The Ageless Warrior Lab
Dave Meyer | Host, Ageless Warrior Lab podcast | President & Co-founder of Food System Innovations and Humane American Animal Foundation
Join BJJ coral belt, Gang of Eight and Dirty Dozen member Dave Meyer as we draw wisdom from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the martial arts and explore how it applies to your life, success in business, and your long-term health.
Dave Meyer is a pioneering American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, and accomplished non-profit founder and Philanthropist. He is an eleven-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is the current world champion in his age/weight division in the no-gi format.
Dave co-founded and served as CEO of Adopt-a-Pet.com for two decades, turning it into the world's largest nonprofit homeless pet adoption website and helping save millions of animals, before its acquisition by Mars Inc.
Today, Dave leads Humane America Animal Foundation and Food System Innovations, working on farm animal welfare and a healthy and sustainable food system. He frequently advises U.S. lawmakers on these issues, and has raised and deployed over $160 million in philanthropic capital as part of his work in the nonprofit space.
In his athletic career, Dave has risen to the highest ranks of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He earned his black belt from Rigan Machado in 1996 and ranked among the first Americans ("the Dirty Dozen") to do so. He was the first American to medal at the black belt level at the BJJ World Championships in Brazil in 1998. Dave is one of just several Americans to achieve the rank of coral belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a group now referred to as the “Gang of Eight”. He continues to compete at the world championship level, winning world championship titles in his age division.
As a martial artist and instructor, he taught at UCLA, Steven Seagal's Tenshin Dojo, and developed a globally used grappling curriculum with John Will, including customized material for Chuck Norris's UFAF association. He has written several books on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, including "Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Grappling".
Meyer also played a critical role in post-Katrina animal rescue, co-authored books pet care, and co-founded a Haiti orphanage for children with HIV, exemplifying a lifetime of impactful leadership in both martial arts and philanthropy.
Dave resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, and continues to coach BJJ athletes and compete at the world championship level. He is the President & Co-Founder of Humane America Animal Foundation and Food System Innovations, of which the Ageless Warrior Lab is a project.
The Ageless Warrior Lab
Rick Williams, SWAT Cop & BJJ Pioneer: "Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life Dozens of Times" | Ep. 17
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Join us for an in-depth interview with Rick Williams—one of the original “Dirty Dozen” American black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, retired police officer, and executive protection specialist for NBA legends like Kobe Bryant. In this episode, Rick shares powerful stories from his decades-long career, including:
• How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu saved lives on the police force
• Behind-the-scenes insights from protecting NBA superstars
• The evolution of BJJ from street self-defense to modern sport
• The intense rivalries and loyalty of early American BJJ
• Life lessons and advice for finding your passion
Whether you’re a martial artist, law enforcement professional, or just love a good story, you’ll find inspiration and wisdom in Rick’s journey. Discover what it takes to thrive in high-pressure environments, adapt to change, and build a life around passion and service.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: Rick Williams’ Martial Arts Journey
01:00 – Law Enforcement Career: 28 Years on the Force
03:00 – The BJJ Dirty Dozen & Early Black Belts
05:00 – Executive Protection for NBA Stars
07:00 – Getting Started in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
10:00 – Training with the Gracies and Machados
13:00 – Rivalries and Early Tournaments
16:00 – Balancing Police Work, Jiu-Jitsu, and Wrestling
20:00 – The Value of BJJ in Law Enforcement
25:00 – Realities of Policing: Risks, Training, and Survival
30:00 – Weapon Retention & Specialized Police Jiu-Jitsu
35:00 – Transition to Executive Protection: Life with NBA Clients
40:00 – Lessons from Elite Athletes & Maintaining Fitness
45:00 – The Evolution of BJJ: Sport vs. Self-Defense
50:00 – Advice for the Next Generation & Closing Thoughts
This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, produced by Robbie Lockie, edited by Phil Marriott and music kindly provided by Robel Borja.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more interviews and insights from the world of martial arts, law enforcement, and personal development!
Links mentioned in the show
Royce Gracie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_Gracie
Machado Brothers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machado_family
Rigan Machado
https://www.theacademybeverlyhills.com/instructors/rigan-machado/
Rico Chiapparelli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rico_Chiapparelli
Dan Henderson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Henderson
Krav Maga
https://www.kravmaga.com/
CJI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Jones_Invitational
Music by Robel Borja
“Disambiguation” https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A
“Erotic Spring” https://open.spotify.com/track/20RAs5iOvZGYSxQTjx8AAM?si=a0a5cead10e0441b
This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, editor & coproducer by Ryan Turner, producer & marketing Robbie Lockie, music kindly provided by Robel Borja.
