Warrington) shares his journey from rugby league to catch wrestling, MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and how that led him to start his own club. Steve explains the club’s origins as morning "flow" rolls, how it grew into a full timetable, and the values that shape its culture.

He outlines his coaching approach — strict fundamentals, structured drilling, and progressively increasing resistance — and explains how comp classes, position-focused weeks (attack then defense), and cross-training build well-rounded grapplers. Steve emphasizes hard work, competitiveness, and community as the gym’s core tenets.

The episode also covers class formats (mornings, comp drilling, rounds), his favorite submissions (arm guillotine, straight ankle lock, and the muffler), challenges balancing coaching with family life, and plans to grow the club while maintaining quality coaching and culture. He finishes with thanks to his members, coaches, and family for their support.