#126 Weight Loss in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
July 20, 2008
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is so good at melting fat off people that I don’t know why there isn’t waiting lists to train. Honestly if you personally have not experienced weight loss from training BJJ, I’ll bet that you know someone who has. And unlike well, every other workout I can think of, jiu-jitsu is fun and addictive.
This week on the show we’ll hear from four guys who have lost significant amounts of weight because of training BJJ. I think you will be shocked at the weight some have lost. And they will all tell you that they have been having such a good time training BJJ that losing the weight becomes an afterthought. Seriously, why isn’t BJJ introduced to every child when they begin formal education?
And for those who are wondering, this artfully done photo you see above was taken on location at the Fightworks Podcast photo studio next to the sink and in front of the stove. Get it? The measuring tape instead of a BJJ belt?!?! Our editorial team has outdone itself this time. Kudos, gang. 
Below are pictures of our featured guest on the show this week before training jiu-jitsu and what he looks like now. Danny the Butcher from Long Island trains with Matt Serra and Nick Serra and is now in the best shape of his life because of BJJ.
Remember that our gi patch design contest is still underway!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#125 Nelson Monteiro and the Birth of the ADCC
July 13, 2008
Nelson Monteiro, Gracie Barra black belt.
This week on The FightWorks Podcast we have an interview with Nelson Monteiro, who along with Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nayan founded the ADCC Submission Grappling Championship. We’ll hear about that crucial moment in our sport’s history, as well as about the interesting moments about the early days of jiu-jitsu in Copacabana, when Carlson Gracie and Carlos Gracie Senior shared the same building and taught on different nights to the earliest practiotioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
We will also have an installment of What Are You Working On, in which one of the Mighty 600,000 presents a training question to a BJJ black belt. This time around, our listener Steve, who trains with Gracie Barra in Chicago, will have his question about playing guard answered by BJJ author Kid Peligro! If you would like to submit a question for What Are You Working On, here are the easy instructions!
Remember that our gi patch design contest is still underway!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#124 Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, Toney Waldecker
July 6, 2008
Cobrinha wins at the 2008 Pan-Ams.
Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles is our guest this week on The FightWorks Podcast 2008 BJJ World Championships. Not familiar with the name? Well if it helps at all, Cobrinha came in first place in the past two years in the Featherweight division of both the Pan-Ams and the Mundials!
In this interview from FightWorks Podcast contributor Emilio Novoa, Cobrinha talks about his transition to BJJ from capoeira, current plans, and more.
We’ll also hear from BJJ black belt Toney Waldecker, the head instructor back at FightWorks in Northern Virginia. Waldecker discusses dealing with typical BJJ injuries (among others), the benefits of grappling in the gi, his experience fighting muay-thai in Thailand, and yep! - much more.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#123 Andre Galvao
June 29, 2008
Andre Galvao’s hand is raised after defeating the very tough Braulio Estima to win first place at the Mundials.
This time on The FightWorks Podcast we bring you Andre Galvao, of Brasa Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Galvao is a multiple time world champion who has had an amazing year, which recently culminated in taking the gold medal in the middle heavyweight division of the 2008 BJJ World Championships.
In this interview lead by FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan, Andre Galvao offers insight into…
- the recent schism in Team Brasa, and details about how it unfolded
- his controversial first match at the Mundials, which was made into a very popular YouTube video (and later removed), in which he played with his opponent like a cat might with a toy
- his thoughts on entering MMA
…and much more.
Also in this episode of the FightWorks Podcast, we’ll debut a new feature we are going to call “What Are You Working On?” If you (yes YOU!) would like to ask our elite BJJ guests a question, here is how you can get on the show! Our question this time around comes from Steve of SteveBJJ.com.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#122 Tony Passos, BJJ in Hawaii, & Wilson Reis
June 22, 2008
The BJJ academy of Relson Gracie, lead by Andre Derizans.
Another extended episode of Brazilian jiu-jitsu audio for you on The FightWorks Podcast this week! A few people have mentioned that they wish the show were longer, and while I am not actively trying to make it so, we’ve done it again.
We’ve got three segments for you this time:
- Tony Passos, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo De La Riva who will talk about his experience at the 2008 BJJ Mundials, setting up shop in the USA, BJJ injuries, and more!
- The audio from our (brief!) visit to Honolulu, where we sat down with Andre Derizans, the second degree black belt BJJ instructor at Relson Gracie’s school. If you’d like to see the video of this conversation, you can check it out on our BJJ Video page.
- An interview with BJJ black belt Wilson Reis, who is making the transition to MMA and has now complied a 4-0 record. Wilson now lives in Philadelphia and trains at BJJ United and is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the MMA world.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#121 Xande Ribeiro 2008 BJJ Absolute Champion
June 15, 2008
Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro, the 2008 black belt open and
heavyweight division Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu family! We’ve done it again! We have a colossus of a show for you this time on The FightWorks Podcast, your home for BJJ audio news online.
Coming fresh off the 2008 BJJ Mundials, the main feature of our show this time is a long conversation with Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro. Yes, we’ve had Xande on the show in the past. The difference this time? All the questions were submitted by you, the Mighty 600,000!
We will also speak with Luca Atalla, the editor-in-chief of Gracie Magazine and get his thoughts on this year’s World Championships. Atalla has some commentary on this year’s BJJ Mundials, Roger Gracie, and much more!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#120 2008 BJJ World Championships
June 8, 2008
Roger Gracie smashed more opponents yesterday at the Mundials.
In today’s episode of The FightWorks Podcast, we have coverage of the biggest BJJ events that have taken place since our last show.
- The promotion of Gracie Barra’s Carlos Gracie Jr to red and black belt after 32 years as a black belt. Earlier this week on TheFightWorksPodcast.com we posted video of the event but there are surely those in our listening audience who may not have caught those videos yet. We are going to include the audio of the congratulatory speeches from Rickson Gracie and Renzo Gracie for Carlinhos.
- We are smack in the middle of the 2008 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships at Cal State University Long Beach’s pyramid. The world’s very best BJJ competitors have arrived and the chips have already begun to fall. We have audio from:
- Robert Drysdale & Demian Maia, two world champions who are not competing this year as they’re moving on to MMA.
- Alliance’s Fabio Gurgel and Tarsis Humphries, before the day’s action began.
- Kid Peligro will help go over some of the results thus far in the competition.
We’ll bring you the details of all the big news from yesterday, straight from our play-by-play.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#119 2008 BJJ Mundials Preview
June 1, 2008
Roger Gracie, winner of the 2007 Black Belt World Championship open and super heavyweight divisions.
The 2008 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships takes place this coming weekend in Los Angeles and The FightWorks Podcast breaks down everything a BJJ fan needs to know about our sport’s biggest event!
- Our first conversation will be a round table between FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan along with Gumby from OnTheMat.com. We’ll cover the names and details of the black belt divisions, setting the table for all the action!
- For our second conversation we’ll bring in noted BJJ author Kid Peligro
, who will give us a historical perspective on the evolution of the Mundials as a competition! We’ll also go over what the biggest stories of this year’s Mundials are leading into the event.
If this episode were in a weight class, it would be the super super heavyweight division, as it is over one hour long!
As you will remember, back at the 2008 BJJ Pan-Ams, we got together for breakfast on Sunday. I’d like to do the same this weekend so keep your eyes here on the site this week for the location of breakfast and / or coffee on June 8th!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#118 Xande Ribeiro Talks 2008 BJJ Worlds, Black Belt Ed Kennedy
May 25, 2008
Xande Ribeiro.
The 2008 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships are just around the corner! For those who have been living under a rock, they will take place June 5-8 at Cal State University in Long Beach. Chatter is heating up about how the black belt divisions are shaping up and who will come away with the gold medals this year at the Mundials.
One very interested party is Alexandre Ribeiro, who won the gold medal in the 2006 heavyweight and absolute divisions, and won the heavyweight division again in 2007. This week we speak with “Xande” about his preparations for the Worlds and his intentions to expand his legacy in 2008.
We will also have a conversation with BJJ black belt Ed Kennedy. Kennedy trains at Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti’s school in Atlanta and, like most of us, has a nine-to-five job, family responsibilities, and other obligations. We talk about the long and rewarding journey of BJJ, and balancing the obligations an everyday working man or woman inherits when choosing a life of jiu-jitsu.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
#117 Robert Drysdale, BJJ Mundials Volunteering & BJJ Travel Tips
May 18, 2008
Caleb and Dan in Rio outside Gracie Humaita.
This week on Episode 117 of The FightWorks Podcast we’ve got a three-parter for you. You’ll hear:
- The last five of our Ten Tips for Brazilian jiu-jitsu travel, which we began in Episode 116. Don’t leave home without them!
- A conversation with Mike Buckels, part of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation event coordination staff, who will discuss the upcoming 2008 BJJ Mundials and what you can do to help make it a great event (and get the best seats in the house, food, and a t-shirt along the way)
- Robert Drysdale’s thoughts on Roger Gracie after their encounter in the 2007 BJJ Mundials. Roger took first place in the super heavyweight division and the absolute division in 2007!
And if you haven’t done so yet, Click here to go grab our Google Gadget!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
-
Links
-
Feeds & ENews:
